US487475A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

T. J. EMERY. GAR GOUPLING No. 487,475. Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

Thomas JEWT' V- 5 6M447 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

N6 Model.)

T. J. EMERY. GAR COUPLING.

Patented Dec. 6, 1892.

Thom JEwz/ery. b 46 Ly g tz/gs j UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. EMERY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAR-COUPLINMG.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 487,475, dated December 6, 1892.

Application filed July 5, 1892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. EMERY, of Boston, county of Sufiolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Car- Oouplings, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a novel and simple apparatus for coupling cars and by the use of which it becomes unnecessary to go between the cars, the coupling being adapted to be operated from either side the car and preferably, also, from the top thereof.

In accordance with my invention I have provided the car with a carrier for a coupling-link of usual construction, the said carrier being under the control of carrier-actuating devices adapted to be moved from the side of the car, preferably either side, and also the top of the car to shackle or unshackle the cars. (Jo-operating with this longitudinally-movable coupling is a coupling-pin guided in the head of the draw-bar and adapted to be elevated or depressed by or through a rock-shaft and actuating devices therefor. The devices for actuating the coupling-carrier and the coupling-pin are so arranged on the car that the operator standing at the side of two cars coming together may with one hand move the carrier and push the coupling out of the draw-head, so as to enter the opposing draw-head, and with the other hand effect the insertion of the pin of the other car into the link, thus coupling the cars together.

Figure 1 in elevation shows portions of the ends of two cars provided with my improved coupling devices, the cars being supposed to be nearly in contact and in condition for the operator to couple them together. Fig. 2 is a right-hand end elevation of the car at the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial under side view of the car shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows the box for the reception and guidance of the carrier and the coupling-link. Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 4 in the line 00, and Fig. 6 is a section of the draw-head in which moves the carrier and coupling-link.

The car-bodies A B and their trucks A B are and may be of any usual construction.

Serial No. 438,957- (No model.)

Each car at each end is supplied with like devices, so as to simplify the description of the apparatus herein to be descrlbed. I shall specifically refer to but one .car, and the like devices upon the other car I shall designate with alike letter or figure with the addition of a prime-mark, as Referring to the car A, it will be seen that it is provided at its end at its under side with a casing a, in which s fitted to slide the draw-head 1), (shown best in Figs. 4 and 5,) the drawhead having the usual open-mouthed bunter and having above 1t a guide 2 for the pin, to be described. Each draw-head is provided with shoulders 3:, whlch co-operate with springs .4 and 5 to dissipate the shocks of the cars'coming together and of startin g.

In acordance with my invention thedrawhead is made hollow. to constitute a guide for a carrier 0, in the forward end of which s mounted the coupling-link (1, so that the said carrier in its movements to and fro will effeet the, pushing of the coupling-link out of the draw-head or enable it to be pulled back into the draw-head, as represented by the full and dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 5. In this present embodiment of. my invention I have devised simple actuating devices for the carrier, such' actuating devices cons1st1ng, as herein represented, of a lever e, pivoted at'6 on a suitable block at the bottom of the car,

a link f, and a hand-lever g, pivoted at 7 and jointed loosely to the link f. o By moving the lever g from the position shown by full lines in Figs. 1 and 3 forward or toward the end of the car the carrier 0, ling-link (1, will be thrown forward into the dotted-line position, Figs. 4: and 5, thus thrusting out the coupling-link to enter the open mouth of the draw-head b of the car B. In order, however, that this carrier may be operated from the top of the car when desired, I have jointed to the link f a link It, in turn jointed to an arm t' of a vertical rod m, extended to the roof of the car and provided with a suitable handle. A spring n, connected with the lever g, acts normally to keep the carrier and coupling-link retracted within the draw-head, the said spring acting whenever a coupling-pin is withdrawn from the link entering it from the other car.

together with its coup- Each car, it will be obvious, must and will have at each end like coupling'pin-actuating mechanism, which I will now describe. The guide .2 receives a coupling-pin 0, herein represented as of considerable length, so as to be guided steadily in its ascent and decent. The upper end of this pin has loosely joined to it a link 3, connected to a crank 'r, preferably by a strong bolt, said crank being attached to the end of a rock-shaft s, the opposite end of which is extended outside the car to the side of the car, where'it is provided with a suitable handle. This rock-shaft s, in order that the coupling-pin may alsobe readily operated from the top of the car, is represented as provided with a bevel-gear t, engaged by a bevel-gear u at the lower end of an upright 1;, extended above the top of the car and provided with a suitable handle by which the rock-shaft may be turned to effect the raising or lowering of the pin, so that it maybe withdrawn from or made to enter the link at any desired time from the top of the car.

Referring to Fig. l, in View of the foregoing description, it will be supposed that the two cars A and B are nearly together and that it is desired to couple them in or to form part of a train. In this condition the operator will by his left hand seize the lever 9, move it to the right, thus throwing the coupling-link out of the draw-head b and so as to readily enter the draw-head b, and then with his right hand in engagement with the handle of the rock-shaft s of the car B will turn the latter in the direction of the arrow thereon to lower the coupling-pin and thrust it through the coupling-link.

I have shown a simple mechanism for effecting the to and fro movements of the coupling-link and its carrier by or through a lever, the handle of which is located at the side of the car; but this invention is not limited to the exact construction of actuating devices shown, as instead of the links e and fand the particular-shaped lever 9 shown I may employ any other usual or suitable equivalent devices.

My invention so far described is applicable to cars of various constructions It will be noticed that the chamber formed in the rear part of the draw-head is of such shape as to receive and shield the couplinglink when the latter is retracted, in order that a coupling-link of another car may enter the open mouth of that draw-head.

Prior to my invention I am not aware that each car has been provided at each end with a permanently-connected coupling-link, which when not actively in use asa shackling device between two cars is retracted and contained within the draw-head out of the way of the coupling-link which is then actually in use.

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

1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head, a contained coupling-link and carrier to which the link is attached, and actuating devices for said carrier, of a couplingpin, a crank-shaft, and means for connecting said pin and crank-shaft, whereby the pin maybe made to enter or be withdrawn from the coupling-link, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a car, of a shell a,

a spring-supported draw-head having an open mouth, and a hollow shank, combined with a carrier movable in said shank, an attached coupling-link, and devices to move the said carrier back and forth and with it the coupling-link longitudinally with relation to the said draw-head, the coupling-link being contained wholly within the shank of the drawhead when not in use, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the casing, a carrier therein provided with a coupling-link, and a lever extended to the outer side of the carbody, combined with intermediate actuating devices to actuate the said carrier by the movement of said lever and with a link, a vertical shaft, as m, and connecting devices, to operate substantially as described.

4. The rock-shaft, its attached gear, the upright shaft '0, its attached gear, the crankarm, and link, combined with the couplingpin and the draw-head having the guide 2 for the said pin, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, a draw-head having an open mouth and a hollowshank in communication therewith, and aguide for the couplingpin, combined with a coupling-link adapted to be contained in the said hollow shank when the link is not in use as a shackle and a pin supported in said guide, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS J. EMERY.

Witnesses:

GEo. W. GREGORY, EMMA J. BENNETT.

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