US545795A - Thomas griffith - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

T. GRIFFITH. GAR COUPLING.

No. 545,795. Patented Sept. 3,1895.

. 1 u i I 1 4 WITNESSES: 6 6 J INVENTOH A TTOHNEYS.

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TnoMAseRIFFITI-I, on THE UNITED sTATEs ARMY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,795, dated September 3, 1895.

Application filed April 16, 1895. Serial No. 545,978- (No model.)

To aZZ whm it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, THOMAS GRIFFITH,.Of the United States Army, stationed at Columbus Barracks, in the county of Franklin'and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in: Car Couplers, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of car couplers or coupling devices, wherein the draw-heads at opposite ends of the cars are provided each with a hook and an eye adapted, respectively, to be engaged by similar but oppositely-arranged eyes and hooks on the adjacent end of another car; and the object of the invention is to provide a car coupler or couplingdevice of this general character. which shalll present certain features of novelty and advantages for use over other similar devices heretofore employedfall as will be hereinafter fully set forth. a p

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a plan view showing two coupling devices constructed according to my invention adapted to be secured to adjacent ends of two cars to be coupled together. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing the position of. the parts with relation to the platforms of the cars, the cars appearing partly.-

in section. Fig. 3 is an end View showing the fragment of a car-platform provided with a coupling constructed according to my invention. Fig. 4 is a side view somewhat similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified arrangement of the couplingdevice's; and Fig. 5 is a view showing an arrangement ofthe coupling constructed according to my invention,where-,

through it, said aperture being aligned with an inclined or beveled guide-surface 7, formed on the end oftheextension 5, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full linesinFig. 3. At the opposite side of the draw-head i is formed a journal 8, wherein is pivoted, by means of a bolt 9, a coupling-bar 10, having at its forward end a hook 11, provided with a beveled or inclined front face, as clearly seen, and adapted to round over the inclined face 7 at the forward end of the extension 5 on the opposite draw-head, said bar being connected by means of a spring 12 to the under side of the car-platform in such a manner that when the hook 11 has passed under the forward extension 5 of the opposite draw-head it will be drawn upward and caused to enterthe aperture 6 therein, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The draw-heads 4 4 at adjacent ends ofthe cars to be coupled together are of exactly similar construction, excepting that the forward extension 5 of one drawhead is arranged opposite the coupling-bar'lO of the other drawhead, and in order to disengage the hooks 11 from .the apertures 6, I prefer to provide on each car a device whereby .Ihc bar 10 of the draw-head of that particularcarand the hook 11 of the coupling-bar of the other car may be simultaneously pressed down, so as to disengage the respective hooksfrom the aper-.

extend in opposite directions, as clearly seen.

The shafts 14 are arranged in the platforms opposite. the apertures 6 of the respective draw-heads, and the bifurcations 17 extend laterally on opposite sides of the shaft and are bent down, as clearly seen in Fig. 3, one of said bifurcations being adapted to pass through the aperture 6 into engagement with the hook 11, engaging therewitln and the opposite bifurcation is carried down and connected with the coupling-bar 10. In this manner it will be seen that when the head 15 of the shaft 14 is depressed the bifurcations 17 of said shaft will force down the respective hooks 11, so that saidhooks no longer engage the apertures 6 in the draw-head extensions, whereby the cars are uncoupled.

In order to conveniently press down the head 15 of shaft let, I prefer to employ the construction seen in Fig. 3, which comprises a lever 18, pivoted at 19 on the car-platform and provided with a projection or arm 20 at one side, so arranged that when said lever is swung on its pivot said arm 20 will engage the head 15 and depress the shaft 14 in such a manner as to uncouple the cars.

The construction seen in Fig. 4 is very similar to that above described, excepting that the draw-heads 4 are inverted and. the couplinghooks 10 are adapted to be raised by engagement with the beveled ends of the extensions 5 and to drop from above into the apertures 6, as will be readily seen. In this form of the coupling the bars 10 are provided at their upper sides with hooks 21, adapted for connection with chains or levers mounted on the carplatform, whereby the bars may be conveniently manipulated.

The car-coupling constructed as above described is of an exceedingly simple and inexpensive construction, and its working parts are of such form as to be adapted for usage without liability of breakage. Moreover, the parts are, as will be readily seen, interchangeable, and in case either of them should become broken or damaged it may be readily removed and replaced with little loss of time and labor.

In Fig. 5 l have shown a coupling constructed according to my invention pivoted at its rear end to the king-bolt 22 of the cartruck 23, so as to be capable of a certain degree of lateral or swinging movement. In this arrangement of the device the draw-head 1 is constructed with a chamber 24 at its rear end to receive the headed end 25 of the drawbar, which is provided with a stout spring 26. To hold the draw-head in its proper position the same is provided with curved guide-rods 27, projecting from its opposite sides, whereon are coiled springs 28, the ends of which abut against the truck-frame 23, which is provided with bearings 23*, through which said guide rods 27 play. In this way it will be seen that when the draw-head is moved laterally .in either direction, one of the springs 28 is compressed and acts by its tension to return the draw-head to its normal central position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a car coupling, a drawhead having at one side a perforation and at the other side a pivoted coupling bar provided with an upturned hook, said hook and perforation being adapted to be'engaged by a correspondingly located perforation and hook on an opposing drawhead, and a spring connected to said hook and adapted to hold the same normally in operative position substantially as set forth.

2. In a car coupling, the combination of a drawhead having an aperture at one side, a coupling bar pivoted to the opposite side of the drawhead and having an upwardly projecting hook in advance of the aperture in the drawhead, said hook and aperture being adapted for engagement, respectively, with a correspondingly located aperture and hook on an opposing drawhead, and a spring connected to said coupling bar and adapted to hold the same normally in a raised position, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car coupling, the combination of a drawhead having an aperture extendingv through it at one side, a coupling bar pivoted at the opposite side of the drawhead and pro vided with an upwardly projecting hook, said hook and aperture being adapted for engagement with a correspondingly located aperture and hook on an opposing drawhead, a spring connected to the coupling bar and adapted to hold the same normally raised in its operative position, a vertically movable shaft mounted on the car platform and provided with forks at its lower end one of which is adapted when depressed to extend through the aperture in the drawhead in position to engage and depress the hook in engagement therewith, the other fork being adapted when depressed to engage the coupling bar and move the same down out of its operative position, and a spring connected to said shaft and adapted to hold it in an elevated position, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car coupling, the combination of a drawhead having at one side an aperture and at the other side a hook, said hook and aperture being adapted, respectively, for engagement with a correspondingly located aperture and hook on an opposing-drawhead, a shaft mounted on the car platform. and provided with forks, one of which is adapted to play through the aperture in the drawhead and the other of which is adapted to engage the said hook, a lever pivoted on the car platform and an arm on said lever adapted to engage and actuate said shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car coupling, the combination of a truck frame, having a king bolt, a drawhead pivoted at its rear end on said king bolt and adapted for lateral movement, guide rods connected to said drawhead at opposite sides of its forward part and adapted to guide the same, and springs on said guide rods adapted to hold said drawhead normally in a central position, substantially as set forth.

6. In a car coupling, the combination of a drawhead having at one side an aperture and at the other side a hook, said hook and aperture being adapted respectively for engagement with a correspondingly located aperture and hook on an opposing drawhead, a shaft lever pivoted on the car platform and provided vertically movable in the car platform and with an arm adapted 'to engage and depress provided with forks, one of which is adapted said shaft, substantially as described.

to play through the aperture in the drawhead THOMAS GRIFFITH. and the other of which engages the hook, it Witnesses: spring mounted on said shaft and adapted to W. E. WATERS,

' hold the same in an elevated position, and a J. MILLER MCDONALD.

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