US781949A - Car-coupling. - Google Patents

In. the said drawings the reference-

numeral

1 denotes the draw-bar of the coupling, carrying the draw-

head

2 of the well-known J anney type, in'which is pivoted, by means of

pin

3, the usual coupling-

hook

4. Passing vertically through the upper and

lower apertures l

4 l l l perspective view of my imslightly beyond the side face of the pin, as

shown in Figs. 3 and 7. The tail of the coupling-hook t is reverscly inclined on its upper and lower surfaces at 11 and 12 to correspond with the

inclines

9 and 10. said upper incline l1 merging into a

flat surface

13, having a

rounded projection

14 centrally thereon, said projection having a flat top surface and adapted to engage a narrow

flat surface

15 at the lower end of

incline

9 in a manner hereinafter to be described.

Below the

recess

8 in the

pin

7 is another

reccss

16, having its

upper edge

17 inclined upwardly and inwardly to engageashoulder 18, formed on the inner fron face of the

lower aperture

6 in the draw-head when said pin is raised to the unlocked position, the latter having its upper edge beveled to correspond with that of the

upper edge

17 of recess l6,-as shown in Fig. 6. It will also be observed that the

lower edge

20 of

recess

16 is inclined downwardly and that the front side of the locking-

pin

7 below said recess projects somewhat bcyond the vertical surface of said pin above said recess also for a purpose hereinafter to be described. i

Formed in the side of

pin

7 and just below the lower edge of the draw-head when said pin is in its lowermost position is an incline l9, adapted to perform the following double function: 'hen the

pin

7 is in its lowermost position and the coupling-hook at locked thereby, the traction on said coupling-hook will force the

lockingpin

7 to the right, as shown in Fig. 7, thus causing

incline

19 to underlie the lower edge of the draw-

head

2 and effectually preventing any upward creeping of the locking-

pin

7, due to the jolting of the cars while in motion, whereby the locking-

pin

7 might otherwise ultimately be lifted suflicicntly to release the coupling-

hook

4. The other function of said

incline

19 is performed when the locking-

pin

7 is lifted to automaticlocatedally throw the coupling-hook 4: to its open poling-hook tail. By referring to Fig. 6 it will be observed that the

lower incline

12 on the tail of the coupling-

hook

4 is also inclined up: wardly and forwardly and that the coacting lower incline on the locking-

pin

7 is correspondingly inclined for a purpose hereinaf:

. From the above description the operation of my improved construction will be understood to be as follows: With the

pin

7 in its lowermost position and the coupling-hook t open, as shown in Fig. 1, the device is ready for automatic coupling, the rotation of said hook causing cam-

surface

11 on the tail thereof to contact with

cam

9 on the

pin

7, and thus raise the latter until the coupling-hook tail passes the same, when it will drop automatically, and thus lock the hook in its closed position. Now when it is desired to uncouple the

pin

7 is lifted, by means of its cord or chain, until the-

incline

10 on the pin engages incline12 on the hook, when by reason of the forward and upward incline of the same 'as shown in. Fig. 6, the lower end of the pin will be positively tilted forward, thus bringing the recess 16in said pin in engagement with

shoulder

18 in the draw-head when said pin reaches the unlocking position, and thus retaining said pin in this position, sothat the coupling-

hook

1 may be turned -t-o its open position, thus permitting the cars to separate. By referring to Fig. 8 it will be observed that the locking-

pin

7 has its edge or corner nearest the tail of the coupling-hook L beveled at 2l,and this forward movement of the lower end of saidlocking-pin brings it into the path of movement of the taii of the coupling-

hook

4, so that the latter in its movement to the open or closed position will contact with the beveled edge 21 thereof and automatically force said locking-pinbackward again to disengage

recess

16 from

shoulder

18, thus permitting said locking-pin to drop to its locking position when said coupling-hook has rotated away from engagement therewith. It may happen sometimes, however, that owing to a variation in the castings the tail of the coupling-

hook

1 will not be long enough to thus contact with the locking-

pin

7, and as it is essential that the latter shall be disengaged from the

shoulder V

18 and drop to its locking position when the coupling-

hook

4 is swung to the closed position I have provided the following means for insuring this result: The locking-

pin

7 when in engagement with'the

shoulder

18 has the lower edge of its

incline

9 slightly below the upper edge of the

rounded projection

14 on the tail of coupling-

hook

4, and the latter in its movement to the open position will contact with its projection- 1a with the

flat surface

15 on the locking-

pin

7, thus slightly lifting the latter to disengage it'frorn the

shoulder

18. By referring to Fig. 6 it will'be'seen that' the fiat surface. 15 on the locking-pin is also inclined upwardly and out wardly, so that this contact will take place only at a point near the inner end of said flat surface or. at the center of gravity of said locking-pin,- thus causing said'locking-pin to resume its vertical position when lifted from engagement with the

shoulder

18, and per- 18 when released by the coupling-hook tail. it will be further obse. ted that as the flat surface 15 'on the locking pin, passes out. of contact with the

projection

14; n the coup- :ling-hook tail during the movement of the latter to either the locking or the unlocking position it will first drop onto the

fiat surface

13 on the coupling-hook tail, and said ,pin will thus be maintained momentarily in the vertical position and will at the same time have dropped sufiicie'ntly to bring the

upper edge

17 of its

recess

16 below the shoulder- 18 on the draw-head, so that engagement of the two will be impossible. fore, that with the

pin

7 in the lock-set position a movement in either direction of the tail of the coupling-hook beneath the

surface

15 on the pin 7-will result in the latter being It follows, there I nittin'g it to drop free from said projection lifted and disengaged from the

shoulder

18, a

projection

18 may be located in the rear face of the

lower aperture

6 of the draw-head and the

recess

16 correspondingly located in the rear face of the locking-

pin

7. for by reversing the forward and upward incline of incline l2 and similarly reversing that of

incline

10 the result will be that when said inclines contact as the locking-

pin

7 is lifted the lower end of the latter will be positively forced backward instead of forward, thus insuring the engagement of

recess

16 with

projection

18, as shown in Fig. 10. With this construction the

flat surface

15 of the lockingpin wili'be inclined upwardly and inwardly instead of upwardly and outwardly, the result being that as the coupling-hook tail passes beneath said

flat surface

15 the consequent slight lifting of the locking-

pin

7 will result in the lower end of the latter being tilted forward away from engagement with the

projection

18, and thus causing the locking-pin to fall to itslowerniost position.

It will be observed that the inclining or beveling of the engaging

face

17 of

recess

16 and the

shoulder

18 will insure their engagement better than if said faces were flat, and

In order to positively rotate'the couplingh ok-4 to itsopen position by means of the 3 locking-

pin

7,1.have provided the inclines 10 and 12, operating as follows: \Vh n the coupling-hook is locked, but not engaged with another coupling-hook, the lifting of

lockingpin

7 will cause the projecting upper end of

incline

10 thereon to engage the

incline

12 on the tail of said coupling-hook,and the fur: ther lifting of said locking-pin necessarily rotates said coupling-hook to its open position in a manner readily understood: .In order that this engagementof said inclines may be insured, l have provided the

incline

19 on the opposite side of the locking-

pin

7, which by its contact with the lower edge of thedrawhead as the locking-pin is raised forces saidlocking-pin toward the tail of the couplinghook, as seen in Fig. 7. So, also, in order that while the

pin

7 is being lifted to throw the coupling-hook open the vertical face of the

recess

8 therein may be out of the path of travel of the coupling-hook tail during its rotation to the open position, so that any binding of the parts may be prevented, 1 have provided the inclined

lower face

20 for the

recess

16 and have projected the front face of the locking-

pin

7 below said recess, the result being that as said pin is lifted said

face

20, contacting wi the lower end of pin carry said pin out of the path of travel of the tail of the coupling-hook. Furthermore, this positive backward movement of the lower end of the

pin

7 will permit said ,pin when released to drop freely to itslowermost position without danger of its engaging

projection

18.

1e coupling-hook, for the purcoupling-hook having a simi-- inclines being also inclined at th the draw-head, will force 7 backward, and thus having inclines similar to those g an incline on the under and a vertically-movablelock-' l l l l said locking-pinitlso having an their main line of inclination to coupling-hook, to engage ment of the coupling-hook on its

pivot p

4. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head, of a coupling-hook pivoted therein and having an incline on the under side of its tail, andaverticall v-movable locking-pin for said coupling-hookhavin lar incline adapted, when said lockinglifted, to engage the incline on the ,hook torotate the latter to its open position, saidlocking-pin also having an incline adapted, when said locking-pin is lifted, to ca e the draw-heaxl to force said locking-pin sun wise toward the tail of the cou 'iling-hook.