Patent GB-191507587-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Automatic Car Couplers.
Inventor: WILLISON JOHN
IPC: B61G3/04
Filed: 1915-05-20
Abstract: 7587. Willison, J. May 20. No Patent granted (Sealing fee not paid). Couplings, automatic.-In an automatic coupling of the vertical-plane type in which twin coupler-heads pivoted to swing laterally are locked together by the overlapping of two gravity-controlled blocks, one in each couplerhead, and in which each coupler-head is adapted to carry a pivoted knuckle for coupling with a vehicle having a knuckle coupler as described in Specification 7583/14, the knuckle is inseparably carried by the coupler-head to prevent loss. The knuckle 11 is pivotally attached to one end of a link 73, the other rounded end 73<1> of which is adapted to slide on a track 75 on the wall of the coupler-head, being retained on the track by a flange 74<1>. In the inoperative position, Fig. 15, the knuckle is freely suspended by the link 73. In the operative position, shown in plan in Fig. 3, the knuckle is mounted between the upper and lower portions of the couplerjaw 1 upon a pivot pin formed in upper and lower parts 78, 81, which are inseparably mounted to slide in the hole 12 of the knuckle and in the hole 7 of the lower portion of the jaw 1 respectively. When the knuckle is in position, the parts 78, 81 are raised to project respectively into the hole 8 of the upper portion of the jaw 1 and into the hole 12 of the knuckle, and are supported in this position by the engagement of a shoulder 81<1>, Fig. 7, on the part 81 with the upper end of a bent lever 80 fulcrumed at 80<3> in a recess in the wall of the hole 7. The lower end of the part 81 passes through a hole in the lower end of the lever 80. To detach the knuckle from the jaw 1, the end 80<1> of the lever 80 is pressed upwardly, whereupon the shoulder 81<1> is released and the part 81 falls until its shoulder 81<2> rests on the end 80'. To prevent the pivot pin from taking the draught strain, the body of the knuckle is formed with upper and lower projecting portions 14, 15 which bear against corresponding parts 4, 5 of the jaw 1, and the tail of the knuckle is formed with a projection 17 engaging behind a part 79 of the coupler-head. One form of mechanism for retracting the locking-block 19, operable from below the coupler, is shown in Fig. 7. The block, which is mounted to slide horizontally, is connected by a link 38 to a weighted member 34 which is pivotally mounted in a bracket 28 depending from the coupler-head and is operable from the sides of the vehicle by transverse rods 50. For operation from above the coupler, the member 34 may be pivoted to the lower end of a bar which is mounted to slide vertically in the coupler-head and is connected by links at its upper end to an arm carried by a transverse operating-shaft. Fig. 20 shows an alternative form of the locking-block retracting mechanism. A projection on the block 19 is engaged by a slot 53<1> in the upper end of a lever 53 pivoted at 54 to the underside of the coupler-head. The lower end of the lever carries a roller 53<2> engaging an inclined slot 60 in the lower end of the bar 57, which is mounted to slide vertically in the coupler-head and is guided by a roller 59 at the pivot 54. The lever 53 is operated to retract the block 19 when the bar 57 is lifted either from above the coupler or by the mechanism shown in broken lines from below the coupler. In the latter case, a pin 65 at the lower end of the bar 57 is engaged by the hooked end of a bar 67 suspended by a link 68 from the coupler-head and operated by rods 50 from the sides of the vehicle. A lock-set device, adapted to operate when the knuckle is not in use, comprises a member 72, Fig. 3, mounted to slide in a rearwardly and obliquely inclined recess in the wall of the coupler-head and to project into engagement with the opposing coupler-head. When the block 19 is retracted, the inner end of the member 72 rides over a projection 22 of the block and engages in front of the forward face 23 of the projection to hold the block in retracted position until the coupler-heads are separated, whereupon the weight of the retracting-mechanism serves to push the block 19 forwardly and the member 72 outwardly. A second lock-set device, adapted to operate when the knuckle is in use, comprises a member 76, Fig. 10, pivoted at 77 in a recess in the wall of the block 19, and adapted, when the block is retracted, to engage behind the tail of the knuckle to hold the block in retracted position until the knuckle is opened in the separation of the vehicles.