US642432A - Car-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

No. 642,432. Patented Ian. 30, I900. W. G. CURTIS.

GAB COUPLING.

(Application filed June 24, 1899.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR M 5 6W2;

(5. a). Chow WITN ESSES I ATTORN EY.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. CURTIS, OF HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TO FRANK D. GILBERT AND JESSE E. CURTIS, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

srncrrrca'rrou forming 15m of Letters Patent No. 642,432, dated January 30, 1900. Application filed June 24, 1899. Serial No. 721,742. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Huntington, in the county of Oabell and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Oouplings; and I do 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, reference being had tothe accompany ing drawings and to letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a section on the line a; {I}, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of my coupling with the knuckle locked and the upper half of the draw-head removed. Fig. 3 is aplan View of same, the knuckle and latch being shown in unlocked positions in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a section on the line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the latch. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the knuckle.

This invention relates to car-couplings of that type which employ pivoted v knuckles normally locked in coupling position by means of a latch device; and it is designed to provide improved latch and latch-operating devices, also to provide a knuckle-securing or pivot pin of improved character.

With these objects in viewthe invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the draw-head, and B the pivoted knuckle.

C is the latch which secures the knuckle in coupled position.

The external form of the draw-head, the form of the seat therein for the bearing or hub portion of the knuckle, and the form of portion 1), having the curved wall 1). Its in-- nor lower portion is also formed with a rabbet b whose vertical wall fits against a shoulder a 0n the bottom of the cavity A when the knuckle-is in coupling position.

The latch O is hung on a vertical pin D and consists of a forwardly-offset portion 1 and acurved arm portion 2, which lies behind the tongue B and engages the cut-away portion 1) of said tongue, which is shaped to fit. The forwardly-offset portion 1 is formed with a vertical recess a, which is adapted to fit over the inner end portion of the tongue, which is substantially parallel with the coupling-arm of the knuckle to form the look there for. The forward wall of the outer corner portion 0 of the latch when in looking engagement with the tongue has a bearing against the shoulder a of the wall of the cavity A, and thereby relieves the tongue and the Walls of the recess 0 from strain.

The portion 1 of the latch is formed with a vertical slot 0', in which is pivoted a small lever E, whose lower end projects into a depression a in the bottom Wall of the cavity A, said depression having an upwardly-beveled wall (2 upon which is designed to ride the convexed bent lower end portion E of the lever E. Connected to the upper end portion of said lever by a link F is a latch-lifting rod G, which extends upwardly through an aperture 0. in the upper wall of the head and I is connected to any suitable operating mechanism.

The rear wall of the cavity A is formed with the beveled portion A and the adjacent face of the part 2 of the latch O is formed with a cam-surface O. Said cavity is also formed with the lateral offset A in a plane above that of the bottom face of the latch when the latter is in coupling position. The upper wall of the cavity A above the upper end of the lever E when the latter is in coupled position nearly or quite contacts with the upper end of said lever, and from this point of contact it is beveled upwardly to the aperture a as I shown at A The parts being in coupled position, as shown in Fig. 1, the knuckle is securely locked by the engagement therewith of the latch, and the latter is held against upward movement to accidentally release the knuckle by the impingement of the upper end of the lever E against the upper wall of the cavity A.

To uncouple, the lifting rod Gis raised, thereby slightly rocking the lever E to bring its upper end onto the beveled surface A, and a continued pull on said lifting rod raises the latch C out of engagement with the knuckletongue, the upper end of the lever E riding on the beveled wall A. As said latch is lifted its cam-surface C impinges upon the beveled rear wall portion A, and thereby turns said latch on the pin D to cause its arm portion 1 to press outwardly on the knuckle-tongue to thereby automatically throw the knuckle open as soon as its tongue is released by said latch.

In coupling, as the cars come together and the knuckle-tongue is forced back into the cavity A and by the contact of a beveled surface 3 on the tongue with a beveled surface s on the latch the latter is raised automatically to allow the knuckle-tongue to pass under it,

and is at the same time swung forwardly on its pivot. It then drops by gravity and locks the tongue. As the latch falls to locking position the beveled end Eof the lever E rides downwardly on the beveled wall portion a of the cavity A, and thereby automatically brings said lever into position for its upper end to contact with the upper wall of said cavity, and thereby secure the latch against accidental unlatching movement.

The pin P, which forms the pivot for the knuckle B, is a headless pin and is formed with an inwardly-offset shoulder 19 near its lower end, which rests on a shoulder r in the pin-hole R near the bottom face of the drawhead, and thereby prevents the pin from fall= ing through. Its lower end may be provided with a pin )9 to secure the pin against upward movement.- Should the pin become broken, it continues to perform its work, as the portion below the break is held by said shoulders from falling out. Furthermore, this pin is useless for any other purpose than that forwhich it is designed and is not likely to be taken out by trainmen and used for other purposes, as is the case with ordinary pins. Should it become lost or mislaid, how ever, any other pin of the proper length and size may be used in its place.

It will be observed that in the coupling above described the parts are of strong and durable character and that no springs areemployed, all automatic movements of the parts being caused by the impingement of'solid' camsurfaces. It will also be observed that owing to the fact that the forward Wall of the forwardly-ofiset portion of the latch hasa bearing against a shoulder of the draw-head, and 1 owing to the fact that the inner end portion of the knuckle-tongue, which issuibstantially parallel to the coupling-arm of the knuckle, is engaged by a recess in the bottom wall of the latch, should the knuckle-pin P fall out or be otherwise removed when the coupling is effected the said relation of the parts will still hold said knuckle in place, whether under strain or not. This will likewise be the case should the pin D of the latch also fall out. The strain upon the said pinsPand D is thusfmuch lessened and borne by the draw head to a large extent.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In acar-coupling of the class described, the combination with the pivoted knuckle, of the pivoted and vertically-movable latch, the cam-surface uponthe draw-head, a cam device secured to said latch and engaging said cam-surface to raise the latch and unlock the knuckle, means for operating said cam de vice, and means for opening-the knuckle, substantially as specified.

2. In. a car-coupling of the class described, the combination with thepivoted knuckle, of the pivoted and vertically-movable latch, the cam-surface upon the draw-head, the lever pivoted to said latch andhaving the cam-arm engaging said cam-surface to liftthe latch and unlock the knuckle, means for operating said lever, and means for turning said latch to open said knuckle, substantially as specified.

3. In a car-coupling of the class described,- the combination of the pivoted knuckle having the inner end portion of its tongue substantially parallel with the coupling-arm of the knuckle, the pivoted vertically-movable latch having the forwardly-odsetportiom the shoulder upon thedraw-head forming a. bearing for the forward wall of the forwardly-odset portion of said latch in the locked position of said knuckle, and the recess in the bottom wall of said latch fitting over the said inner end portion of the knuckle-tongue to lock the same, substantially as specified.

4:. In a car-coupling of the class described, the combination with the draw-head having a chamber or cavity therein, and a pivoted knuckle, of a pivoted vertically-movable knuckle-latch having one of its arms recessed on= itsunder side to engage the knuckle-tongue and itsother arm: seated to bear against the inner or rear portion of said tongue, the lever pivoted in the said latch, the inclined bear-' i ing-surfaces on the upper and lower walls of said cavity or chamber for the respective end portions of the said lever, the pull-rod connected to said lever, the coacting cam-surfaces on the latch and on the adjacent wall of said cavity or chamber, whereby the latch is caused toro-tate as it is lifted, and the coactj ing inclined orcamsurfaces on the tongue and latch, substantially as specified.

5.. In a car-coupling of the class described, the combination with the chambered head,

; the pivoted knuckle, the pivoted verticallymovable latch, and thecoacting cam-surfaces on the said-latchand the adjacent wall of the head for rotating said latch when it is moved lid "vertieally, of the lever pivoted in a slot of the In testimony whereof I affix my sigiiature latch anld hlalving its uppleir efndlpertilon in 0on1; in presence of two Witnesses.

tact Wit t e upper wa 0 t e c amber 0 a the head, said head also having cam bearing- WILLIAM CURTIS surfaces for the upper and lower end portions Witnessesi of said lever, and the pull or lift rod connected A. MOOURDY,

to said lever, substantially as specified. FRANK D'. GILBERT.

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