The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-11-10
THE LEE COUPLER.


vented by Texan.
The automatic car coupler invented by
Car Reparer Lee of the San Antonio and
Arkansas Pass at San Antonio, which has
been adopted as the safest coupler known
by several railroads and most lately by the
brotherhood Of Locomotive Flremen In
convention at Galveston, is on exhibition at
tho Grand Central depot at Houston for the
inspection of railway employees.
The coupler is in charge of A. s. Cover.
general agent of the company. and all effort
is being made to equip a few cars at the
Houston and Texas Central to show its
practicabillty and superiority over other
Inventions this character. MIR. Cover
for six years has been fireman on the
Southern Pacific out of Houston and re-
CARDS the Lee invention safer than any in
the United States.
The San Antonio and Gulf Shore rail
way, running out of San Antonio. is en-
tircy equipped with the Lee coupler. which
is also TO be found on number OF the
Galveston, La Porte and Houston cars, and
| several Houston East and West Texas en-
gines,
Endorsements extensively signed shy the
employees in the transportation department
Of the above roads have been drawn and
are exhibited with the model Superin-
| tendent Lee OF the Central ystrday saw the
coupler work and will take up the matter
with reference TO equipping several cars
! tC test its virtues. Mr. Cover says an e.
! fort will be made TO place the invention
| before the annual meetings of the master
car builders, the conductors, engineers and
trainmen next year, also representatives
viii 20 before the United States commits
| sicners with sample for approval
The coupler is operated the same AS
| jonney coupler. now in use on all the
leading roads, by means OF lever, which
avoids going between the cars. The Lo-
! comotive Fircnans magazine of Novem-
Der contains the following, which explains
the mechanism and workings of the APP
| pliancc.
This coupler is drawhead with cav
| ity for accommodating sliding block, a
| steel spring a wrought iron back stop,
and standard lat pin with notch in lower
end. This notch rests on shoulder in pin
| cavity in top of drawhead when the sliding
| block is back which occurs when link
| is In n drawhead and two drawheuds are
/ together as In kickink cars until the return
OF the block which occurs as soon MS cars
separate The key in block strikes lower
end of pin carrying 1t rom shoulder IL
will remain until link enters drawhead.
which moves block back. The pin then
drops down making the coupling The
spring is 2ia inches outside diameter. 9-S2
best steel wire, 10 inches long, ~ coils.
This spring is well protected 10y the back
stop and cavity in drawhead, making 1t
in1estructible. II cXcrts a pressure OF ITO
pounds against block with link In and pin
down. This holds link out straight. The
flare In mouth of drawhead allows IT to
couple cars with 4 inch vertical variation
PERFECTLY and will couple though not per-
feotly at 6 inches vertical variation and
inch lateral
This drawhead uses common link from
TO ii inches long II fits into the timbers
where other drawbacks come out without
any change as rule 1t will not fall
on the track II couples automatically with
common drawheads unless their cavity Is
so deep as to swallow over half the link
at is so simple in construction that
should any Of the parts get out OF order
II can be changed into common drawheai
in five minutes and back to automatic Ii
same amount of time.
at allows same amount of slack as com
mon link and pin. 1t will couple OH any
grade or curve.
when drawhead pulls out 1t will moi
pull pin lifting lever from car. Yard MGR
can handle cars equipped with this coupler
with greater rapidity than with any other
device"
Those for immediate use are made at
the Dickson car wheel works in Houston
but can he made in any railroad shop ir
the United States