US429194A

US429194A - Car-coupling

Info

Publication number: US429194A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1890-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1907-06-03

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. HUGHES. CAR COUPLING. v No. 429,194. Patented June 3, 1890.

10- i i 1 .1 .r

L lllllll lllllillllllll CLZ Z J. HUGHES. GAR OOUPLING.

No. 429,194. Patented June 3, 1890.

lllllllllllllll III 'WIIII W 77755555 16 n [/7 V577? W 4J f% mi Nunms vans co. FHOTO-LH'HQ, wnsnmawn, n. c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES HUGHES, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,194, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed March 26, 1890. $er ial No. 345,302. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HUGHES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers; and I 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.

My invention has for its object the production of a car-coupler adapted for general use, but more especially adapted for use on f reightcars, which shall be wholly automatic in the action of coupling, which in the coupled position shall provide two independent connections between each pair of draw-heads, and which may be uncoupled from either side or from the top of the car, thus avoiding the necessity of the brakeman going between the cars under any circumstances. 7

With these ends in view I have devised the simple and novel construction, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to denote the several parts.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the members of my novel coupling detached from the cars, showing the draw-heads in the locked position; Fig. 2, a similar View showing the drawheads in the unlocked position; Fig. 3, a front elevation showing the lever for uncoupling from the top of the car; Fig. 4:, a detail sectional view of the locking-block and the operating-slide, the line of the section being indicated by at so in Fig 5; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail sectional views on the line y y in Fig. 2, showing the locking-block and operating-slide, respectively, in the locked and unlocked positions.

A denotes the draw-heads, each of which is provided with a locking projection 1, a locking-recess 2, and an unlocking projection 3. The shank of the draw-head (denoted by 4;) extends backward in a case 5, and has at its rear end a plate 6, adapted to .slide in the case, and beyond the plate a reduced extension 7, surrounded by a coil-spring 8. The extension passes through a plate 9, rigidly secured in the case, the outward movement of plate 6 being limited by stops 10 in the case. It will be seen that in the act of coupling, when the two draw-heads come together, they will be pushed inward against the power of springs 8, and that as soon as the pressure is removed the springs will restore the parts to their normal position.

11 denotes flat springs on opposite sides of the shanks of the draw-heads, which bear against pins 12. These springs act to hold the draw-heads central, and at the same time permit sufficient lateral movement of the draw-heads in use. Each of the locking proj cations of the draw-heads is provided with a transverse opening 13, which is adapted to be engaged by the locking-pin of the opposite draw-head. It will be noticed in Figs. 5 and 6 that openings 13 are elongated vertically, so as to insure that the locking-pin will pass through readily, and, furthermore, to permit of a reasonable amount of variation in the height of the platforms.

14 denotes a transverse opening in each draw-head extending through the locking projection and also through the unlocking projection, the opposite side of the recess 2, which receives the locking projection of the opposite draw-head. It will of course be understood that the draw-heads at the opposite ends of a car are counterparts of each other, and consequently that each draw-headis the counterpart of a draw-head upon another car. For convenience, therefore, I will describe a single draw-head only.

15 denotes a locking-pin which is adapted to slide in opening 14, and is detachably secured to a carrier 16, held and guided by suitable rods or strips 17 The locking-pin is secured to the carrier by a bolt 18, or in any suitable manner which will permit its ready removal, should it be required at any time.

19 denotes operating-rods connected to the carrier and extending outward to the opposite sides of the car, each rod being provided with a suitable handle 20 for convenience in operation. Y

21 denotes guides for the operating-rods, which are rigidly secured to rods or strips 17. 22 denotes anv arm rigidly secured to the operating-rod and extending outward there- ICO from, which is adapted to be engaged by an operating-lever 23, extending to the top of the car.

2% denotes a strong drawirig-spring, one on d of which is connected to one of the guides and the other to arm 22, its action being to draw the carrier, operating-rod, and lockingpin inward as in the act of coupling.

25 denotes a weighted locking-block, which is suitably pivoted to a block 26, rigidly attached to rods or strips 17. This locking block is also pivoted to an operating-slide 27, adapted to move on a suitable rib or spline 28. It will be noticed (see dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 2, see also Figs. 5 and 0) that the pivotal point of the locking-block to block 26 is near its forward end, that its pivotal point to the operating-slide is slightly in front of its pivotal point to the block, and that the weighting of said locking-block is at the rear end thereof. The parts are connected together in this manner, so that when the OIJQIttlIlg-SlldO is moved inward it must necessarily tilt the weighted rear end of the locking-block, raising it out of the locking position. The object of this locking-block is to retain the carrier and locking-pin at the retracted-that is, the uncoupled-position. It will be seen in Fig. 1, in which the parts are shown in the coupled position, that the locking-blocks have been raised by the inward movement of the operating-slide, and that springs 2t have forced the operating-rods, carriers, and locking-pins inward, the carriers having passed under the locking-block and the opei'atingslide. This operation is performed automatically when two cars are run together. The operating slide upon each car is engaged by the unlocking projection upon the other car just after the locking projections have passed into the locking-recesses. The inward movement of the two operating-slides takes place at the same instant, lifts the two locking-blocks, which permits the springs 24: to move the locking-pins inward, so that a double lock is effected between each pair of drawheads, the locking-pin of each draw-head passing through the locking projection of the other draw-head and into the unlocking projection, so as to give a firm support to each end of the pin.

The act of uncoupling may be performed from the tops or from either side of the cars. If performed from the top, the brakeman oscillates the operating-leveron each car. If performed from the side, it is done by moving the carriers and locking-pins outward until each locking-pinisdisengagedfrom thelockingproj ection of theother memberof the couplingand the carriers have passed out from under the loeking-blocks The weighted locking-blocks will then instantly drop down between the earriers and the draw-heads, as in 1 and 5. As but one carrier and but one spring 2t are shown upon each car, it is obvious that to uncouple the brakeman must pull out the upper left and lower right operatingaods, as

seen in Figs. 1. and 2, and push in the upper right and lower left operating-rods. In order that the carriers, operating-rods, and locking-pins maybe retained out of operative position, so that the cars will not necessarily be coupled should they happen to be run together, as in making upa train, I provide the operatingrods with locking-notches 29, which are engaged by locking-latches 30, pivoted to the outer guides 21. \Vhen it is desired to lock the parts out of operative position, the carriers and locking-pins are moved forward by pulling upon one operating-rod or pushing upon the other, and are locked in that position by placing one or both of thelocking-latchcs in engagement with the notches in the operating-rods. It will be apparent that when the parts are in this position contact of the unlocking projections with the operating-slides will have no effect whatever upon the carriers and locking-pins, and that the weighted lockingblocks will drop to the locking position as soon as the pressure is removed. To place the parts in operative position again it is simply necessary to disconnect the locking-latches from the lockingnotches. This will leave the carriers and locking-pins held at their retracted position by the locking blocks only, so that when the locking-blocks are again raised by inward movement of the operating-slides the carriers and locking-pins will instantly be moved inward by the power of springs 24.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a car-coupler, a draw-head having a locking projection, a locking-recess, an unlocking projection, and

openings

13 and 1 1, in combination with a locking-pin adapted to slide in opening 14, a carrier for said pin, a weighted locking-block. adapted to fall between the carrier and draw-head to hold the locking-pin retracted, and an operating-slide adapted to lift the locking-block and release the carrier and locking-pin.

2. In a car-coupler, a draw-head having a locking projection, a locking-recess, an unlocking projection, and

openings

13 and 14, in combination with a lockingpin adapted to slide in opening 14:, a carrier for said pin, a spring acting to move said carrier and pin to the coupling position, a weighted lockingblock adapted to fall between the carrier and draw-head to hold the locking-pin retracted, and an operating-slide adapted to lift the locking-block and release the carrier and lockingpin.

3. The draw-head having a locking projection, a locking-recess, an unlocking projection, and openings 13 and 141, in combination with rods 17 the carrier, alocking-pin detaclr ably secured to the carrier and engaging opening 14, a spring acting to move the carrier and locking-pin forward, a locking-block pivoted to the carrier and weighted at its rear end, and an operating-slide pivoted to the for ward end of the locking-block, whereby the atter is raised when the slide is moved in ward, as and for the purpose set forth.

4.. The combination, with the draw-head, the carrier,'the locking-pin carried thereby, and spring 24, acting to throw the carrier and the locking-pin to the coupling position, of a weighted locking-block pivoted to the carrier and adapted to drop between said carrier and the draw-head to hold the carrier and lockingpin retracted, and an operating-slide adapted to be engaged by the other member of the coupling, whereby the locking-block is raised to release the carrier and locking-pin.

5. The combination, with the draw-head, the carrier, the locking-pin carried thereby, and spring 2 1, acting to throw the carrier and the locking-pin to the coupling position, of a weighted locking-block pivoted to the carrier and adapted to drop between said carrier and the draw-head to hold the carrier and lockingpin retracted, an operating-slide adapted to be engaged by the other member of the coupling, operating-rods, and an operating-lever, substantially as described and shown, whereby the carrier and locking-pin may be retracted in. uncoupling.

6. The draw-head, the carrier, the lockingpin, and spring 24:, in combination with the locking-block and operating-slide, substantially as described and shown, operating-rods connected to the carrier and provided with notches 29, and latches 30, adapted to engage said notches, whereby the parts are held out of operative position.

7. The combination, with the draw-

headhaving springs

8 and 11, of the case having pins 12, plates 6 and 9, and stops 10, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. .The combination ,with the draw-head, carrier, locking-pin, locking-block, and the operating-slide, of rods 17 having guides 21, op-

erating-rods sliding in said guides and connected to the carrier, and a spring 24, acting to move the carrier and locking-pin into the coupling position when the locking-block is raised by the operating-slide.

9. The combination,with the draw-head, carrier, locking-pin, locking-block, and the operating-slide, of rods 17, having guides 21, operating-rods sliding in said guides and connected to the carrier, arm 22, connected to one of the operating-rods, a pivoted operating-lever connected to said arm for retracting the carrier and locking-pin, and spring 24, for throwing the carrier and locking-pin to the coupling position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES HUGHES.

Witnesses:

A. M. WoosTER, ARLEY I. MUNsoN.