AN IMPROVED RAILWAY COUPLING
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
'I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
RAILWAY COUPLING," a communication to me from abroad by Clement Leidy and
Charles Edward Green, both of Angus, in the County of Seneca, and State of Ohio,
United States of America, Labourers to bo as follows:-
The Invention consists in the combination with a draw head of a sliding block
to which a downwardly swinging piece is hinged a tripping pin being pivoted in
a slot in the free end of the hinged part and connected at its lower end by a link
with the front end of the bottom of the draw head.
The draw head which is hollow and open at its outer end contains a sliding
block, provided with laterally projecting pins, passing through longitudinal slots in
the sides of the draw head.
The front part of the bottom of the sliding block is hinged to swing downward
and the movement of the block in the draw head is so arranged that the swinging
part can only drop down when the sliding block is pulled out as far as possible.
The swinging part is provided with two upwardly projecting side prongs at the
free end the said prongs fitting in side recesses in the front part of the sliding
block. The swinging part is provided at the bottom of its free end with a
longitudinal slot, in which a tripping pin is pivoted which has its lower or inner
end connected by pivoted links with the bottom of the fixed draw head.
The top and bottom of the draw head are provided with coupling pin apertures
and the draw head as well as the swinging part are provided with coupling pin
apertures which when the sliding block is pushed entirely into the draw head
coincide with the pin apertures in the draw head.
The operation is as follows:-
When the parts are in the position for coupling, the coupling pin rests on the
sliding block, and is held in the top of the draw head.

page_text: The entering link of the other car strikes the sliding block at the inner end
of the hinged part and pushes the block into the drawhead, whereby the hinged
part is swung up.
When the pin apertures in the sliding block coincides with the pin apertures in
the draw-head, the coupling pin drops and passes through the link and through
the hinged part, and the bottom of the drawhead.
To uncouple, the pin is raised and when the link is pulled out its end catches
on the tripping pin which was swung up into the drawhead by coupling the cars,
and as the link pulls on the tripping pin it pulls out the sliding block and the
hinged part of the latter dropping as soon as the block has been withdrawn as far
as possible, the link is released entirely.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of the firm of A. M. and Wm. Clark, of
53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent
Agents, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for AN IMPROVED
BAILWAY COUPLING (a communication to me from abroad by Clement Leidy and
Charles Edward Green both of Angus in the County of Seneca, and State of Ohio,
United States of America, Labourers) and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The invention consists in the combination with a draw head of a sliding block
to which a downwardly swinging piece is hinged. A tripping pin is pivoted in a
slot in the free end of the hinged part and connected at its lower end by a link
with the front end of the bottom of the draw head.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this
specification, in which similar letters of reference, indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the improved car coupler
showing the position of the parts when uncoupled. Figure 2 is a side view of
the same, showing the parts when coupled. Figure 3 is a front end view. The
draw head A which is hollow and open at its, outer end contains a sliding block B,
provided with laterally projecting pins C passing through longitudinal slots D in
the sides of the draw head.
The front part E of the bottom of the sliding block B, is hinged to swing
downward, and the movement of the block B, in the draw head is so arranged
that the part E can only swing down when the block B is pulled out as far as
possible.
The swinging part E is provided with two upwardly projecting side prongs Fat
the free end, the said prongs fitting in sido recesses G in the front part of the
block B. The swinging part E is provided in its free end with a longitudinal
slot H, in which a tripping piu J is pivoted, which has its lower or inner end
connected by pivoted links K, with the bottom of the draw head.
The top and bottom of the draw head are provided with coupling pin apertures
and the draw head A, as well as the swinging part E, are provided with coupling
pin apertures, which when the block B is pushed entirely into the draw head,
coincide with the pin apertures in the draw head.
The operation is as follows:-
When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1 and the car is to be
coupled, the pin R, rests on the sliding block B and is held in the top of the draw
head.
The entering link L strikes the block B at the inner end of the hinged part E
and pushes the block into the draw head, whereby the part E is swung up.
When the pin apertures in the block B coincide with the pin apertures in the
draw bead, the coupling pin R drops and passes through the link and through the
hinged part E and the bottom of the draw head, as shown in figure 2.

page_text: To uncouple, the pin R is raised, and when the link L is pulled out, its end
catches on the tripping pin J, which was swung up into the draw head by coupling
the cars, and as the link pulls on the said pin J, it pulls out the block B, and the
hinged part E of the latter dropping, as soon as the block B has been withdrawn
as far as possible, the link is released entirely.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. The combination with the draw head A, of the sliding block B, the hinged
part E, and a tripping pin pivoted in the free end of the hinged part and connected
by a link with the draw head, substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The combination with the draw head A, of the sliding block B, the hinged
part E, having a slot H, in its free end, the pin J passed through the slot H and
pivoted in the same and the link K, connecting the lower end of the pin J, with
the draw head, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The combination with the drawhead A, having longitudinal side slots D, of
the sliding block B, provided with side pins C, the hinged part E, the pin J
passed through and pivoted in the slot H in the piece E, and of the link K,
connecting the lower end of the pin J with the draw head, substantially as herein
shown and described.
L