Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-04-30
GRepubhshed from Sunday Globe.
MOTHER OF INVENTION
Old Necessity Domestic the Front with an
Invaluable Car-CoupIer-Railroad Rack
ct and Rumors-River News and Drift
Personals.
An Ingenious Invention.


John Goettel, an enterprising citizen OF
st. Paul, has received letters patent on an
invention which promises to work an entire
revolution in the matter of car coupling.
The invention is to be known as the
"Goettel q Slayton automatic car COUPLER
for freight and passenger cars, and posses
es more patent merit than any similar
venture ever brought forth. To briefly
describe it what is known as the ''swing
head" is held in Its easement by bolt
being provided with slots to aid in con-
Meeting it with an ordinary coupling, with
a pin link and the Miller coupler.
Auditing on the swing head is
an ingeniously constructed fange,
the object of which is, to protect
the jaws of the swing head from spreading
while rounding a curve, or running upon
an uneven surface. From the rear end of
the swing head is a connecting rod at
tached to an upright lever, the latter bein g
fastened to cross bar and worked from
the top or side of the car. It is also pro-
vided with a catch, and an arm, which, up
on moving the lever, falls down and
catches upon the top Of the easement.
When it is required to couple cars together
one coupler is left open, and Immediately
the cars come together the lever is thrown
to the middle of the car, the connection
rod drops down and the coupling
is thereby effected. To uncouple
it is only necessary to raise the lever,
either from the top or side of the car,
which, by the movement of car going in
an opposite direction, breaks the connect
ion and uncouples the car desired to be
left Another feature of the invention is
the protection it affords trains where one
of the cars is thrown from the track.
When such is the case, the force of the fall
uncouples the car to the front and rear of
that disabled, and thereby protects the en-
tire train. The advantages claimed are,
led either from the side or top of the car,
that it can be used with the Miller coupler,
the Lincoln pin coupler, or any
other employed, that it works without
reference to the height of the
couplers, and above all its
absolute protection to life and limb. The
invention is the result of no inconsiderable
labor on the part of Mr.. Go9ttel, who was
seen last evening but declined to converse
on the subject, as he was not fully ready at
this time to expose MS plans. Ihe coupler
has been seen by Gen. Sibley, Charles Par
ker and others, all of whom unite in the
opinion 'there's millions in it," Mr.. Goe-
tell has associated Messrs. George w. Walsh
and W. G. Goforth in the enterprise, and
its promise of pecuniary results will be ap-
preciated when it is stated that the two
latter gentlemen have refused $4,000 spot
cash for their interest. It is understood
that I. J. Barney of this city and E. w
Durant of Saltwater, have announced
their readiness to back the undertaking
and before summer comes, it is more than
probable that shops will be established
here, and the manufacture of the Coup
ler," on larger scale be commenced.
The invention is one of exceptional utility
and upon examination the opinion is haz-
arded that it will be universally adopted.