US441267A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) zsheets-sheet 1.

W. 0. WATSON & J. N. MILEHAM.

GAR GOUPLING.

No@ 441,267. Patented Nov. 25, 1890.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

W. C. WATSON & J. N. MILEHAM.

GAR. 'GOUPL1NG- l No. 441,267. Patented Nov. 25, 1890.

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VILLIAM C. VATSON, OF PATERSON, AND JOSEPH N. MILEHAM, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,267, dated November 25, 18901 Application filed August 15, 1890. Serial No. 362,072. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that we, WILLIAM C. WATSON, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, and JOSEPH N. MILE- HAM, of Rutherford, in the county of Bergen, in said State, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which-the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to what are known as rotary or knuckle couplings.

The obj ect of the improvement is twofoldviz., rst, to afford greater flexibility, and thereby reduce the liability to breakage in turning curves, and, second, to provide in a simple and eEective manner for the operation of such a coupling from the side, roof, or platform of the car, avoiding the necessity of a man having to go between the cars, which is always more or less a dangerous operation.

XVe will first describe our invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and then point out its novel features in claims.

Figure 1 represents a horizontal section of a coupling embodying our improvement with a portion of a second coupling in operative position therewith, the section being taken on the line a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation. Figs. 4 and 5 are plan views of portions of two couplings in diiferent positions.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the gures.

A represents a buffer-head arranged on the under side of the car-body S and adapted to be moved lengthwise, but held against lat-eral displacement and guided in its longitudinal movement by guides a, secured to the carbody, and further retained in position by plates a a2, here shown as bolted to the guides c. This buffer-head consists of ahollow shell, but is otherwise of ordinary construction, and is provided on its under side with a projection a3, which by its contact with the said plate a limits the longitudinal movement of the buffer-head.

B designates a draw-head, having pivoted to its outer end a coupling-hook c of the kind commonly known as rotary or knuckle coupling-hook, consisting of an elbow pivoted at its bend, and one arm 67 of which constitutes the engaging-hook, and the other arm bs serves to engage with the locking device to keep the coupling in engagement. The draw-head B consists of a bar, here shown as of skeleton construction, and is partly contained in the buer-head A. Near its rear end it is connected by means of a pin b to the draw bar or rod b, which passes through the rear of the buffer-head. The said pin b projects through longitudinal slots 0,4, formed in the top and bottom of the buffer-head, the said slots permitting a longitudinal movement of the draw-headB and bar or rod b relatively to the buffer-head. The said pin b is represented as removable from the bottom for taking out the draw-head B and as kept in place by means of the guide-plate a2.

The draw bar or rod b passes through a lug b2, formed upon a plate b3, secured to the bottom of the car. The buffer-spring b4 surrounds the said bar or rod between the rear end of the buffer-head and the lug b2, the said lug serving as an abutment for said spring. This spring tends to press the buffer-head forward, so that in the normal condition of the parts the front of the buffer is against a shoulder i on the draw-head.

The portion of the'draw bar or rod b which projects rearward through ct beyond the lug b2 is screw-threaded and receives a nut bl". Surrounding the said rearwardly-projecting portion is a coil-spring b5, one end of which abuts against the lug b2, and the other end against the nut 6"'. This permits to the coupling-bar alongitudinal movement of the drawhead B relatively to the buffer-head when traction is applied to it.

The coupling-hook or knuckle B' is substantially like that of the knuckle-coupling in common use, but may be here briefly described. It is pivoted to the draw-head B by means of a pin b9, and is provided with a hook portion 117 and an angularly-extending arm bs, the end of which arm is rounded, as here shown at- Z110.

D is a rock-shaft arranged transversely under the car in bearings in hangers d, dependent from the car. This shaft carries a locking arm or stop d', which passes through a slot d2 in the bottom of the shell of the buffer-head, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for the IOO purpose of acting against the inner face B of the arm bs in such manner as to lock the one direction, and Fig. 5 the relative positions v on a curve in the other direction. When the cars are running free on a straight track, the only contact between the couplings is between the hooks 57 of the knuckles B B; but in turning a curve the front of one or other of the buer-heads, according to the direction of the curve, is brought into contact with the end of the other draw-head, as shown at j in Figs. 4 and 5, and that drawhead is held back with its shoulder t' in contact with its own buEer-head, as shown at the bottom of Fig. 4 and top of Fig. 5, while the said draw-head pushes back the other buffer-head relatively to its draw-head to 'an Vextent permitted by the slot a4 in the shell of the buffer-head and by the spring b4, and the strain between the knuckles being then taken up by the said spring the liability to break the knuckles, which is one of the great objections to the knuckle-coupling, as ordinarily applied, is obviated.

It has been hereinbefore mentioned how the coupling-hook or knuckle B is locked in its operative position by means of the stop d. To uncouple, the transverse shaftD is turned in a direction for the stop d to move back clear of the arm 198. The hook B is then free to rotate. To provide for turning the shaft for locking and unlocking the hook, it has provided at its opposite ends levers d3, here shown as three-arm levers, by which it may conveniently be turned from the outside of the car. Fastened on said shaft on one side of the coupling is an arm d, which forms in effect a crank, and which engages a slotted yoke d5 on one end of an upright pull-rod D. Said pull-rod is tted to slide in guides d, attached to the front of the car or car-platform, and is provided at its upper end with a handle di'. lf preferred, therefore, to uncouple the car from the platform or roof, the pull-rod D may be grasped at the handle d? and pulled upwardly, rotating the crank d4 andw'ith it the transverse shaft D andstop d.

This coupling constructed as described is 6o automatic or self-closing, as by the action of two cars coming together with one or both of the couplings in unlocked adjustment the pressure which would be brought against the inner face h of the arm bs of the couplinghook, which is then presented crosswise of the car, would force the before-mentioned portion Z910 against the rounded edge d8 of the stop d', pressing it backward and rocking the shaft D until the said arm should pass it.

The said stop would then, by the weight of the pull-rod D acting through the crank d4 on the rock-shaft D, be caused to fall back to its normal position to lock the coupling. It is therefore never necessary fora man to go between the cars either to couple or'to uncouple them, as this may conveniently be done either from the car roof (or platform) or from either side of the car.

We have shown a hole e and a cut-away portion e in the coupling-hook B to provide for coupling a car which has our improved coupling attached thereto to another car which is only provided with an ordinary linkand-pin connecting device. Y

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination ofa hollow buifer-head, a draw-head separate from but fitted within the buffer-head, a rotary coupling-hook consisting of an elbow pivoted to said draw-head, and a locking device for said coupling-hook, substantially as herein described.

2. rlhe combination of the hollow bufferhead A, having'longitudinal slots a4, the drawhead B and draw-bar b and their connectingpin b Working in said longitudinal slots, the rotary coupling-hook B', pivoted to said drawhead, the springs b4 b5, applied, respectively, to the buffer-head and draw-bar, and the abutment b2 for said springs, all substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, of a coupling-bar having a pivotal connection therewith, a rotary couplinghook pivoted to said coupling-bar, a retaining-lock bearing against an arm of said hook, and a transverse shaft to which said lock is secured, substantially as specified.

NVILLIAM C. WATSON. JOSEPH N. MILEHAM. Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs, K. F.. PEMBLETON.

IOO

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