improvements in Manway Car oupings.
Year: 1886

page_text: improvements in Manway Car
oupings.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN of 67 Strand in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, a communication to
me from abroad by David Lawson Richards of St. John, New Brunswick, Canada,
Manufacturer and in what manner the same is to be performed to be, particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 a side elevation. Fig. 3 a front end view and
Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections of a draw bar provided with this invention,
the nature of which is defined in the claim or claims hereinafter presented→
a shackling link being shown as connected by a chain to the draw bar.
Fig. 6 is a side elevation and Fig. 7 a rear view of the coupling pin, its lifter
and latch to be described.
•
In Fig. 4, the shackling pin is shown as down or in its lowest position, whereas
in Fig. 5 it is represented as up, or in its higher position.
In such drawings the draw bar A is shown as having in rear of its flaring or
trumpet mouth a, a recess or chamber b, whose bottom is inclined in manner ás
represented at c, such inclined bottom being for the coupling link B to rest on,
in order to bring it into a proper position for coupling with another draw bar.
The coupling pin shown at C, has extending rearward from it a projection a,
which I term the "link holder "-such projection, when the pin is down through
the link, being to rest on such link and hold it in its position on the inclined
plane c.
In the draw bar head, there is in rear of the shackling pin passage f another
passage g which is for the projection d, and the gravitating latch extending down
therefrom to pass through.

page_text: In raising the pin to the position as shown in Fig. 5, the latch, by its specific
gravity, will fall forward and rest on the inclined plane c, and in so doing will hold
the pin in its elevated position. On the link being forced into the chamber, or
recess b and against the latch-the latter will be crowded off the inclined plane c
Bo as to allow the pin to drop downwards through the link and shackle it to the.
draw bar.
There is pivoted to the projection & at its upper part a bar or lifter L which by
a chain may be connected with the draw bar-such chain being to prevent the
pin from being accidentally extracted or pulled upward out of the draw-bar.
The vibratory or gravitating latch h, is a weighted arm, formed as shown, its
upper part a¹, being furcated and standing at or about at, a right angle to the part
or shank b¹ below it such shank terminating in a foot or weight c³, whose lower.
end or bottom, is inclined as shown at d³, and to a stop or projection e¹ extending
down therefrom. The part a¹ embraces the projection d, and is connected thereto
by a pin f going through such part a³, and a short slot g' formed vertically in the
projection d. Such projection d is chambered on each of its opposite sides as
shown at h¹, to receive the prongs of the fork or part a¹, the latch having a
thickness corresponding to that of the projection. The part of the projection that
extends between the said prongs is inclined on its lower edge as shown at .
The latch has a slight-vertical play or movement relatively to the projection d
in order to relieve the connection pin of the latch from wear-for, when the latch
is resting on the inclined plane c; the projection d will not bear down upon the
said connection pin f¹but will rest directly upon the top of the latch. So whon
the pin C is in an elevated position, the upper part of the latch will be supported
by the projection d, without the connection pin f' boaring on the bottom of the
slot through which it passes.
By pulling the lifter upward, the coupling pin C may be elevated, so as to enable
the latch to move forward and rest on the inclined plane c.
To set the link of one for coupling with the drawbar of another car, the
shackling pin of such first car is to be dropped so as to extend through the link
and cause the link holder to rest upon the link and hold it in an inclined position
on the bottom or inclined plane of the link chamber. The shackling pin of the
second car should be raised so as to cause its latch to rest on the inclined plane
below it. On the link being driven into the draw bar, the latch will be forced
backward off the inclined plane and the shackling pin will drop through the link
and shackle it to the draw bar.
From the draw bar there extends downwards a projection I which is grooved or
chambered vertically so as to surround the latch when it is down or in its lowest
position, such projection being to serve as a guard to prevent the latch when down,
from being accidentally struck, injured, or bent by any object.
The shackling link B is connected with the draw-bar by a short chain S which
prevents loss of the link when not in a draw bar.
To prevent the said chain S from being jammed and injured by the draw bars,
when butting together, I provide each draw bar with a recess or notch in the part
of the butting end, about which the chain extends in going from the link to the
eye or attachment of the chain to the draw bar-the said recess or notch being
shown at m. It may have a depth a little greater than the width of the chain in
order for the said draw bar to operate with another draw bar unprovided with
such a recess,
By having the gravitating latch furcated in its upper part and such part bent at,
or about at; a right angle to the shank and by having the link holder chambered
or recessed on its opposite sides to receive the said upper part of the latch, the
chamber and said upper part constitute stops to prevent the latch from being
driven too far back within the draw bar,
Some of the advantages of this improved car coupling may be thus enumerated.
It is simple in construction and honominal in anot It will counte

page_text: automatically under most, if rct all, conditions whether with a draw bar of like or
different construction, and on a curved or straight track with the draw bar of one
car above that of the other. It is easy to uncouple from another one, a car provided
with it and if desirable, it can be set so as not to couple. It cannot readily be
accidentally uncoupled by jarring or straining of the cars while running. Its link
cannot be easily lost, as it is connected with the draw bar by a chain-nor can its
coupling or shackling pin be easily lost. It meets most, if not all, the requirements
of train-men, while coupling together a series of cars in order to form of them
a train, or in uncoupling them in order to break up or separate them when in
train.
By having the inclines d and to the latch and link holder, as explained, they
operate to prevent the latch from being accidently thrown back ward off the
inclined plane in case of the car being struck in rear by another one.
In
When two cars are coupled, the gravitating power of the latch causes it to swing
forward when the pin is lifted to uncouple them and to rest on the link when such
link is in such chamber and in position for the cars to be separated-In coupling
two cars, the link on one draw bar enters the mouth of the other draw bar and
shoves the latch therein off the inclined bottom or plane of the link chambers—
thereby enabling the pin to drop through the link so as to couple the cars.
uncoupling them, the attendant is to lift the pin high enough to draw it out of the
link and carry the latch above the link, in order for the latch to move forward and
rest on the link until the cars are separated. The opening at the top of the draw
bar I usually cover with a cap having a hole through it for the passage of the
lifter, such cap serving to prevent snow or rain or other matter-from getting
into the said passage.
To centralize the link and prevent it from choking in the link chambor, such
chamber tapers on its sides, it decreasing in width from its top downward-and
besides, its back slopes or curves upward as shown at a³ so as to cause the chamber
to be deeper in its upper part than it is at its bottom.
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 of the draw bar having in rear of its flaring mouth the
chamber provided with the inclined bottom-and also having passages for the
shackling pin and its link holder and latch to move in-with the shackling pin,
its chambered projection or link holder and the gravitating latch spanning and
pivoted to the said link holder and arranged therewith and with the draw bar
essentially in manner and to operate substantially as set forth.
2. The combination of the draw bar having in rear of its flaring mouth the
chamber provided with the inclined bottom, and also having passages for the
shackling pin and its link holder and latch to move in-with the shackling pin,
its link holder, recessed on its opposite sides as described, and with the gravitating
latch pivoted to such link holder and furcated in its upper part and having such
part bent or arranged at a right angle, or thereabouts, with the shank of such latch,
all being substantially as described.
3. The link holder chambered on its opposite sides and provided with the vertical
slot in combination with the gravitating latch, having its upper part furcated and
bent at, or about at, a right angle to the shank-and connected to the link holder
by a pin going through the slot and the prongs of the said upper part-all being
substantially as set forth.
4. The draw bar provided with the grooved or chambered projection-the link
receiving chamber, and the passages for the shackling pin and its link holder and
latch to work in-in combination with the said pin link holder, and the gravitating
latch constructed and arranged and applied substantially as set forth.
5. The draw bar notched or recessed in the abutment of its mouth and connected
by a chain to the coupling link-and provided with the link receiving chamber, in

page_text: combination with such link and with the coupling pin-the link holder and the
gravitating latch constructed, arranged and applied substantially as set forth.
6. The combination of the link holder provided with the incline d, with the
gravitating latch provided with the incline ¹, and connected with such link holder
substantially as described,
7. The link chamber decreasing in width and depth from its top downward as
described.