US459502A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)` 2 Sheets-Sheet .1.

W. C. WATSON.

GAR eoUPLINe.

No. 459,502. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. l

W. C.WATSO1\I.v GAR GOUPLING.

No. 459,502. Patented sept. 15, 1891'.-

Wsess IVM/e s lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM C. lVATSON, OF PATERSON, NEV JERSEY.

CAR-.COU PLI NG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,502, dated September 15, 1891.

Application filed May 20, 1891. Serial No. 393,438. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. WATSON, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to that class of couplings the principal members of which are hooked draw-heads pivoted and having lateral movements within buffer-heads, the coupling action being effected by the engagement of two such hooked draw-heads, one on each of the cars to be coupled.

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the improvement is twofold, viz: first, to aiford great-er ilexibility of the coupling and thereby to reduce the liability to breakage in turning a curve, aud, second, to provide in a simple and effective manner for the operation of the coupling from the side7 roof, or floor of the car, and to avoid the dangerous necessity of men having to go between the cars to effect the coupling and uncoupling.

Figure l represents a horizontal sectional view of those parts of a coupling which are .attached to one car and a plan view of portions of corresponding members attached to another car. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional section corresponding with the parts in section in Fig. l. Figs. 3 and fl are plan views representing portions of the couplings of two cars in different positions. Fig. 5 is a front view of those members of the coupling attached to one car. Fig. 6 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1, showing the parts in a different position. Fig. 7 is a det-ail view which will be hereinafter explained.

Similar letters of reference designate co1'- responding parts in all the figures.

A is a buffer-head arranged under the carbody between guides a a, in which it is capable of moving lengthwise. This bufferhead is hollow throughout and has an opening through its rear for the passage of the drawbar B. Its front end, which projects from the car, is or may be of substantially similar form to that of other buffer-heads, except that it has on one side a forward projection Z, the object of which will be hereinafter explained.

C is the hooked draw=head,pivoted within rence toFig. G.'

the rear portion of the buffer-head to the front end of the draw-bar B by a pivot b. The drawbar B passes through a plate B, secured to the car-body D. Between this plate B and the rear of the buffer-head there is applied around the draw-bar the coiled buffer-spring c, and between the said plate and a nut d, screwed onto the rear of the draw-bar, there is applied around the said bar a coiled spring c', which permits a longitudinal movement of stant tendency to throw the draw-head C into the coupling position shown in Fig. l. On the opposite side of the coupling-'head C is arranged an upright spindle f, which is pivoted within the draw-head, and which carries within the draw-head a cam g for the purpose of throwing the said draw-head to the position for uncoupling, as shown in Fig. 6. The space provided within the buffer-headA is not, however,wide enough to permita suflicient lateral movement of its draw-head C to uncouple the hook thereof from the hook of the corresponding draw-head of the next car without the corresponding movement of the latter draw-head. This maybe understood by refer- The lower part of the spindle f projects below the draw-head and is squared to receive a lever E, which serves the purpose of turning the spindle to bring the cam g to the position shown in Fig. l to permit the coupling, or to the position shown in Fig. 6 to effect the uncoupling. The ends of this lever are intended to project beyond o1l be accessible from the sides of the car for the purpose of working the coupling without going between the cars, and one end of it passes through a slotted locking-plate E for the purpose of locking the said lever with the-cam g in the position shown in Fig. 6 for uncoup-v g from the platform or from the roof ot the car I provide in suitable bearings t' t" on the end ot' the car-body a spindle j, and on the lower end of this spindle I provide a crankarm j', which is connected by a crank-pin 7'2 and a link jf with the lever E.

To illustrate the operation of my invention, I have shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6 portions of a second coupling-that is to say, of a coupling belonging tov another car-the bufferhead and the draw-head of this second coupliig being respectively designated by A and Referring now to Fig. 6, I will suppose that the lever E is brought to a position in which the cam g holds the draw-head C in the un- `coupled position in which it is locked by the engagement of the lever in the notch h of the locking-plate E', and will suppose that the draw-h ead C of the other coupling is similarly held and locked,the cars being then brought together, the two draw-headsbeingin the positions shown in Fig. 6. To effect the coupling the lever E is unlocked and turned to bring its kcani g to the position shown in Fig. l, and the corresponding lever of the other coupling is operated in the same way, and the engagement of the two hooks of the draw-head, takes place, as shown in Fig. l. This engagement is maintained by the springs e of the two draw-heads in such manner that the connection between the cars is a very flexible one and well adapted forturning very shortcurves, as may be understood by reference to Figs. 3 and 4, which show the relative positions occupied by the members of the coupling on two/ cars of opposite direction. In this operation that butter-head projection Z which is on the inner lside of the curve serves as a guard to prevent the disengagement of the hook ot the draw-head which is on that side of the car. To effect the unlocking the lever E is moved to turn the spindle f and the cam gto the position shown in Fig. G and throw aside the hooked draw-head. The lever E is then lifted into the notch `h of the lock. The coupling of the ad- The necessity of operatin g both the hooked draw-heads to effect-the uncoupling prevents any liability of an unintentional uncoupling taking place, for the coupling would keep the two cars coupled under most circumstances, even though the hooked draw-head 0f one car were in the uncoupling position shown in Fig. 6, provided that of the other car were left free by the cam g to the action of the spring e, and thereby brought to the coupling position.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, substantially as herein described, of corresponding hollow butterheads, corresponding hooked draw-heads pivoted one in each buffer-head to swin(r laterally therein to such extent only that a lateral movement ot' either of said draw-heads alone would be .insuiiicient to swing it clear of the other draw-head, and means, substantially vas herein described, for swinging said drawheads.

2. The combination, with a car-body, of a i hollow buffer-head, a hooked draw-head pivoted to swing laterally within the said butter- `head, an upright spindle pivoted within the buffer-head, a cam on said spindle for moving aside the said hooked draw-head to produce the'uncoupling, a lever on said spindle arranged crosswise of the car-body to be accessible from the sides thereof, a lock on one side of the car-body for locking said lever when the draw-head is uncoupled7 and a spring for throwing the draw-head into coupling position when the lever is unlocked, all substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combnation of a hollow butter-head, a hooked draw-head pivoted to swing laterally within the said buffer-head, an upright spindle pivoted within the buffer-head, a cam fast on said spindle for throwing aside the said hooked draw-head, a lever on said spindle, a second spindle attached to the car-body, a crank on said second spindle, and a connection between said crank and lever, all substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, with the corresponding hooked draw-heads of two cars, of lbuffer-heads on the two cars,in which said draw-heads are pivoted to swing laterally and which have each a forward projection Z at one side to limit the lateral movement of the hook of the other draw-head, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

WILLIAM C. XVATSON.

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