Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Jan., 1889
Specification Accepted, 16th Feb., 1889
I OSCAR BENNETT GRANT, of the town of Austin, County of Mower, State of
Minnesota, 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:-
My invention relates to couplings for all kinds of hose or pipes between the cars,
whether passenger or freight cars, and the object of the invention is to provide
means by which all such pipes or hose may be automatically joined or coupled at
the same time that the cars are coupled thus obviating the necessity of passing
between the cars to make the hose or pipe connections and by which also the hose
or pipes are automatically uncoupled when the cars are uncoupled and parted.
By the application of this device to both passenger and freight cars of all classes
mixed trains can be made up and the automatic hose coupler will act the same as
if all were passenger or all freight cars provided the same number and kinds
of lines of pipe are on each of the cars or so far as the cars are equipped with
the same lines of pipe and in general beside there being a saving of time, hand
coupling can be wholly done away with; and with it the dangers attendant upon the
going between the cars to couple or uncouple the pipes or hose by hand.
In applying the device to locomotives and the different kinds of cars it is necessary
to have a uniform location as regards height from track and distance from point of
coupling of cars.
In the drawings forming part of this specification Fig. 1 is a plan view of the
coupler in position, the two parts being coupled together and connection being
established between the train-pipes, the upper part of frames and bodies of cars
being cut away to show the connections.
Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the coupler head. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the two
coupler-heads slightly separated to show the relative position of the parts.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail drawings.
In the drawings 1 is a metal bar suspended upon the supports or arms 2 under the
end of the car, either square or of other form not cylindrical to prevent its turning in
its supports. Its forward end forms the socket part of a ball-and-socket joint 3 one
side of which 5. is detachable to admit of the insertion of the ball of the joint. This

page_text: ball is the rear end of the bar 7 which carries and is preferably made solid with the
coupler-head or frame 13.
To support the bar 7 with the coupler heads and attachments level and in line with
the main bar 1 I use the forked steel bars, 21. which are rigidly fastened to 1 at 23
and are forked at 40 so as to constitute extensions or prongs preferably four in
number which extend forward into sockets in the coupler-head. These bars 21. aro
sufficiently heavy to support the weight of the coupler while having sufficient spring
in connection with the ball-and-socket joint to allow the necessary lateral and vertical
movement between the cars when in motion or when brought together in coupling.
The coupler head or frame 13 is fitted with the devices for making the automatic
coupling. It is provided with twice the number of openings that there are lines of
train-pipe to be connected.
The train pipes are connected by the flexible hose 24 with the branched pipes 26,
one branch of each of which is connected by flexible hose with the pipe entering an
orifice in one side of the coupler head and the other with the corresponding orifice in
the other side of the coupler head.
The male parts of the coupler are preferably on one side of the frame and the
female on the other side, or so arranged that they always retain the same relative
position to each other. The male pipe or tube is made preferably in two parts 15
and 17 each adapted to be screwed into the coupler head, 15 being the part in the
back of the head to which the train pipe is flexibly connected as described, 17 being
screwed into the front of the coupler-head and projecting from it.
This part 17 has a tapering or rounded point to admit of its readily entering its
corresponding socket and fit closely therein and the conical base 16 fitting squarely
against the face of the frame or head 13 gives the tube greater strength.
The principal object of having 17, a separate part is that in case it should become
worn and unfit for use it can readily be replaced by a now part.
The opposite or female part is of proper size to admit the male tube and is provided
with a funnel-shaped mouth 18 so that in case the male tube does not come exactly
opposite in coupling, the mouth will direct its proper entrance, the conical base 16
being adapted to fit closely in the mouth 18. The two parts of the female tube 20.
which is screwed into the coupler head and 22 with which connection is made with
the train pipe, have collars through which they are bolted together, part, 22. being
reduced in size so that uniform flexible hose or tubes may be attached.
ring preferably rubber 19. having a hole slightly smaller than the end of the tube 17
is fastened between the collars so that the tube 17. when inserted will press against
it and make the connection perfectly tight.
A flexible
The projections 31 above and below the center and flush with the face of the
frame 13. relieve the tube 17, of strain caused by vertical motion of the cars.
The drawings show three lines of train-pipes and connections, but the coupler can
be arranged for any number desired. The coupler-heads are so adjusted that when
coupling is made the faces of the heads meet each other a little before the car-coupling
is completed, so that they are pressed back and their springs 9 brought into tension
thus providing for any slack in the car-coupling. On the sides of heads are the
lugs 39 in which slide the forked guide bars 25. These are provided with the
springs 29 which hold the bars extended forward beyond the face of the coupler head
the forks of the bar on the one side of every coupler being held in a vertical plane
and that of the other in a horizontal plane thus making them right and left so that
when the cars approach each other, if the coupler heads are out of line or position
with each other or if the cars meet on a curve, the guide bars will meet first, the
horizontal fork fitting into the opposite vertical fork and thus the heads with their
corresponding parts will be guided directly to each other and squarely face to face,
he ball-and-socket joint and the spring-bars 21 allowing the necessary play as
described.
The springs 29 allow the guide bars to be pressed back as the coupler heads come
together and so remain until released by the uncoupling of the cars when the springs
cause the guide bars to resume their normal position.

page_text: The guide bars are made square or some other shape not cylindrical so as
revent them turning in their bearings.
LU
In the drawings, the train pipes are shown with stop-cocks 36 which are operated by
rank arms 37 attached to the rod 33 held in proper bearings and extending outside
r to a convenient point near the outside of the car-body and having handles 35 by
bitch it may be turned and all the pipes opened or closed, as may be desired, the
osition of the handles 35 indicating whether the pipes are open or closed.
As the cars to be
The operation of the automatic hose-coupler is as follows:
oupled approach each other, the guide bars 25 will first meet and fit together so
hat their point of contact is in the fork of each. The couplers are thus properly
irected together and the male tubes enter the mouths of the female tubes and are
guided into position. The coupler heads meet and are crowded back on their springs
until the cars are coupled, the parts being connected and held together as above
lescribed.
The handles of the rod 33, being turned, the pipes are opened and communication
stablished through them between the cars.
In uncoupling the operation is exactly reversed.
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 railway car having lines of pipes for conveying water, steam, gas, air or
other fluid from car to car through a train the head 13 properly supported under
the end of the car having flexible connections with the pipes of the car and pro-
vided with male and female parts of couplings and with guides adapted to engage
corresponding guides upon a similar coupler on another car whereby in the operation
of coupling cars equipped with the heads, the heads will meet each other and
automatically connect the corresponding pipes of the different cars, and when the
cars are uncoupled and parted, the pipes will be automatically disconnected sub-
stantially as described.
2. In an automatic car pipe or hose coupler, the combination of the head or
frame 13 properly supported and connected with the train pipes and having the
bars 7 and 1 and the spring 9 with the joint 3 and the spring bars 21, by means of
which the frame or head is elastically and flexibly supported in position and when
coupled to its opposite head adjusted to the movement between the cars, substantially
as described.
3. The combination with a car-pipe or hose coupler, of the forked guide bars 25
carried and sliding in proper supports on either side of each coupler and fitted
with the springs 20 adapted each to engage the opposite guido bar of an approaching
coupler and thus guide the couplers squarely together, substantially as described.
4. In an automatic car pipe or hose coupler, the combination with the head 13
suitably supported and fastened under the ends of the car, of the male pipes or
tubes 17 in one side of the head, the female tubes or pipes 20 in the other side of
the head in number, form and relative position adapted to receive the opposite parts
of a coupler on another car, when the cars are coupled together, the branched pipes 26
fitted with the flexible hose or pipe 24 by means of which each of the train pipes
on the car is connected with both a male and a corresponding female pipe in the
frame head so that either end of a car equipped with the device can be coupled
to either end of another car similarly equipped and a continuous connection made
of any pipes or series of pipes between the cars, substantially as described.
5. In an automatic car-pipe or hose coupler, the combination with the coupler
head 13 of the bar 7, the bar 1 having the spring 9. the ball-and-socket joint 3
flexibly uniting said bars 7. and 1 the spring bars 21 the guide-bars 25 fitted with
the springs 29 and sliding in suitable supports attached to or forming a part of
the coupler-head, the male tubes 17 fixed in one side of the coupler head, the female
tubes 20. fixed. in the same relative position in the other side of the coupler head
and suitably connected with the train pipes of the car, so adapted that the male

page_text: and female parts of one coupler will engage with the female and male parts of an
opposite coupler, substantially as described.
6. In an automatic car pipe or hoso coupler the combination with the coupler
head 13 flexibly and clastically joined to and supported under or upon the car-body
and fitted with suitable elastic guides to direct its course toward the opposite coupler,
of tubes 17 projecting from the front of the head, the tubes 22 recessed in the head
and fitted with the train pipes or hose, so that each line of pipe or hose is connected at
each end with a tube 17 and a tube 22 and so adapted and adjusted that when two
cars fitted with the hose couplers are coupled together, the corresponding pipes in
both cars are automatically joined at two points and when the cars are uncoupled the
pipes are automatically disconnected substantially as described.
Bates on day of January 100.
OSCAR BENNETT GRANT.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.