THE DRAWINGS
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 9th May, 1896
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan part being in section showing two coupler heads A-B constructed
in accordance with my invention and having their parts as shown at A in open
position and at B, in locked position.
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a
vertical cross section on the line III-III of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a side
elevation.
Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section of a modification.
The coupler 2 is of the usual type. It has two jaws 3 and 4, and is provided
with an internal cavity or recess which extends laterally into the jaw 4 and is
adapted to permit the coupling knuckle 5 to swing upon its pivot pin 6. This
knuckle is formed with an outer arm b, and an inner and preferably longer arm or
tail which project substantially at right angles to each other, and the rear side of
the tail is formed with a hook d. In order to hold the knuckle in locked position
(the position shown in Fig. 2 and at B in Fig. 1.), I employ an angled locking and
opening piece set within the coupler-head and shown most clearly on Sheets 2 and 3
of the drawings. The upper and transversely extending member or arme of this
angled piece reaches over the tail of the knuckle. Its dependent block or head 7
is adapted to fit in front of and to lock the knuckle when in closed position, and its
dependent arm, which extends downwardly at the rear of the knuckle and is
substantially upright when the knuckle is in locked position, passes through a guide-
hole g in the floor of the coupler. When the knuckle is locked, the head 7 of the
angled piece fits between the front side of the knuckle tail and the shoulder h on
the coupler-head, but when the angled piece is raised it moves above the knuckle
and out of its path of motion.
To release the knuckle, and to permit it to be swung into the open position shown
at A in Fig. 1, the brakeman, by the mechanism hereinafter described, raises the
angled piece until the end of its head 7 clears the tail of the knuckle and passes
above the horizontal path of its motion, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, where-
upon the knuckle can be swung open, either by direct action of the hand or by
continuing the lifting of the angled piece until a notchi on the upward side of its
member e engages a projecting rib or shoulder 9 on the coupler-head, whereupon

page_text: the angled piece will tip radially in a vertical plane in a direction transverse to the
length of the drawbar. Such radial motion of the angled piece, by bringing its
rearwardly depending arm into action upon the rear side of the tail of the kouckle,
will move the knuckle outwardly into open position. When the knuckle is swung
back to locking position, the rear side of the knuckle-tail will then engage the
arm fand will move the angled piece so as to carry the said arm back towards a
vertical position, until its lower end comes into register with the hole g, and then
the angled piece will drop by gravity, its arm fentering the hole, and its head 7
adjusting itself in front of the knuckle tail and locking the knuckle, as shown in
Fig. 2, and at the coupler-head B in Fig. 1.
There is on the under and forward sides of the head 7 of the angled piece a bevel
or inclined surface j and at the upper and rear corner of the head a parallel bevel
or incline. These bevels are so formed as to match and to correspond to parallel
bevelled surfaces m and n, which are situate at the sides of the coupler-head and
form a short groove or passage, within which the head 7 may travel in its upward
and downward motions. The consequence is that when the angled piece is lifted
for the purpose of unlocking the knuckle, its head does not move in a single vertical
plane, but being guided by the bevelled surfaces m and n moves also forward,
turning with a radial motion on the axis of the dependent arm f. This radial
motion continues until the initial lifting of the angled piece has been completed and
until its member e has been brought into contact with the shoulder 9. In like
manner when the angled piece is dropped in the act of locking the knuckle, the
engagement of the surface j on the head 7 with the surface m on the coupier-head
causes the member e to turn backwardly with a radial motion on the axis of the
vertical arm fand thus to move its head toward the throat of the coupler.
The device for lifting the locking mechanism, and it is to this that my present
invention more particularly relate, consists of a continuous, single bell-crank lever 10
which extends through a vertical slot in the side of the coupler-head, and is pivoted
thereto at 11. The inner end of the lever is beneath the head 7 of the angled piece,
and the pivotal axis of the lever is inclined so that when it is turned thereon it shall
move, not in a vertical plane, but in an inclined path, corresponding to the inclined
path of motion of the head 7. The consequence is that if the lever be turned, the
rising of its inner end will engage and lift the head of the angled piece, tipping it
radially as above described, and will follow it and maintain contact with it throughout
its motion. The lever is not attached to the angled piece, but fits freely and loosely
beneath it. After the angled piece has been raised as above described and is released,
the lever will drop down into the position shown in Fig. 2.
As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the lever when applied to passenger-car couplers is
curved upwardly on the outside of the coupler head and is connected by a chain or
link 12 to an operating lever pivoted to the car platform, so that by manipulating
said lever the chain or link is pulled laterally and the lever 10 rocked on its pivot
to unlock and tip the angled piece.
Figure 5 shows the application of the device to the coupler of a gravel train,
where the operating chain or link 12 extends under the coupling head to the side
of the car. The construction here is the same as above described, except that the
outer arm of the lever is curved downwardly.
The advantages of my invention will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.
The device is simple, easy of operation, and is very strong and durable.
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
clain is
First. A car coupler, having a lock adapted to be lifted to free the knuckle, and
an oscillatory upwardly movable lock-lifting lever which is single and continuous,
is fulcrumed in the coupling head, extending through the side thereof in a vertical
direction, the inner end of the lever being situated beneath the lock but unattached
thereto, and the outer end being connected by a chain or link 12 which extends in

page_text: a transverse direction to an operating lever and is adapted to be pulled thereby;
substantially as described.
Second. A car coupler having a lock adapted to be lifted with a vertical motion
combined with a motion lengthwise of the drawbar as described, and a lever which
extends through the side of the coupling head beneath the lock, the said lever being
pivoted on a fulcrum inclined to the horizontal so that it shall follow the lock in
its motion; substantially as described.
Third. A car coupler having a tipping angled locking device, having a portion
which extends back of the knuckle tail for opening the same, and another portion
which extends over and in front of the tail for locking it, and an oscillatory
upwardly movable lock-lifting lever fulcrumed in the coupler head and extending
through the side thereof, the inner end of the lever being situate beneath the
locking device, but unattached thereto, substantially as described.
Dated the 4th day of April 1896
J.
JOHNSON,
Patent Office, 4 Clayton Square, Liverpool.