IMPROVEMENTS IN "CAR COUPLINGS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alfred Julius Boult at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th November 1883. A communication
from Robert Harris Dowling and Charles Henry Follet both of Newark in
the County of Licking, and Edward Crowl of Cleveland in the County of
Cuyahogo in the State of Ohio, one of the United States of America.
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
IMPROVEMENTS IN "CAR COUPLINGS a communication to me from abroad by
Robert Harris Dowling, and Charles Henry Follett both of Newark in the county
of Licking, and Edward Crowl, of Cleveland in the county of Cuyahogo all in the
State of Ohio, one of the United States of America
This invention has relation to devices for coupling and uncoupling railway-cars,
and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of an oblique slide-pin
and its stops, and in connection therewith a spring-lever having transverse arms
extending to the sides of the car; the central notch bearing in the lower lip of the
mouth of the drawhead, and the curved link pivoted therein; and, in combination
with the notched drawhead and curved link the transverso pivot-pin having a
square bearing for said curved link and an operating handle all as hereinafter set
forth.
In practise, the draw bar is formed with a flaring mouth in the lower lip of
which is made a notch scat, in the central portion thereof. In this notch-bearing
is seated the coupling link which has a curved arm, which extends upward to the
upper portion of the notch, and is provided with a square bearing, through which
passes a transverse pivot-pin, which is squared at its central portion to fit said
bearing. The ends of the pin form journals seated in the draw head. The head
of the pin engages a loop of a handle rod that hangs downward when not in use.
This rod is long enough to extend to the side of the car or nearly so, so that it
can be operated easily without going between the cars, The curved extension of
the link lies entirely within the notch of the drawhead when it is not in use, and
hangs pendent so that it offers no obstruction to the entrance of the link of the
draw-head of an approaching car. Extending from the cavity of the draw-hoad
upward and rearward obliquely but centrally is a slideway having groove bearings
provided with stops below the upper end of the slideway.

page_text: In the slideway is seated an oblique slide-pin which is laterally flattened having
its greatest breadth from front to rear, to provide great strength in the direction of
strain. In rear, at the lower end of the slide pin, a vertical bearing is formed
which is designed to engage the coupling link when introduced.
The lower end of the slide-pin is beveled in front, so that it will be automatically
raised by the link when it enters the draw-head. The slide pin is provided with
lateral studs designed to engage the grooves of the slideway, and serve to prevent
the slide pin from being forced upward out of its way or bearing, In its upper
end the slide pin has a perforation which extends from front to rear, for the
reception of an arm of an angle lever whereof the transverse arm extends to the
side of the car, and is provided with a crank arm. From the other side of the car
extends a similar angle-lever the arm of which is provided with a loop bearing
which encircles the arm of the first lover.
By operating either of these levers, the slide pin can be raised when it is desired
to uncouple, and a chain or rod can be connected to either of these levers and
extended to the top of the car, this being desirablo on freight-cars. A spring holds
the arms of the angle-levers depressed, except when raised by operating said levers
by hand, A. downward bearing is thus made on the slide-pin. A small swinging
or pendent arm is pivoted to the slide-pin, above the upper surface of the draw
head and when said slide-pin is raised to its full height above the draw-head, this
arm swinging downward engages the top of the draw-head and holds the slide-pin
in raised position.
In order to lower the slide-pin it is then necessary to trip the swinging arm.
The slide pin then falls automatically As the coupling link is pendent and out of
the way when not in use, this draw-head and slide pin will readily operate in
connection with the common link of an ordinary draw-bar.