US820604A - Electric coupling. - Google Patents

Description

No. 820,604. PATENTBD MAY 15, 1900. 0. SGHALLER.

ELECTRIC GOUPLING APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1905.

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ELECTRIC GOUPLING APPLIOATION IILBD JUNE 1, 1905.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIon.

OTTO SOHALLER, OF STEGLITZ,'NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY,-ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF JULIUS PINTSOH, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

ELECTRIC COUPLING.

Specification of Letters-Patent.

Patented May 15, 1906.

Application filed June 1,1905. Serial No. 263,211.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO SCHALLER, a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, and a resident of Steglitz, near Berlin, Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Couplings, of which the following is a description.

The present invention relates to electric couplings and it consists of asingle-pole coupling for connecting up the conductors between railway and other cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a coupling which can be handled by any ordinary workman without the slightest danger, and this is attained by making the two coupling halves in the form of hermetically sealed or closed housings, having each an exterior contact-piece, which is, however, devoid of current as long as the coupling halves are out of engagement, but which when the halves are connected together by means of the known bayonet-clutch thereon is connected up to the line-wires by mechanism inside the said housings and inaccessible from the eX- terior.

In order to render the present specification easily intelligible, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows the two halves of the coupling in engagement, the lower half being in longitudinal vertical section along the center line of the same. Fig. 2 is a plan view of one half, and Fig. 3 a cross-section through one half on the line A B of Fig. 2, showing the interior contact in engagement, whileI Fig. i is a similar cross-section showing the parts out of engagement.

The coupling consists of the housings a and Z), which maybe connected together by means of the bayonet-clutches c and c', this clutch being similar to the known clutches used in connection with the air-brake, steam-heating, gas, and other plants. The two halves of the coupling are exactly alike in every respect, so that the description of one will enable the invention to be clearly understood. The cable d leads into the housing Z) and is connected up to a contact-plate e, which is insulated from a downwardly-hanging carrieryoke g, forming the upper part of the housing, and the bearing-rim for the diaphragm m, of any suitable material, which diaphragm must,

however, be movable. A contact-piece Z is fixed to thevcenter of the diaphragm, or thereabout, and is screwed or otherwise fixed to downwardly-extending curved arms n n within the housing. These arms are insulatedat r from the central downwardly-extending part of the contact-piece Z, which eX- tension s carries a cross-pin Zt for the purpose hereinafter set forth. The insulated plate e has downwardly-extendin plates j', slotted at f to receive the ends of the pin Zt, and to these plates are pivoted at o o two outwardlyextending lever-arms 'Z c', connected up by means of a spring y', having the tendency to pull their outer ends toward each other. A strong spring Z: is mounted within the yoke g and insulated therefrom, the said spring bearing against the under side of the part Z and holding it in the position shown in Fig. iwhen the coupling is disengaged. This spring is advantageously so strong that it cannot be compressed by hand by the workman, and even if this were possible no danger could arise, since the coupling is a single-pole coupling.

The device operates' in the following manner: When the bayonet-clutches of the two coupling halves are in engagement, as shown at Fig. l, the springs ZC of each half will be depressed, and the pin ZL will consequently be lowered, turning up the outer ends of the arms i i on their pivots o o. At the same time the arms n n, being depressed with the part Z, will contact with the ends of the arms i i and connect up the conductors. In order to allow of proper contact of the arms n fn, Fig. 3, with the arms i i, the ends of the latter lever-arms. are provided with Slots ZL', with which they engage over the pin ZL, so that the spring j will operate to pull the ends of the arms L i against and in contact with the arms n n, as will be readily understood.

Theinterior mechanism of the coupling might be varied in a great many ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention, the main thing being to effect the electrical connection within the closed housing after the coupling halves have been placed together.

I claim as my inventionl. A coupling for electric conductors for railway and other cars consisting of two similar single-pole coupling members having bayonet clutches, each member constituting a hermetically-sealed chamber having a projecting contact-piece normally devoid of current and means within each chamber for circuiting-in said contact-piece when the coupling members are in engagement.

2. A coupling for electric conductors Vfor railway and other cars consisting of two similar single-pole coupling members having bayonet-clutches, each member constituting a hermetically-sealed chamber having a projecting contact-piece normally devoid of current a movable contact within each chamber connected up to the line-wire and adapted to connect with the projecting contact when the coupling members are in engagement.

3. A coupling for electric conductors for railway and other cars, consisting of two similar single-pole coupling members having bayonet-clutches, each member constituting an hermetically-sealed chamber, having a movable face to Contact with the other member, a contact-piece projecting from said movable face a contact-piece within the chamber of each member adapted to complete the connection to the projecting contact-piece, when the members are in engagement and means 'for holding the inner and outer contacts apart on the disengagement of the members.

4. A .coupling for electric conductors for railway and other cars, consisting of two similar single-pole coupling members having bayonet-clutches, each member constituting a hermetically-sealed chamber, having a movable face to contact with the other member, a contact-piece projecting 'from said movable face a contact-piece within the chamber of each member adapted to. complete the connection to the projecting contact-piece, when the members are in engagement and a strong spring for holding the inner and. outer contacts apart on the disengagement of the members.

In testimony whereof I a'l'lix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OTTO SCHALLER.

l/Vitnesses:

WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HASPER.

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