Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1892-Accepted, 2nd Apr., 1892
I, DAVID STARK, of No. 421 California Street, in the City and County of San
Francisco, State of California, United States of America, Engineer, 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 relates to automatic couplings for railway cars, and it consists in
certain parts and combination of parts, as hereinafter more particularly described
and specified, producing a universal coupling having several improved points and
features of construction and operation.
The nature of my said improvements and the manner in which I proceed to apply
and carry out the same will be understood from the following description in which
the accompanying drawing is referred to by figures and letters :-
Figure 1 represents in side elevation the platforms and portions of the ends of
two cars coupled together.
Figure 2 is a plan or top view of the parts of the coupling and the timbers of the
platform.
Figure 3 is an end view in elevation of the coupling and a portion of the car-
platform.
Figure 4 is a top view in detail of a draw-head and its draw-bar.
Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4.
Figure 6 shows two different forms of coupling link.
The draw-head of this coupling is formed of two jaws or parts A A. connected
together at the inner end by a hinge-joint and united by that joint, also, to the end
of the spring draw-bar B.
The end of the draw-bar has an eye b that fits between the two outer knuckles a a
of one jaw together with the knuckles a* a* of the other jaw and the bolt C unites
them together.
On this joint the two jaws open laterally to take in the head of the coupling
bolt and on it as a centre, also, the closed draw-head is movable laterally
under the angular movements of the car-body on its trucks, as in turning curves
on the road.
The inner end of the draw-bar passes through two plates B' B' and these are
carried by brackets B on the longitudinal timbers XX.
Elliptic springs G G, are set between the timbers X X and the sides of the jaws
to hold them together.
To open the draw-head a wedge-shape bar H is set between the two jaws in
front of the hinge-joint and is connected with a hand-lever 1 operated from the car
platform. The upper end of the bar is attached to the outer end of an arm h fixed
on the end of a short rock-shaft, and the hand-lever is fixed on this shaft. The
lower end of the bar is reduced in width and sets in the slot when the jaws are
closed, while the pertion above outside of the slot has greater width with inclined
sides that act to spread the jaws apart when pressed down between them. The
point of the wedge resting in the slot serves to keep the acting part above in
working position while the arm and hand-lever furnishes a simple means of working
the wedge to spread the jaws.
The coupling bolt K is of novel construction in having conical heads k' with
recessed back faces on a straight cylindrical shank, the form of which will be
understood more clearly from the view of the bar in Figure 6 where the head is
hown in cross-section.
A boss of cylindrical or spherical shape larger than the opening in the end of
CD 077

page_text: the draw-head when the jaws are closed is formed on the shank of the bolt midway
between the two heads for the purpose of taking the pressure of one draw-head
against the other coupled to it and of preventing the head of the bolt from being
forced against the end of the cavity in the draw-head.
The inner or meeting faces of the jaws are recessed to correspond with the shape
of the head and shank of the bolt, each half of the draw-head having one half of
the recess or cavity.
In any longitudinal section through the axis of the link, whether taken vertically,
or in a horizontal plane, or at any degree of inclination between them, the head of
the bolt is arrow-shaped with the rim or outer edge of the cone setting backward
beyond the centre or at the point where the shank joins the head.
This shape is followed, also, in the recess or cavity for the head. The thrust or
pressure of one draw-head against the other is taken from the head of the link by
the boss or enlargement on the shank, as suitable clearance is provided at the
bottom of the cavity to keep the conical head of the bolt out of contact when the
two coupled draw-heads are jammed against the boss, as shown in Figure 1 of
the drawing.
All pulling forces or those exerted in the opposite direction bring the back or
base of the conical head to a close seat against the front of the cavity, and the
shape given to these parts has the effect to draw the two jaws of the draw-head
together and prevent them from separating. The elliptical springs however, act
to prevent the jaws from separating accidently. Under all ordinary angular
strains or forces one or the other of the two coupled draw-heads is movable laterally
on the centre pin where it is attached to the draw-bar. In turning curves of short
radius the coupled draw-heads are practically one rigid bar, as the springs allow
the draw-head to swing on the centre C when the car bodies take angular positions
on their trucks, but at the same time hold the jaws together.
For convenience in coupling a car with the ordinary pin-and-link to a car with
this improved draw-head, I provide a coupling bolt K, with a cross-bar K3 at the
middle having on one end an eye or slot for a coupling pin. This form of
coupling is adapted also for use with a draw-head of the ordinary form having a
coupling-link and pin, in which case the barbed-head end is set into the jaws of
my draw-head and the coupling-pin of the common draw-head is inserted through
the eye on the end of the coupling-bar. This coupling can also be converted
into a single-coupling bolt by cutting off the ends and leaving the boss at the
middle.
The operation of this coupling will be readily understood from the foregoing
description: the coupling-bolt is released from one draw-head by throwing over
the hand-lever which forces the wedge between the jaws. and the coupler is left in
the opposite draw-head as the two cars move apart. The hand-lever should be
set back after uncoupling in order to let the jaws close and in that position they
are ready to take in the coupling-bar of another car at any time.
Either draw-head may be opened to leave the coupling-bar in one or the other
pair of jaws, and in that position the conical head stands out from the draw-head
ready to enter that of another car.
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. In a car-coupling, a draw-head composed of two hinged jaws united at the
inner end by a hinge-joint, having in the outer end a recess or cavity suitably
formed to take a coupling bolt with an enlarged head and separable longitudinally
on a median line through said cavity, in combination with springs applied against
the said jaws to hold them together, and a wedge-piece adapted to enter between
said jaws and spread them apart as a means of releasing the coupling-bolt therefrom,
substantially as described.
2. In a car-coupling, a two-part draw-head having a recess or cavity to take a

page_text: coupling-bolt with an enlarged head and separable on a median line through said
recess, in combination with a draw-bar to which said parts are united by a hinge-
joint as described and on which joint as a centre the draw-head has horizontal
movement to either side when closed on the coupling-bolt and the two parts of the
cross-head are separable at the outer end, substantially as described.
3. A coupling-bolt having two shanks crossing each other at right angles
enlarged heads on the opposite end of one shank a head of corresponding shape on
the end of the cross-shank and an eye to take a coupling pin on the other end of the
cross-shank, substantially as described.
4. A car-coupling comprising a draw-head formed of jaws enclosing a recess
or cavity, and united to a draw-bar by a hinge-joint which is also the centre of
movement of the jaws, elliptic springs by which said jaws are held together around
the coupling-bolt and the opening wedge, arm, rock-shaft and locking lever, com-
bined for operation as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of January 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.