US513019A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) l 2 sheetsheet 1.

E. W. KELLEY. GAR GOUPLING.

No. 513,019. Y Patented Jan. 16, 1894.

(No Model'.) 2 sheets-sheet 2,.

E. W`. KBLLBY.

GAR OOUPLING.

N0. 513,019. Patented Jan.- 16, 1894` UNITED STATES PATENT erica.

oAR-coUPLINc.

SPEQIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,019, dated January' 16, 189.4.

Application iiled March 22, 1893. Serial No. 467,211. (No vmodel.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. KELLEY, of Lowell, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Oar-Couplings, of which the following description, l1n connection with the accompanying drawln gs, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of an automatic oar coupler possesslng great strength and durability, impact of the draw-heads of the cars to be coupled positively moving the swinging hooks into closed or coupled position, means being provided for automatically locking the hooks when so closed.

Devices accessible from the top or sides of the car are provided for releasing the lookin g means, to thereby permit the swinging hooks to resume their normal or open position, thereby automatically uncoupling the cars.

In accordance therewith, my invention con# sists in the combination with a draw-head having an external shoulder, of a swinging coupling hook positivelyI moved by thedrawhead of another car into engagement Witha shoulder thereon, and an automatic locking device to directly co-operate with and retain said hook in closed position in engagement with the shoulderof the other draw-head, substantially as will be described; also, the" combination with a draw-head having an external shoulder, of a swinging coupling hook positively moved by the draw-head of another car into engagement with a shoulder thereon, and an automatic locking device to directly co-operate with and retain said hook in closed position in engagement with the shoulder of the other draw-head, and a cushion for said hook, substantially as will'be described.

Other features 'of my invention will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 is a top View of two draw-heads withmy invention applied thereto, about to be coupled. Fig.2 is an inner side elevation of one of the cotipling hooks detached. Fig. 3 is a front view of one of the draw-heads shown in Fig. i, and Fig. 4 is an end View of a car with my invention applied thereto.y

I have herein shown the head of the draw bar A as provided with a lateral enlargement v a having a seat therein to receive the hub b of acoupling hook, a pin or bolt cx retaining the hook in placev and forming a pivot on which it swings, said hook having a shank b and va transversely extended head b2, the inner face bx of the head being slightly concaved, as shown.l A a shoulder b3, see, Figs. 2 and 3, and dotted lines Fig. l, radiallyrecessed at its top and periphery atc, said recess having a curved inner wall c', for a purpose to be described, the forward end c2 of the shoulder adjacent the base of the shank projecting beyond th face of the draw-head, as in Fig. l.V f

The hub of the hook has A spring s, see dotted lines Fig. l, preferably aflat corrugated strip of spring metalis retained in the seat in the enlargement a of the drawhead,between its end wall a2 and the rear end of the shoulder b3, the expansive force of the spring keeping the hook normally in the open position shown in Fig. l, ready to be coupled. The opposite side of the drawhead is provided with a shoulder c havinga convex rear face a3, adjacent toa recessed portion a4.

-An irregular recess or seat the top of the draw-head, see Figsl and 3, to receive a locking dog d', pivotally supported on a pin d2, inserted through a hole d", best shown bydotted lines, Fig. l, drilled in the draw-head from its face. j The front portion of said dog is inclined with relation to its pivot d2, and is substantially radial to the pivot of the swinging hook, in order that said dog will readily drop into the recess c of the shoulder b3 when the hook is moved into position to couple. It will be remembered that the inner wall c' of said recess is curved, as best shown in Fig.v 2, and the outer end d3 of the dog is correspondingly curved, both curves having the pivot d? as their center, so that the dog will freely enter andV vleave the locking recess c. The under face d4 of said dog, see Fig. 3, r'estson the top of the shoulder b3 when the hook is in its normal open position, but when the draw-heads of the two cars come together the projecting end c2 of the shoulder b3 of each hook'is pushed in by the opposite draw-head, turning the hooks in the direction of the arrows 20, Fig. l, untilthe heads b2 en` ter the lrecesses a4, the inner'faces b of thel dis formed in IOC a. At the same time such movement of the shoulders bihas brought the recesses c below the lockingdogs d', and the latter fall into place, locking the hooks in closed position.

It will be noticed that the strain upon the coupling is exerted along lines extended through the hookpivots d* and the shoulders a of the draw-heads, and that the strain exerted upon the locking dog of each coupler is consequently only that due to the force of the spring s, the only function of the dog being to lock the hooks in closed position against the forcefof said springs. Thedraw-heads are held together on both sidesof their center, as is evident, and the recesses d4 give suiicient play `of' the parts in rounding curves, dsc. Impactof the draw-heads moves the hooks positively and automatically into coupling position,ai1d they are also automatically locked therein, the springs acting as cushions for the hooks, andpreventing rebound thereof from the opposite draw-head.

lTouncouple the cars the dogs are withdrawn from the recesses c by `mechanism to be-described, and the expansive' force of the springs causes the hook, so released, to quickly swing` outward andfroin engagement with theshoulder a of the `opposite draw-head, and each dog must be withdrawn before the cars are completely uncoupled. Each dog is provided with an over-haiiging arm e, preferablyweighted at its outer end, asm at e,see Fig. 4, to increase the rapidity of movement ofv the dog into the locking recess c, and a rodL e? ispivoted to said arm and extended upwardly toward the top of the car, being retained in position by a suitable guide e3. Vlien the cars are brought together the hooks are swung inwardly,as described, land the dogsdrop into the recesses c, the 4rod moving longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 30,1Fig. 4. The upper end ofthe rod is uprovided withasuitablehandle e4, and the'cars may be uncoupled when the brakemanis on the' -top thereof by raising Vthe handle, lifting the'dog from the recess and releasing its hook.j

In order to uncouple` from` the side `of the carl have provided levers f, f pivoted at f X,` f X, near opposite sides of the car, the inner endsofsaid levers being herein shownas pro-,` Videdwith slotsf2,"f3,r tov be entered by a pin or stud ex, `on the ro`d'e2. When the cars are coupled the handles of said' levers will be moved outward, and movement of either handle `into the position shown in Fig. 4: will4 elevate the rod e2 and thereby withdraw the dog,

*From the foregoing it will be seen that the" cars coupleautomatically, by mere impact of the draw-heads, that they are then automati-A cally locked, and that the manual release Vof the locking mechanism effects the uncoupling automatically, said manual release being con-` trolledfromthe top or side of the car, so that thepresence of a `brakeman or the operator between the cars tocouple-.oruncouple isentirely` unnecessary.

To provide means for using my improved coupling as an ordinarylinkand pincouplingl have vrecessed the draw-head rearwardly from its face, as at hysee full lines Figs. 3 and 4, and dotted lines Fig. l, to receive a link of usual construction, said link being retained in place by a bolt or pin dropped into a vertical hole h therefor, intersecting the recess.

h. As best shown in Fig. 1, the holes h are substantially in the central line of the drawlieads, such location being preferable on ac count of the central positionof a link as held in an ordinary coupler, and also avoiding a lateral strain upon the said link.

`In order that coupling pins may be carried in the holes 71,', without interfering with the swinging hooks, I have'recessed the shoulder b3 thereof from' top to bottom, as at 7.,; thereby permitting the shoulder to .move freely past the pin. The shoulder is also .slotted transversely at h2, `below the lockingwrecess c, see Fig. 2, the slot It? being a'continuation of the slot h in the draw-head, as shownin Figs. 3 and 4, to provide` room' for` the` `insertion of a link when necessary. '[helheads b2 of the hooks are of `suiicient length from top 4to bottom to laccommodate'cars of` diiferent heights.

This invention isnot restrictedfto the exact Shape and arrangement of,parts asl herein shown and described, -asithe same may` be modified or changed without departing from the spirit and scope ofi` mywinvention.

` 1. The combination-withga drawliead having an external shoulder, offa swinging coupling hook positivelymoved lby the'draw-head of another car into engagement withasliouulder thereon, and an automatic `lockingdevice to `directly cooperate with and, retain isaid hook in closed position in engagement with the shoulder of the other draw-headubstantially as described.

,2. The combination withiadraw-head having an external shouldenof aswinging coupling hook Apositively moved by the .draw-head of another car intoengagement with a shoulder thereon, and an automatic locking device `to directly co-operate with `aiidretainsaid l hook in closed position in engagement `with 1 the shoulder of theother draw-head,.an'd .a `cushion for said hook, substantially as 1dei scribed.

3. The combination with aditaw-headhavl ing axed shoulder, of a swinging :coupling hook pivoted to said draw-headand adapted to positively engage the'shoulder of another f di'aW--headpa recess in said hook,and.a swing ing locking dog pivoted to the draw-head to :enter said recess when the hook `is iniclosed iposition and retain it in such position, sub istantiallyasdescribed. i l

4. The combination with adrawheadhaw ,ingfa shoulder upon one side. thereof,alater `'ally swinging radially recessed couplinghook `adapted to engage a similarshoulder onxithe drawihead of another ear, and apivotallysupported automatic locking dog to cooperate with said recess, of manually operated means to turn upon its pivot and withdrawsaid dog and thereby release the hook, substantially as described.

5. rlhe combination with the recessed drawhead, a swinging coupling hook having a radial recess, and a spring to act directly upon and normally maintain said hook open, of an automatic locking dog pivoted in the recess in the draw-head and to co-operate with the radial recess when the hook is closed against the action of the spring, strain upon the dog being due only to said spring, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a draw-head having a shoulder upon one side thereof, of a normally inoperative coupling hook pivoted at its opposite side, a projecting actuating portion of the base of the hook normally eX- tending beyond the face of the draw-head, pressure thereon positively moving the hook into operative position to engage the similar shoulder of another draw-head, means to automatically lock the hook in such position, and a spring to turn the hook when unlocked, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic car coupling, a drawhead having a shoulder, a spring controlled swinging coupling hook adapted to engage the shoulder of an opposite draw-head, and means for positively moving said hook by the opposite drawhead into coupling position and v against the action of and to be cushioned by said spring, combined with a locking device for retaining said hook in engagement with the shoulder, substantially as described.

8. In an automatic car coupling, t-he combination with a draw-head, of a swinging coupling hook pivoted thereto, means to normally maintain said 'hook open, an automatic locking device to engage and retain said hook closed when moved into coupling position, and means to disengage said locking device manually and thereby permit the hook to swing out to uncouple the cars, substantially as described. l

9. In an automatic car coupling, a drawhead, a swinging coupling hook at one side thereof, and a shoulder at the other side, combined with a radial recess in said shoulder,a locking dog to automatically enter said recess and hold said hook in closedvposition, said draw-head having a link recess therein between the hook and shoulder, and a pin hole, substantially as described.

10. A draw-head having a recess, a swinging coupling hooklpivoted in said recess and provided with a shoulder, and a co-operating locking dog and recess to hold the hook in closed position, combined with a spring in the recess of the draw-head between its end and the rear end of the shoulder, substantially as described.

1l. A draw-head, a swinging coupling hook provided with a recess, and a locking dog adapted to enter said recess when the hook is closed, combined with an actuating arm for said dog, and connections between it and the top or sides of the car, to manually remove said dog from the recess, to release the hook, substantially as described.

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

EDWARD W. KELLEY.

Witnesses:

JAMES F. OWENS, JAMES A. SULLIVAN.

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