Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1887.
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE KRAMER, of Chicago, Illinois, United States
of America (a subject of the Emperor of Germany), Mantufacurer.]
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents, of 67 Strand,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
It is my object to provide a form of car-coupling mechanism, the use of which shall
permit the operation of coupling and uncoupling cars to be performed without
attendant danger of accident to the operator, and thus to be instrumental in obviating
the disastrous consequences so frequently suffered by employes whose duty exposes
them to great risk of life or limb. I accomplish my object by means of a simple and
effective coupling-device, which is operated with ease and rapidity from the side or
top of the car, and thus avoids the necessity, on the part of the employe, of going
between cars ;
and my device also includes, as an indispensable adjunct to its
effectiveness, a peculiar construction of coupling link.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 shows a freight car, minus the rolling-gear, in end-elevation and provided
with my improvement: Figure 2 is a broken view in side elevation, partly sectional,
showing the draw-bar to be provided with the usual spring; Figure 3 a plan view of
the draw-bar device; Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the form of coupling-
link for use with my improved coupling device; and Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 similar views
showing details.
A is the draw-bar of any of the usual forms as to its exterior, but having an

page_text: opening r, of a shape to accommodate the peculiar coupling-link B, hereinafter
described and forming part of my invention. The draw-bar of my improved device is
provided upon its upper side where it projects beyond the car with two vertical
posts forming guides for a metal plate, C, perforated near opposite ends to receive
the posts and at or near its centro to admit the coupling-pin D through it into the
opening commonly provided to receive it in the draw-head, the pin being, however,
secured in the plate, C whereby raising the former likewise raises the latter; and
shoulders, on the posts y, afford stops to the plate to prevent raising the latter
sufficiently high to effect the withdrawal of the pin from its opening in the draw-bar.
E is a spool or hollow cylinder supported to be oscillated on a shaft F, projecting hori-
zontally from the end of the car near the right side of the same, and within easy reach
from the ground, and provided with a head E', to confine the spool E upon its support.
The spool E has, on its inner end, a tongue forming a stop p; and a similar stop plin
the form of a shoulder, is provided on the shaft or bearing F to oppose the spool E
and thus limit its oscillations in either direction. A lever G, is secured at one end to
the spool E at a point to cause it to stand at an acute angle to the adjacent corner of
the car, as shown in Fig. 1, when the stops p and pare brought into contact with
each other to lower the pin D as and for the purposo hereinafter described; and the
free end of the lever G is weighted, as shown at o Figure 1, the weight having a form,
by preference, which permits it to be conveniently grasped in the hollow of the hand.
The lover G is connected with the pin D by means of a suitable flexible connecting
medium, preferably in the form of a chain H, which passes over a roller I extending
horizontally from the end of the car and situated between the pin D and lever G. Å
rod or bar K is loosely connected at one end, by a hook as shown, or otherwise, with
the pin D, extends upward and backward beyond the top of the car through
staple K, secured in proper position upon the end of the car, and is provided at its
upper end with a suitable handle n. The rod K has an aperture m where it is
supported on a pin m³, (shown in dotted lines) when raised to lift the pin in uncoupling
the car from the top.
The coupling-link B must be, for my purpose, substantially of the form shown, that
is to say, it must not hang, when in position in the socket of the draw-bar of a car
disconnected from another car, as do coupling links of the form now in common use,
but must always extend horizontally in line with the draw-bar socket of another car,
to render the introduction into the latter of the link, automatic, since, if this operation
were not thus automatic, the manipulation of the coupling-pin from the side of the car,
as hereinafter described, would be purposeless, the main object of the invention being,
as already stated, to avoid the necessity on the part of employes of going between cars.
The shape of the link B is elliptic longitudinally, in order to secure a close fit in the
draw-bar socket and produce the normally horizontal position of the link herein-
before described; and it comprises, as parts, the bars land on the upper side, 12
and on the under side, and heads and k¹, respectively at the opposite ends, affording
the vertical longitudinal opening i and the lateral longitudinal opening through the
link, to permit the necessary play when the coupling-pins D in the draw-bars on the
adjacent ends of two cars are inserted through it; and the construction also makes
the article yielding or compressible to permit its ready insertion into the draw-bars
and produce the degree of rigidity of its position to render it normally horizontal.
The lateral opening h forms a desirable feature in the link by way of providence, to
permit the more important purpose of my invention—namely, of providing for the
coupling and uncoupling of cars without requiring employes to go between them-to
be accomplished in case a car provided with coupling-mechanism in accordance with
my invention shall require to be coupled to another having the old common form of
coupling, comprising an oval or substantially oval link and pin. To allow the
application, however, the draw-bar in such old-form of coupling must be provided
with a lateral opening to admit the coupling-pin from the side.
With the foregoing description of the parts of my improvement, the manner of
operating the latter will be readily understood from the following:

page_text: To withdraw a coupling-pin D, in uncoupling, the weighted lever is turned down,
thereby lifting the pin out of coincidence with the link, where it is maintained by the
weight o and the effect of its leverage; or the uncoupling may be performed from the
top of the car by means of the rod or bar K-when, of course, the lever-device is not
affected-which is sustained by hooking it upon the pin m¹ at its opening m, provided
at a point corresponding, relatively to the normal position of the bar or rod K, with
the height to which the pin must be raised to free the link. To send the pin home in
the operation of coupling, if performed from the top of a car, the rod or bar K is
released from its support by the pin m', when its own weight, together with that of
the rod itself and the plate which as hereinbefore stated moves with the pin-force
it into the desired position; or, if performed from the side of the car, the pin seeks its
position of coupling upon releasing it from the effect of the weighted lever G, by
turning it to the position shown in Fig. 1, in which the stops p and pl permit it to
incline sufficiently to remain unaffected, or practically so, by any jarring or bumping
influence to which it is likely to be subjected.
It will thus be seen that my improvement is not only effective in its main purpose,
above stated, but that by means of the same the operations of coupling and uncoupling
may be easily, rapidly and accurately performed."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
a
1. The combination with a car having a draw-bar A, of a car-coupling having
guided pin D, and an oscillatory weighted lever G, supported on the car near one side
of the same and connected with the pin, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
2. The combination with a car having a draw-bar, A, of a car-coupling having a
pin, D, a plate C, to which the pin is secured, guides q on the draw-bar for the plate C,
and an oscillatory weighted lever G, supported on the car near one side of the same
and connected with the pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with a car having a draw-bar, A, of a car-coupling having a
guided pin D, an oscillatory weighted lever G, supported on the car near one side of
the same and connected with the pin, and a rod or bar K, connected near one end with
the pin and extending therefrom near the top of the car, a staple K³, for the rod or
bar K, and means, substantially as described, for sustaining the rod or bar K when
raised to withdraw the pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A coupling-link B of elliptic form, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
5. A coupling-link B, hollow and provided with openings i and hand of elliptic
form, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
G. A coupling link B, comprising bars and land heads k and k¹, substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The combination with a car having a draw-bar A, of a car-coupling having a
pin D, a plate C, to which the pin is secured, a guide on the draw-bar for the plate C,
an oscillatory weighted lover G, supported on the car near one side of the same and
connected with the pin, and a compressible coupling-link B, substantially as and for
the purpose set forth.
8. The combination with a car having a draw-bar A, of a car-coupling having a
pin D, a plate C, to which the pin is secured, a guide on the draw-bar for the plate C,
an oscillatory weighted lever G, supported on the car near one side of the same and
connected with the pin, a rod or har K, connected near one end with the pin and
extending therefrom near the top of the car, a staple K', for the rod or bar K, means,
substantially as described, for sustaining the rod or bar K when raised to withdraw
the pin, and a compressible coupling-link B, of elliptic form and provided with
openings i and h, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
9. The combination with a car having a draw-bar A, of a car-coupling, comprising
a link B, formed of bars 1, 1, and P, and heads and k¹ a pin D), a plate C, to which

page_text: the pin is secured, guides q on the draw-bar for the plate Cand having shoulders q', a
bearing I on the car, a shaft F, having a stop p' and head E' and extending from the
car near one side of the same, a spool E, on the shaft F, having a stop p, a lever G,
secured to the spool, and provided with a weight o, a chain connecting the lever-device
with the pin and passing over the bearing I, a rod or bar K, connected near one end
with the pin and extending therefrom near the top of the car, a staple K¹, on the car,
for the rod or bar K, and means, substantially as described, for sustaining the rod or
bar K when raised to withdraw the pin, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
T
1
. 1
R. HADDAN.
By Herbert & Co.,
67, Strand, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.