Daily Republican., 1881-07-25
Perry's Car Coupler.
. rom the New London Conn. Day.

OLe OF the duties Of railroad employees,
most fruitful of accident and death, is
the coupling Of freight cars. Until re-
Gently no invention has been perfected
that obviatI the necessity of going be-
tween the cars to couple. Now this
difficulty has been met and overcome by
new safety car coupling, the p actical
working of which was shown yesterday
70. O.enOon to a number of railroad men
including Superintendent Bentlsk, Mas
ter Mechanic Dow and Master Car
Builder Banks, all Of the New London
Northern railroad. The place selected
for the exhibition was at the railroad
track on Winthrop's neck and the
necessity of some such contrivance was
illustrated by three of the spectators,
each of whom had lost an arm in cou-
ping cars. Under the direction of Sup
erintendcnt Bentley the trial OF this
coupling was most Thorough, and the
performance satisfactory in e,s'y re
Sp ct.
Several cars with their draw bars Oh
a level were driven together, and then to
test the couplings in another way, two
lifting jacks were brough. and placed
under the end OF one of the cars, raising
it until one of the draw.bars was five
inches above the other; then bent or
crooked link was put in the other draw,
bar, and the engine pushed the draw.
bars together. The yard man, mean
while. standing at the side and end of
the car, outside of the track, raised the
link by means Of tins new device so
that it coupled readily with the raised
bumper, This last experiment was con-
sidered to have fully established the
Claim Of the invention that the differ
ence in height Of cars was no Crlwback
to the working of the coupling. Super
inteMdent Bentley and the other officers
of the road, who we're present expressed
their satisfaction in emphatic terms, at
the success cf the experiment. A mum
her Of the ccmpany's cars will at once
be fitted with the safety coupling and
the change from the old plan will BE-
general provided it proves equally salts
factory IN working in daily use.
Although This coupling is new to
New England it is used to the exclusion
of all others On several western railroads
where it continues tu grow in tas or with
use Aside from its cIiei merit of less
eniug The danger to humane life, this
coupling has other advantages which
are rc:l, lily seen and appreciated by
prac zeal railroad mel. The train hand
standing al the side of the car takes
hold of Il short handle, and by raisingit
upward and forward, raises lie old
style OF coupling link 10 suitable
height for entering the opposite draw
bar, and, while thus entering, it strikes
Il palote or pin support pressing it back
ward, which causes the coupling pin to
fall through the link, thereby etfecting
the coupling. This same operation can
be .juSt as easily performed from the top
of the car by rod connecting with the
coupling below. A further advantage
realized ia practical use is that by Civ
ing the rin half turn it cannot draw
back into the draw-head.
The danger Of the pin breaking is de-
creased, and, it is claimed, rem .ercd i'm
possible, ny IL change in the shape OF
the draw head, viii h, while it gives
the same throw to tie coHpling-i;nk,
has but an inch and % halfstrain on the
pins. This, as can readily be seen, de.
creases the leverage, and hence cs uses
very much less sltaIn. The inventor
showed us Il pin which, though it had
been in con. tant Use for two years on
II stock car of the Chicago, Rock Island
4 Pacific railroad, showed but little
wear. This invention deserves to be
adopted on all roads, and should be de-
mande1 for the pro; ectiOn of train hands
who hereafter will be unnecessarily ex-
posed if this coupling is disregarded.