Year: 1886

page_text: I DONALD MCKINNON of Tennyson, in the County of Lanark, in the Province
of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, Mechanic, 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 has for its object, to effect coupling without going between
approaching cars, and my invention consists of a drawhead having a chamber
to receive the draw link and slotted at the top longitudinally; and a block eccen-
trically pivotted in said slot to counterbalance the draw pin, so that the link on
entering the draw-head will lift the heavy end of the block, and cause the pin to
drop into the link to effect coupling.
Figure 1 is a top view of my improved car coupling, and Figure 2 is a vertical
section on line x x Figure 1.
A, is the draw-head having a flaring mouth, the vertical side cheeks cut away
at A', to allow the draw link C when coupled by the draw pin D, to swing horizon-
tally at right angles to the draw-head should the car become derailed, and cause
the link to break, to prevent derailment of the other cars.
The top of the draw-head is provided with a longitudinal slot E, in which a
block F, is pivotted eccentrically by a pin G, whereby the block will be sufficiently
heavy at the rear end to counterbalance the draw pin D when placed erect at the
forward end of slot E.
A shoulder F¹, is formed by notching out the block at the front end, to form
a bearing for the point of the draw pin and support it in an erect position ready
for coupling.
The lower edge of block F, curves downwardly and inwardly from. shoulder Fl
to the rear extremity which bears on the bottom of the chamber B, of the draw-
head when the block F is in a normal position to support pin D, so that when the
link enters the drawhead the inner end of the block will be gradually raised by
contact of the link, and the pin will then drop from its seat on shoulder F, through
the link into a hole H, in the bottom of the drawhead, and hold the link coupled.
The link when thrust back under block F, by hand, will be sustained horizon-
tally in the draw-head by the weight of the block bearing on the inner end of the
link, and enter the draw-head of another car, to effect coupling.

page_text: The bottom of the chamber B, in the draw-head rearwardly of the pin hole H,
dips downwardly and the link centrally has a bend I, so that by turning or
reversing the link a downward, or an upward inclination will be given to the outer
end of the link to suit the height of the annexing car, whereby the link will
enter the drawhead of said car to effect coupling by the link striking block F and
dislodging the coupling pin, as before described.
J, is a cap fixed to the top of the draw-head and covering slot E to exclude dirt
interfering with the gravitation of block F.
The block F is prevented from being jerked above a horizontal position on the
entrance of the link, by the rear end of the block being inclined inwardly and
downwardly and the end of slot E, being inclined to coincide therewith when the
upper edge of the block is flush with the top of the draw-head.
་
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 the draw-head A, having chamber B, pin hole H, and
longitudinal slot E, of the block F, and pin G for maintaining the coupling pin erect,
to effect coupling automatically, as set forth.
2. The combination with the draw-head A, having chamber B pin hole H and
longitudinal slot E of the block F having shoulder F1 and eccentrically pivotted
in said slot by pin G, substantially as herein shown and described.
3. The drawhead A, having recessed sides A¹, slot E, and pin hole H, in com-
bination with pin G and block F having shoulder F¹ substantially as herein shown
and described.