US512692A

US512692A - Car-coupling

Info

Publication number: US512692A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-01-16
Anticipated expiration: 1911-01-16

Description

(No Model.)

Y T. M. GALLAGHER.

GAR coUPIJre..` No. 512,692. Patented Jan. 16., 1894.

UNITED STATES rPATENT Genios". 'Y

THOMAS M. GALLAGHER, or sT. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,692, dated January 16, 1 894.

Application iiled October 19,1893. Serial Noi 488,572. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS M. GALLAGHER,

of St. Louis, Missouri, have made a new and use ful Improvement in Car Couplings, of whlch the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to couplings of the Vertlcal-plane type, and it has reference more especially to the improved means for locking the knuckle, substantially as is hereinafter set forth and claimed, aided' by the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a view, partlyin plan and partly In horizontal section, of a draw-bar having the Improvement embodied therein; Fig. 2 a vertical, longitudinal section on the line 2--2 of 1, the knuckle being closed and the locking pin being dropped to lock it; Fig. 3 a vlew analogous to that of Fig. 2, 4saving that the locking pinA is raised to release the'knuckle; Fig. 4 an elevation of the front face 'of the block that is part of the knucklelocking mechanism; Fig. 5 an elevation of the knuckle; and Fig. 6 a side-elevation of the locking-block.

The same letters of reference denote the same parts. v

The draw-bar, A, and the knuckle, B, respectively, may be'of any of the lordinary forms to which the improvement under consideration is adaptable, and saving as modiied or supplemented by the embodiment therein of theimprovement the draw bar and knuckle are constructed and operated in the usual manner. The knuckle is pivoted, atb, to swing horizontally, and it is shown closed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and its open portion is indicated in broken lines in Fig.'1. The means for locking the knuckle in its closed position are as follows:

C represents a pin held, and adapted to be adjusted vertically, in the draw-bar. The pin by itself is not intended for a lock, but rather as a means for directing or assisting the Inovementor adjustment of another part which performs the office of a lock, and which, when the knuckle is closed and the partis arranged in front, or in the way, of the knuckle-finger b', constitutes the immediate means for preventing the knuckle from'swinging outward on its pivot, but at the same time without straining, vor causing to be strained, the pin to which the part is attached.

The preferred form of the described part is shown; namely, a block, ID,`whioh can be adj usted vertically, and which, when in the plane, vertically, of the knuckle finger b', is

Vinterposed between the finger and some shoulder or abutment upon the draw-bar, and so that when a pulling strain upon the knuckle occurs it issustained ultimately by the said shoulder or abutment, and, as stated,without straining the pin. y

I desire not to be restricted to any relative shape of the part D, and the coacting shoulder or abutment d, or to any relative shape of knuckle finger b and part D, so long as the thrust, in pulling upon the knuckle, is transmitted from the knuckle-finger through the part D to the said shoulder or abutment without at the samel time straining the pin with which the said part is connected;

The part D in practice is substantially of a cubical form and the draw bar is chambered at Ct substantially as shown to receive it. The side d', is presented tothe knuckle finger when'the knuckle is closed, and the opposite side d2, to the shoulder or abutment d. The block is perforated at cl3 to receive the pin C. The perforation in diameter is larger than the pin at that point to enabletlie block to have a su'fcient lateral play upon thepin for it, the block, to be moved to bear against the abutment d before it' can bear laterally upon the pin. The block, however, is hung upon the pin both so that when the block is lifted the pin is thereby raised in the drawbar, and when theY pin is lifted the block is lifted with it. The preferable mode 0faccom plishing this is to form a shoulder o upon the pin for the block in rising to encounter, and to form another shoulder c2 upon the pin which encounters the block when the pin is lifted. This last mentioned shoulder is conveniently formed by applying a tube o3 to the pin substantially as shown. The tube is secured by the key o4, and thus, by removing the key and Slipping the tube from off the pin the block and pin can be readily detached from each other, and the two parts made' removable from the draw-bar. While the block may be otherwise lifted to enable the knuckle linger b' to'pass it in closing the knuckle I IOC prefer to adapt the block, and with it the pin, to be lifted by the knuckle finger in closing the knuckle. To this end, the end of the linger is beveled substantially as shown at b2 and the block has its front d4 beveled substantially as shown at d5 to coact with the nger-bevel, and so that as the finger is swung inward against the block it shall operate to wedge the block upward sufficiently for the finger to pass it. As the described action of the finger tends to twist theblock around it is desirable to extend the block rearwardly, say in the form of the projection CZ, to provide an additional bearing against the side, d2, of the draw-bar and thus better keep the block in place.

The draw-bar has a chamber a3 into which the block more or less rises when lifted, and the projection d6 is made shallow to enable ghe block to enter suiciently into the cham- The operation of the couplingis as follows: NVhen pushed inward by the action of the knuckle of the opposing draw bar the knuckle B swings and its finger b is pressed against the block D; the block carrying the pin is lifted and the knuckle finger passes beyond it as shown in Fig. 3, and after the finger has passed the uplifted block and pin drop into position to lock the finger, as shown substantially in Figs. l and 2, and the finger remains locked until the block carrying the pin has again been raised to clear the finger. Any suitable means may be employed to lift the pin, and if desired any auxiliary meansa spring for instance-may be used to accelerate the dropping of the pin after the finger has passed it. Theweight of the pin .and block, especially in view of the movement being in a vertical direction, usually suffices to insure the prompt replacement of the block in front of the finger. The pin, however, can be used as a thrust-bar to depress the block in the event the block becomes caught in its up-position, and the pin also as stated, serves as a handle for lifting the block, and also to guide the block in respect to its position longitudinally in the draw-bar; and in consequence of the pin being uplifted when the block is raised, and of the further fact that the pin-bearings are' further apart from the height of the block, it becomes easier to raise the block when the knuckle is being closed. It also prevents the block when lowered from being j ostled out of its place. Another office of the pin is that of an indicator. It is quite desirable for the brakeman to be able to determine readily, and sometlmes at a considerable distance larger portion of the pin which appears aboveA the draw-bar, and also by the diminished portion which appears beneath the draw-bar.

The portion of the pin projecting beneath the draw-bar can also be easily reached and the pin knocked upward in case the pin has become fast in the draw-bar by reason of ice forming around it. The pin is preferably furnished with a head c5 which, amongother things, serves to cover the joint in the drawbar around the pin.

It will be observed that the chamber 01,3 into which the block rises when lifted is contained in the head of the draw bar. This enables a block of any desired depth to be used and thus the block can be made the full height of the opposing end of the knuckle-finger. When the pin is loose enough in its bearing to permit of the block encountering the coacting abutment CZ without cramping the pin in its bearing it is unnecessary for the block to have a lateral play upon the pin. I however prefer to have the block loose laterally upon the pin as described.

I claiml. In a car-coupling of the vertical plane type, the combination of the knuckle, the locking-block, the pin, and the shoulder or abutment for sustaining the block when pressed by the knuckle finger, said block being attached to said pin to lift it when the blockis raised by the knuckle-finger, and to enable the pin to be used to depress the block when uplifted, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling of the Vertical plane type, the combination of the draw-bar, the pin, and the locking block, said pin working vertically in bearings in said draw bar, and said locking block being attached, but having lateral play, upon said pin to enable the locking blockto lift said pin and to be movedlaterally thereon, as described.

3. The combination of the draw-bar chambered at a3, the knuckle, and the lockingblock, the finger of said knuckle being beveled and said block having the rearward extension, substantially as described.

ICO

IIO

Witness my hand this 17th day of October,