US549935A

US549935A - Car-coupling

Info

Publication number: US549935A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1895-11-19
Anticipated expiration: 1912-11-19

Description

(No Model.) 2 sheets-'sheen 1'.

J. WQBIDDLE.- -GAR GOUPLING;

No. 549,955. Patented N0v..191895.

R j; -l

(N0 Model.)

J.,w.. RIDDLB.

CAR GOU-PLING.

l Patented Nov. 19, 1'895.,

l,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES NV. RIDDLE, OF PRINCETON, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 549,935, dated November 19, 1895.

Application ledrOctober 24, 1894. Serial No. 526,813. (No model.)

To. all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES W. RIDDLE, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Princeton, in the county of Bureau and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings; and I do de- Clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers. Its object is to provide a device of this character which shall be entirely automatic in its action.

The invention consists of a draw-bar having an upwardly-projecting tonguel or hook, and a link having a transverse bar at one end for engaging the hook of the draw bar and adapted to support the link in an upright position, so that the concussion, as the cars to be coupled come together, will throw the link forward and over the corresponding hook upon the draw-bar of the other car.

It consists, further, of the peculiar form of the link, and of a gravity-latch for preventing the accidental disengagement of the link, and of such'other parts and arrangement of parts as are hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of a pair of draw-bars, showing my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the link. Fig. 4 is a plan section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showinga modiiied form of construction. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 6 6 of Fig; 5. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the draw-bar, the link being in section. Fig. 8 is a plan view of a modified form of link.

At l 2 are shown a Kpair of draw-bars exactly alike in every particular and in the relative position which the draw-bars of adjacent cars in a train occupy. The lower portion of the draw-bar extends forwardly, and its upper surface is i'lat, forming a level table, at the sides of which are Vvertical flanges 5 6, which may, as shown, taper downwardly touncoupling the cars.

ward the outer end of the bar. Projecting upwardly and centrally from the forward end of this table is a tongue or hook 3 4, which, as shown, is a separate piece of metal set into a suitable recess in the draw-bar and secured by a transverse bolt 3 4, though it is obvious that the tongue and draw-bar may be cast integrally. The inner or rearward face of the tongue 3 4 is inclined backwardly and upwardly and is preferably slightly concave, as shown.

The link X is of the ordinary form, except that one of its ends is in the form of a straight transverse bar Y, whose ends y y project beyond the sides of the link. The length of the bar Y is such that it is adapted to iitloosely between the iianges 5 5 or 6 6, thereby preventing material lateral play of the link. The bar Y being straight, the link is adapted to swing vertically upon it as it rests upon the table of the draw-bar.

At the rearward end of the table of the drawbar a transverse abutment 7 8 rises vertically and is such distance back of the tongue 3 4 that ample space is provided for the entry of the link and to provide for the necessary longitudinal play of the link essential to the proper handling of the train. The rearward side of the abutment 7 8 and the top of that portion of the draw-bar lying behind it are adapted to the beam ordinarily lying across the end of the car.

The abutment 7 8 is vertically aperturedor slotted, and within this slot is pivoted a gravity-latch 9 l0, adapted normally to hang over the space between the abutment and the tongue 3 4, its end being at such altitude as to clear the link. An arm l1 l2 extends upwardly from the latch 9 lO for convenience in withdrawing the latch for the purpose of The counterweight of the latch is in the form of a rearwardly-extending arm 9a l0, housed within a suitable aperture within the body of the draw-bar and being curved downwardly, so as to strike the floor of this aperture and thus limit the forward movement of the latch. The lower end of the latch 9 l() is beveled backwardly, so that the longitudinal play of the link does not tend t0 open or throw back the latch. l

The bar Y, forming one end of the link, is provided with a tail piece or stem-Z, project- IOO . ment with the hook or tongue.

in g backwardly and longitudinally with reiference to the body of the link and along its median line. The outer end of this stem is curved so that as the link lies in the position it assumes in service this stem projects downwardly, a suitable aperture being provided in the draw-bar to accommodate it.

\Vhen the link X is in its upright position, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 2, the outer end of the stem Z projects beyond the end of the draw-bar, and I prefer to provide it with a lateral proj cction @which shall extend above the lower line of the draw-bar, so that as the cars come together this projection will be struck by the draw-bar of the other car, thereby throwing the link down.

The aperture provided for the stem Z is of such width as to admit of very slight lateral play of the stem, thereby guiding the link and insuring its engagement with the hook or tongue of the approaching car. The inner end of the aperture within which the stem Z is located is curved to correspond with the curvature of the stem, so that should the link be accidentally thrown down before the cars come together the contact of the approaching draw-bar with the outer end of rthe link will force the stem Z against this curved wall, which will act as a ca-m and raise the outer end of the link so as to facilitate its engage- 'lhe rearward end of the arm 9 l0 is in Y form, so as to straddle this aperture. The outer or forward `face of the tongue 3 4E is inclined backwardly, so that the link, if down as the ears come together, will slide up this inclined face, which may start from a point below the surface of the table, as shown in the drawings.

rlhe space between the tongue 3 4 and the abutment 7 8 being greater than the thickness of the link, the latter, when in its upright position and resting against the tongue, is inclined slightlybackward, resting against the top of the abutment. Then in this position, however, the link is so evenly balanced that a very slight concussion will throw it down, and in practice it will not be necssary, ordinarily, to use the extension .a at the end of the stem Z.

The stem ll l2 of the latch 9 l() is provided with a radial iian ge ll l2 immediately above the abutment 7 S,thereby preventing dirt from falling into the aperture within which the latch is piveted.

The stem Z may, if desired, be wholly dispensed with, giving the link the form shown in Fig. S, and in that event the aperture in the draw-bar provided for this stem becomes unnecessary, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

It will be seen that in practice itwill be whollyunnecessary for the brakeman te inanipulate the coupling as the ears come together. By being sure that there is a link in one of the draw-bars only, and especially by placing the link in its upright position, he may be certain that the coupling will be efected by the concussion as the cars come together.

The link is of such form that a car provid ed with my coupling is adapted to be coupled up with cars provided with the prevailin g style of link-couplin gs without change or add itional appliances.

I claim as my inventionl. In a car coupler, the combination with a draw-bar having a ilat upper iace, a transverse abutment at the rear of the face, a hook or tongue projecting upwardly from such face in advance of and spaced apart from the transverse abutment, and an abutment rising at each side of such face between the transverse abutment and the hook, of an oblong link having one of its ends prolonged beyond its sides and adapted to it between the side abutments of the draw-bar, the whole bein g so constructed and arranged that the link will stand upon its prolonged end behind the hook, and be thrown forward by the impact of the cars, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car coupling the ctnnbination with a draw bar having its upper surface of its outer end flat and provided with an upwardly projecting tongue or hook and a vertical aperture back of the hook, with an oblong link having ene of its ends in the form olf a straight bar, and a curved guide stem projecting from such bar adapted to rest and turn upon the upper surface of the draw-bar and adapted to slide within the aperture of the draw-bar.

In a car coupling the combination with a draw bar, having the upper surface oi its outer end il at a-nd flanked by vertical ilan ges, and a tongue or hook projectin upwardly from this iiattencd surface, of an abutment back of and spaced apart from the hook, the abutment and draw-bar being vertically apertured, and an oblong link having one of its ends inthe form oi' a straight bar adapted to enter the space between. the hook and the abutment and having a curved guide stem projecting from such bar and adapted to slide in the aperture of the draw bar and abutment, whereby the link may stand loosely upon the draw-bar and fall forwardly, turning upon its straight end and guided by its stem.

fi. In a car coupling the combination with a draw bar having an upwardly projecting tongue er hook and an aperture behind the hook having its rearward wall backwardly and downwardly inclined, of a link for engaging the tongue and adapted to eo-operate with another similar draw -bar and havin g a curved stem adapted to the aperture whereby pressure upon the outer end of the link causes it to be tilted upwardly. y

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES NV. RIDDL'E. iVitnesses:

E. E. BARTHoLoMEw, Louis K. GILLsoN.

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