Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Complete specification Len,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
I, JAMES MONROE STARK, of 209 Sherman Street, Detroit, Michigan, United
States of America, Flagman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in car couplers, and
consists in a certain construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully set
forth, the essential features of which being pointed out particularly in the claims.
The object of the invention is to provide an automatic car-coupler, and one that
is reliable and effective in operation, and in which the arrangement is such as to
permit of the cars being readily and safely uncoupled.
This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing,
in which;-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved coupler in a coupled position.
Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section through the same.
Fig. 3 is an elevation of the coupling face of the draw-head, showing the jaw
and operating tumbler therein.
Fig. 4 is a plan of the draw-head.
Referring to the letters of reference, A indicates the draw-head, which is provided
with the usual draw-bar B. Said draw-head is composed of two adjacent side
plates C which extend parallel, and between which is pivoted the coupling jaw D,
by the pin a, which passes through said plates and jaw.
The forward end of the pivoted jaw D projects beyond the side plates C, of the
draw-head, and is provided with the extended approximate flanges b, having the
registering apertures c for the reception of the ordinary coupling pin, enabling
the draw-head to be attached to a car having the common link and pin coupling.
The grappling point e of the jaw D, describes an acute angle, and its engaging
face inclines inward and forward so that when the jaws of the opposed draw-heads
are brought into engagement with one another, they will be securely locked together,
as shown in Fig. 2.
Formed integral with the jaw D, is a rearwardly extending plate E, which lies
against the edges of the side plates C of the draw-head, and is normally held in
place by the tension of the spring d, which is mounted on the draw-head and bears
upon the free end of the said plate.
F indicates the tumbler, the office of which is to disengage the coupling jaws in
the operation of uncoupling. Said tumbler lies horizontally within the draw-head,
and is eccentrically pivoted between the side plates C thereof, by means of the
vertical pin or shaft h, on which said tumbler is fixed, and which is journaled in said
plates. The upper end of said shaft being provided with the crank A', to afford
means for actuating said tumbler.
The tumbler F stands obliquely in the draw-head, when in its normal position,

page_text: CLAIM 4.
In a car coupler, the combination of the draw-heads composed of adjacent plates,
the engaging jaws eccentrically pivoted between said plates forward of their
engaging point, said jaws having the rearwardly extending plates that project onto
the edges of the plates of the draw-heads to resist the draught upon said jaws when
in engagement, the tumblers pivoted in the draw-heads, said tumblers being adapted
to withdraw the jaw of the head in which they are pivoted, and engage and depress
the jaw in the opposed head.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1893.