US364558A - Territory - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet 1.

W. F. WAMSLEY & T. MCINTOSH. ELECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICEECE EosE CCUPLEES.

IJV VEWTOR 5 (No Model.)

` v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 4 W. E. WAMSLEY 8v T. MGINTOSH. ELECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICE vEUR HOSE COUPLERS.

Patented June 7, 1887.

N. PETERS. Pilota-Lithuglphsr. Wnxhngton. Dy C.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. A,

WILLIAM FREDERICK wAMsLEY AND THOMAS MCINT'OsI-I, OE wALLA wALLA, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

LECTRICAL CONTACT DEVICE FOR HOSE-COUPLERS.

Ealt".CIFI-CATIONl forming part of Letters Patent N0. 364,558, dated June 7, 1887.

Application filed November Q, 1886. Serial No. 217,796. (No model.) i

Be itY known that we, WILLIAM FREDE- RICK WAMsLEY and THOMAS MoINTosII, citizens of the United States, residing at lValla Walla, in the county of Walla Walla. and Territory of Washington, have iuventedeertain new and useful Improvements in Electrical` Contact Devices for Hose-Couplers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' Our invention relates to certain novel iinprovements in thev construction and application of electrical conductors used for lighting and signaling which are applied to the airbrake pipes used on railway-cars, said conductors being so constructed that electrical connections will be established or broken by the act of coupling or uncoupling the pipeconnections, as will be fully understood from the following description when taken iu connection with the annexed drawings.

Before describing our invention and iinprovements, we will state that we are aware that it is not broadly new to utilize the airbrake pipes used on railway-trains and their couplers as a means forbea'ring electrical connections which are used for lighting and signal- Ing.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through two airbrake pipe-couplers,- showing our improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a top or face view of one of the couplers used between cars. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 2. Fig. 3 represents a cross-section of Athe couplers by which the interior dispositiono'f the contact devices is more clearly represented. Fig. 4 is a top view showing the two segments of a contact-ring detached from its coupler. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the electrical points of a pair of couplers in contact. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a dog used at each end of every car. Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal section showing the dog applied to a coupler and completing the circuit through it.

Referringto the annexed drawings by letters, A A designate couplings for iiexible pipes or hose B B-such as the ordinary Westinghouse them.

air-brake hose-cou'plingadapted for conducting compressed air by which railway-car brakes are operated. rlhe couplings Aare all alike in construction, for which reasona description of one coupling will apply to all of O designates the tubular shank of a coupling, which is adapted toreceive and have secured to it air tight a flexible hose, B. This tubular shank C has formed on one endahollow shell, D, the circular opening in which -has an internally-screw-threaded flange or shell D for two metallic contact-points, F F. These contact-points, which are preferably of brass or copper, are constructed wit-h internal offsets, ce, which, when the contacts are xed in proper position in the shell, are diametrically opposite each other.

Surrounding the contact-points F F is au insulating-ring, g, having teatsg g formed on it,

which lie between the separated ends of said also affords an insulated seat inside ofthe contact-points and insulate them from each y other at these points. If desired, the insulated ring g may form an integral part of the insulator gasket-ring c. It will thus beseen that both of the contact-points F F are electrically insulated from the coupling A, and also that each point is electrically insulated from the other.

On'the backs of these points, or on those flat surfaces opposite the offsets ee,we apply a ring or washer, h, which may be of leather, hard rubber, or other suitable substance, and when the cap E is forcibly screwed home the prongs f onthis cap will bear on the ring hand press the contact-points and gasket irnily into their seat and forni an air-tight joint.

The electrical conducting-wires G G, representing the negative and positive poles of an IOO electric battery, are electrically connected to the respective offsets c c of the insulated contact-points F F by passing the ends of these wires through holes made through'the said offsets, as shown in the drawings.

On the end of the shell D is formed a segmental lug, H, having a rib, i, on one side, which, in the act of coupling two of the shells, engages witha segmental lug, H', formed on the shell and provided with a lug, t. rlhese lugs are concentric to the vertical aXis of the shell, so that a coupling is effected by applying two shells together with their faces in jux taposition and moving them about said axis until the ends of the lugs contact with vertical stops, Z: it, in which position the annular protruding rims c c' of the two gaskets c c will bel compressed to form a hermetically-tight joint, andthe negative and positive offsets c c of the electrical contacts F F of both shells may register with each other. Now, it will be seen by reference to Fig. 5 that we employ two noncondueting buttons, J J, having rounded ends between the said offsets c c, which arc respect ively secured to an opposing electrical point, and each button armed with a spring-needle or point, Z, extending to the opposite offsetthat is to say, each needle Z is secured to one offset c and extends to the opposite offset c of its shell or coupling. Then the couplers are detached and pressure removed from the buttons, the springs Z will complete the circuit, when the shells are uneoupled or divided. Vhen the shells are coupled, the circuit is com' pleted between ears by the contact of -the offsets c c of each coupling. lllhe circuit is completed at the rear end of the last car of a train by means of the dog K, (shown in Figs. 6 and 7,) which consists of a perforated shank, m, having a fiat horizontal plate, m', provided with a metallic button-shaped circuit-closer, n, acouplinghook, p, and a stop-lug, r. The dog K is applied to a coupling by adjusting the dog at right angles thereto, the plate m and its contact-plate being held over the offsets c c and flange c. The dog is then forcibly brought around into line with the coupling until the lug r strikes the side of the saine. The hook p engages with the flange of the screw-cap and the circuit-closer u contacts with the two offsets c The dog may be suit ably insulated from the car, or the circuitcloser a insulated from the dog.

If desirable, buttons above described may be substituted for the dog for closing the eircuit at the rear end of a train. The conducting-wires maybe disposed of through the tube in any preferred ordinary manner.

Having described our invention,we claim l. In air-brake hose-couplers, the combination of the segmental contact-points, their offsets and wire-connections, the ring surrounding said points and insulating them from-each other at the ends, and circuit-closers,which automatically complete the circuit when two couplers are disconnected, as described.

2. In air-brake hose-couplers, the combination of the segmental contact-points,the insulator-ring surrounding said points and insulating them from each other at the ends, the packing insulator-ring c, formed as described, the washer or ring 7L, and the removable screw -cap having prongs for bearing against this washer, substantially as set forth and shown.

3. In air-brake hosc-couplers, the combinav tion of the insulated segmental eontactpoints, a packing, and spring-actuated eircuitelosers attached opposite] y to said points, substantially as described.

4. In air-brake hose-eouplers, the combination of the segmental points FF, having contact-offsets to which the electrical wires are connected, the non-conducting ring surrounding said points and insulating them from each other, and the springs secured to the offsets of the points having non-conducting buttons and automatically completing the circuit when two couplers are disconnected, substantially as described.

5. IThe combination, with an air-brake hosecoupler constructed as described, and having internal flange, b, of the packing ri ng orgasket c, seated on such fiange, and having rim c', the segmental points F F, having contact-offsets, the insulator-ring g, surrounding said points and provided with teats y', which separate their ends, and wires attached to the contactoffsets, adapted for connection with an electric generator, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with an air-brake hosecoupler, A, provided with thcsegmental points F F, having contact-offsets and a packing, and a ring surrounding said points and insulating them from each ether, of the dog K, constructed with the couplinghook and stop, and provided with a circuit-closing plate, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM Fllllllllliltl( WAMSLEY. THOMAS '.llclN'lOSll.

Witnesses:

` GEORGE THOMAS THoMIsoN, AUGUs'rUs L. Lovmvztnu.

ICO

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