US724087A - Car-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

NO. 724,087. PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903.

T. I. DUFFY. CAR COUPLING. AFIeLwATmN FILED SEPT.17, 1900.

no MODEL.

ILTE L i 1750,2219 1. Duffy No. 724.087 PATENTED MAR. 31, 1903. T, I. DUFFY.

OAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 17, 1900.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

THOMAS I. DUFFY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOR TO EDWVIN J, HESS,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,087, dated March 31, 1903. 7

Application filed September 17, 1900. Serial lilo. 30,211. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS-I. DUFFY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of-Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Gar-Couplers; andIdo here by declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to car-couplers, and more particularly of that class designed for street and elevated railways and the like and known as gravity-acting couplers.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more fully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a street-car provided with a coupler embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a drawhead, partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 4 is'a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a central horizontal section of the same. Fig. 6 isa perspective view of the coupling-bar. ,7

As shown in said drawings, A indicates the draw-head, adapted to be pivoted on the car in any desired manner and provided at its outer end with 'a socket adapted to receive one of the hooked endsb of the coupling-bar B.

0 indicates a locking-block seated in the draw-head and provided with an aperture extending therethrough longitudinally of the draw head and communicating with the sockettherein. Saidlocking-blockisadapted to engage one of the hooks b on the end of the coupling-bar B when in its coupled position.

The draw-head A may be of any desired form externally, the front or coupling end of the same, however, preferably having the surfaces inclined inwardly to the socket the better to direct the coupling-bar to its locking position. Said draw-head is provided near its front or outer end with an aperture extending vertically therethrough adapted to receive the locking-block O. This aperture, as shown, is rectangular to near the bottom of the draw-head and is much smaller and cylindric in the lower side or bottom of the drawhead. The locking-block, as shown, is rectangular in cross-section and fits closely within the rectangular part 'of said aperture and is provided axially with a cylindric projection 0, which extends through and below the bottom of the draw-head. As shown, a spiral spring 0 is secured on said'projection, one

end of which engages the under side of the draw-head, the other end of which engages a cotter-pin or other suitable device secured upon the projection c. *Said spring acts to limit the vertical movement of the lockingblock and prevents upward creeping of the same due to the motion of the car and the draft on the coupling-bar.

The catches or hooks on the coupling-bar, as shown, are faced in the same direction, and said coupling-bar enters the draw-head with the hooks directed upwardly. Said coupling-bar is slightly tapered at the ends for the purpose of permitting the same to be more readily directedinto the socket in the draw- 1 head. The upper wall of the aperture through the locking-block O,which is continuous with the socket in the draw-head, inclines downwardly and rearwardly, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, complemental to the upper surface of the coupling-bar, adjacent to the hook, and, together with the vertical rear surface of the locking-block, forms a shoulder for "engagement with the hook b.

' The operation of my device is as follows: The locking-bar being secured in one of the draw-heads and brought into engagement with the complemental draw-head of the coupler, the hooked end 17 engages the inclined surface in the locking-block, lifting said block against the action of gravity and the spring 0' and passes through the same to the position indicated in Fig. 3. As soon, however, as the hook has passed through the locking-block said block falls downwardly into its locking position,enga'ging the hook I) of the coupling-bar. pose the spring 0 is not essential, inasmuch as gravity is sufficient to cause the lockingblock to fall to its locking position. The

spring, however, acts to prevent said locking-block from creeping upwardly when the car is in motion.

As a further improvement I have provided Obviously for this purmeans for operating the locking-block from the platform of the car, thereby obviating the necessity of going between the cars in coupling. For this purpose I have provided a lug c on the upper end of the locking-block, and I have connected therein one end of a chain 0 the other end of which leads upwardly and is connected with the front end of the car in position to be engaged by the conductor or motorman standing upon the platform. Said chain is of sufficient length to permit sufficient lateral swing of the drawhead. By the use of said chain an operator standing upon the platform may readily swing the draw-head to the desired position for coupling. When it is desired to uncouple, a sharp jerk orpull on the chain suflices to lift said locking-block, which permits the coupling-bar to be withdrawn therefrom. For the purpose of preventing the hook I) from catching within the draw-head after passing the locking-block the inner upper angle of the draw-head is rounded over, as indicated at a.

Obviously many details of construction may be modified without departing from the principle of my invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. A draw-head provided with an aperture extending vertically therethrough, an axial socket communicating with and extending beyond the vertical aperture and adapted to receive a hooked coupling-bar and hold it in position to engage its opposite end with the draw-head of another car, a vertically-moving locking-block fitting closely in said vertical aperture and having an aperture extending therethrough registering with the socket in the draw-head when the locking-block is in an elevated position, the upper wall of said aperture and the rear side of the lockingblock forming an abrupt angle adapted to interlock with a coupling-bar when in its coupled position and a centrally downwardly-extending projection on the locking-block and a spring engaged thereon which engages against the under side of the draw-head thereby acting to hold the locking-block in its coupling position.

per side a rectangular socket adapted to receive the closely-fitting upwardly-moving rectangular locking block, a rectangular aperture extending through the locking-block registering with the bottom and rear top sides of the socketin the draw-head when the locking-block is in its elevated position, the upper wall of the aperture having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined surface forming an acute angle with the rear side of the lockingblock and adapted to interlock with the hooked end of the coupling-bar when inserted in the coupler, the bottom of said aperture in the locking-block lying normally below the plane of the axial socket in the drawhead and adapted to engage against the under side of the coupling-bar when the locking-block is elevated, thereby limiting the upward movement of said block.

3. The combination with a draw-head provided with an axial socket adapted to hold a coupling-bar with its axislying in the same line as the axis of said socket and having an angular vertical socket in the upper side thereof which intersects the axial socket, an angular gravity-acting locking-block pro vided with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined aperture registering below the socket in the draw-head when the locking-block is in its coupled position and adapted to receive and be lifted by the end of a coupling link or bar the bottom wall of said aperture being adapted to engage against said link or bar when the locking-block is in its elevated position thereby acting to limit the upward movement thereof and a spring engaging said coupling-block and acting normally to hold the same in its coupled position.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS I. DUFFY.

In presence of- O. W. HILLS, LOUIS J. DELSON.

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