US37612A - Improvement in car-couplings - Google Patents

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inches by eleven inches. -will be seen, moves in a vertical line. being;

tumbler C, which im.

slightly beveled .from top to bottom.

rangement and mode ot' construction enable UNITI-ED. STATES 4 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE GOLLYER, O F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-CQUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,612. dated. Fobruaryl, leoi.

newund .useful Improvements in Couplings .for Railroful-Gars;v and I do hereby declare that the following' isA a full, clear, and exact description ofthe construction and operation ofthe saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is av side view, and Fig. 2 a vertical longitudinal section, of two coupling-boxes; Fig. 3, a top view, and Fig. 4 a :tron't` end view, of a single coupling-box; Fig. 5, a variation in the shape of the front cud Fig. 6, a side view, and Fig. 7 a front view, of the tumbler or latch detached; Fig. 8 a side view, and Figs. 9 andA 1t) top views, of coupling-bars.

The drawings are on a scale one inch therein representing four inches in the working-couplings.

A, Figs. 1, 2, and 3,represent the couplingbox; B, Fig. 2, the couplingbnr; C, Figs. 6, and 7, the tumbler or latch l), spiral springs; E, Figs. .1, 2, 3, and 4, the front or open ind of the coupling-box; F, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7, a box throughwhieh the rod ot' the tumblerb` slides and into which the springs D recede when the tumbler U is drawn up to .permit thc withdrawing of the coupling-bar B. I will now proceed to describe the construe-- tion and mode ot operation of my improvements; I make the coupling-bar B and tumbler C ot' 'wroughtiroin all other parts represented of cast-iron. is about six inches square, excepting the front end, Fig. 4, which is oblong, being about ten The tumbler C, it

provided with tongues C', Figs. 2 and t3, which slide in correspondin;r grooves c a', Fig. 3, 'in the sides of the cou'pli .;'-box. 'lhe side ofthe .s and comes in contact with the de'tent d of the coupling-bar, is very This aany operator to nneouple the cars ntany time without starting the train backward or xorward, no matter llcwclose may be the contact between the tumbler and the coul'iling-bar.

The natural position ol' the tumbler C is shon a in Fig. 2. When two oars are to be coupled,

the. coupling-bar "i, having had one ot' its,

The coupling-box A is ends inserted into the coupling-box of either ear, 1s kept in a position abouthorizontnl by theQtumbler and its springs. One car standing still and -thc other approaching it, thevouter end ot" the coupling-bar comes in contact shown in Fig. fl-the cars .being now coupled.

The coupiing-bar .3 is made shorter than the combined length ofthe two cavities (.r when the iront ends 111 oi' 'the conplingdioxes are in contact, and therefore the bar cannot strike at the same time with both its ends the rea-l walis ofthe cavities. i

I construct the coupling-hars in two lorms,

having` expansions [1,Figs-9 and lo. 'liar-,h form is designed for a particular oiliee. The

expansions b ot' the bar (represented in lig. 0)

extend laterally outside of'thodelont 1I. vl use a bar of this form to connect the train to ihe locomotive-engine. 'Vl'ieneverithappensthat the engine is thrown from the. track it.l is very desirable thattlie connection between the engine and the train should be speedily broken.

This is especially desirable when the accident appensncar an embankment or side cnt on a mountain, because the engine, being,Y in most cases much heavier than the train, drags thc latter with it, it may be, down the embank; ment. Now, il we use a ccupliugdmr sach as is shown in Figui), then when vthe engine leaves the rails as long as its wheels remain on the. the cross-tics and. the engine is so kept in about a horizontal position the couplingsY will not come undone, but as soon as the wheels on one side leave the cross-ties' the engine is eanted over, the expansion (fraises the tumbler i), thc engine is uneoupled.from the train, and the latter is lefton the. track.

ln the bar represented in Fie'. 'io-the exp-ansions I Eire iess thanv those in Fie. .l,tl1\;:.iletein. I extending outside el.' the expansions. i de sign to iso this i'orm ii connmztinj.,v the am which compose the train.

does not oi' itself nueonpic the ears, outrequires the tumbler() .to be drawn up bynn f operator before 4the uncoupling is effected. Nhcn nl train is moving rapidly und one of the cars is thrown from the track, iu most cases its front trucks turn either tothe right or to the left, its rear trucks taking the'opposite direction, which throws the car across the track, uid the next succeeding car runs'intoit, sometinie's through it. It is ytherefore desirable 'that We should connect the curs of a train by couplings which,'as well as being self coupling, shill be strong and not easily lunooupled. The ut ends'of the bars obvinte the tendency that a round but' has to turn over, which turning might endanger the uncouplin'g of the curs when not desired.

. v The bars'rnight be innde ot' o uniform width,

wide throughout as I lime-represented thc expansions b to be, but thus .constructed they lwould not work Well unless the' proportions of the otherfparts were materially altered, since the bar, having less laterali play iu the box, could not so' well adapt itself to the varying motions ofthe eers, s, for instance,'when the train is turning curves. i

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l; 'lhecombination of the tumbler C, springs selves uncouple the'cnrs in ense the letter get oif the track.

3. .The employment of coupling-oars such as shown in Fig. 10, hnving expansions b near .the ends of the burs'with less lateral breadth than the detent, so that, although one or more curs ofthe trein may get o'the track-,the cars.-

shull not be thereby 'nncon'pled.

' GEO. COLLYER.

^ Witncssesz J. E. SHAW, JAMEs MGCAHEN.

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