US677435A - Car-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

No. 677,435. Patented July 2, l90l.

H. C. BUHUUP.

GAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Nov. 3, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

' Patented July 2, I or.

H C BUHOUP GAR COUPLING;

. [App' tion 1dNov.3,1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets Sheet 2.

4/ (2,4. howl Mrs STATES ATENT FFICE.

HARRY O. BUHOUP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOOONWAY AND TORLEY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 677,435, dated July 2, 1901.

Application filed November 3, 1900. Serial No. 35,400. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY C. BUHOUP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of a coupler embodying my invention, taken on the line 1 1, Fig. 2, looking inthe direction of the arrow and showing the parts in the locked position in full line and in the unlocked position in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the coupler embodying my invention, the dotted lines indicating the cavity of the coupler-head and the position occupied by the contained parts when in the locked position. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section similar to Fig. 1, the full lines indicating the position of the parts when fully set for uncoupling and the dotted lines indicating the position of the pivoted lever when further operated to throw open the knuckle. In this figure the tailpiece of the knuckle shown in position in Fig. 1 has been omitted for sake of clearness. Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal vertical section of the coupler, taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow, showing the relation of the tailpiece of the knuckle to the pin and pin-lever when the coupler is locked, portions of the knuckle being broken off.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of that class of couplers known as the vertical or Janney type of coupler, and more especially to those wherein a locking-pin or vertically-moving lock is employed, and has for its object the production of a simple and efficient lock-set and knuckle-opener. Heretofore in this class of lock sets and knuckle-openers wherever a pivoted lever or latch has been combined with the locking-pin for the purpose of setting the lock or throwing out the knuckle the lever or latch has been operated from or by the locking-pin, and when set the latch or lever has rested upon the tailpiece of the knuckle, and thus supported the locking-pin in the set position, as a consequence of which any movement or even a limited vibration of the knuckle arising from the jarring or moving of the car served to drop the pin and lock the coupler.

To overcome the objections to the present form of lock-sets for couplers, I combine with the locking-pin a pin-lever pivoted thereon, by means of which lever the locking-pin may be raised, said lever having a fulcrum, a support upon the couplerhead, whereby the locking-pin is held in a set position independent of the knuckle, and such a combination embodies one feature of my invention. Preferably the fulcrum of the pin-lever within the coupler-head is in part an incline on which the supported end of the lever may travel back and forth to allow of a limited vibration of the tailpiece of the knuckle without dropping the locking-pin, the locking-pin returning to its set position automatically, and such an incline and seat within the coupler-head in combination with the locking-pin and pinlever embodies a further feature of my invention.

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates the couplerhead, provided with the guard-arm a, cars a, on which the knuckle B is pivoted, and a locking-pin O, which latter for the purposes of illustration has been shown as the usual type of J anney locking-pin having the transverse incline c, with which the tailpiece b engages to lift the pin on the inward movement of the knuckle. Any other suitable locking-pin may, however, be employed, if desired, and the coupler may in general correspond to any of the several well-known forms of vertical coupler.

Mounted on the locking-pin O and extending transversely thereof, so as to be capable of movement across the path of the tailpiece b of knuckle B and across the face ofthe locking-pin, is a lever 1, (preferably pivoted,)

' with the tailpiece of the knuckle.

which I term the pin-lever, because its function is to lift or actuate and thereafter support the pin 'in the set position. This lever 1 is preferably of a curved or bent form, its short arm 1 projecting from the coupler-head and connected by a chain or in other suitable manner to the usual or any approved operating mechanism. For safety sake the locking-pin C may also be connected with the operating devices by a chain or link connection; but the same will be of a character or length that will permit the pin to be first lifted through the medium of the pin lever l and not directly by its chain or similar connection.

The long arm 1 of the pin-lever 1, which projects within the head A, may rest upon a shoulder or seat 2 within and on one side of the head A when the locking-pin O is down and upon a lower seat 3 when the lockingpin 0 is raised and set or in a fixed position to allow the tailpiece of the knuckle to move out. The two seats 2 and 3 are connected by an incline at, over which the end of the leverarni 1 travels in setting the lock for uncoupling (see dotted line, Fig. 1) and up and down which it may travel when from any cause the knuckle and its tailpiece 1) vibrate, the leverarm 1 automatically descending to the seat 3 to maintain the set of the lock for uncoupling unless the tailpiece is forced back completely or to its inward limit, as in the act of coupling. It will be noted that the upper seat 2, as well as the incline 4, serves as a fulcrum for the pin-lever 1 in lifting the pin; but it will also be evident that while the seat 2 is desirable it is not indispensable and may be omitted or merged in the incline 4, the seat 3 serving to support the pin-lever, and through it the locking-pin, independent of or out'of contact The continued or further movement of the long arm 1 of pin-lever 1 after it has reached the set position on seat 3 (see Fig. 3) will throw open the knuckle B, the tailpiece b of which stands over the lower seat 3 (see Fig. 1) when the coupler is locked or set for unlocking.

The construction of the devices being substantially such as hereinbefore set forth will operate as follows: The operative parts being in the locked position shown in Figs. 1 and 2that is to say, the locking-pin G down, the tailpiece b of the knuckle back thereof, and the long arm 1 of pin-lever 1 at its lower end raised or resting on the seat 2 (or on the incline) within the head Ain order to release the knuckle and set the lock for either uncoupling'or coupling up the outer or short arm 1 is lifted, and resting by its long arm on the seat 2 causes the locking-pin C to rise vertically until the inclined shoulders thereof is above the tail-piece b, the long or inner arm of the lever meanwhile moving down the in-' cline (see dotted lines, Fig. 1, and full lines, Fig. 2) until it rests on the seat 3, and thus supports the looking-pin C in the elevated, raised,

or set position independently of the knuckle. In this position the tailpiece b is free to escape past the locking-pin O and allow the knuckle to pull open, or it may ride back sufficiently far to carry the long arm 1 of the pin-lever back until the locking-pin B falls in front of the tailpiece b and locks the coupler. To ac 'complish the relocking of the coupler, however, the tailpiece will have to move completely back to the extreme of its inner travel and lift the inner or long arm 1 of the lever substantially to the position shown in full lines, Fig. 1. The long arm 1 may travel up the incline to any extent less than its complete travel, as indicated by the dotted I lines, Fig. 1, without causing the locking-pin C to drop sufficiently to effect a locking of the tailpiece b and will of itself again descend automatically to substantially the position shown in full lines, Fig. 3, and thus maintain the set of the lock under all usual vibration or movement of the knuckle incident to service, except a positive and complete inward coupling travel of the tailpiece Z1, as in coupling. WVhen the long arm 1 of the pin-lever 1 has assumed the position indicated in full lines, Fig. 3, and the lock is set for uncoupling, if desired its movement -may be continued to the position indicated by the dotted lines of said figure and will then so act upon the tailpiece b as to throw open the knuckle and efiect a positive uncoupling of the couplers.

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

1. In a car-coupling of the vertical or Janney type having a knuckle and a locking-pin,

the combination with the locking-pin, of a pin-lever for lifting and setting the lockingpin, said lever having a fulcrum within the coupler-head and also a seat within the coupler-head, whereby the locking-pin is set and supported independently of the knuckle, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a car-coupling having a knuckle and a locking-pin, the combination with the locking-pin, of a pin-lever for actuating and setting said locking-pin, and an incline within the coupling-head upon which the pin-lever travels, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a car-coupling of the vertical or Janney type, having a vertically-moving lock, the combination with said lock, of a lever for lifting and setting said lock, and an inclined fulcrum for the end of the lever within the head, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a car-coupling of the vertical or Jan ney type, the combination with a lockingpin, of a pin-lever pivoted thereon for actuating the locking-pin, an incline within the coupler-head for the travel of the arm of the lever within the coupler-head, and a seat within the coupler-head for supporting the lever and locking-pin in a set position inde seats, substantially as and for the purposes to specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 31st day of October, 1900.

HARRY O. BUHOUP. lVit-nesses:

DANIEL B. MASON, J AMES W. DUNAVAN.

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