US403147A - john t - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. SOHINNELLER & J. T. JONES.

GAR GOUPLING LINK.

N0. 403,147. Patented May 14, 1889;.

WdJAMZ V- fanc Q (No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet J. SGHINNBLLER & J. T. JONES.

GAB. OOUPLING LINK.

No. 403,147. Patented May 14, 1889.

UNITED V STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB SOHINNELLER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, AND JOHN T. JONES, OF IRON MOUNTAIN, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING LINK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 403,147, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed November 21, 1888. Serial No. 291,435. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB SOHINNELLER and JOHN T. JONES, residents of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, and of Iron Mountain, in the county of Menominee and State of Michigan, respectively, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Oar-Coupling Links; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our invention relates to the links employed in coupling cars, generally known as coupling-links, its objects being to provide a link which is elastic, so that it will spring or yield slightly when the heavy strain or jar is brought upon it, to increase the strength of the link, and to provide a link which can be formed out of steel, such as the steel employed in railroad-rails, and therefore to provide a means for utilizing the old rails in the manufacture of car-links.

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, in a car-coupling link formed of a continuous band of metal wrapped in several layers or strands and having the several strands united at one or both ends, said strands being unconnected in the central portions thereof and said strands being preferably curved or sprung in the central portions to impart elasticity to the link.

It also consists in certain other improve ments, which will be hereinafter more particularly set forth.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention, we will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top view showing one form of our improved coupling-link where the strands are wrapped one upon the other and united only at one end. Fig. 2 is a central cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a face view of another form of the link, in which the layers or strands are wrapped side by side; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal. section of the same. Fig. 5 is a plan view of another form of our improved link, in which the layers or strands are united at both ends of the link; and Fig. 6 is a central cross-section of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

Our improved coupling-link is preferably formed of steel,and for its manufacture we pre fer to employ strips or bands of steel formed from old rails, as in the construction of the said link the necessity of a perfect weld of the parts is overcome, and therefore, though the ordinary rail-steel cannot well be perfectly welded, it forms a quality of strip or band which is well suited for the manufacture of our improved coupling-link and provides a very cheap material from which to manufacture the same. The link may, however, be formed of other qualities of steel, or may be formed" of wrought-iron.

Our improved link is formed of a continuous band, a, of iron or steel, as above stated, this band being wrapped in several layers in any suitable manner, three forms of our improved links being shown in the drawings.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the band a, having about the cross-section shown in Fig. 2, is wrapped upon a suitable mandrel or formed in other suitable manner, the layers 1 2 3 4 5 being wrapped one upon the other, as shown, and the inner and outer ends, ff, of the band being brought to one end of the link. In forming the link shown in said figures, we prefer, in order to obtain elasticity in the couplinglink, to form central portions, e, of the inner strands, 1, 2, 3, and 4, inwardly curved or bent, as shown, the curving or bending of the said layers or strands starting from the bent ends d g of the link-body, and extending in on a gradual spring or curve. The inner strands are curved or bent more than the outer strands, as shown in the drawingsthat is, the strand 1 extends inwardly farther than the strand 2so that there is a slight space, 1), between them, while the strand 2 extends in farther than the strand 3, which in its turn extends in farther than the strand 4, like spaces, 1), being left between said strands, and the strand 5 being formed straight or without any curve or bend between the bent ends at g of the link. To provide room for the extension of the several strands of the link, we have provided like spaces, as at c,

between the severalstrands at one end of the linlcsuch as at the end cZthe layer or strand 1 being proportionately shorter than the layer or strand 2, and the space 0 being left between them, while the strand 2 is proportionately shorter than the strand 3, and the like space 0 is left between them, and similar spaces are left between the strands and i and at and 5, so that when the strands at the end g of the link are welded together or are united together by any suitable means, in case of heavy strain or jar coming upon the link, the inner strand, 1, will receive the strain, and the pressure or strain will first tend to draw said inner strand, 1, straight, overcoming the curvature or spring in the center thereof, and close the space 1) between the strands 1 2, and this pressure will draw the end of the strand 1. against the end of the strand 2, closing the space 0 between said strands, when the strain upon the link will be sustained by the strands 1 and 2, which will yield or spring together until the strand 2 is drawn against the strand 3, closing the spaces Z) 0 between them, the strand being thus drawn or carried by the one strand or a greater number of strands,

according to the pressure or strain brought upon the link. In case the pressure is very heavy the curved or bent inner portions of the several strands are drawn out straight and the several strands are forced together against the outer strand, 5, which, as it will not yield, enables all the strands to bear the strain equally and to sustain an exceedingly heavy weight. The ends f of the strands can be united to the body of the link in any suitable manner, and in said Figs. 1 and 2, as the several strands are wrapped one upon the other, the ends fare brought to one end of the link, and in order to secure the parts together I prefer to heat and weld together the several strands or layers at this end of the link, as, though the steel cannot well be per fectly welded, a stick-weld can be formed and the parts can be so united as to held against the strain brought upon the link, where the several strands are bent up one upon the other, as shown.

In Figs. 3 and i a different form of link is shown, this link embodying substantially the improvements shown in the link above described; but instead of the several strands or layers being wrapped one upon the other, the said strands or layers are wrapped side by side, substantially in the same manner shown in a spiral spring, except that the link is of proper length. and width for car-coupling purposes. In said link the ends f of the continuous band (I, are brought to one end of the link, and the several layers or strands are unit-ed together by welding, as above set forth. In order to obtain the desired elasticity in the coupling, however, the central strand, 3, is generally made longer than the others, and it is straight between the bent ends (Z 1 of the link, while the central portions, 6, of the strands 2 i on each side of said strand 3 are slightly sprung or curved, as shown in Fig. 4:, and said strands when. so curved are slightly shorter than. the strand 3,and the central portions, (2, of the strands 1 and 5 are sprung or curved more than the strands 2 and l, and said strands are slightly shorter than the strands 2 and i, the spaces Z) being thus left between the several strands at about the center of the link, and when said link is in use the coupling-pin coming first in contact with the outer strands, 1 and 5, which strands sustain the strain until the central portions thereof are drawn into contact with the strands 2 and 4, and then the four strands 1, 2, 4, and 5 sustain the strain until their central portions are drawn into line with the central strand, 3, and their free ends are drawn into line with each other, when all the strands bear the strain together.

In the coupling-links shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the several strands or layers are wrapped together, the one upon the other, the ends f of the continuous band (6 being brought to one end of the link, and the central portions, 6, of the several strands of the link fitting close against each other, so that practically no spaces are left between the said strands.

Both end portions, (Z and of the link are.

welded or otherwise united together; but the central portions between the end portions are left free, the several strands fitting against each other, but not being united. In order to obtain the necessary elasticity in the link, the said central portions, 0, between the bent ends thereof are formed inwardly curved or sprung, as shown in said figure, all those portions of the strand being given approximately the same curvature or spring, and as the ends of the link are united together by welding or otherwise it is evident that when the link is in use all the strands thereof act to sustain the load, whether it be light or heavy, and the necessary spring action is obtained by the curved or bent central portions of the several strands or layers, which are free to mox e in case of any heavy strain being brought against the link.

In forming our improved link of whatever form maybe desired, after the band a has been rolled to the proper size and shape it is first brought to a suitable bending heat and wrapped upon a mandrel by any suitable mechanism,provision being made during the wrapping operation or afterward for imparting the desired curvature or spring to the central portions of the strands, as above de scribed. The portions of the several strands of the link which are to be united together are then heated and welded or united by any suitable means, and the link is then properly tempered, so forming the complete couplinglink. As the several layers or strands are bent around each other in an oblong form, as shown, and the ends of the said strands are properly secured, it is evident that we are in this form of link enabled to obtain very great strength, even though a perfect welding of IIO tween them and the wrapping of the strands one upon the other cause the locking or holding of the strands in position; and for that reason we are enabled to employ in the manufacture of the link a metal which cannot be perfectly Welded, and can therefore employ steel for the manufacture of the link, so obtaining in the metal much greater tensile strength than in the ordinary iron employed for making coupling-links, and at the same time, as the several strands when subjected to the heaviest strain act to sustain each other, it is evident that a much stronger link is formed than the ordinary coupling-link heretofore employed.

As the link employed can yield or spring under the lighter strain or jars, it is evident that the link overcomes much of the jarring to the cars and the parts connected by the coupling-pins and draw-heads, and overcomes to a great extent the liability of breaking either of the link or the coupling pins under sudden or heavy strain.

As the link can be formed of a Bessemer steel and worn-out railroad rails provide metal which is well suited for the manufacture of the links, it is evident that by the utilization of these rails for the formation of the bands from which the links are made the cost of the links can be very materially re ers'or strands, and having the ends of the band united to the body of the link, some of the layers or strands being curved or sprung at or near the center of the link to impart elasticity thereto, and one or more of the layers or strands being straight between the bent ends of the link, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A car-coupling link formed of a continuous band of metal, said band being wrapped in several layers or strands, the one upon the other, and having the ends of the band united to the body of the link, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A car-coupling link formed of a continuous band of metal, said band being wrapped in several layers or strands, the one upon the other, and having some of the layers curved or bent at or near the center of the link to impart elasticity thereto, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A car-coupling link formed of a continuous band of metal wrapped in several layers or strands, and having the several strands united at one or both ends, said strands being unconnected in the central portions th ereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. A car-coupling link formed of a continuous band of metal Wrapped in several layers or strands, and having said strands united together at one end and unconnected at the other end and in the central portions thereof, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof We, the said JACOB SOHINNELLER and JOHN T. J ONES, have hereunto set our hands.

JACOB SOHINNELLER. JOHN T. JONES.

Witnesses as to Jacob Schinneller:

J. N. CooKE, RoBT. D. TOTTEN.

Witnesses as to John T. J ones:

JAMES I. KAY, ROBT. D. TOTTEN.

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