US530558A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

2 sheets-sheet 1. SHI'. SMITH.

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(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 11, 1894.

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STEPHEN T. SMITH, `on NoRoToN, CONNECTICUT.

CARfCouPmNG.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 530,558, dated December 11, 1894.` Application led February 28, 1891i. Serial No. 501,784. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN T. SMITH, y citizen of` the United States, and a resident of Noroton,in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Coup- 1ers, of which the followingis a specification. My inventionrelates to automatically interlocking car couplers also known as the mas-` ter car-builders type ot' car-couplers and consists in a novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as shown and hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the Claims.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1, is a longitudinal section and elevation of a` coupler containing my improvements, show` ing the parts in full lines, when interlocking, and,the uncouplinglever carrying a tumblerlock-bar swung upward, andthe tumbler swung backward, in dotted` lines, Fig. 2, is a horizontal section through Fig. l by the line o: y. Fig. 3, is a plan view of the coupler. Fig. 4, is a front view of -the couplerpartially in section, showing the tail of the knuckle in section, and the principal parts of the locking device in elevation. Fig. 5, is a bottom view of `the knuckle showing the groove for the stop mounted in the coupler head. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views of details of the locking device. Fig. 9, is a i perspective view of the tumbler carrying the guide-lug for the locking bar.

Within a coupler head H, having besides the customary lugs for guiding and pivoting the knuckle K and the usual guide horn, in front, at the bottom of the cavity in its neck a stop s, which engages in a groove s in the bottom of the tail end of the knuckle K, and limits its swinging motion, are mounted upon a pin h two tumblers R and Q and a bell crank lever P in such a manner as to secure foreither one an oscillating motion in a vertical plane parallel to the axis of the barrel of the coupler. a v The inner face of the tail-end of the knuckle lies preferably in avertical plano, which runs parallel with the axis of the barrel of the coupler, and the outer contact face of the tumbler R when in full lock, and in a plane parallel with the inner contact face q of the tumbler Q when in half lock (while coupling on a curve i inFig. 2).

Both tumblers R and Q are resting upon the'outer globular `or ellipsoidal face of the itail end ofthe knuckle when the latter is swung openentirely, and are free to .drop successively into their locking positions when the knuckle is closed and the lever AP is at rest. They fill `the entire cavity in front of the coupler head not occupied by the tail of the knuckle, and at the top are spared out each at oneside, to makespace for the hub p and the vertical arm p of the lever P and provided with lugs q and `1" `respectively whichiengage with the arm p and by means of which both tumbler-s are swung back simultaneously when the upper Weighted arm p2 of the lever P is raised, and thus `free the knuckle. This arrangement makes it possible to provide a very large bearing surface and thereby a very safe lock. The arm p2 of the unlocking lever P is bent upward and backward and passes through an opening h2 `in the top `wall h3 of the coupler head, which is preferably raised and `slanting forward. At the lower side of the arm 1f"` are one or two projections pacarryinga pin/p4 engaging in a slot n of a tumbler lock bar n which, after passing through a slot in a lug r2 at the lower end of the tumbler Rdrops 1into a hole or recess h4 in the bottom wall of the coupler-head H and thereby locks the tumbler R and therewith the tumbler Q, (the lug r2 lapping over sidewise at the rear of the tumbler Q) when the knuckle is swung back entirely and the coupler stands in full lock, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

It is evident that both tumblers could be locked separately by providing two lock bars ln, one for each tumbler and a corresponding of a track, as shown in dotted lines slotted lug at the bottom of Q but this being t an addition to the number of parts the .arrangement described above is considered preferable.

The lug r3 on the tumbler R being in contact with the lug h5 at the bottom of the cavity iu the coupler-head, guides both tu mblers against undesirable lateral motion.

To the end of the weighted arm p2 of the uncoupling lever P is attached `a chain or rod o, which is guided to any desirable place at the top or side of a car and by meansvof which IOO the arm p2 is raised, throwing back all the locks and tumblers thus unlocking the coupler, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l.

The operation is then as follows: On raising the arm p2 of the bell crank lever P the tumbler-lock-bar n will first be drawn out of the hole h4 in the bottom of the coupler-head, whereupon the inner face of the vertical arm p of the lever P will touch the outer faces of lugs r and q of the tumblers R and Q respectively, and on continuing the motion will swing both tumblers back simultaneously, together with the tumbler-locksbar rn, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The tail of the knuckle being freed, will swing open when pulled, and will be checked by a stop s when the knuckle has arrived at its extreme opening position. On releasing the pull upon the chain 0 rthe lever P will return to its `primary position while the tumblers R and Q and the lock-bar n are checked by the rounded outer face of the tail end of the knuckle upon which they rest. Whilecouplin g on a curve the knuckle K frequently does not swing entirely back, yet in this case it always does far enough to allow the tumbler Q tol drop, and the entire inner face of the tail end of the knuckle will comein contact with the outer inclined face q of the tumbler Q when in traction, creating a perfect lock of equal strength with the full lock, when both tumblers R and Q vhave dropped behind the knuckle successively and with the latter the lock-barn. The latter serves as a safety lock for both tumblers, and prevents them from. being displaced by the frequent knocks of a train and removes all danger of involuntary uncoupling of cars.`

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

1. In a car coupler a pivoted knuckle in combination with a coupler head, having in front in its central cavity, suspended from a pin passing through it transversely above said cavity, two tumblers each having the outer side face rectangular to the directrix of the supporting pin, and the inner adjoining side faces forming an oblique angle with the directrix of said pin, and a weighted bellcrank-lever fulcrumed upon said pin, one arm projecting `through an opening in the top and adapted to lift the tumblers simultaneously, without interfering, when at rest, with their independent successive return as and for the purposes herein shown and described.

2.' In a car coupler the combination of a pivoted knuckle with a coupler head having a recess in the bottom of its central cavity and opening in the top walland in front in its central cavity, suspended from a pin passing .through it transversely, two tumblers each having its outerside face rectangular to the directrix of the supportingpin, and the inner adjoining side face forming an oblique angle with thedirectrix ot' lsaid piu, and a Weighted lever fulcrurned uponsaid pin and adapted to lift the tumblers simultaneously, without interferin g, whenat rest, with theirindependent successive return, and a tu lnbler-lock-bar suspended from said lever and guided in a slot of the tumbler nearest the knuckle tail, (when fully locked) and adapted to slide in the said slot and to oscillate with said lever and turnbler, and to engage with the hole or recess in the bottom wall of the coupler head, as and for the purposes herein shown and set forth.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 27th day of February, A. D. 1894.

STEPHEN T. SMITH.

Witnesses:

V. H. EvERsoN, PETER B. VERMILYA.

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