US519231A

US519231A - Car-coupling

Info

Publication number: US519231A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1894-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1911-05-01

Description

(N0 Model.)

H. BRIDGE. GAR OUPLING. No. 519,231. Patented May 1, 1894.

`sufran STATES HORACE BRIDGE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-CCUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,231,"dated May 1, 1894.`

Application led september 15,1893. Seriana/185.630. camada) .To aZZ whom it may concern.- p'

Be it known that I,HORACE BRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, In the county of Cook andSt'ate of Illinois, have invented a Car-Coupler and Draw-Bar, of which the following is a specification.

Y My invention relates to improvementsin car couplings, in which the Coupling pin acts automatically upon the introduction of the coupling link-.in common use and in which the operation of uncoupling is easily and safely performed from the side or top of the car,

i ling consistent with couple from the the pin being retained in the drawhead by a mechanism to `be explained.`

Other improvements consist in the introduction of a movable link slide, so that the link may be introduced entirely within the drawhead upon meeting a solid obstruction,

and returned to the coupling position upon the removal 0f the obstruction; also in the posterior end of the drawbar being occluded bya movable block, perforated vertically and horizontallyfor the passage of bolts.

The objects of my invention are as followsz-to afford the simplest form of coupthe conditions required by railway car service, 'i'. e., strength to endure great tension, solidity and firmness to Withstandconcussion, facility in operation, dac; to supply a means for the automatic coupling of cars;` to enable employs to unside or top of cars; to furnish an efficient automatic coupling apparatus of such construction, that its cost shall be but little in excess of the ordinary nonautomatic couplers, and that the expense of operating it and repairingit maybe reduced to the minimum. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a vertical section y ratus in the median line, with the coupling pin in locked position; Fig. 2, a view in perspective of the same. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, views of the couplingpin and other parts required in the construction of this apparatus. Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figures.

The words anterior, posterior, superior and inferior apply to the apparatus and its parts as they appear in Fig. l. d p The drawhead, 13, has an opening anteof the appariorly for the introduction `of the link, with symmetrical sides, but the lower surface, q, extending farther posteriorly than `the upper surface, 7`, and farther downward from the central pointof the link `passage thanthe'upper surface, ,7', extends upward fromthe same point, so that, when the link rests on the oor of the passage in the horizontal poi sition for coupling, it is equidistant from the anterior edges at the top and bottom of the opening. This op'ening is Haring for the guidance of the link tothe center of the passage. Snperiorly there is a passage, ca which extends from the upper surface of the drawhead downward and forward into the link passage at an angle approximating thirty degrees with the perpendicular. `It is enlarged by a recess, 5, anteriorly, also by a space, 0, posteriorly and superiorly, for the requisite automatic movements of the coupling pin; laterally also the walls of the passage, ca are somewhat excavated, partially indicated by, z, to provide for the possibility of the point of the coupling pin being bent sidewise and to permit its withdrawal from the drawhead. 0n the floor of the link passage thereis asocket, d, to receive the point of the coupling pin, 8. Its anterior surface,d, is inclined from belo'w upward and forward at an angle approximating forty-five degrees with the perpendicular. Posterior to the socket, d, is

the 4continuation anteriorly of the drawbar passage, 2, terminatedby the stop, la which is a plane-vertical surface atright angles to the axis of the drawbar, rising to the iioor of the link passage, and may be located at a variable distance from the socket, 01.

The anteriorsurfaces of the passage, tu and i of the socket, d, (a/ and d) being inclined forward to a common point hold the coupling Ypin the more firmly the greater 'the traction exerted upon 4it by the link, and when traction ceases leave the pin perfectly free for withdrawal. The link passage of thedrawy head is continued into the drawbar to per- -mit the entire penetration of the `link Within the drawhead. Exteriorly, on the sides of the 'dravvhead and infericrly, are ribs to strengthen the lips of the anterior opening. The posterior vertical surface, g, serves as a stop to the introduction of the drawbar, when the resistance `of the drawbar springs has been taken up. No buffers are required with the use of this apparatus.

The drawbar, A, is adapted anteriorly to the complete introduction of the link within the drawhead. It is hollow throughout its entirelength, the passage being square, with rounded corners, and extending about half way through the drawhead. In this passage, 'i, the link slide, 0, operates; it is terminated anteriorly by the stop, 7c, which may, or may not, be located at a point sufficiently anterior to allow the link slide to hold the link in apposition with the coupling pin. In the posterior end of the body are lateral and vertical holes, through which pass bolts, .I, which secure the block, 1), and the clamp, 1. The followers, G, the clamp, I, and the two drawbarsprings, not shown, are like those in common use and need no description.

rPhe occluding block, D, is nearly cubicalin form; it has two vertical and lateral perforations, L for t-he bolts, J corresponding to two similar perforations in the end of the drawbar above and below; also a horizontal one, 071, for the bolt, H. The block serves as a base for the spring, which operates the link slide, 0; it solidly occludes the end f the drawbar and holds the bolt, I-I, which together with the clamp, 1, holds the drawbar springs in position and withstands the force of traction.

The link slide, C, is a spring actuated, chambered block adapted to antero-posterior movements in the passage ot' the drawbar, 1, and to iit the same. It has a squared front end provided with a link seat, or notch,

f. The lower part of its anterior surface is a vertical plane at right angles to the axis of the link slide, of equal dimensions with the stop, 7c, and adapted to meet the same, thus checking the anterior movement of the link slide.

The link seat or notch, f, is `an excavation; its deepest point is distant in a vertical line from the floor of the link passage, when the link slide is in position, one half the thickness of the link. Below this point vthe surface is concave, approximating a quarter circle, and extends to the superior edge of the vertical plane above described. Above this point the surface extends in the line of the circle forty-five degrees; it then continues .convex describing the segment of a circle having for its center a point situated in a straight line, passing through the center and last point of the last segment described, and nally becomes-merged in the front end of the block at or near its superior edge. Against this surface, f, the end of the link, restingV on the floor of the passage, is applied, and the link retained in the horizontal position for coupling; also when the contiguous drawhead requires the deflection downward of the free end of the link and the consequent rising of the engaged end to eect coupling, this movement is permitted by the requisite retirement of the link slide as the link end slides upward. The cylindrical chamber, 05, is adapted to receive the anterior end of the link slide spring, Fig. 6. Its walls, when in coupling position extend posteriorly just beyond the inner end of the link passage, closing the interior of the drawbar against the weather, dust, dac., yet allowing suficient retrocession of the link slide, when pushed by the link, as to admit of the entire introduction of the link within the drawhead; they are also of sufficient length to insure the antero-posterior movements of the link slide with the minimum of friction. Link slide andspring are of large size to insure eiiiciency, and introduced by the posterior end of the drawbar.

Fig. 5 is the coupling pin. The posterior and anterior surfaces of the body, 0 and p, are rounded to run smoothly in the passage, a, Fig. l. Superiorly is the half link, m irmly embedded, to which a chain, or other device, can be attached, so that the pin can be drawn upward in the operation of uncoupling. The point of the pin, 8, is rounded and wedge shaped; its posterior surface, t, is nearly vertical; its anterior surface, 'c, is inclined from above downward and backward at an angle with the perpendicular approximating forty-five degrees. The pin and its containing passages are so fashioned, that the entering link pushes it up with only the resistance of gravity, and the minimum of resistance from friction to be overcome, its point being carried in the posterior direction only the fractional part ot' an inch, and then upon striking the point, 1.0, being thrown upward, as is permitted by the recess, 12, and space, 0, Fig. 1, the pin falling to the locked position, when the link has passed. The pin cannot be thrown out of the drawhead by the entering link, nor pulled out by its attachments at the side or top of the car, but may easily be removed by hand.

The link slide spring operates in the spaces, and fi, Fig. l, and holds the link slide in coupling position. It is strong enough to push the link into the connecting drawhead, and to force up its coupling pin; in case, however, the link meets a solid obstruction, it will force back the link slide, until it, the link, is entirely within the drawhead unbent and unbroken.

The operation of coupling, when cars furs nished with this apparatus come together is as followsz-The link is pushed back in one draw head, until the engaged end rests in the seat, f, and remains in the horizontal position on the floor of the link passage. The coupling pins in both drawheads are held in the locked position, as in Fig. l. As the cars come together the free point of the link held in one drawhead is deflected to the center of the openingin the etherdrawhead byits flarward and backward.

ing surfaces; it strikes the pin forcing it up- "The link having passed the pin falls to the locked position. p

Operation of uncoupling: The coupling pin Vmay'be withdrawn by `means of a crank rod running to either side of the car, or by a rod running to the top ofthe car, both attached by a short chain to the coupling pin; or by chain and pulley; or `byl other device. i

Having thus fully described my invention,

`what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPaten t, is- Y l. The combination in a car coupling of` a drawhead having a Haring opening anteriorly with"symtnetricalsides, but with `the lower surfaceextending farther downward than the upper surface extends upward,`from the central point of the link passage, and also extending farther backward; having an oblique passage,`, d, extendingfrom the superior surface of the head downward and forward at an angle with the perpendicular approximating thirty degrees, with the recess, 5, anteriorly, the space, c, posteriorly, and the depressions, ,c,laterally; having the depression or socket, CL in the floor of the link passage, with its anterior surface d, in-

clined from below upward and forward at an angle with the perpendicular approximating forty-five degrees; having a link passage con- `tinued into the drawbar of sufficient length to admit of the entire introduction of the link within the drawhead, and a link slide passa-ge; L terminated anteriorly by the stop, 10,

extending through the drawbar, being rect- 35,

angular and provided with rounded corners and at its rear end with two lateral and v'ertical holes as described. e

2. The combination in a car coupling of an automatic coupling pin, the body being flat 4o perforated with two lateral and vertical holes,

and one horizontal hole, bolts substantially as and forth.

for the passage of HORACE BRIDGE. Witnesses:

CHARLES R. ILIFE, B. J. JENKINS.

inclined 45 for the purpose set 55