US408481A

US408481A - Car-coupling

Info

Publication number: US408481A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1889-08-06
Anticipated expiration: 1906-08-06

Description

(N0 Modem I I 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- A. R. HEATH.

' UAR COUPLING.

No. 408,481. Patented Aug. 6, 1-889.

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ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. A. R. HEATH. GAR GOUPLILIG.

(No Model.)

No. 408,481. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

(N0 Mbdel.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3] A R. HEATH.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

A.R.H EATH. GAR COUPLING.

-No. 408,481. Patented Aug. 6, 1889.

WITNESSES.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED RILEY HEATH, OF COVINGTON, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,481, dated August 6, 1889.

Application filed April 3, 1889. Serial No. 305,815. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED RILEY HEATH,

of Covington, in the county of Fountain and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a new and improved automatic coupling of simple and durable construction, by means of which cars provided therewith may be coupled to cars havinglike couplings, or having couplings of the ordinary link-and-pin class.

The invention consists in various novel parts and combinations of the same designed to improve the various features of the coupling, as hereinafter particularly described, and defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent front elevations of a car provided with my improved coupling, showing diiferently-constructed uncoupling devices. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of the draw-head. Fig. 5 is a like View illustrating a modified construction of draw-head hereinafter particularly referred to. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional. elevation of the ends of two cars provided with my improved coupling, showing the latter in the coupled position. Fig. 7 is a partly sectional plan view, the couplings being in the position shown in Fig. 6 and Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively an end view and a partly-sectional side elevation illustrating a further modification.

Referring to the parts of the coupling, the draw-head A thereof is provided wit-h a vertical partition A, dividing the draw-head into the longitudinal recesses a a, which are preferably open top and bottom, and through and across both of which extends the axial pin B, which forms in one recess a the pivot for the coupling-hook O, and in the adjoining recess a forming the coupling-pin with which an opposing coupling-link engages. The recess a is preferably extended a shorter distance back than its companion recess, and is formed with a concaved rear wall a for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The coupling-hook O, which is pivoted at its rear end on the pin B within recess a, as specified, is formed with an oblong slot 0, through which the pin B passes, and its downwardly and rearwardly extended end 0' is weighted to normally maintain the hook in the coupled position, or in position to be coupled. The upper edge of the hook is provided with a rearwardly-disposed hook 0 forming a recess 0 the front edge of which hook strikes against the axial coupling pin B of an opposing draw-head in the action of coupling, which causes the coupling-hook to be depressed until the hook 0 passes beneath the said opposing coupling-pin, whereupon the Weighted end a of the coupling-hook falls, throwing hook c upward, the opposing coupling-pin B being received in the recess 0 coupling the cars. The extreme forward end of the coupling-hook C, beyond the hook 0 thereof, is formed with a vertical oblong slot 0 that is designed to receive the coupling pin of an ordinary link-and-pin coupling when desired.

The special purpose of the oblong pivotslot 0 is to allow the link to be thrown back against the concaved wall a of the recessed draw-head when the cars are brought together, whereby the pins B will be relieved of all shock.

Referring especially to Fig. 1, which illustrates the uncoupling devices for passengercars, D is a rod having a preferably loose connection at its lower end with the weight end of the coupling-hook, which connection is shown in the drawings as a staple-like device d for the coupling-hook engaging the eye (I of rod D. The upper end (Z of the rod D is suitably formed to afford a handle to be grasped by the train-hand, and below the upper end (1 there is formed on the rod an eye d which is adapted to be hookedover any one of a series of upwardly-projecting hooks e on the guard-rail E of the car. By raising the weighted end of the coupling-hook by means of rod D the hook c of said couplinghook is thrown out of engagement with the pin B, uncoupling the cars.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated the uncoupling devices preferred for flat cars, said devices consisting of. chains F, that are secured to the rear end of the coupling-hook, extending up over pulleys or eyes f to the side of the car,

where, in practice, a series of hooks will be located to be engaged by the chain, whereby the coupling-hook will be held at any desired height to couple onto a higher or lower opposing draw-head.

\Vith a freight-car I prefer the uncoupling devices illustrated in Figs. 3, 6, 7, and 8. In this case a lever G is suitably secured at one end to the coupling-hook, and extends outward in an approximately horizontal direction to or near the sides of the car, and is fulcrumed at or near their center on the lowerends of depending rods G on the ear-body. The rods G are formed at their lower ends with eye or hook g, and the operating-levers G are formed with an elongated loop 9 one side or member of which loop rests in the eye or hook g, affording a varying fulcrum-point for the operating-rod to enable the latter to accommodate itself to the vertical movement of the coupling-hook. One of the said operating-levers will be arranged at each side of the car.

The car is provided with a vertical series of downwardly-extending hooks g, beneath which the lever G is received for maintaining the coupling-hook in a given position.

The draw-head may be formed of bar-iron, if desired, as shown in Fig. 5, in which A represents a U-shaped bar-iron casing having a partition A, that extends from the front end of the draw-head rearwardly, being bent laterally at its inner end to accommodate a block A the forward end a of which block is similarly concaved to the corresponding portion of the draw-head shown in the other figures, and for a like purpose. The axial coupling-pin B extends through the ends of easing A and partition A and performs the same functions as in the draw-head shown in the remaining figures.

In Figs. 3, 6, and '7, II represents a rubber or other spring-buffer secured to the front platform of the car, which is designed to receive the force of the impact on the cars com ing together, the buffers ll of opposing cars contacting when the draw-heads are forced back beneath the platforms. The buffers ll would of course receive the full force of impact should the draw-heads not buff fairly or be arranged to not project beyond the earplatforms.

A projection I, Fig. (i, is provided on the draw-head to afford an additional or alternative means of coupling the car to the shacklebar of a locomotive.

In the draw-head is formed a vertical hole a through which the ordinary pin of a linkand-pin coupling is passed.

The coupling-hook may be arranged, it de sired, to be operated by a cord from the engineers cab, as indicated at J in Fig. 3.

In Figs. 8 and 9 the draw-head is formed with a recess a for receiving the weighted end of the coupling-hook when the latter is in the uncoupled position. In these figures, also, the attachment for operating the coupling consists of a shaft K, journaled beneath the cars, its ends being provided with handles 70. Centrally of the shaft is formed the crank portion K, said crank portion extending around the coupling-hook and formed with a loop that engages and prevents undue lateral play of the coupling-hook, which hook is provided with a keeper L, that acts as a stop for the loop. By this means the coupling may be operated from either side of the car.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-coupling, the combination,with the draw-head formed with a recess having a concaved rear wall d of a coupling-hook C, having an oblong slot 0 and pivoted in said recess by a pivot-pin passing through said ohlong slot, substantially as described.

2. In a ear-coupling, the combination, with the draw-head formed with a partition, forming recesses a a, open at top and bottom, of a pin B, extending across said recess, and a coupling-hook pivoted in recess a by the pin B, the portion of said pin in recess a afiording an engagement for the hook of an opposing coupling-hook, substantially as described.

3. The coupling-hook 0, formed with an oblong transverse slot 0, weighted rear end 0, rearwardly-projecting hook portion 0 011 its upper edge, and with a vertical oblong slot a in its forward end, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a recessed draw-head having a pin extending across the recess thereof, of a coupling-hook pivoted in the recess of the draw-head and having a weighted rear end and a vertical slot in its forward end, the hook being adapted to engage the pin of the opposing draw-head and the slot to receive the coupling-pin of an ordinary link, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, a recessed draw-head having the pin B extending across the recess thereof, and the coupling-hook C, provided with the slot c, through which the pin B passes, the weighted rear end 0, and the vertical slot- 0 in its forward end, the hook being adapted to engage the pin of the opposing draw-head, and the slot 0 to receive the coupling-pin of an ordinary link, in combination with means for lifting the said hook, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination, with a draw-head, of a weighted coupling-hook pivoted to said drawhead and operating devices for said hook, consisting of the rod G, united thereto and formed with an oblong loop, the said rod being fulcrumed at said loop portion, substantially as described.

ALFRED RILEY HEATH.

IVitnesses:

HOMER SEWELL, JOHN G. KEEFER.