US537611A

US537611A - Office

Info

Publication number: US537611A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1912-04-16

Description

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T. KLEIMEIER.

GAR COUPLING.

N0.'537,6'11. PatentedApr. 16,1895.

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(No Mode1.) a Sheets-Sheet s. T. KLEIMEIER.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 537,611. Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

.. NITED TATES men THEODOR KLEIMEIER, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALEXANDER DAVE ZAG, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,611, dated April 16, 1895.

Application filed March 11, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THEODOR KLEIMEIER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantages resulting from their use, conjointly or otherwise, will be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings making a part of this specification,and in which corresponding letters indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a plan View, of a drawhead and draw bar embodying my invention. Fig. 2, Sheet 1, is a view of the interior of the draw head and the working parts therein, after the upper half of the shell of the draw head and the upper half of the draw bar have been removed. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, is a vertical cross section taken in the plane of the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2, that side of the section being seen which faces toward the left. Fig. Sheet 2, is a side elevation of the adjacent end portions of two freight cars, provided with means for coupling together, illustrating a preferred mode of the application of my invention to freight cars. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of a freight car thus provided with my invention. Fig. 6, Sheet 3, is a horizontal section of the case, other parts being shown in plan. This figure shows the parts in the position they occupy when unlocked, the free end E of the lock piece E resting upon the arm D of the oscillatory hook. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section of the device shown in Fig. 6, takenin the plane of the dotted line 7 7 of Fig. 6.

A indicates the shell or frame of the draw head.

B indicates the draw bar. This bar is preferably secured to the proper part of the gearing of the car by bolts passed through the bolt holes B, B, of the draw bar B. The draw bar is preferably axially hollow, as shown.

In a curved groove 0 of the draw head is located the rear end or arm D of the S shaped hook D and capable of sliding in said groove. This arm D is continued into and forms one with the central portion or middle limb D of said hook D, and the latter is continued and Serial No. 465,510. (No model.)

forms one with the outer limb or hook D of the said hook. The middle portion D increases in thickness toward the hook D. The latter has a bolt hole L through its free end to pass through a coupling link when the latter is used, for any reason, as for instance, when a car having my coupling device is connected to a car which has not my said device. A horizontal slot L in the hook receives said link. The hook piece D has a hole at D and those projections A, A, of the draw head A immediately above and below the hook piece have like holes D and through these holes passes the pivot bolt D whereon the hook piece D is pivoted and turns. A raised portion A of the draw head constitutes a lug or shoulder which prevents parts D and D of the hook from going too far toward that side of the draw head which is at the top in Figs. 2 and 3. A part, viz: A of the head, also acts as a stop to prevent the hook from being thrown too far back. A spring as K is strained between a stud or fastening K on the hook piece D and a suitable projection as pivot E thereby continually tending to draw the arm D toward the pivot E and throw back and open the hook D.

A locking piece E is present and lies in the groove 0 of the draw head A, and is pivoted on bolt E fixed in the draw head. The free end E of this locking piece can oscillate up and down. When down, its free end E is against the part D of the hook piece D, and the hook D is thereby kept shut, and in place as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. WVhen the locking piece is thus raised, the spring K as aforementioned throws back the hook D and opens the coupler in position for coupling with a similar coupler on the next car.

Suificient room is provided in the drawhead for the free end of the locking piece to be raised up and out of connection with the hook piece D. The preferred means for raising the free end of this locking pieceis as follows: A chain or cord F isconnected at one end to an eye or fastening F, F, on the free end of the locking piece. The chain then passes up through a passage Way H in the draw head. I

make this passage way much larger than the.

.H having an axial perforation H just large enough to allow the chain F to pass through it, and therefore cannot clog the operation of the parts. A flange H is located around and on the upper edge of the guard plug and when the plug is in place this flange rests on the top side of the draw head and extends beyond the opening or way H. Thus the guard H, H prevents the cinders from entering the draw head through the way H.

The ends of the openings in the draw'bar are preferably closed. As the mechanism within the draw bar sometimes needs to be reached for cleansing, or a possible repair, and readjustment, each end is covered by a lid G, suspended from a pivotal connection at G. A preferred description of such connection is a bolt passed through an eye on the upper edge of the lid, and screwed into the draw bar.

The draw head A is provided with a projection A opposite the hook D, and the purpose of this projection will be hereinafter described.

In the application of my device to freight cars, a preferred means for raising the looking piece E consists of a long rod I, extending from the top of the car down the end of the latter to a point I Where it is connected to the chain F lengthened for this purpose. The rod works through guides I, fixed to the car. A suitable stop I on the rod prevents the 1atter from dropping below the desired elevation. On the car is an oscillatory angulated brace J, pivoted at J to the car. The free end of this brace holds the chain out from the car and in position for enabling it to be drawn upward with little friction against the walls of the passage way H. Drawing the brace upward lifts the locking piece E. The weight of the rod I causes it to descend when allowed to do so. The angle arm J of the braceJprevents the brace J from descending beyond the desired limit. This it does by impinging against the car end.

The mode in which the coupling devices operate in coupling and uncoupling cars is as follows:It is understood that each car is provided with couplers similar to that described, and shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In the adjacent couplers on the end of the car to be coupled, the hooks point in a direction the reverse of one another. In each coupler, the locking piece is lifted, and thus thrownout of engagement with the hook piece. The spring K now draws the parts D D of the hook piece toward the pivot E and moves the hook piece Dout and back. Each coupler is now open so that the hook of the opposite coupler can enter the space between the hook and projection A of the other coupler. The cars are moved toward one another and the couplers approach. The hook of the one coupler passes the hook of the other coupler, each hook entering between projection A and the part D of the hook piece D of the opposite coupler. The outer free end D of each hookimpinges against the part D of the opposite hook piece, and forces the said part D back thereby moving the parts D andD of the hook pieceD toward the side (upper side in drawings, Figs. 1 and 2) of the coupler, and allowing the looking piece room to descend in front of the part D of the hook piece. The lockin g piece makes this descent, and locks the hook piece as shown in Fig. 2, and heretofore mentioned. At the same time, the hooks Dof each coupler have advanced toward their respective opposing projections A and have interlocked. They cannot now be unlocked so long as the cars remain on the track, until the locking pieces are operated, as aforementioned.

Aside from the advantages of economy of manufacture, and simplicity of construction possessed by my invention, the fact that the hook remains open when the coupler is unlocked and is closed and locked in such a simple and effective manner, is a great advantage of myinvention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a draw head, the combination of the hook piece having hook D, pivot connection D arm D and arm D spring K, strained between arm D and a point on the draw head and the locking piece, bearing against the hook piece and locking the same, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a draw head, the combination of the hook piece D, D D pivoted at D, and stop piece A and stop A and elastic means K, for drawing the arm D toward the locking piece E, and this locking piece E vertically oscillatory, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a draw head, the combination of the hook piece D, pivoted at D, and having hearing D and bearing D located substantially as shown, and locking piece E, pivoted at E and spring K, strained between the hook piece and pivot E and chain F attached to locking piece E and passing up through the draw head, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a draw head, the combination of the hook D, carrying the hook tail piece D D having a bearing D", pivoted at or near the junction of the hook D with the hook tail piece, and the spring K in connection with the free end of the hook piece D D and the lever E pivoted at one end and having its oscillatory free end adjacent tothe hook piece D D for locking the hook by having its front end against the surface of the hook portion D D at the bend of said hook and when lifted and unlocked from said hook resting upon the limb D of the hook piece D D the hook piece D D being adaptedto receive and uphold the free end of the lever E when unlocked, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

THEODOR KLEIMEIER.

Attest:

O. J. MODIARMID, K. SMITH.

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