US841805A - Car-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

UNITED s'rArEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. MCCARTHY, OF- INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS TO PATRICK F. MORIARTY AND JOHN L. KAMSAY, OF IN- DIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

No. s41,so5.

To all whom it 7%6Ly concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN F. MCCARTHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to what are known as rotary or knuckle couplings. Its object is to provide for the more secure locking of such a coupling and also to afford the means for taking up any lost motion or looseness of the knuckle, the play resulting from which has heretofore resulted in unduewear and breakage in the device and associated parts.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a view in horizontal section longitudinally of the draw-bar of a coupling embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of my invention on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout both views of the drawings.

3 designates a drawbar arranged under the car-body, which latter is indicated by the line 4, which draw-bar may be attached to the car-body in any usual and well-' known manner. This draw-bar is hollow and has at its front end the buffer-head 5.

6 designates a coupling-piece or knuckle of elbow form substantially like what is commonly used in what are known as knuckle or rotary couplings, consisting of a hooked portion 7 for engaging with the corresponding portion of the coupling member of another car and a curved arm 8 to lock the knuckle when it is engaged.

The hollow draw-bar 3 has within its rear part a transverse partition 9, and in front of this partition on the top and bottom walls of the draw-bar are the longitudinal ribs 10, which act as guides to control the direction ofmovement of the locking-plate 12 and to hold said locking-plate in position with its bearing against the adjacent side wall of the draw-bar. The locking-plate 12 has an inner oblique face 13, which forms a wedge construction of the plate, tapering toward the end of the draw-bar carrying the knuckle 6. The wedge thus formed is constrained by the guides 10 to move longitudinally of the draw-bar 3, and it is pressed in a .normal outward direction by a spring 15. The spring Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed SeptemberlS, 1906. Serial No. 335,098.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.

15 is wrapped around a bolt 16., carried by the locking-plate 12 and extending through a suitable perforation in the partition 9. The spring 15 has its bearing against the partition 9 and against the locking-plate 12;

The outer or front end of the locking-plate 12 is made rounding, as shown at 17, in order to make it easier for the arm 8 of the knuckle to push the plate 12 back out of its way to permit the knuckle to assume its engaged or holding position, which is shown in full lines in Fig. 1. In this position the end of the arm 8 is in contact with the oblique face 1.3 of the locking-plate 12, and through the constantpressure of the spring 15 the locking-plate 12 is pressed constantly in an outward direction, so that any space due to the wearing off of the end of the arm 8 or to looseness by wear or otherwise of the knuckle on its pivot will be immediately taken up by the further insertion of the locking-plate 12 between the end of the arm 8 and the side of the draw-bar 3.

18 is a shaft extending transversely of the draw-bar 3 under the buffer-head 5 on suitable bearings from said buffer-head, and 19 is an arm carried by the shaft 18, having a circular head 20, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) which is inserted loosely ina recess 21, formed in the lockinglate 12, as shown in dotted lines in the two 'gures. The shaft 18 has suitable means, as the outside arm 24, for rocking it. A backward rocking movement of the shaft 8 will cause the arm 19 to move the lockin -plate 12 in an inward di rection, which wi 1 release the knuckle 8. A release of the rock-shaft 18 will liberate the locking-plate 12 whereupon it will be forced out by the spring 15. The cavity 21 will be large enough to allow considerable play of the locking-plate 12 without moving the arm 19.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I cIaim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with a car-body, a draw-bar attached thereto, a coupling-piece of elbow form pivoted to said bar, and a wedgeshaped lockin late fitted to slide lengthwise within an ongitudinally of said bar to engage with said coupling-piece and lock it against movement and a spring to press the locking-plate constantly toward the coupling-piece.

2. The combination with a car-body, a draw-bar attached thereto, acoupling-piece of elbow form pivoted-to said bar, a Wedgeshaped locking-plate fitted to slide lengthwise within and longitudinally of said bar to engage with said coupling-piece and lock it against movement and a spring to press the locking-plate constantly toward the couplingpiece, and a rock-shaft having an arm for moving said locking-plate in opposition to the spring.

3. The combination with a car-body, a hollow draw-bar attached thereto having a transverse artition within its rear part, and longitudina l ribs or flanges extending forward from said partition to form guides, a forwardly tapering locking plate having grooves to fit said guides, a spring between the locking-plate and partition to press the plate normally outward, and a couplingpiece of elbow form pivoted to said draw-bar in the path of said locking-plate and adapted to be locked by the wedging of the lockingplate between the coupling-piece and the side of the draw-bar.

4. The combination with a car-body, a

hollow draw-bar attached thereto having a transverse partition within its rear part lo'ngitudinal ribs or flanges extending forward from said partition to form guides, a for wardly-tapering looking-plate grooved to fit said guides, a bolt carried by said lockingplate, a spring wrapped around said bolt and bearing at one end against the locking-plate and at the other against said partition, arock-

Images