US623902A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

No. 623,902. Patented Apr. 25, I899. B. S. HART &. W. PADGETT.

RUBIN SYLVESTER HART AND WILLIAM PADGETT, OF BROOKLYN,

ALABAMA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 623,902, dated April 25, 1899. Application filed September 23,1898. Serial No. 691,784. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, RUBIN SYLVESTER HART and WILLIAM PADGETT, citizens of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Conecuh and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Car-Couplers; and we do hereby declare 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.

This invention relates to car-couplers; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective means for coupling cars either while moving,on on r es, or to accommodate variations in the height or elevation of opposing draw-heads and without requiring an operator to pass between the cars, with the evident advantages accruing from such prevention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a car end, showing the improved coupling device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of two opposing draw-heads, illustrating the manner of operating the coupling in full and dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the improved coupling device.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views, the nu-- meral 1 designates a car of any preferred form of construction and having a draw-head 2, which in the present instance is utilized as a bumper and has a sliding movement and in the front portion an attaching-pin 3, which stands vertically and is secured by a lower threaded end and nut thereon. The upper end of the pin, which stands above the drawhead, is looped, as at 4, to give additional strength and resistance to the strain, and where the free end of the said loop engages the draw-head a recess 5 is constructed, which prevents movement of said pin after it has been tightened. Secured to the car just above the draw-head is a transversely-extending spring-plate 6, which is secured at one end only and stands outwardly at the free end to have free resilient movement or vibration when opposing draw-heads come together and institute a shock or jar. To the opposite sides of the draw-head, a predetermined distance in rear of the outer end there0f,the rear looped ends 7 of a coupling-link 8 are pivotally attached. This coupling-link is long enough to drop over the end of the draw-head and to reach a suitable distance beyond the same to engage a pin in the opposing draw-head similar to that described. The spring-plate 6 yieldingly supports the coupling-link when the latter is raised preparatory to the automatic coupling operation.

In operation the couplinglink 8 is first raised and rested against the spring-plate 5. The draw-head of the approaching car or the car being approached is struck by the drawhead of the car having the link set, as specilied, and the shock or jar incident to the meeting of the two draw-heads and also the movement of the latter throws the couplinglink downward and over the pin on the opposing draw-head. The link of the opposing draw-head not being used is permitted to drop beneath and out of the way. The link Sis long enough to compensate for the movements of the cars and is heavy enough to continually raise upon the top of the draw-head and resist ordinary movements or shocks that would tend to accidentally uncouple it. The pin in the draw-head is made long enough to prevent accidental disengagement of the link under any circumstance, and, furthermore, cars having draw-heads of varying elevation can be easily connected with safety and convenience. Furthermore, curve movements or sways of cars are accommodated by the link specified, and ordinary cars can also be coupled up to the car carrying the improved coupling-pin.

The present form of coupler is particularly useful in making flying switches or in rapid shifting, and many other advantages will appear from time to time to those using the same that have not been enumerated.

Changes in the proportions,dimensions,and

minor details of construction might be resorted to without in the least departing from the nature or spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- In a car-coupler, the combination with a sliding draw-head having a central recess in the upper side near the outer end, of a pin on the upper front part thereof having a rearwardly-inelined portion directly connected to said draw-head and bent over forwardly and downwardly therefrom and the free end held in said recess, a coupling-link having the rear ends pivotally attached to opposite sides of the draw-head and long enough to drop over the front end of the lat-

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