US876620A - Thill-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

C. O. BRADLEY.

THILL COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 26, 1907.

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PATENTED. JAN. 14, 1908.

CHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

THILL-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14:, 1908.

Application filed March 26, 1907. Serial No. 364641.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER C. BRAD- LEY, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in thill couplings involving the use of a fixed jaw and a movable j aw hinged thereto and adapted to grasp between them a coupling pin. These jaws maybe mounted either upon the clip or upon the thill iron, and the essential object is to provide a simple, practical and durable quick-shift automatic takeup coupling capable of being manufactured at a minimum cost. In other words I have sought to make the take-up spring serve the double purpose of a lever and locking means to hold the movable jaw in operative position without the use of the usual link by pivotally attaching one end of the spring to an extension on the movable jaw and returning the other end of the spring upon itself to establish sliding connection with the thill iron or fixed jaw between the jaw pivot and pivotal connection of the spring with the movable jaw.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings1*igure 1 is a sectional view of a thill coupling embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan of the same, the movable jaw being shown in its closed. position in both views. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the coupling jaws and operating means for opening and closing the movable jaw, the parts being shown in their open position.

In order to demonstrate the practicability of my invention, I have shown a coupling pin 1 as supported upon a suitable clip 2- on the front axle as 3, said coupling pin being in this instance encircled by a yielding sleeve 4 of rubber surrounded by a split metal shell 5, the latter forming a metallic gripping face for the jaws. This coupling pin 1 and its inclosing sleeves 4 and 5 are adapted to be grasped by a fixed aw 6 and a movable jaw 7, the fixed jaw being preferably integral with the thill iron as 8 while the movable jaw 7 is pivoted to the fixed jaw by a pin 9- in front of the coupling pin -1 and is provided with a forwardly extending arm 1 0 having its front between the extension 10 of the movable jaw and thill iron -8- of the fixed jaw and having sliding connection with the latter be tween the pivotal pins 9 and 11-, that is the curved bearing 13 on the free end of the spring 12 is slidable along and against the under side of the thill iron -8 to and from the pivotal pin 9 and, therefore, to and from a position at the rear of the pin 1 1- so as to cut the are through which the pin 1 1 swings.

It is evident from the foregoing description that by tensioning the free end of the spring so as to press by its own tension against the adjacent face of the thill iron or fixed jaw, when moved to the rear of the arc of movement of the pin -1 1, its tendency will be to press downwardly upon the arm or extension 10 thereby rocking the jaw -7 upon its pivot to its closed position and affording a take up for the jaws upon the coupling pin.

WVhen it is desired to open the jaw it is simply necessary to place the finger in the loop of the spring and draw downwardly until the bearing 13 on the free end of the spring is drawn along the lower side of the thill iron 8 to a position in front of the arc of movement of ,the pin -11 whereupon the spring is released and may be swung rearwardly under the movable jaw to allow the latter to be opened to its full limit.

What I claim is:

1. A thill coupling comprising a coupling pin and opposed jaws, one jaw being pivoted to the other and extending some distance from the pivot at the opposite side of the jaw proper, and a spring pivotally attached at one end to the extension and having its other end adapted to swing across the arc of movement of its pivot between the extension and thill iron of the fixed jaw in sliding contact with the latter.

2. A thill coupling comprising a fixed aw and a movable jaw hinged thereto, and having a grip face at one side of its pivot and an arm at the opposite side of its pivot, the fixed jaw havlng an extension overlying the arm, and a spring having one end attached with the extension of the fixed jaw and 10 'to the arm and its other end in sliding engagemovable across the arc of movement of its ment with the extension of the fixed jaw.

3. A thill coupling comprising a fixed jaw having an extension, a movable jaw provided with an arm projecting under the extension and pivoted to the fixed jaw, and a spring pivotally attached at one end to the arm and having its opposite end in sliding contact I pivotal connection with the arm.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 20th d ay of March, 1907. CHRISTOPHER C. BRADLEY.

Witnesses H. E. CHASE, C. M. MoCoRMACK.

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