US735262A - Uncoupling device for cars. - Google Patents

Description

N0."7s5,2s,2. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

' B. 0. HUTSELL UNGOUPLING DEVICE FOR CARS.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN. 21, 1903.

NO MODEL.

Patented August .,.1903'.

ATENT. OFFICE.

ERNEST OLAND HUTSELL, OF ATHENS, TENNESSEE.

UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,262, dated August l, 1903. Application filed January 21, 1903 $erial No.139,989. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST OLAND HUT- SELL, a citizen'of the United States, residing and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully at Athens, in thecountyof McMinn and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a new and useful Uncoupling Device for Cars, of which the "following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvementsin mechanism for uncoupling cars. The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of uncoupling devices for railway-cars and to provide a simple, in-

expensive, and efficient construction adapted to be readily applied to a car and capable of enabling the parts to be readily set for uncoupling while the draft mechanism is under tension, whereby when the cars stop or ihe strain is otherwise removed from the draft mechanism the operation of uncoupling will beautomatically effected, thereby obviating the necessity of a train-hand running along the side of acar and holding the uncoupling-lever or other element until the car-coupling is free to uncouple.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction described, illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an uncoupling device constructed in accordance with the invention shown applied to a car. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of monntin g and housing the spring.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in ings.

1 designates a transversely-oscillating rockshaft journaled in a suitable bearing 2 at one side of the center of the end sill of a car 3 and provided with inner and outer arms 4 both figures of the draw of a plateprovided with a cylindrical bearing portion and bolted or otherwise secured chain 10 with the locking-pin 6, whereby when the rock-shaftis swung backward or outward from the position illustrated in Fig; 1 of the drawings the locking-pin will be-Lraised to effect the operation of uncoupling. "When the locking-pin is in engagement with the arm of the knuckle of the car-coupling, the rockshaft is inclined upward and inward, and an outward movement of the rock-shaft lifts the locking-pin.

The inner arm at of the rock-shaft is yieldably connected with an operating-lever 11 to permit the latter to be swung outward from the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and the said operating-lever, which carries a springactuated dog or detent 12, is adapted to be locked when swung outward, whereby when the locking-pin 6 is free to move it will be lifted by the yielda'ble connection between yieldable connection consists of links or rods 14. and 15 and a spring 16, arranged within a cylindrical casing or housing 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The spring, which is coiled, is disposed on the rod 15 and is interposed between a head 18 and one end 19 of the casing or housing 17. The casing is provided at the end 19 with a perforation for the passage of the rod or link, and its other end is open. The head 18 is detachably secured to the inner end of the rod or link 15 by screw-threads or other suitable means. The open end of the casing or housing is interiorly threaded to receive an enlarged end or head 20 of the link 14., which is pivoted to the inner arm 4. By this construction the operating-lever is adapted to move independ: ently of the locking-pin when the draft mechanism is under tension, and as'soon as the strain on the car-coupling is removed .incident to stopping, backing, or the like .the

yieldable connection will swing the lockingpin upward automatically, thereby effecting the operation of uncoupling to permit the the rock-shaft and the operating-lever: This cars to separate.

This obviates the necessity of a train-hand running along the side of a car and holding a lever or other part until the locking-pin of the ear-coupling is free to lower end between perforated ears 21 of a plate, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the upper face of the end sill of the car. The upper portion of the operating-lever is arranged within a curved ratchet or guide 22, composed of inner and outer sides and provided near its ends with inner and outer notches 23 and 24. The spring-actuated dog or detent 12 is operated by a latch-lever 25 and engages the inner notches or recesses 23 when the cars are coupled to prevent the opcrating-lever from being accidentally thrown outward, when the cars are in motion. The dog is adapted to engage the outer notches 24 to lock the operating-lever in position for automatically uncoupling the cars when the locking-pin is free to move. The curved side pieces of the ratchet or guide for the operating-lever are spaced apart by suitable blocks and are bolted or otherwise secured to the car, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that the uncoupling device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily applied to any ordinary railroad-car, and that it is capable of operating various kinds of carcouplings. It will also be apparent that it is adapted to be set for uncoupling while the draft mechanism of the cars is under tension and when the locking-pin is held fast in its engaging position and that it will automatically lift the locking-pin and uncouple the cars as soon as the strain is removed from the car-coupling by backing the cars or the like.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a transversely oscillating rock-shaft designed to be mounted on a car and provided with inner and outer arms, the outer arm being provided with means for connecting it with a car-coupling, an operatinglever arranged in an upright position and adapted to swing inward and outward, means for looking it in either position, a spring, and connections between the spring,the rock-shaf t and the lever, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a transversely oscillating rock-shaft designed to be mounted on a car and provided with inner and outer arms arranged approximately parallel, the outer arm being provided with means for connecting it with a car-coupling, an operating-lever fulcrumed in-an upright position and arranged to swing inward and outward, a yieldable connection between the operating-lever and the inner arm of the rock-shaft, and means for locking the rock-shaft in either position, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of -a transversely oscillating rock-shaft having inner and outer arms and designed to be mounted on a car, the outer arm being provided with means for connecting it with a car-coupling, a transverselyoscillating operating-lever, a yieldable connection between the lever and the inner arm of the rock-shaft, and means for locking the operating-lever when the same is swung outward, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a transversely oscillating rock-shaft having approximately parallel inner and outer arms, the outer arm being provided with a curved extension, means for connecting the curved extension with a car-coupling, an upright oscillatory lever,a curved ratchet receiving the lever, means mounted on the lever for engaging the ratchet, and a yieldable connection between the lever and the inner arm of the rock-shaft, said yieldable connection comprising a pair of links or rods, a coiled spring, and a casing or housing receiving the coiled spring, substantially as described.

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

ERNEST OLAND HUTSELL.

Witnesses:

0.0. LANE, W. T. GUTHREY.

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