Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Aug., 1887.
Specification Accepted, 27th Sept., 1887.
I JAMES LIONEL RANKINE of Topeka, in the County of Shawnee and State of
Kansas, United States of America, Mechanical 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 :-
This invention relates generally to car couplings, and particularly to that class
wherein the coupling pin is so hung as to be capable of vertical movement to
release a coupling link, and capable of a swinging movement to permit the insertion
of a link without the necessity of the withdrawal of the pin for that purpose.
It is the object of the present invention, among other things, to so improve the
structure of this class of coupling as to adapt it not only for use with like couplings,
but with those of other makes employing a coupling link, and to enable it to meet all
the exigencies to which it may in its use be subjected.
To this end the invention consists in the novel structure hereinafter set forth, and
in combinations of parts all of which are too fully hereinafter specified to need
preliminary description here.
In the accompanying drawings a practical embodiment of the present invention is
illustrated in which:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved car coupling and a portion of a car
body provided with means for raising the coupling pin for uncoupling from a distant
point.
Fig. 2 is a plan view partly in section of a pair of the improved couplings connected
together by a coupling link or links.
Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the same taken on the line x, x, of figure 2.
Figure 4 is a like view illustrating the improved coupling in connection with one
of the well known forms of old couplings, showing them in the act of being coupled.
Fig. 5 is a diagram to be hereinafter referred to.
of Fig. 3. and
Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section taken on the line
Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of a part to be hereinafter described.
Referring to said drawings it is to be understood
that A represents the draw head

page_text: of the improved coupling provided with the usual flared mouth to properly direct the
coupling link into the opening in the head, and provided with the usual draw bar I,
and secured to the ear in the ordinary manner.
The class of couplings to which this invention particularly relates, although some
of its features might obviously be used in other classes of couplings, employs two
coupling pins which thus adapts it for use with two coupling links. In the present
instance the coupling head is provided with two pins B, D, the former adapted
to automatically couple a link presented to it by another coupling, and the latter
to confine a link which its coupling carries for presenting to another coupling.
The coupling pin B is seated in suitable slots or openings 10, 12. provided
respectively in the top and bottom portions of the head and is adapted to secure a
coupling link as C to its head. This pin B is pivotally connected at 13, to suitable
links 14, preferably arranged upon its opposite sides which are each in turn pivoted
at 11 to ears or other projections 15, formed on the top portion of the coupling head.
The effect of so connecting the coupling pin, as seen in Fig. 5, is to enable it to
swing in arcs of two circles, one are described by the end of the pin in swinging
rearward on pivot 13, and the other in an arc described from the pivot 11, upon
which the links 14 move in raising the pin from the opening 12. From which
movements it results that when the pin is in its normal position as shown, a coupling
link carried by an adjacent coupling head in abutting against said pin in the act of
being inserted within the head will vibrate or swing said pin upwards so as to permit
the link to pass under it, which, when its opening has arrived at the proper point, will
vibrate or swing by its weight back to its normal position and be thus automatically
projected through and secure the link to the head. To release the coupling link, the
pin may be raised and swung slightly rearward by the motion of the links 14, sufficient
to permit the withdrawal of the coupling link.
"
The other coupling pin D, is also held in suitable openings in the head, but instead
of being located in close proximity with the pivoted and swinging pin B, and in front,
of the vertical flange 20, (which acts as a stop to contact with the "dead wood F,
of the car body H, when the coupling heads of adjoining cars are pressed together,)
it is located in rear of the said flange so that normally the "dead wood" will project
slightly over its head, as shown by dotted lines Fig. 3, and thus prevent said pin from
being withdrawn to release the link C, which is engaged by it.
This feature is of considerable importance in practice as it prevents any malicious
tampering with the coupling, either by stealing the pin or removing the link which
it secures in place, and thus the coupling provided to all intents and purposes
with a permanent link which is always in place and ready to serve the purpose of
coupling cars together.
Such a structure, and indeed in other structures not employing a link permanently
connected thereto, also requires to be adapted to hold a link in such a manner as to
enable the coupling it is secured to, to be coupled with couplings of other makes, so that
the presence of such a link will not interfere with its capacity to couple another link
presented to it, with equal readiness.
To this end the coupling head is provided with a chamber or pocket E extending
rearward a sufficient distance to permit a coupling link as C, to be pushed into and
be wholly contained within the head without interfering with the ready operation and
manipulation of the coupling pin B, as shown in Fig. 4. While it is preferable in
practice that this pocket should be of such size as to enable it to contain the entire
link, so that its end does not project beyond the mouth of the coupling head, it should
be stated that this is not essential so long as the greater portion of the link is removed
from projecting from the head. In order that the link so inserted shall be held in
such position as not to obstruct the passage of another link into the same head to be
coupled thereto the front end of the link is preferably elevated or the link inclined in
the manner shown, and thus provide a clear space for the passage of a link C,
presented to it by another or an ordinary coupling head as G. The link is raised and
supported in this position by providing the pocket E with a seat 17 extending
across its bottom between the vertical side walls of the pocket and with a guide 18

page_text: extending from the rear wall of the pocket. Although this guide may simply consist
of a projection permitting the end of the coupling link to project below and bear
against it, it is preferably provided with an inclined face as shown, so that the end of
the coupling link projecting over the seat 17 in abutting against its face will be guided
downward, and thus rocked so as to elevate the opposite end of the link and when in
this position be confined between the rest 17 and guide 18. Of course it is obvious
that the seat and guide might be so arranged as to hold the link inclined in the
opposite direction, but as this would necessitate some slight additions thereto to keep
the link in its inclined position, the mode shown is to be preferred.
With the present experience of railway engineers a coupling should also be adapted
to so couple cars together as to have little or no slack between the coupling links and
the pins. Such slack is reduced to the minimum in the present improved structure
by the novel construction now to be described.
The head of the pin B is provided with a projecting nose 21, best seen in Fig. 5,
which normally lies in contact with the flange 22 of the flared mouth (it may be
provided in any other manner), so that a link as C, (represented in dotted lines) in
moving against the lower end of the pin to swing it rearwardly to be coupled thereby
tends to rock the pins on the pivot B and cause its head to be rocked in the opposite
direction in so doing however its nose 21 is pressed against the flange 22 in such a
manner as to partially offset its tendency to rock, the result of which will be to cause
the nose to ride on said flange and the end of the pin to be raised nearly in a vertical
direction or so little does it rock to one side that immediately the centre of the metal
portion of the end 8 of the link underlies the inclined end 23 of the pin, the latter
by its weight will at once slide off the end 8, and fall into its opening and thus secure
the link, without the necessity of there being any considerable slack between it and
the pin.
The seat 17 also serves as a stop against which the coupling link as C may bear to
prevent it from being moved rearward when it is presented to and abuts against the
coupling pin B, in the act of coupling.
The side walls of the coupling head A are preferably perforated by an opening 7
so as to lighten the casting as much as possible, and to provide an opening by means
of which the interior of the head may be seen. These perforations also impart a
certain amount of elasticity to the head and enable it to resist the great strain it is
subjected to when adjoining coupling heads are brought suddenly in contact with one
another. Means are also provided by which the automatic coupling pin B may be
raised to take its end out of the opening 12 in the head so as to release a coupling
link. These means consist in a rod 9 suitably supported over the coupling head A in
any convenient manner such for instance as the body H of a car, see Fig. 1.
This rod is provided with a stud 6, projecting therefrom and connected by a chain
or other means, with the head of the pin B. The rod is also provided at its end
with handles by which it may be slightly rotated, to rock the stud 6 and raise the
coupling pin. In this movement of the stud it passes one or more hooks 4 which
project from a plate secured to car body as shown, and are adapted to be engaged by
one of the hooks by moving the rod and its stud laterally a short distance, see Fig. 7,
and thus support the coupling pin B, in its raised position should it be necessary to
do so.
By providing two hooks one on either side of the stud its rod may be moved
laterally in either direction, and the coupling pin raised without the necessity of the
brakeman going between the cars.
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 :-
1. The combination with a car coupling and the "dead wood" to which it is secured
of two coupling pins carried by said coupling, one located under said "dead wood,"
substantially as described.
2. The herein before described car coupling provided with a pocket adapted to receive
and contain the coupling link, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a car coupling provided with a pocket for containing the

page_text: full length of the coupling link and having two coupling pins, substantially as
described.
4. The herein described car coupling provided with a pocket adapted to receive and
contain the coupling link and means such as are described for including the link and
supporting it in its inclined position, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a car coupling provided with a pocket for receiving the full
length of the coupling link, a seat as 17 and a guide for supporting the link in an
inclined position, substantially as described.
6. The combination of a car coupling provided with a pocket for receiving the full
length of the coupling link, a seat and an inclined guide, substantially as described.
7. The combination with a car coupling provided with a flange as 22, of a coupling
pin having a nose for contacting therewith substantially as described.
S. The combination with a car coupling of a pivoted coupling pin provided with
the nose 21, substantially as described.
9. The combination with a car coupling and a flange as 22, of a coupling pin having
a nose for contacting with said flange and pivoted to links as 14, substantially as
described.
10. The combination with a car coupling and its coupling pin, of a rotatable rod
connected with said pin and a hook as 4, substantially as described.
11. The combination with a car coupling and its coupling pin of a rotatable rod
having a projecting stud connected with said pin and a pair of hooks 4 with which
said stud may be engaged, substantially as described.
12. A car coupling having its side walls perforated by openings 7, substantially as
described.
Dated this 23rd day of August 1887
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Applicant's Agent.