Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1896-Accepted, 3rd Oct., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
I PERCY RICHARD JULIUS WILLIS, of 55 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by William Everett Whiteside, of Medway, Putnam
County, West Virginia, U.S.A., Inventor) to be as follows: -
The object of this invention is to produce a coupling device for railway cars of
the variety known as "twin couplers" whereby the cars are automatically coupled,
and may be uncoupled from the side or top of the car without the necessity of
the operator being subjected to the danger of being crushed between the cars.
The invention comprises a drawhead secured in any suitable and well known
manner to the underside of a car. This drawhead is divided into two compartments
by a central vertical wall. In the mouth of one compartment is a vertically
arranged pin to one side of which a draw-bar is pivoted. This draw-bar has
projections at its rear or inner end, which make contact with four flat springs
arranged horizontally around it in the rear of the compartment; said springs
serving to keep the draw-bar horizontal unless it is moved in any direction by
forcible contact with an obstacle. A liuk is adjustably connected to the forward
end of the draw-bar.
The other compartment has an opening in the top in which a rod is secured.
A coupling pin passes vertically through the opening and has a slot through
which the rod aforementioned passes. This coupling pin is attached to suitable
lever mechanism above the drawhead and extending to the sides or top of the car.
When two cars come together the link first described will enter a compartment
similar to that secondly described of another car and pushing back the vertical
coupling pin, will be held thereby when said pin returns to its vertical position.
To uncouple the cars, the coupling pin of each car is raised by the lever
mechanism, which can be retained. in any position by a suitable catch device.
Dated this 4th day of December 1895.
PERCY R. J. WILLIS.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
I, PERCY RICHARD JULIUS WILLIS, of 55 Chancery Lane, in the County of
London, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communi-
cation to me from abroad by William Everett Whiteside, of Medway, Putnam
County, West Virginia, U.S.A., Inventor) and in what mauner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
The object of my invention is to produce a coupling device for railway cars
of the variety known as "twin couplers," whereby the cars are automatically
coupled, and may be uncoupled from the side or top of the car without the
necessity of the operator being subjected to the danger of being crushed between
the cars.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the lower front edge of a car with my car
coupler attached thereto.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the drawhead.
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 3,-3, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line 4,-4, of Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse view on the line 5,-5, of Fig. 3.
Referring to the figures on the drawings, I indicates a car body having secured
to its bottom, as by bolts 2, a drawhead 3, provided with a medial wall 4, defining
parallel casings 5 and 6.
7 indicates a link bar carried within the casing 5 by a revolubly mounted trans-
verse shaft 7, upon which it is pivoted, as by a vertical bolt 8. It will be seen
that by this construction the link bar is vertically and horizontally movable,
movement in either direction being opposed by springs 9, bearing respectively
against noses 10 upon the four sides of the link bar and behind the revoluble
shaft. I prefer to employ ordinary flat springs secured within the casing, as
illustrated but it is obvious that various other forms might be employed, the
object being to return the link to its normal position after unusual strain in any
direction is relieved.
Upon the outer end of the link bar and projecting in front of the drawhead
I provide a longitudinally adjustable link 12, adjustable upon the link by any suitable
means such, for instance, as a slot 13 in the bar through which the end of
the link is adapted to pass, and by a prong key 14 passed through two of a
number of graduated apertures in the bar and straddling the end of the link.
The mechanism described constitutes what I will call the "link side" of my
coupler, and I shall now describe the mechanism, which co-operates with a similar
link-side upon another car to couple the cars together.
15 indicates an aperture in the top of the casing 6, across which a longitudinal
guide bar 16 that plays within a slot 17 in the pin 18, is secured.
19 indicates a shaft, mounted in suitable bearings upon the top of the sill of the
car, provided with a crank, bent, as indicated at 20 to form a depending support 21,
to which the link is pivotally secured at its upper end, and with actuating cranks 22
at its opposite ends, by means of which the link may be raised when it is desired
to uncouple the cars.
In order to produce a coupler which can be practically operated and whereby
the coupler may be set in such position that the operator need not manipulate any
of the parts while the cars are being drawn apart, it is necessary to provide means
for locking the pin in the elevated position, to accomplish which purpose I provide
a pivoted latch 23, in operative proximity to one of the cranks 22 and urged in the
proper direction to engage therewith, when the same is operated to elevate the
pin, by a spring 24, and having an upwardly extending handle 25.
26 indicates a latch bar pivotally secured to the latch above its pivot and
extending across to the opposite side of the car, where it is provided with a
handle 27.
The operation of my device is as follows:-
Supposing that it is desired to couple cars provided with my improved coupler
and the parts to be in the position indicated in Figure 1, the link being in the
depressed conditiou, the link of the opposing car enters the casing 6 and, striking
the pin, swings it until the end of the link has passed therebeyond, when as will
be seen, the pin will swing back to its normal position, its lower end passing
through and beyond the link, thereby effecting the coupling of the parts. It is
obvious that the yielding of the link in either direction will permit coupling of
cars varying in the exact vertical or horizontal location of their opposing couplers.
The train having reached its destination and the uncoupling of the cars being desired,
it is only necessary to raise either of the actuating cranks, the pin being elevated
out of engagement with the link and the parts being secured in that position by the
latch. Whenever it suits the convenience of the operator the latch may be

page_text: withdrawn from engagement with the actuating crank from either side of the car
through either the handle upon the latch or the connecting bar, allowing the pin
to drop into the proper position for a repetition of the coupling operation.
I do not desire to limit myself to the details of construction herein shewn and
described, but reserve to myself the right to modify and vary the same at will
within the scope of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
(1.) The combination with a draw head, of an intermediately, horizontally and
vertically pivoted bar, a longitudinally adjustable link secured to the forward
extremity of the link bar, opposing springs secured within the draw head in
operative proximity to the rear extremity of the link bar, substantially as
specified.
(2.) In a car coupler, the combination with a draw head, of a horizontally and
vertically pivoted link bar therein, diametrically opposite noses upon the rear
extremity of the link bar behind its pivot, and a plurality of parallel springs
secured at one extremity to the drawhead behind the link bar and having their
free extremities in operative proximity to the noses, substantially as specified.
(3.) In a car coupler, the combination with a draw bar, of a pivoted spring
actuated link bar provided with a slot and a series of apertures on both sides
thereof, a link passing through the slot, and prong, keys engaging the apertures
to retain the link in its adjusted positions, substantially as specified.
(4.) In a car coupler, the combination with an apertured draw bar provided with
a longitudinal guide bar, of a slotted pin guided by said guide bar, and means for
raising and lowering the pin substantially as specified.
(5.) In a car coupler the combination with a draw head and pin, of a crank bar
provided with a crank bent to form a depending support for the pin, a spring latch
co-operating with the crank bar, mechanism at both sides of the car for actuating
the crank bar and latch, substantially as specified.
(6.) The combination with a draw head, provided with a medial wall defining
two casings, of a vertically and horizontally movable link bar in one casing held
in its normal position by opposing springs, a link adjustably secured to said link
bar, a pin in the other casing provided with a slot co-operating with a guide bar
to guide said pin, a crank-shaft provided with a crank loosely pivoted to the upper
extremity of the pin above the draw bar, actuating cranks upon the opposite ends
of the crank shaft located at opposite sides of the car, a spring actuated latch
adapted to engage one of the actuating cranks, and a latch bar pivotally connected
to the latch and extending to the opposite side of the car and handles upon the
latch, and latch bar substantially as set forth.
Dated this 28th day of July 1896.
PERCY R. J. WILLIS.