AN IM- PROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND SIMILAR VEHICLES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Barlow, of No. 23, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN IM-
PROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND SIMILAR VEHICLES." A communication from abroad
by Frank Gibford, of Newton, in the County of Jasper, and State of Iowa, in
the United States of America.
Sealed the 13th December 1878, and dated the 15th June 1878.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Charles Barlow at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th June 1878.
"
CHARLES BARLOW, of No. 23, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex. AN IMPROVED MEANS OF AND APPARATUS FOR COUPLING
AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND SIMILAR VEHICLES." A com-
munication from abroad by Frank Gibford, of Newton, in the County of Jasper, and
State of Iowa, in the United States of America.
This Invention has relation to improvements in automatic couplings, wherein
the coupling is effected by the interlocking of two laterally movable draw bars, and
consists,―
Firstly. In a draw head composed of a shank and two spaced triangular plates
removably secured thereto, the one upon its upper and the other upon its lower
horizontal surface, in the space between which plates the shank of the draw bar of
the other car will be received when the coupling is effected.
Secondly. In forming the rear end of these plates slightly bevilled, so that when
the heads are interlocked they will have a rocking or tangential bearing upon each
other, which will cause the cars to be automatically uncoupled, should any of them
jump the track.
And, Thirdly. In certain novel and advantageous combinations of lovers and

page_text: flexible connections for throwing the heads out of engagement with each other,
either from the top or sides of the car.
In the accompanying Drawings Figure 1 is a bottom view of my improved
coupler; Figure 2 is an end view of the car body, shewing the uncoupling levers;
and Figures 3, 4, and 5 are detail views of the draw head."
A, A', are two ordinary cars mounted in any usual or preferred manner upon
wheels B, and C represents my improved draw bar supported at or near the middle
of its length by a depending stirrup 8, and secured to the car body or truck in such
a manner as to have free lateral vibration upon its point of attachment to the
same car body or truck.
The draw bar is composed of a rectangular shank or stem a and an enlarged
head a composed of the bevilled or rounded end of said stem, and two triangular
metallic plates b, which are secured the one to the upper and the other to the lower
horizontal face of the shank, thus forming a grooved extending from front to heel
of the heads. The plates b are curved upon one of their faces e, and are secured
removably to the shank by means of bolts extending through and through the
heads, or in lieu of the bolts by means of a rectangular key or keys extending
downward through registering slots in the said plates and stem.
The draw bar has a free horizontal vibratory motion with reference to the car.
Thus in the act of coupling, the curved faces of the heads come in contact, the draw
bars yield laterally, thereby allowing the said heads to pass each other. When
this is accomplished they are forced back into their original position, thereby
causing the heads to interlock by a U shaped metallic spring S secured at one end
to the stirrup and bearing with the other against the shank of the said draw bar.
The rear edge of the plates b is at right angles to the shank's length from its
outer end to the edge of the said shank, as shewn at i, but from the inner to the
outer edge of the shank it is bevilled, as shewn at ', consequently when the heads
are interlocked they haven rocking or rolling bearing upon each other, which allows a
curve to be turned without twisting the plates, and gives a plain bearing in so
doing. The inner walls of the plates bare bevilled, so that the channel between is
narrower at bottom than at top, the effect of which is to uncouple the cars in the
event of one of them jumping the track.
The cars are uncoupled by means of a master lever G connected by means of a
chaing to the draw bar, and fulcrumed at g' to the end of the car.
The power
end of this lever is connected by a chain h to a second lever H. extending upward
to the top of the car, both of the said levers being extended through guides 7.
By thrusting lever H in a proper direction it will, through the medium of chain g
and lever G, cause the draw bar to vibrate laterally and effect the uncoupling.
Lever G is connected by means of a chain k with an angular vertically vibrating
lever M, the power arm of which extends through a guide beyond the side of the
car. By thrusting lever M down, the draw bar will swing laterally without affecting
the lever H, owing to the chains 9, k.
The triangular plates b being removably secured to the shank or stem may be
renewed when broken or worn out, or transferred to another stem, should the first
be broken.
•
By forming the draw bar in sections, as above described, they may be made of
wrought iron at a comparatively small expense, as its component parts may be
forged separately, instead of being rolled out.
Having now described my Invention, what I claim as new and desire to securé
'by Letters Patent is,―
First. The barbed draw head, consisting of the rectangular stem a and the tri-
angular plates 6 removably secured thereto, substantially as set forth.
Second. The draw bar, having the angular channelled head a¹ and the bevilled
heel, substantially as specified.
Third. The combination with the laterally vibrating draw bar C, the master
lever G, and the chain g, of the lever H, its chain h, the lever M, and its chain k,
as and for the purposes specified.

page_text: Fourth. The combination with the draw bar C and its stirrup s of the U shaped
spring S, substantially as described for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Barlow, have hereunto set my hand and
scal, this Fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and seventy-eight.
CHARLES BARLOW. (L.S.)