Improvements in Car-couplings.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 12th Jan., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car-couplings.
I, CHARLES WASHINGTON PATTON, of Ohio Falls, in the County of Clark, and
State of Indiana, United States of America, Gentleman, 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:-
The invention relates to improvements in car couplings. The object of the
present invention is to improve the construction of car couplings, and to provide
a simple and inexpensive device capable of holding a coupling pin elevated
preparatory to coupling, and of maintaining a link in a horizontal position to
enable the same to readily enter the mouth of the draw-head. A further object
of the invention is to enable a coupling pin to be readily lifted for setting
preparatory to coupling from the top and sides of a car, and to prevent any
liability of the coupling pin being lifted too high and leaving the draw-head.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,
and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings:-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a car coupling constructed in accordance with
this invention, and shown applied to a car.
Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view, showing the coupling pin
supported preparatory to coupling.
Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the link held in horizontal position preparatory
to coupling.
Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the combined link holder and pin support.
Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
1 designates a draw-head having a coupling pin perforation 2, to receive a
coupling pin 3, and having mounted in its link cavity a combined pin support and
link holder 4. The combined pin support and link holder consists of a plate,
which is hinged by a pintle rod 5 at the top of the draw-head within the link
opening or cavity thereof, and which inclines downward from front to rear, and is
depressed and held against upward swinging by a spiral spring 6 disposed on a
pintle rod between eyes 7 of the plate and engaging the rear face of the latter.
At its center the combined pin support and link-holder is provided with an
opening 8 to permit the passage of the coupling pin, to enable the same to engage
a link 9, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, in which position
the combined pin support and link holder engages the upper face of the link to
hold the latter in a horizontal position to direct the same into the mouth of a
draw-head. At the bottom of the opening is arranged an upward extending
projection or lug 10, which is slightly transversely curved, and which is adapted
to be engaged by the lower end of the coupling pin to bold the latter in an elevated
position preparatory to coupling, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying
drawings, and when cars come together for coupling the link 9 will strike the
combined pin-support and link-holder and withdraw the lug 10 from under the
coupling-pin to cause the latter to fall into engagement with it. The lower edge

page_text: or portion adjacent to the edge of the combined pin support and link-holder is bent
horizontally to enable it to engage the upper face of the link positively.
The coupling pin which is provided at its upper end with an eye is connected by
a chain 11 with the upper end of a grooved segment 13, which is mounted upon a
shaft 12 journaled transversely of a car 14, and adapted to be turned from either
side thereof for raising the coupling pin for setting. The segment gives a direct
upward pull to the coupling pin; it receives the links of a chain 11 in its grooves;
and its ends are adapted to abut against the car to limit its swing.
The upper end of the segment is adapted to strike the top of the car, to limit its
upward swing to prevent the coupling pin from being entirely withdrawn from the
draw-head, and its lower end is adapted to rest against the car when it is swung
⚫ down.
+
The rock-shaft 12 is provided at its ends with handles 15 and one of its
bearings 16 is provided with a notch 17 adapted to be engaged by the adjacent
handle when the latter is in a horizontal position, whereby the coupling pin will be
held elevated against coupling. The rock-shaft is capable of a limited horizontal
movement to enable its handle to engage the bearing 16. When the coupling pin
is prevented from descending and coupling by reason of the handle of the rock-
shaft engaging the notch of the bearing, and it is desired to release the coupling
pin from the top of the car, a chain 18 extends laterally and upwardly from the
segment, and is adapted to be pulled to move the rock-shaft longitudinally
sufficiently to disengage its handle from the bearing 16. The lower end of the
chain 18 is secured to an eye 19 which is arranged on the segment intermediate of
the ends thereof in order that the chain 18 which extends to the top of the car
may be employed for lifting the coupling pin for setting, besides for disengaging
the handle 15 from the bearing 16.
It will be seen that simple, inexpensive means are provided for supporting the
coupling. pin preparatory for coupling and for holding the link in a horizontal
position, and that the coupling pin may be readily operated from the top and sides
of a car.
"
Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be
resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages
of this invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-head having a coupling pin
perforation, and a combined pin-support and link-holder arranged within the
draw-head and hinged to the top thereof and inclining downward from front to
rear and provided with an opening to receive a coupling pin and having adjacent
to the opening a projecting support adapted to receive the lower end of a coupling
pin, substantially as described.
2. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-head provided with a coupling
pin perforation, and a combined pin-support and link-holder arranged within
the draw-head and inclining downward from front to rear and hinged to the
top of the draw-head and provided with an opening to permit the passage of
a coupling pin and having at the bottom of the opening an upward extending
projection which is transversely curved and which is adapted to receive the
lower end of a coupling pin for supporting the same, substantially as described.
3. In a car coupling, the combination of a car, a draw-head having a coupling
pin perforation, a coupling pin, a shaft journaled on the car and arranged
'horizontally and provided at its ends with handles and capable of a limited
Tongitudinal movement, a bearing 16 receiving the rock-shaft and having a
notch or shoulder to be engaged by one of the handles thereof, a segment
mounted on the rock-shaft and connected with the coupling pin, and a chain

page_text: extending upward and laterally from the segment to the top of the car to
enable the segment to be swung upward and the shaft to be moved longitudinally,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 27th day of March 1894.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chaucery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.