US402718A

US402718A - bubnett

Info

Publication number: US402718A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-05-07
Anticipated expiration: 1906-05-07

Description

(NoModelA '3 Sheets-Sheet 1. '0. N. BURNETT. HOSE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

'No. 402,718. Patented May 7, 1889.

Hui/51MB".- MIMI WITNESSES:

N. rrrzns, Phnla'Lnhographor, Washington. 01.

(N9 Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

0. N. BURNETT. HOSE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS. No. 402,718. Patented May 7, 1889.

g I o -e J R? '3 6w WITNESSES; v llVVE/VTOR:

' ATTORNEYS,

N4 PETERS. Phnln-Lilhogmphnr. Washington. 0. c,

(No Model.)

WITNESSES 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. G. N. BURNETT.

HOSE COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARS.

Patented May '7, 1889.

INVENTOR.

Qb A TTOR/VEYS. v

nv Pnzns. Phmmm nwu Washington. 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES N. BURNETT, OF CLAY CENTRE, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HARRY G. HIGINBOTHAM, OF SAME PLACE.

HOSE-COUPLING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 402,718, dated May 7, 1889. Application filed September 5,1888- Serial No. 284,594. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES N. BURNETT, of Clay Centre, in the county of Clay and State of Kansas, have invented a new and 5 useful Improvement in Hose-Couplings for Railway-Oars, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in hose-couplings for railway-cars, and has for its object to provide a simple and reliable means of automatically uniting the opposing sections of steam or air pipes located beneath the cars of a train when said cars are themselves coupled.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying 2o drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coupling, partially in section, in an uncoupled position. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the parts in the position occupied when coupled. Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating the position of the parts when the sections become un coupled by accident. Fig. at is a section on the line as 00 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the safety-catch and releasing-lever; and Fig. 6 illustrates the angle at which the front and rear coupling-heads are placed. 7 is a perspective view of the coupling, showing the coupling-heads connected.

In carrying out the invention a jacket, 10, is held longitudinally beneath the car and draw-head 11, being supported near the ends of said car by a block, 12, and intermediate of the ends by other blocks, 13. The blocks are secured to the frame-work of the cars, the intermediate blocks being rigidly attached and provided with a smooth aperture, through which the jacket passe s. The end blocks, 12, are secured to a yoke-like spring, 14, and the said spring is firmly attached at its ends to the car-frame, as best shown in Fig. 4.

The spring 14 consists of two V-sections, 15, united at their upper contiguous ends by a horizontal member, to which member the slots 39, formed in the jacket.

block is fastened. The spring is made from a single piece of suitable metal, and is intended to offset any lateral motion of the car or other motion calculated to throw the jacket from its normal position. The spring and the blocks or boxes carrying the jacket are so secured to the car-frame that the jacket will be supported directly overthe center of the track and a proper distance above the same.

At one side of the box 13 a collar, 16, is formed upon the jacket or attached thereto, adapted to engage with one end of a spring, 17, coiled around the jacket, the other end being made to rest against the block or box. The purpose of this spring is to oifset all back or forward motion of the cars while running and when said cars are coupled.

The end of the jacket 10 is screwed into the block or box 12, and a rod, 18, is projected through the jacket and beyond the extremity thereof. The outer extremity of the rod 18 is screwed into a coupling-pipe, 19, having an inclined projection or flange, 20, formed upon the end approaching the jacket. The rod 18 is adapted to reciprocate in the jacket, and its movement is limited by lugs 38, integral with the rod, projecting outward through Aspring, 21, is coiled around the rod 18, between the conical flange 20 and the block 12, bearing upon said block and flange, which spring is adapted to assist in the operation of the coupler when occasion may require. I

The coupling-pipe 19 is provided with a valve, 22, and a semicircular flange, 23, partially surrounds the stem thereof, purposed to limit the throw of a lever, 24, secured to said stem. WVhen the lever is thrown downward, the valve is closed, as shown in Fig. 1. When reversed, the valve is opened, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

Upon the outer end of the pipe 19 a coupling-head, 25, is screwed or otherwise attached. In affixing the heads they are inclined at an angle of about forty-five degrees, the head of one pipe-section being inclined in an opposite direction to the other, as illustrated in Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 6, A, for instance, represents a front elevation of the uncoupled head of the last car of a train, and B a rear elevation of the opposite or coupled head.

It will be observed that by reason of the opposing heads being reversely inclined they are always in position for coupling at either end.

The heads consist of a hub, 20, recessed to receive a washer, 27, and an outwardly-extending tubular rubber cushion, 28. From the hub 26 aligning arms 29 are projected outward, flaring in opposite directions, and in said arms a longitudinal slot, 30,'is produced, the inner end wall of which slot is carried at an inclination to the rear endof the hub, as best shown in Fig. 3.

WVithin the slots 30 gripping-fingers 31 are pivoted, and the outer ends of said fingers are pivotally connected to rods 32, leading rearward and having their inner end pivoted in any suitable manner in the block 12, as bestshown in Fig. 4. A pivotal connection is also established between the uppermost rack.

rod, 32, and the valve-lever 24 through the medium of a link,

To the end boxes, 12, or from the support of the boxes, a spring latch-bar, 34:, is attached, which bar, extending outward, terminates in a head, 35, adapted to engage the outer face of the conical flange 20, should the pipe-heads be accidentally uncoupled, and prevent the valves from closing in the pipe 19, as shown in Fig. 3. hen the hose is coupled, the head of the spring-latch is in advance of the flange 20, and when the hose is entirely uncoupled the said head oecupiesa position immediately at one side of the flange, asillustrated in Fig. 1.

The latch-bar is connected by a chain, 36, with a lever, 37, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, pivoted above the coupleiyand representing the ordinary platform-lever used upon passengertrains, whereby the latch may be moved horizontally to admit of uncoupling.

Communication is established between the coupling-pipe 19 and the main steam orair pipe 40, extending beneath the car, by a flexible horizontal pipe, 41,'intersecting the couplii'ig-pipe to the rear of the valve 22. The lever 37 may or may not be provided with a W hen, however, the coupling is used in connection with freight-ears, a rack similar to that illustrated at 42 in Fig. 5 is employed.

In operation, when the coupler is in'position to couple with an opposing pipe-section, the gripping-fingers are connected with the head, as shown in Fig. 1. As the opposing coupling-heads strike or come in contact, they press back the rod 18, causing the grippingfingers 31 to assume an angle of about fortyfive degrees, corresponding with position of head, whereupon as the'coupling-heads come in contact (see Fig. 7) the arms of one head passbetween those of the opposite head and engage the rear face of the respective hubs 26. .At the same time the valve 22 is opened by the link 33. a

In uncoupling passenger-ears using automatic car-couplers all that is necessary is to manipulate the lever 37, (shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) and by so doing both the draw-head and latch-bar are moved horizontally and at the same time. The chain 36 is always attached and ready for use, whereupon by operating the lever it will carry the draw head and spring back at the same time; but if the hose-coupler is used upon freight-trains, when the trains are leaving cars at station and switching and making up trains, the operation of uncoupling consists simply in carrying the lever 37 horizontally upon the notched bar 42, whereupon the latch-bar 34 is moved horizontally and the rod 18 allowed to slide outward. In the event that the hose should be uncoupled by accident the valves will not entirely close, owing to the latch-head 35, which will engage with the pipe-flange 20, as shown in Fig.

The heads leave each other freely. Although the cars may have been uncoupled by accldent, at the same time the valves are held partially open. Theheads do not hang to each other, but are held back by the latch 34. Thus the heads cannot extend forward far enough to close the valves. \Vhile the heads are in theposition illustrated in Fi 3 they can be again coupled as though no accidenthad occurred.

The lever 37 (illustrated in Fig. 5) is ahorizontal lever, and is only used in the absence of an automatic car-coupling lever, and is intended to operate horizontally.

Having thus fully describedmy invention,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a spring-actuated rod, bearings for the same located beneath the car, a coupling-pipe secured to said rod, and a valve contained in said pipe, of a head secured to the coupling-pipe, gripping-fingers pivoted in said head, connecting-rods pivoted beneath the ear and to said fingers, and alinkconnection between one of said rods and the valve-stem, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a spring-actuated rod located beneath the car, a coupling-pipe secured to said rod, a valve contained in the pipe, and a head attached to the same having outwardly and oppositelyflaring slotted arms, of gripping-fingers pivoted in the slots of said arms, connecting-rods-secured to the car-frame and pivoted to said fingers, a link connecting one connecting-rod and the valve, and a cushion inserted in the head at the extremity of the coupling-pipe, substantially as shown and described.

3. The conibinatiomwith a spring-actuated rod located beneath the car, a coupling-pipe secured to the said rod, a coupling-head attached to said pipe at an angle approaching forty-five degrees provided with outwardly and oppositely flaring slotted arms, of gripping-fingers pivoted in said arms, a valve lo- ICO cated in the coupling-pipe to the rear of the head, connecting-rods secured to the block and pivoted to said fingers, and a link-connection between one connecting-rod and the valve, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination, with a spring-actuated rod located beneath the car, a coupling-pipe secured to said rod provided with an essentially-conical head at the point of juncture, a coupling-head attached to the outer end of the pipe at an angle approximately of forty-five degrees having outwardly-flaring and slotted arms, of gripping-fingers pivotedin said arms, a valve located in the coupling-pipe to the rear of the head, connecting-rods secured beneath 5. The combination, with the rod 18 and coupling-head 25, of the sleeve 10, bearingblock 13, spring 14, and bearing-block 12, carried by said spring, substantially as shownand described.

CHARLES N. BURNETT.

Witnesses:

O. M. STAPLES, EUGENE WOLFE.