US603823A - Combined automatic car and air-brake coupling - Google Patents

Description

v (No Model.) 2 SheetswSheet 1.

J. B. THOMAS. COMBINED AUTMATI'C CAR AND AIR BRAKE GOUPLING.

No. 603,823. Patented May l0, 1898.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. B.ITHOMAS. COMBINED AUTOMATIC GAR AND AIR BRAKE GOUPLING.

No. 808,828. Imm-ed May 10,1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES BRYANT THOMAS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINED AUTOMATIC C AR AND AIR-BRAKE COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,823, dated May 10, 1898.

Application led February 6, 1897. Serial No. 622,346. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES BRYANT THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Combined Automatic Oar and Air-Brake Coupling, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to a combined automatic car and air-brake coupling.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to effect an improvement in the automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe, whereby the orifice for the train-pipe Will be arranged in the same side of the coupling head or shoe as the oriice in the coupling-face of such head or shoe, so that the position of the train-pipe is not changed from the usual position it occupies beneath the car, While at the Sametime permitting of the disposition of the air-brake coupling head or shoe directly below the knuckle of the car-coupling head, which is the best possible coupling position for the automatic coupling head or shoe.

The invention also contemplates means for effectually excluding dust from the automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe when not in use, and by the same means dispensing with the necessity7 of the usual cut-off cock in the train-pipe.

In addition to the objects referred to a very important feature is to provide the automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe With an interchan ge coupling connect-ion forming a permanent feature of the head or shoe and providing simple and efficient means for connecting the automatic air-brake couplinghead or shoe of one car With an unlike air-brake coupling on another car, so that the use of the air-brakes Will not be interfered with on a train of cars equipped With the automatic air-brake coupling and also with the ordinary brake-hose couplings. In the attainment of this important object the present invention is in the nature of an improvement on the interchange' couplingfixture such as disclosed in my allowed application, Serial No. 573,922.

With these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a combined car and air-brake coupling embodying the improvements contemplated by this invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal sectional View of a pair of companion air-brake coupling heads or shoes constructed in accordance with this invention and shown coupled together. Fig. 3 is a similar vievsT of one of the air-brake coupling heads or shoes shown connected with an unlike brake-hose coupling. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the inner coupling-face of one of the air-brake coupling heads or shoes. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the outer side of one of the air-brake coupling heads or shoes. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detaill in perspective of the pivotal dust-shield arm for the orifice in the inner coupling-face of the air-brake coupling head or shoe. Fig. 8 is a similar view of the pivotal dust-cap for the outer coupling head or ring of the interchange couplingnipple.

Referring to the accompanying dravvings, the numeral 1 designates an ordinary carcoupling head having the usual guard-arm 2 and knuckle 3 and arranged at the front end of the draw-bar 4.

The present invention con templates for use in connection With the car-coupling head 1 the automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe 5, arranged below and in vertical alinement with the car-coupling head and Which is of the same generalv construction and type as the air-brake coupling-head disclosed in my former patent, No. 481,984, and particularly in my allowed applications, Serial Nos. 573,922 and 598,882.' The said automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe 5 is adapted to automatically couple and uncouple with a companion head or shoe in the usual'way and is formed intermediate its ends With a transverse Huid-passage 6, opening at its inner end into an orifice formed in the inner couplingface of the head or shoe, and Within Which orifice is tted an ordinary gasket 7, which projects beyond the plane of the inner coupling-face of the head or shoe to form an airtight joint with the gasket of the companion head or shoe in the usual Way.

The air-brake coupling head or shoe 5 is suspended from the draw-bar 4 of the carcoupling head 1 by means of a self-adjusting hanging device 7, such as disclosed in my allowed application, Serial No. 573,922, and

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said head or shoe 5 is provided with a front beveled end 8, a recessed Youter side 9, having flared guiding-flanges 10, and at its inner end the said head or shoe 5 carries a.bowed clamping-spring 11, which engages with the hanging device 7a in the manner set forth in the allowed application referred to. The bowed clamping-spring 11 at the inner or rear end of the air-brake coupling head or shoe is provided at its front end with the offstanding guide or guard tongue 12, disposed opposite and projecting outwardly from the inner coupling-face of the head or shoe 5, and the said guide-tongue 12 of the spring is adapted to ride in engagement with the recessed fianged outer side 9 of the companion head or shoe, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, so as to guide the two air-brake'coupling heads or shoes together and insure their tight interlocking connection, as fully described in the prior patent'and previous applications herein referred to.

The bowed clamping-spring ll at the rear or inner end of the air-brake coupling head or shoe 5 extends around such end of the head or shoe in the usual way and has its rear end connected with the outer side of the coupling head or shoe 5 by means of a movable pressure-adj usted connection 13. The movable pressure-adjusted connection 13 for the inner or rear end of the bowed clamping-spring 11 is of the same construction as the corresponding connection fully set forth in my allowed application, Serial No. 598,822, and this connection 13 carries a movable piston portion 14, working in a circular air chamber 15, formed in the outer side of the coupling head or shoe 5 and communicating with one end of a longitudinally-arranged air-port 16, formed within the coupling head or shoe 5 and also communicating with the transverse fluid-passage 6 through the head or shoe.

In connection with the interior passage for air within the coupling head or shoe 5, including the ,port 16 and the passage 6, the said head or shoe has formed inits inner side, near the rear end thereof, a train-pipe orifice 17, in which is fitted one end of the usual train-pipe 18, which train-pipe is designed to occupy its usual position under the body of the car and extends through a slot 19, formed in the portion of' the clamping-spring 11 lying opposite the inner coupling-face of the head or shoe. By reason of forming the train-pipe orifice in the same side of the coupling head or shoe as the orifice in the coupling-face of the head or shoe the usual position of the train-pipe is not disturbed, while at the same time the air-brake coupling head or shoe will be permitted to lie directly under the knuckle 3 of the car-coupling and the guide or guard arm 12 of the clampingspring directlyunder the guard-arm 2 of the car-coupling, which position of the parts is essential to insure a proper automatic coupling of the companion air-brake coupling head or shoe.

While the couplinghead or shoe 5 is designed primarily to automatically couple with a corresponding or companion head or shoe, yet at times the said head or shoe will be opposed to an unlike air-brake coupling 20-such, for instance, as the Westinghouse air-brake hosecoupling, which is fitted to one end of the ordinary brake-hose pipe 21, with which most of' the railway-cars now in use are equipped. To adapt the automatic air-brake'coupling head or yshoe for use in such an emergency, the transverse lfluid-passage 6 through the head or shoe has fitted in the orifice, at the outer end thereof, the inner end of' a short offstanding interchange coupling-nipple 22, which nipple is provided at its outer end with an annular coupling head or ring 23, in the fiat coupling-face of which is fitted a packing-gasket 24, adapted to register in an airtight joint with the usual gasket of the unlike air-brake hose-coupling 2O when such coupling is connected with the interchange nipple. The coupling head or ring 23 at the outer end of the interchange coupling-nipple 22 is provided at one side edge with the coupling fianges or lugs 25, adapted to interlock with the unlike air-brake hose-coupling 2O in the usual way, and at a point diametrically opposite the flanges or lugs 25 the coupling head or ring 23 is provided with a pair of offstanding ears 26, between which is pivoted one end of a locking-dog 27, formedintermediate its ends with a catch-hook 28, adapted to engage with a flange or edge of the unlike air-brake hose-coupling 2O in the usual way toprovide for connecting such coupling with the coupling-head of the nipple 22 in an airtight joint, so that direct communication can be established between the brake-hose pipe and the interior of the air-brake coupling head or shoe.

When the unlike air-brake hose or similar coupling 2O is not connected with the interchange coupling-nipple, the orifice in the coupling-head 23 of such nipple is covered in an air-tight joint by means of a pivotaldustcap 29. The dust-cap 29 is pivoted at one edge to the lower side edge of the couplinghead 23, so that it will normally hang in a pendent position entirely out of the way when the coupling 20 is brought into use in connection with the interchange nipple, and said dust-cap 29 is provided at one side edge with an offstanding hook 30, adapted to be turned. into engagement with one ofthe flanges or lugs 25, and at a point diametrically opposite the hook 30 the said plate 29 terchange coupling-nipple is not in use, the dust-cap 29 remains clamped in its raised position on the coupling-head 23, and to provide for the total exclusion of dust from the inte- IOO IOS

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rior of the air-brake coupling head or shoe when not in use a dust-shield arm 32 is employed in connection with the orifice of the inner coupling-face of the head or shoe.

The dust-shield arm 32 is provided intermediate its ends and at one side with a circular cap projection 33, adapted to fit tight against the gasket 7 in the inner couplingface of the head or shoe, and said arm 32 is further provided at one end with a lateral interiorly-threaded stud 34, receiving the threaded end of a pivot pin or screw 35,loosely fitted in the vertically-disposed slot 36 of a pivot-plate 37, fastened to the outer side of the coupling head or shoe 5, at the lower edge thereof. At the end opposite its pivotal connection a dust-shield arm 32 is provided with a locking-hook 37, adapted to straddle and engage with the top edge of the coupling head or shoe.

When it is desired to cover the orifice in the coupling-face of the head or shoe by means of the arm 32, the latter is swung to a substantially upright position and elevated sufficiently to allow the hook 37 thereof to drop or be forced into engagement with the top edge of the head or shoe. When the coupling head or shoe 5 is to be used with a companion head or shoe the arm 32 is lifted upward to disengage its hook 37, thereby permitting the said arm to swing downward to a pendent position entirely out of the way, as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. When the interchange coupling-nipple 22 is in use, the arm 32 closes the orifice in the couplingface of the head or shoe, and when the coupling head or shoe is not in use both the dustshield arm 32 and the dust-cap 29 are secured in their operative positions and not only serve to exclude dust from the interior of the coupling head or shoe, but also act as cut-offs, so as to dispense with the necessity of the usual cut-off cock in the train-pipe.

From the foregoing the construction, operation, and many advantages of the hereindescribed improvements will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be further understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe carrying a clamp formed with a slot therein, said head or shoe being provided with an interior passage communicating with separated orifices formed in the inner side of the heador shoe, and a train-pipe fitted in one of the orifices and extended through the slot of said having an interior fluid-passage communicating with separated coupling and train-pipe orifices, and a rigid interchange couplingnipple fitted directly to tle head or shoe and having communication with the interior fluidpassage through an orifice independent of the coupling and train-pipe orifices, said coupling-nipple being adapted to interlock with an unlike air-brake coupling, substantially as set forth.

3. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe having an interior fluid-passage communicating with separate coupling and train-pipe orifices, an interchange coupling-nipple fitted to the head or shoe and communicating with the interior fluid-passage, said nipple being provided at its outer end with a couplinghead, a dust-cap fitted to said coupling-head, and fastening means for securing the dustcap over the orifice in said coupling-head of the nipple, substantially as set forth.

4. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe having an interior fluid-passage with communicating orifices, an interchange couplingnipple fitted to the head or shoe and communicating with the interior fiuid-passage, said nipple being provided at its outer end with a coupling-head formed with coupling flanges or lugs, a dust-capv pivoted to the couplinghead of the nipple and provided at one edge with a hook for engagement with one of said fianges or lugs, and a hooked locking-dog pivoted to the coupling-head of the nipple and adapted to engage with either said dustcap or an unlike air-brake coupling, substantially as set forth.

5. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe having a train-pipe connection and formed with a transverse huid-passage terminating in oppositely-located orifices, and dust-guards arranged to cover said oppositely-located orifices to dispense with a cut-off cock for the trainpipe connection, substantially as set forth.

6. In a coupling of the class described, an automatic air-brake coupling head or shoe having an interior fluid-passage and a coupling-orifice in its inner coupling-face, a pivotal dust-shield arm having a vertically-movable pivotal connection at one end with the coupling head or shoe at the lower edge of the latter, said pivotal dust-shield arm being provided intermediate its ends with a cap projection and at its freeend with a lockinghook adapted to engage with the top edge of the coupling head or shoe, Vsubstantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.4

JAMES BRYANT THOMAS.

Witnesses:

JOHN II. SIGGERs, FRANCES PEYTON SMITH.

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