IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR COUPLINGS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of the Firm of Herbert and
Company, Patent Agents, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR COUPLINGS." A com-
munication from abroad by Gillman Hill Ames, of Adrian, Michigan, United
States of America.
Sealed the 29th December 1876, and dated the 9th November 1876.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th November 1876.
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert and Company, Patent Agents,
of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil Engineer, "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR
COUPLINGS." A communication from abroad by Gillman Hill Ames, of Adrian,
Michigan, United States of America.
In improving the coupling for railway cars my object is to render the automatic.
action of coupling as simple, effective, and sure as possible, while obtaining the
advantage of a greater range for use in adapting my coupling device to work with
different kinds of old style drawheads.
A distinguishing feature of my Invention consists of automatic coupling bars,
one on each end of a car, each having a front slot and a subjacent hook with down-
ward and rearwardly inclined front side to automatically couple and maintain the
connection. The object of this part of my Invention is to automatically effect the
engagement of the subjacent hook of the coupling bar of one car with the slot of
the coupling bar of the other car, and thereby couple the cars as they are brought
together.
Another important feature of my Invention is the providing of the drawhead of
a car with curved or inclined side slots by which to make the attachment of the
coupling bars by means of side arms or pins extending therefrom for joint action in
coupling and uncoupling. I do not however confine myself to drawheads with
side slots, as the coupling bars may be used with open top drawheads by attaching
them at their rear ends to the drawheads, or they may be used on cars without
drawheads.
In the accompaning Drawings,-
Figure 1 represents a view of two drawheads with the coupling bars coupled,
one drawhead being in section and the other in elvation.

page_text: Fig. 2, a view of two drawheads with the coupling bars as they remain when
uncoupled.
Fig. 3, a section showing open top drawheads with the coupling bars attached
at their rear ends; Fig. 4, a top view of the same.
Fig. 5, a section in which a coupling bar is employed whose subjacent hook is
separate.
Figs. 6 and 7 show coupling bars which have the front slots and subjacent hooks
or prongs.
The drawheads A are constructed with openings to allow of the proper adjust-
ment and operation of the coupling bars; the coupling bars B may vary in length,
and should be of sufficient weight to give them the required strength and durability;
they are provided at their front ends with a slot a, and back of this slot on the
under side of the bar is a hook or prong b which inclines back ward, so that in the act
of coupling the under bar is readily pressed beneath it and the coupling effected by
the entrance of the hook into the slot. The arms which extend from the sides of
the coupling bars may be merely projections or pins set in the bars. The side arms
rest inside slots & in the drawheads in such manner as to make the proper attach-
ment and allow the bars to be readily raised or lowered, but when left free they
drop into horizontal position ready for coupling. The side slots d are curved or
inclined upward and rearward, and serve several advantageous purposes, which
make them a very important part of my Invention. They allow the upper coupling
bar to rise so that the lower bar may pass under it to make the coupling. They
give the coupling bars a tendency to draw downward, and thereby prevent the cars
from being accidentally uncoupled. They allow the bars to be raised to fit cars of
different height. They allow the bars to have a receeding movement when they
come in contact with obstacles, thus breaking the force of the collision. They
allow the bars to be thrown back in the drawheads when they are not wanted to
form a coupling. The front ends of the coupling bars are flattened and rounded so
as to easily slip past each other, and the side arms c resting in the side slots admit
of an oscillating as well as an upward and backward movement to the coupling bars
and render it impossible to bring two cars together without the ends of the bars
passing each other, while the front end of the lower bar strikes the inclined front
side of the subjacent hook of the upper bar, raising it so that the end of the lower
bar may pass under until the hook of the upper bar drops into the slot of the lower
bar, thus completing the connection. The security of the connection between the
upper and lower bar is maintained by its being effected at a point where the upper
bar is received upon the front end of the lower bar.
To facilitate the uncoupling of the cars and avoid accidents to the attendant I use
a device, as shown in Fig. 4, in which the uncoupling chain e connected to the
coupling bar is attached to an arm or pulley f on the middle of a rod g arranged
across the end of the car, the ends of the rod being provided with handles h which
may be reached and operated from the side of the car to raise the coupling bar and
thus effect the uncoupling.
In the device as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the uncoupling chain e is attached to the
rear end of the bar to effect the uncoupling; while in Figs. 3 and 4 the chain is
attached so as to elevate the front end of the coupling bar.
A supplemental coupling link may be arranged in or connected to the lower
portion of the drawhead for the purpose of giving greater range in the use of a
coupling pin with the old style drawheads. There the coupling bars are used with
open top drawheads as in Figs. 3 and 4; the coupling bars are connected thereto
at their rear ends by shank joint D, or otherwise, so as to admit of complete free-
dom for work as well as the proper vertical movement necessary to couple and
uncouple.
Fig. 5 shows a section of drawheads in which coupling bars are combined with
separate pivoted subjacent hooks whose coupling action is from the under side of
the bars

page_text: 1 стани,
1. Coupling bars for railway cars each having a front slot and a subjacent hook
with downward and rearwardly inclined front side to automatically couple and
maintain the connection, as herein set forth.
2. Coupling bars for railway cars each having a front slot, a subjacent hook with
rearwardly inclined front side, and a weighted rear end, substantially as and for
the purpose herein set forth.
3. The combination of the curved or inclined side slots & of the drawheads with
coupling bars having side arms c which work in said slots, substantially as and for
the
purposes herein set forth.
4. Coupling bars for railway cars having the front slots a, the subjacent hook or
prong b, and the side arms c in combination with the carved or inclined side slots d
in the drawheads, as herein set forth.
5. The combination of the coupling bars having slots in their front ends and
subjacent hooks or prongs with attaching jointed shank or stem, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
6. The combination of the coupling bars having front slots and subjacent hooks
or prongs, and attached at their rear ends with drawheads open at their top,
whereby the coupling bars will be free to rise and fall.
7. The combination of a coupling bar having a front slot with a separate sub-
jacent hook arranged to work within the said bar so that the hook's function will
be from the under side of the bar.
In witness whereof, I, the said Herbert John Haddan, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
H. J. HADDAN.
(L.S.)