Improvements in and relating to Car Couplers.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Car Couplers.
I, JACOB ZILIUS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at
Huntingdon, in the County of Huntingdon and State of Pennsylvania, one of the
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 consists in an automatic car coupler, which possesses the practical
advantages of simplicity of construction, strength and durability in all its working
parts, and extreme effectiveness in operation; and the invention will be hereinafter
fully described and claimed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
:-
Figure 1 is a top plan view of the ends of two cars provided with my invention,
showing the same uncoupled;
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the draw-heads coupled together;
Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the sliding actuating plate lowered;
Figure 4 is a similar view showing the said plate raised;
Figure 5 is a bottom plan view, and
Figure 6 is a detail view.
The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
Referring to the several parts by their designating numerals:-1 indicates the
end-sill which extends transversely beneath the end of a car.
The draw-bar 2, of
my coupler extends beneath the end-sill preferably, running back between two
frame-pieces 3, 3, which converge towards their inner ends, across which a bearing-
plate 4 is secured. A headed rod 5, extends through the central opening 4" of the
bearing-plate into a longitudinal opening 2ª formed in the stem of the draw-bar,
being held in place therein by a retaining-bolt 6. A buffer-spring 7 encircles the
rod 5 between the rear end of the draw-bar and the bearing-plate 4.
The outer end of the draw-bar is formed with the draw-head 8, having on one
side the locking-lip 9, and on the other the outwardly-extending curved lip 10.
The draw-bar, just back of the draw-head, is bevelled or inclined on its opposite
sides at 11, in the same inclined plane, to adapt it to fit with, and be readily
actuated by the slotted actuating-plate 12. This plate or casting, which is of
sufficient thickness to give it the desired weight, fits loosely within a recess formed
in the end-sill, and is formed with the oblique opening 12" to adapt it to fit and
slide down upon the draw-bar. A lever 13, mounted in suitable bearings on the
end of the car, has its cranked inner end 14, connected by a short chain 15 with an
eyed stem 16 which rises from the top of the actuating-block.
In operation, when the actuating-block or plate 12 is raised by the lever 13, it
will be seen that its inclined sides, formed by the block opening 12" will slide the
outer end of the draw-bar outward; the opening in the bearing-plate 4 being of
sufficient size to admit of this movement; and a series of small rollers 17 are
mounted in the bearing-plate 18 beneath the outer part of the draw-bar, as shown,
and support the weight of the draw-bar and take up the friction as the bar slides
from side to side. When the actuating-plate 12 has been raised to its highest point,
the pressure of the spring 7 pushes the draw-bar slightly out so that the upper end
of the shoulder 11" on its side engages under a shoulder 12b, formed on the inner
side of the actuating-plate. The plate is thus locked and held in its raised position,
holding the draw-head moved outward to one side. When the two cars to be
coupled come together, the curved ends of the locking-lips 9 strike against the

page_text: curved faces 10 and the draw-bars are pushed back sufficiently to clear their
shoulders 11 from the locking shoulders 12 of the actuating-plates, when the
latter drop by their own weight, and as they slide down upon the draw-bars their
inclined sides slide the draw-bars inward, until the locking lips 9 are closely
engaged with each other, as shown in Figure 2, thus securely locking the draw-
heads together. The upper and lower sides of each locking lip or hook, back of
its point
or end, are closed by an integral hood-piece 9ª, beneath which the point
of the other draw-head hook fits; and this construction will effectually prevent
either hook dropping or becoming disengaged while the cars are running over
uneven grades.
To uncouple cars, it is only necessary to turn the levers to raise the actuating
plates 12, when their inclined sides slide both draw-heads outward, until their
locking hooks will clear each other; and the shouldered draw-bars, pushed out by
their buffer-springs, engage the shoulders 12b of the actuating plates, and the
couplings are thus locked or
" set
in their uncoupled positions ready to
automatically couple when two of the cars are brought together.
"
In order to enable a car provided with my coupler to couple with one having the
old style of link-and-pin coupling, the end of the hook is formed with a horizontal
slot 20 (see Figure 3), adapted to receive the end of an ordinary link, and with a
vertical aperture 19 (see Figure 1) for the common coupling-pin. It will be seen
that by removing the retaining bolt 6 which holds the headed rod 5 in the draw-bar
stem, that said bar can be readily removed when the buffer spring becomes worn,
and the spring thus readily replaced; or the draw-bar itself can be removed with
equal readiness. It will be seen that all the parts of my automatic car coupler are
simple, strong and durable in their construction, while the coupler is exceedingly
effective and satisfactory in its operation.
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. A car coupler comprising a draw-bar loosely secured at its inner end, capable of
lateral movement at its outer end, and having a hooked draw-head, and a vertically
movable actuating-plate formed with an inclined opening 12ª ; substantially as
set forth.
2. In an automatic car coupler, the combination of the draw-bar loosely secured
at its inner end, supported near its outer end on a transverse bearing, and having
the hooked draw-head at its outer end, and the vertically moving actuating-plate 12
formed with the inclined opening 12" and engaging with the outer end of the draw-
bar substantially as set forth.
3. In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of the draw-bar loosely secured
at its inner end, capable of lateral movement at its outer end, and having the
draw-head formed with the outwardly-extending curved lip 10 and the hook 9
having the integral hood-pieces 9" beyond which the point of the hook extends,
and the vertically movable actuating-plate 12 having the inclined opening and
engaging with the outer end of the draw-bar; substantially as set forth.
4. In an automatic car coupler, the combination of a suitable bearing plate, as 4,
the draw-bar having a headed rod extending from its rear end loosely through said
plate and a bumper spring encircling the rod between the plate and draw-bar, the
draw-bar being formed at its outer end with the inclined sides 11 and shoulders 11"
and with the hooked draw-head, and the vertically moving actuating-plate 12
formed with the inclined opening 12" and the stop-shoulder 12b, adapted to engage
the shoulder 11" of the draw-bar; substantially as set forth.
5. In an automatic car coupler, the combination of the draw-bar loosely secured
at its inner end, capable of lateral movement at its outer end, and having the
hooked draw-head, the bearing-frame 18 having the series of small rollers journaled
transversely in it, and secured transversely beneath the laterally-movable outer end

page_text: of the draw-bar, and the vertically movable actuating-plate having the inclined
opening and engaging with the outer end of the draw-head; substantially as
set forth.
Dated this Twenty-ninth day of August 1893.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.