US797265A - Air-brake system. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

G. E. CONGDUN.

AIR BRAKE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED BBPT. 13,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 .v KW K vim N. E E 0 V r W. W M

PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905. (3+. 131 GONE-WON; I

' AIR BRAKE SY$TEM'. APPLICATION FILED sEPT. 13,1904.

I was u n- -M l 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905.

G.E.UONGDON.

fig. M,

AIR BRAKE SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 13,1904.

f INVENY'UE.

QQTE URNEJ.

mnwumzas wlsumsrou. o c.

' mnaaw n Lmmm cu. wore-m Nllllltttl @ill dt ltllFlS F t llf llilltl ll ti li i ll ltjlil.

i tl l l ml lll llltlfi fipecification of lllietters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed September 13, 1904. Serial No. 224,279.

To all whom it rarity concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. (lonenon, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Air-Brake Systems, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in air-brake systems for railway-trains in which a definite air-pressure above atmosphere is maintained in the train-pipe and in each individual car-brake mechanism which depends for its action upon the reduction of such pressure by the voluntary or accidental escape oi? air from any point in the train-pipe.

if the train'pipe of the air-brake system new in general use is accidentally broken by the breaking of the train or derailment of one 01 the cars, the air in the train-pipe is immediately released and causes the sudden application of the brakes on both sections of the train. This result is desirable in case of de railment of one or more oil? the cars; but when one or more of the cars break away or sepa rate from the others it is desirable to set the brakes on the rear section of the train with full force and to allow the trout section to instantly pull away from the rear section and to be slowly brought to a stop by the gradual application of its brakes, so as to avoid serious collision between the sections in case the front section should be iirst brought to a standstill. My object, therefore, is to equip the front and rear ends of each car with separate but similar attachments which may be set to control the operation of the brakes in different cases oi emergency---such, for instance, as the accidental derailment of one or more of the cars or the separation 01. one part of the train from the other suliicient to break the continuity of the train-pipe, which usually occurs at the hose-coupling. ln the first case (that of separation of the train-pipe by derailment) the object is to bring the front of the train to a gradual stop by automatically regulating the escape of air in the front trainpipe section, but to permit the application of the brakes on the rear part of the train with full force by allowing the free escape ol air from the rear train-pipe section, or under the same conditions the front part of the train may be released by shutting oil the escape of air from thefront train-pipe section and preventing the application of the brakes, while the air in the rear train-pipe section is permitted to escape freely to cause the emergency application of the brakes on the rear part of the train. In the second case (that of sepa ration of the train without derailment) the object is to permit the release of the front section by automatically shutting oil the escape of air, and thereby preventing the application of the brakes on the front part of the train, and at the same time to bring the rear section of the train to a gradual stop by automatically regulating the escape of air therefrom, or under the same conditions the front and rear sections may be brought to a gradual stop, but the front section more slowly than the rear section.

Other objects and. uses of the diii erent parts of my invention will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan oi portions of two adjacent cars, showing ordinary t 'ainpipe sections coupled together and two of my improved controlling devices as mounted upon the coupled ends ol adjacent cars and connected to the train-pipe ready for operation. Fig.2 is an enlarged top plan of one ol the devices as applied to the rear end of the forward car, but shown in the position assumed when the cars are accidentally pulled apart and the hose-coupling broken. Figs. 3 and i are detail views, respectively, of one of the air vcnt valves and one oi the adjustable devices ior controll ing the operation of said vent valve. Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 5 5, Fig. 1, and 6 6 oil Fig. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a supporting plate or guide for one of the sliding draw-plates by which the adja cent main valves in the train-pipe are closed when the train is broken. Fig. 8 is a perspective view ol the draw-plate and mechanism mounted thereon. Fig. S) is a perspective view of the cap for the draw-plate. Fig. 10 is a perspective view ol the rocking disk which is brought into action by the derailment of apart of the train to prevent the ac- Fig. 13. Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken on C, but its opposite end is detachably con line 16 16 of Fig. 15.

A and A represent two cars moving in the direction indicated by the arrow at and having train-pipe sections B and B, which are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal centers of the cars and are connected by the usual flexible hose-sectionsb and 7/. These train-pipe sections are provided with main valves C and C and with air-vent valves 0 and l l l l l l l l l l 0, the valves C and C being located near the i adjacent ends of the cars, and the vent-valves 0 and c are located near but at the end of the main valve opposite to the hose connection,

so as to control the escape of air from the' train-pipe when the main valves are closed. These main valves may be of any suitable well-known construction capable of opening and closing the air-passage through the train-pipe and are provided with operating handles D and D, by which they may be opened and closed by hand, but are operable automatically by similar mechanisms, one of which I will now proceed to describe. Connected to each main valve is a second operating-arm 1, which is preferably formed integral with the handle and is connected with a limited loss motion to one end of a lever 2 by means of a slotted link 3, so that the handle Dmay be operated to open and close the valve without affecting the normal position of the lever 2, or it maybe utilized to return the lever to its normal position and at the same time open the main valve. This link therefore constitutes a sliding connection between the valve and lever to permit the free operation of the miin valve without disturbing the normal position of the lever or parts connected thereto. This lever is fLllCI'UHIQtl in a horizontal position at 4 (shown by dotted lines, Fig. 5) upon a suitable support, as a metal plate 5, which in turn is attached to the under side of the car by means of a hanger or bracket 6. The hanger is permanently secured to the beams or floor of the car by any suitable fastening means (not shown) and is provided with depending slotted arms '7, to which the plate 5 is adjustably secured by clamping-bolts 8 passing through the slots in the arms 7, the plate 5 also having depending position for different cars and to hold said mechanism in fixed relation to the train-pipe.

' The lever 2 extends transversely and at opposite sides of the train-pipe, and 1 have stated that one end is attached to the main valve, as

nected by a cable 12 to a draw-plate 13, which in turn is connected by a second cable 1% to the next adjacent car.

The plate 5 is provided with a box-like structure 15, rising from its top face and consisting of converging sides 16 and an end 17, so as to form a longitudinally-tapering pocket with its large end opening toward the next adjacent car to permit the draw-plates 13 to be easily detached in case of separation of the cars without derailment. It therefore follows that the end 1'7 is at the small end of the tapering pocket, and this end is provided with an aperture or slot 18, through which one end of the cable 12 is inserted and is attached to a stud or pin 19 on the plate 13. The other end of the cable 12 is attached to a hooked end 20 of the lever 2 opposite to that which is connected to the arm 1 and is normally held in place by one end of a sliding catch 21,which rides in a guide 22 and extends lengthwise of the lever 2 beyond its fulcrum and has its other end pivoted at 23 to the fixed plate 5, so that when the lever is rocked from its normal position (seen in Fig. 1) to the position seen in Fig. 2 the catch and lever slide lengthwise of each other and the catch engages and detaches the adjacent end of the cable from the hooked end 20, and thereby permits the plates 5 and 13 to be separated or drawn apart when the cars are separated without derailment, the plate 13 of one car being drawn with the next adjacent car by means of the cable 11.

The d raw-plate 13 is provided with upturned converging side flanges 2a and tits closely within the box-like structure 15 and is normally held in operative position by means of a spring-catch 25, which is secured to one of the sides 16 and has its free end playing in an opening 26 and engaged with a notch or recess 27 in the adjacent side 2% of the drawplate 13, so as to frietionally hold said drawplate in position. This dra\ -plate is provided with a cap or top 28, having a depending flange 29 at one end opposite to the end 17 for closing the open end of the box-like structure 15 and adjacent end of the plate 13, said cap being secured to the plate 13 by means of clamping- bolts 19 and 30 and suitable nuts, which are engaged with the top face of the cap. The plate 13 is held against vertical movement by shoulders 31 on the box structure 15, which enter recesses 32 in the adjacent ends of the sides 2%, and is further held against vertical movement by shoulders 33, which are formed upon the flange 29 of the cap 28 and enter suitable recesses 3% in the sides 16. These interlocking shoulders 31 and are arranged so as to permit the plate 13 with its cap to be drawn endwisc from the plate 5; but when this plate 13 is in operative position these shoulders 31 and 33 serve to lock the plate 13 against vertical movement.

waste it is apparent from the foregoing description that if the cars A and A are accidentally separated without derailment while the train is under motion the cables 1% operate to draw the sliding plates 13 from their respective fastenings upon the plates 5, which by means of the connections 12 operate to rock the levers 2 and to thereby close the valves U and U through the medium of the links 3 and valve-operating arm 1; but during this rocking movement of the levers 2 the cables 12 are detached from said levers by means of the tripping devices or catches 21, so that the continued separation of the cars after the main valves in the train-pipe are closed causes the breaking of the hose-couplings 7) or 7),and the sliding plate 13 of one car remains attached by the cables 14 to the end of the next adjacent car. In such an emergency it is desirable to stop the rear section of the train gradually and to permit the front section to draw away from the rear section, or rather to stop the rear section more speedily than the front section. In order to do this, i have provided the train-pipe sections B and B with the vent-valves c and c, and I have also provided means whereby more or less air may be allowed to escape through either 0 f these vent- Valves. This means preferably consists of an operating-arm 34c and a link 35, having one end connected 'to the operating-arm 3 1 and its other end ad justably connected to the lever 2. tin order to effect this adjustment, the lever 2 is preferably provided near its pivot with a flange 36, having a series of apertures 37, one of which is alined with the pivotal axis of the lever 52.

A catch 38 is pivoted to the free end of the link 35 and is provided with a pin 39, which is adapted to enter either of the apertures 37, which apertures, with the exception of one, are Etl'l'ztl'lg'l-Etl different distances from the pivotal axis of the lever 2, so that when the pin 3.) is in the aperture which is alined with the pivotal axis of said lever there will be no action of the vent-valve, which is normally closed, but when the pin 39 is moved to either of the other apertures the vent-valve will be opened to a greater or less degree, according to which aperture the pin 39 is inserted into.

The pin 39 on the front end of the rear ear is set in one of the apertures 37 at one side of the pivotal axis of the lever 52, while the pin 39 on the rear end of the front car is normally set either in the aperture which is alined with the pivotal axis of the lever .2 or in one of the other apertures a less distance from said axis than that at which the pin 39 on the front end of the rear car is set, so that when the main valves in the train-pipe are closed by the breaking of the train or the separation of the cars A and A the lever 2 on the front end of the rear car will cause the opening of the air-vent valve 0' to a greater or less degree to permit the gradual escape of air and therefore the gradual application of the brakes on the rear section of the train, it being understood that the levers are set by hand to the desired position when the train is made up, but may be adjusted by the same means at any time after the cars are connected.

Although the link 35 on the front end of the rear car is always adjusted to cause an opening of the vent-valve to a greater or less degree to cause the gradual application of the brakes on the rear end of the train, yet on the rear end of the front car it is necessary to have the lever 35 adjusted so as to prevent the opening of the vent-valve or else to cause it to open only a slight degree as compared with the opening of the vent-valve on the front end of the rear section, so that the front end of the train is practically released by preventing the sudden application of the brakes to permit said front section of the train to draw away from the rear section, and thereby avoid collision between the two sections.

l: have thus far described the mechanism for controlling the operation of the brakes in case of se nii-ation of the train without derailment, and I. will now proceed to describe the additional mechanism which is brought into action by the separation of the train through derailment. For this latter purpose a rocking disk 4:0 is pivoted in a horizontal position at 30 upon the plate 13 and is provided with up wardly-projecting studs t! and as at opposite sides of its axis, and upon these studs are pivoted suitable bell-crank levers a3 and as. Two of the arms of these levers extend toward each other from their pivots and are inter locked with each other at their meeting ends, while the other two arms extend toward the adjacent ends of the car along the inside of the walls 24:, the interlockii'ig ends of the levers as and 2L3 being held in their normal position by a suitable spring at, Figs. 6 and 8.

A pair of gripping-tongs as are pivoted upon the stud 30, which also forms a pivot of the disk a0, and these tongs are provided with gripping-jaws at the front and rear of their pivot, the jaws at the side toward the adjacent end of the car being closed upon one end of the chain 1 1 and are held in this closed. position by a stud 46, which is formed upon one of the toggle-levers, as 4L3, near the toggle-joint or meeting ends of said levers, so that by rocking the other ends of the levers inwardly the shoulder or pin a6 is thrown out from between the gripping-jaws and permits the opposite jaws to open to release the cable 14:. This is accomplished automatically by the accidental deraihnei'it of a part of the train, which of course draws laterally upon the cables 14, and thereby rocks the disk 10 and jaws 4.6 in one direction or the other, according to the side to which the car is deflected, until one or the other of the levers a3 and 43 ei'igages the adjacent wall 2 t of the plate 13, whereby the continued lateral pull upon the cables 14: causes the levers 13 and as to rock upon their pivots sufiicient to withdraw the shoulder A6 from between the adjacent jaws of the tongs 45, and as soon as this shoulder 46 has been withdrawn the adjacent ends of the cables 14: are released from connection with the tongs,

' and consequently the connection between the levers 2 with the next adjacent car is broken, thereby leaving the main valves U and C open to permit the free escape of the air when the hose-couplings Z) and I) are broken by separation caused by the derailment of one of the cars. It will be apparent that if these valves are left open when the train-pipe coupling is broken the free escape of the air will cause the immediate application with full force of the brakes on both the front and rear sections of the train; but it is desirable to bring the front part of the train to a gradual stop or to entirely release it, so that it may immediately pull away from the rear section to avoid serious collision in case the front part of the train is derailed. I therefore provide each cap 28 of each draw-plate with a pin 50 and an aperture 51, through which the pin 50 may be inserted between the jaws of the tongs 4:5 and close to the pin 46. This pin is inserted in the manner just described only on the rear end of each front car, as seen in Fig. 1, while it is withdrawn on the front end of each rear car, as at A in the same figure.

The insertion of the pin, as shown in Fig. 6, prevents the opening of the jaws to which the cable 1 1 is attached when the pin 16 is withdrawn in the manner previously described, and therefore even though the disk on the rear end of the front car may be rocked sufficient to move the pin $6 from between the jaws the pin will still hold the jaws in their closed position, and therefore maintain connection between the lever 2 on the rear end of the car A and adjacent end of the car A, while under the same conditions the connections between the lever 2 on the front end of the car A and adjacent end of the car A will be broken. It is now apparent that when the pin 50 is inserted between the jaws on the rear end of the front car the separation of the cars by derailment will cause the valve C to close, while the valve C will remain open, and therefore permit the emergency application of the brakes on the rear section of the train, while the front section will be released either wholly or gradually, according to the position of the link 35, which controls the opening of the air-vent valve 0. In Fig. 3 I have shown a sectional view of this air-vent valve as having air-passages and 56 of different sizes, either of which may be brought into registration with the exhaust or vent opening 57 of the valve-casing, according to the adjusted position of the lever 35.

The operation of my invention may be briefly stated as follows: Assuming that the main valves in the train-pipe are open and the levers 2 are connected to the adjacent cars in the manner shown in Fig. 1 and that the link 35 is adjusted so that the pin 39 enters the third aperture 37 at one side of one of the pivotal axes of the lever 2 of the rear car A and also assuming that the link 35 of the front car A is set so that its pin 39 is inserted in the first aperture at one side of the pivotal axis of the corresponding lever 2, now if the cars A and A should separate or pull apart without derailment the draw-plates 13 of both cars would be drawn out of their respective supports 15 of the plates 5, thereby roeking the levers 2 and closing both valves C and O and holding the air in the train-pipe after the flexible hose connections 6 and 7) have been broken. During this op eration of closing the valves C and G the airvent valves 0 and a have both been opened by the links 35; but the front valve 0 has been opened to a greater degree than the valve 0 for permitting a more speedy release of the air and consequent quicker action of the brakes on the rear train-section, while the air on the front section is permitted to escape less freely, and therefore the application of the brakes on the front section is slower and permits said front section to pull away from the rear section.

The operation in case of separation by derailment is believed to be fully understood from the foregoing description, and although 1 have described a particular mechanism for carrying out the objects of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to such construction as is shown and described.

The device seen in Figs. 13 to 16, inclusive, is adapted for the front end of the car and as a substitute for that seen in Fig. 1. In this device the main valve-lever 1 is connected by a link 60 to a rock-arm 61 and also to a slotted link 3, and this slotted link is connected to a lever 62. The arm 61 is pivoted at 63 to a fixed frame 6 1, which incloses the greater part of the valve-operating mechanism, particularly the arm 61, link 3, and lever 62.

This lever 62 operates in substantially the same manner as the lever 2 in Fig. 1, being pivoted at 65 to the bottom of the case 6 1, and at its other end is connected by cables 66 to a draw-plate 13. The trip rod or bar 21 is connected to operate the vent-valve c and is similar in its adjustment to that seen in Fig. 2; but the means for effecting this adjustment is different and consists of a lever 67, which is connected to a second lever 68, and this latter lever is pivoted with a ball-joint 69 to the upper wall of the case 6 1, so that by lifting up on the lever 67 the lever 68 is rocked upwardly and withdraws the pin 70 from apertures in the lever 62, whereupon said pin 70 may be inserted in one or the other of the apertures in the lever 62 either at the center or pivotal axis 65 or at one side of the said axis for the same purpose as that described for the adjustment seen in Fig. 2.

The sliding draw-head seen in Fig. 15 differs tromthat seen in Fig. 6 only in the substitution of a rock-shaft 72 for the lockingpin 50 of Fig. 6, said rock-shaft 72 being provided with one or more lingers 73, which ongage notches 74 in the front face of the rocking plate 40.

The front ends of the jaws 4C5 are normally engaged with an oscillatory pin 75, which is pivoted in the front wall of the draw-plate 13, so that the plate 40 is rocked by oscillatory movement of the pin 75 as eilected by the lateral derailment of the car.

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

1. The combination with an air-brake system and cars to which it is applied, said system including a train-pipe having a normally open main valve and a normally closed vent-- valve at the coupled end of each ear, of a mechanism on each car operatively connected to its valves and to the adjacent car whereby the separation of said cars causes the closing of the main valves and opening of the ventvalves.

.2. The combination with an air-brake system and cars to which it is applied, said system including a trainupe bavinga normally open valve at the coupled end of each car, of separate connections between the valve of each car and the adjacent car whereby the separation of the cars causes the closing of the valves, each of said connections including means brought into action by the derailment of one of the cars to break the connection and thereby prevent the closing of the valves.

3. The combination with an air-brake system and cars to which it is applied, said sys tem including a train-pipe having a normally open valve at the coupled end of each car, of separate connections between the valve ot'each car and the adjacent car whereby the separation of the cars causes the closing of the valves, and a valved air-vent for the trainpipe section of one of the cars operatively connected to and actuated by one of said connections.

4i. The combination with an air-brake system and cars to which it is applied, said system including a train-pipe having a normally open valve at the coupled end of each car, of a valved air-vent for the trainiii iie and connections between the coupled cars whereby the separation of said cars causes the lirstnamed valve to close and the vent-valve to open.

5. The combination with an air-brain; system and cars to which it is applied, said system including a train-pipe having a normally open valve at the coupled end of each car, of a valved air-vcnt for the train-pipe section of one of the cars, and mechanism brought into action by the separation oi said cars for clos ing the lirst-named valve and opening the airvent valve.

6. in combination with the train-pipe of an air-brake system for cars, each car-section of the train-pipe having a normally open valve at each end, and each valve opcratively connected to the adjacent car whereby the separation without derailment of the cars causes said valves to close the connection of the valve of each car to the adjacent car including means brought into action by the derailment of one car to break such connection and prevent the closing of said valves.

7. in combination with the train-pipe oi an air-brake system for cars, each car-section of the train-pipe having a normally open valve at each end, and each valve operatively connected to the adjacent car whereby the separation oi the cars causes said valves to close, a valved air-vent in the trout end of each train-pipe section, and means brought into action by the breaking oi? the train to open the air-vent valve.

8. In combination with the train-pipe of an air-brake system for cars, each car-section of the train-pipe having a normally open main valve and a vent-valve, a lever connected to the main and vent valves of one car and also connected to the adjacent car whereby the separation of the cars causes their main valves to close and their vent-valves to open, and means brought into action by the movement of the lever to break the connection between the lever and the adjacent car.

9. The combination with two cars and a train-pipe of an air-brake system having normally open valves, the valve of one car being operatively connected to the other car whereby the valves are closed when the cars are separated, separate devices for breaking the connections between the valves and cars when said valves close a normally open vent-valve in the train-pipe of each car connected to the adjacent car whereby the separation of the cars causes the vent-valves to open, and separate means for varying the degree of opening of the vent-valves of each car.

10. In combination with an air-brake system for cars including a train-pipe section for each car and hose-couplings for said sections, each section having a normally open main valve and a normally closed air-vent at each end, both valves at one end of each car having operative connection with each other whereby when one closes the other opens and vice versa, and means brought into action by the separation of zuljacentcars whereby the main valve is closed.

1 1. in combination with an air-brake system for cars including a train-pipe section for each car and hose-couplings for said sections, each section having a normally open main valve and a normally closed air-vent at each end, both valves at one end of each car having operative connection with each other whereby when one closes the other opens and vice versa, and means brought into action by the separation of adjacent cars whereby the main valve is closed, the connection with the airvent valve being adjustable to vary the movement of the valve and thereby vary the amount of air released to control the speed of action of the brakes.

12. The combination with a car and trainpipe of an air-brake system, of a normally open main valve in the train-pipe, a lever operatively connected to the valve and adapted for connection with a second car whereby the separation of the car operates the lever to close the valve, said lever having loose connection with and operable independently of the valve.

13. The combination with two cars coupled together and an air-brake system including a train-pipe having a normally open main valve for each car, an operating-lever for each valve, a separate connection between each lever and the adjacent car whereby the lever is actuated by the separation of the cars to close the valve, and means brought into action by the rocking of the levers to automatically detach each connection from its lever as the valve is closed.

14. Tliecombination with two cars coupled together and an air-brake system including a train-pipe having a normally open main valve for each car, an operating-lever for each valve, a separate connection between each lever and the adjacent car whereby the lever is actuated by the separation of the cars to close the valve, and means to automatically break the connection between the lever and adjacent car as the valve is closed, a valved air-vent for the train-pipe of one of the cars, and adjustable means connecting the lever and vent-valve whereby said vent-valve is opened a greater or less degree as the main valve is closed.

15. The combination with two cars coupled together and an air-brake system including a train-pipe having a normally open main valve for each car, an operating-lever for each valve, a gripping-tongs in each connection, and separate devices brought into action by the derailment of one of the cars to trip the gripping-tongs and break said connections.

16. The combination with two cars coupled together and an air-brake system including a train-pipe having a normally open main valve for each car, an operating-lever for each valve, a gripping-tongs in each connection, and separate devices brought into action by the derailment of one of the cars to trip the gripping-tongs and break said connections, and means to lock one of the tongs from opening 5 by such derailment to cause the closing of the valve to which it is connected.

17. The combination with two cars coupled together and an air-brake system including a train-pipe having a main valve for each car, of an operating-arm for each valve, separate levers connected to said arms, a sliding plate on each car connected to the adjacentlever, a rocking disk on each plate, a gripping-tongs also mounted on each plate, separate connections each having one end held by its tongs and its other end attached to the adjacent car, separate locking devices to hold the jaws of the gripping-tongs closed, and means brought into action by the derailment of the train to trip said locking devices and thereby permit the jaws to open.

18. The combination with two cars coupled together and an air-brake system includinga train-pipe having a main valve for each car, of an operating-arm for each valve, separate levers connected to said arms, a sliding plate on each car connected to the adjacent lever, a rocking disk on each plate. a gripping-tongs also mounted on each plate, separate connections each having one end held by its tongs and its other end attached to the adjacent car, separate locking devices to hold the jaws of the gripping-tongs closed, and means brought into action by the derailment of the train to trip said locking devices and thereby permit the jaws to open, and additional means to lock one of the tongs from opening during such derailment.

19. The combination with two cars coupled together and an air-brake system including a train-pipe having a main valve for each car, of an operating-arm for each valve, separate levers connected to said arms, a sliding plate on each car connected to the adjacent lever, a rocking disk on each plate, a gripping-tongs also mounted on each plate, separate connections each having one end held by its tongs and its other end attached to the adjacent car, separate locking devices to hold the jaws of the gripping-tongs closed, and means brought into action by the derailment of the train to trip said locking devices and thereby permit the jaws to open, additional means to lock one of the tongs from opening during such derailment, a valved air-vent for the trainpipe of each car, and connections between one of the levers and the ventvalve whereby said ventvalve is opened as the main valve is closed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 8th day of September, 1904:.

GEORGE E. CONGDON. 1V itnesses:

H. E. CHASE, J. M. HAMMEKEN.

Images