US984997A - Car-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

J. A BEAMER. GAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1009.

Patented Feb. 21, I911.

avweufoz type in which there are provided o1.)posite;ly-

UNITED STATES rn rnntr onrront AMES A. BEAMER, 0F TYRONE, PENNSYLVANIA.

ARACOUPLING.

Specification bf Letters Patent.

Patented Feb, 21, 1911.

Application filed June '16, 1909. Serial No. 502,460.

To all whom it may concern:'

Be it known that 1, JAMES A. Bnannn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Tyrone, in the county of Blair-and State of l ennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Cur-Coupler, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In car couplers of the Master Car-Builders to another as the train rounds a curve, and

a movement due to the difference in the swaying of the cars. The' entire force required to draw a car and all of the cars in the rear thereof, is transmitted through the coupler, and the two adjacent facesof the knuckles are pressed into contact with each other with enormous force. The relative movement of one coupler in respect to the other tends to grind these facesover each other, so as to wear out the knuckle ina comparatively short vtime. In order to avoid this wearing by the grinding action of theknuckles, I contemplate lubricating the working faces of the coupler, and the ob]ect of my inventionis to so construct the coupler v parts which support the coupler. A further advantage in the lubrication of the couplers, will be to permit cars to more easily go around curves, and thus avoid wear on the flange of carwheels and upon the rail.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyin drawings, fo'rmin a part of this specification, in which sin arr characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, and in Which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of two interlocked couplers constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through a portion ofthe knuckle, said section being taken; on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3.is an edge view of the knuckle, a portion thereof being broken away on the line 33 of Fig. 2. I

'As far as the main features of the coupl' c are concerned, I do not; contemplate departing in any way from the ordinary coupler now in use, and inasmuch as my invention does not relate to the main features of the coupler, it is evident that these features 'may be varied widely without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I have illustrated two couplers of the Master Car-Builders type substan ially in locked or operative position, and each havinga kniickle 10, a knuckle pin 11, and a draw-bar or shank 12. The draw-bar or shank is provided with a guard arm 13, extending outwardly and disposed opposite to the free end of the knuckle when the latter is in closed position. Each knuckle has a supporting portion 1-l,'th'rough which the knuckle in 11 extends, said supporting portion pre erably extending between two logs or extensions 15 of the shanks, and' through which the knuckle pin also extends. All of these features are commpn to most couplers and further descriptionof tl1l1;(li:lil$ is thought to be unnecessary.

The-knuckle when in its locked position extends transversely of the general direction of the coupler and has two substartially parallel transversely-extending faces to and 17 the former of which "is opposite to the end face '18 of the shank, and the latter of which comes adjacent to or in contact with the face 18 of the'other coupler. The faces 16 of the two locked knuckles are the two which are under greatest pressure and sustain the load in the pulling of the train. As the train goesaround a curve, these faces rub over each other to a slight extent. As the one car sways laterally, there is a corresponding, although slight, rubbing action be faces. The rear or back end or face 19 of the knuckle, that is, the faceopposite to the free end of the knuckle and adjacent the knuckle pin, lies closely adjacent the guard arm 13 of the opposite coupler. The strain bet-ween these two faces is not as great as that be tween the opposite faces 16, 16, yet at the same time these faces are continuously contacted with each other during the coupling and uncoupling of the cars, and theyare also being continuously rubbed over each other when the car is traveling or frequently changing its speed; The third point at which wear occurs chiefly on the coupler, is on and about the kritiekle pin. All move-.

'ments of the knuckle in coupling and uncoupling the-ca'rs creates a friction, or rubbing onflthe pin ,=l and all of the strain in pullingth car -is transmitted from the knuckle to the knuckle pin.

T In order to provide for the constant and a itomatic lubrication of all of these working faces, I provide each knuckle with a chamber, compartment or recess 20, in the upper portion thereof and extending lengthwise of the knuckle, that is, transversely of the coupler. This chamber does not extend down into thenknuckle a sufiicient distance tomaterially Weaken'the latter, but only sufficient to constitute an oil chamber ,.into which cotton waste or other absorbent may. be packed and saturated with oil. Extend ing from this lubricant chamber I provide three passages leading, to the three points which it-is desired to lubricate. ()ne of these passages, 21, extends from the lubricant chamber 20 through the wall to the latter.

face 16 of the coupler. The opening termi which flows through this passage. comes in.

contact with the upper surface ofthe support ing portion 14 and the under surface of the lug. or projection 15 of the shank. The lubricant here works its way to the knuckle pin to effectively lubricate the latter. Thus, by providing a single chamber and locating it in the knuckle in the par-.

ticularplace illustrated and above described, I secure the lubrication of all of the working surfaces of the coupler with only a single lubricant chamber and with the passages of the shortest possible length. It will be noticed that the passages or channels 21 and 23 extend to the surfaces they are to lubricats from a reservoir within the knuckle; and the channels 21', extend iii-meeting knuckles, when'the parts are coupled as shown in Fig. 1, in reverse directions; that is to say, the channel 21 of one knuckle, see Fig. 1, will extend to the right and the channel 21 of the coupled knuckle will extend to the left from. its respective-reservoir so that if the coupled draw heads be moving in operation in one direction or the other there is always onechannel 21extending from its reservoir rearwardly, with respect to the direction of motion, to the contacting surfaces between the two knuckles]: This is important as thereby the movement'ofthe draw heads in either direction will "effect a positive feed of lubricant from the forward one of the knuckles to the inner meeting or contacting faces of the two knuckles. ,This result, as before suggested, is important and follows theproduction of the reservoir in theknuckles and the provision of channels leading from said reservoirsto the contacting faces of the knuckles as before described.

It is evident that this chamber may be in creased or decreased in size or v'ari'edin shape, without departing from the spirit of my invention, ora greater or lesser number 0f passages might be employed, but I preferably construct the lubrieatingfeatures of the coupler substantially as above set'forth.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

' 'A' car coupler comprising two similar draw heads and pivoted knuckles, the latter having each a lubricant chamber and pro-- vided adjacent tothe' upper end thereof with lateral passages extending from their 'respective chambers to the pivotal bearing surfaces'between the corresponding knuckles and draw heads,and alsohaving passages leading'from their respective chambers to .the inner meeting faces of the knuckles "whereby the movements ofthe knuckles will effect a,feetl of oil to'the contacting surfaces and the movements of the draw heads in either direction will effect a feed of oil from the forward knuckle to the inner meeting faces of the knuckles. 1

- In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence-of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES AQBEAMER.

Witnesses D. T. CALnwnnL, A. R. BARR.

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