US959152A - Automatic train-hose coupling. - Google Patents

Description

J. F. McBLROY. AUTOMATIC TRAIN HOSE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED 1'23. 14, 1907.

Patented May 24, 1910.

- 2 sums-sans: 1.

J. F. McELROY.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN HOSE COUPLING.

'APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 14,1907. I I I 959,152. Patented May 24,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STA ES PATENT orruon.

JAMES F. Mammy, or ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR r coivsomnarnn CAB/HEAT- mo comranz, or ALBANY, NEW. YORK, A conrona'rron or wEs'r VIRGINIA.

AU'roM'Arrc TRAIN-HOSE courrnno Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented May 24, 1910.

a lication filed February 14, 1907. serial na sszasz.

. To it may omen z:-

Bait-known that" I, JAMESF: MCElLROY,

' a. citizen of the United States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful' Improvements in Automatic Train-Hose Couplers, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to straight-port automatic pipe-couplersfor railway-ears in -which the port-faces are transverse to the longitudinal line of the car and the pressure for holding mating heads in contact is ex-' erted a-long'said longitudinal line. My-invention provides an improved combination of guiding lrorns whereby the heads are brought into and kept in contact as well '91s certain 1mproved details of construction more fully pointed out hereinafter.

Of the accompanying drawings, Flgurel represents a perspective view of one of my improved coupler-heads applied to the end of a car. Fig. 2 re resents a side elevation showing two 'coup er-heads connected together. Fig. 3. represents a plan View. of

the connected coupler-heads. Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive represent detail views of one'of-the coupler-heads, Fig. 4 being a plan, Fig. 13

an elevation of the latch" side, Fig. 6 an end view, Fig. 7am elevation of the side oppo site the latch, and F ig. 8 a horizontal vlew partly in section to show the latch spring.

10, 10 are the draw-bars of two connecting cars with car-couplers 11, 11 on the ends thereof.

12, 12 are brackets fixed to the draw-bars for supporting the pipe-couplers and inclined downwardly and' forwardly.

The manner of attaching bracket to drawbar by means of staples 13 shown at the left of Fig. 2 is preferred as avoidinmperiora- I tion of the draw-bar. Mounting the pipe- ,cars, and thus reduces very considerably the coupler T heads directly on the draw bars causes the heads tobe automatically brought into alinement by thoaction of coupling the necessary width of the gniding-wingsor horns provided on the pipe-coupler heads.

' lower end-of-brackct 12.

. The pipe-couplerheads are representedat 14, 14: and each is mounted at the end of a bar or stem 15 movable in a socket atthe 'lhe coupler; stem and socket are each plane-faced or rectangular, but sufiicient/play is permitted toallow for a slight twisting motion and more or I -'Each head 14 has on fixed guiding-wings or horns 26 for bringing-the compleinental gaskets into aline- 'jment, said horns having their outer ends less universal angular swing of the heads to compensate for relative movements of cars. Each stem has a rear. shoulder 16 to limit-the forward movement of the head, and a heavy springl'i surrounds said stem between the couplcr-head and thebracket 12 to normally.

ler-head is suspended by a chain 18 from a flat spring-arm 19 attached to the bracket 12 whereby the weight 'of the heads is flexi- -bly sustained.

- 20, 21, 22 are the flexible hose connections of the various train-pipes, such steam,

air-brake, and air-signal, attached to branches which-are cast with the heads 14,

and terminating in a vertical row of gas- , kets 23,24, 25 on the connecting faces of the heads. w

one side a pair of flared or slanted to the line of coupling movement for affording the requisite shearing or cam action, and furthermoreat the root of each horn is an-abutn'ient or shoulder 27 parallel to the coupling movement. Preferably the horns are extended as shown somewhat over and under as wellas at the side of the space for the entrance of the mating coupler head so as to afford alinement ina vertical as well as a horizontal direction.

On the side of each head, opposite the space between the fixed horns 26 is mounted a yielding locking number or horuin the forln'oi a latch 28 pivoted on a hinge 2921i; its rear end and having a flared or slanting portion 30 at its forniu'd end. The latch' is engaget'lbetween its two ends by the head of a'lateral bplt. 31 having a spring which occupies a socket. in the coupler-head and swings the latch inwardly against the body of said head. The latch is also formed with V-shaped recesses 33 onopposite sides of a horizontal alining' rib 34 and each head has a pair of eomplemental V-shaped lugs or projections 35 located on the opposite side from thelatch between the horns Qtiand adapted to occupy the recesses 33 in the latch of the eomplemental cou ler-head. These pro ectns are separated y aspace to re- 1cevlei the alining-rib 34 of the co'r'nplemental The special arrangement of fixed horns,

( movable horn or latch, and latch-locking.

projections, wherein the latch is located opposite the space between the fixed horns, and the V-shaped projections are situated in said space, afi'ords a compact and otherwise ad'- va'ntageous disposition of the parts. The three-pronged arrangement of horns balances side-thrusts so that no twisting strain is imparted when the heads come together.

hen cars equipped with these pipecoupler heads are brought together the inchned faces of the fixed horns and the movable latch operate to secure a proper alinement' of the port faces into a "straight port coupled relation, and the heavy springs 17 yield to'pern'iit this engagement and furnish the, endwise ress'ure which holds the gaskets together in a fluid-tight relation. The'spring-latch 28 on each coupler-head yields during this engagement and snap s pver the retaining projections 35 on the opposite head so that whenfully' engaged the latches act in a capacity. auxiliary to the main springs l, maintaining a per-- ing the coupler-heads together.

I find that. the presence of the yielding latch mountedfland related to the parts as,

described results in tighter fluid-joints and easier and'more accurate connection and re lease of the coupler-heads, and the presence of the latch reduces the strength which it" has heretofore been necessary to'nnpart to the main spring 17. \Vhen the cars-sepa-' rate, the stop-shoulders 16 bring up against the bracketsl2 and efiectan automatic disconnection of the .cou

time the latches 28 wil and become unlocked.

I claim,- l. A straight-port automatic train-pipe coupler head having an abutting port-face substantially at right-angles to the line of thrust, means 'for ieldmgly urgin said coupler-head in a direction at rightangles to its port'face to maintain a fluid tight ler-heads, at. which automat cally yield" jointfwith the mating head, apair'of flared guiding horns on one side of said port-face,

and a yielding flared guiding hor'n on'the other side of said face opposite the space hetween the first-said horns.

2.-A' straight-port automatic train-pipe l coupler head having a port-face at right-- angles to the'line of thrust, a guiding horn on oneside of said port-facehaving 21 lon tudinal shoulder at its base at right-angi s to said face and a flared end, anda yieldin guiding'horn located on the other sideo f I said port-face andformed as a latch to. automatically lock'and unlock with the-mating head and to force ,thelatter transversely against said shoulder; 3. A coupler-head havinga port face in a plane substantiallyat right-angles to the direction of thrust, a pair of fixed guiding horns on one s de of said port face, a yielding latch hinged at its inner end on the other side of said port-face opposite the space between said fixed horns; and spring mechan- "ism for laterally pressing said latch in- .wardly. M

4. A pipe-coupler-head having a port face 1 with a pair of V-shapedlatch-engagin pro a space between them, and a yielding springv latch on the opposite side of said port face.

jeetions arranged on one side thereo with formed with V-shaped recesses to receive the corresponding 1)1'OI|QCtlOI1S Of'L mating coupler-head, and an a imng-rib between said reprojections on the mating coupler-head.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscriblng witnesses, the-9th day ofFcbri-iary, 1907. JAMES F. MCELRO'Y.

Vitnesses:

lVILLIAM A. MoniuLL, Jr.

ERNEST D. J ANSEN.

soj.

cesses adapted-to enter the space between th'e j

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