Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 27th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
A communication from FRANK MERICK RYAN, Clerk, and WALTER T. SMITH,
Capitalist, both of the City and County of San Francisco, State of California,
United States of America.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE of the firm of Gedge and Feeny of No. 60 Queen
Victoria Street, in the City and County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby
leclare 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:-
This invention relates to a novel coupling for cars.
It consists in certain details of construction which will be more fully explained
by reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a horizontal section of my car coupling through the chamber B,
showing the holding jaws enclosing the link.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section showing the jaws open.
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the end of a car showing the coupling and the
levers for working the jaws.
In this invention we have only shown so much of the end of a car as will illustrate
the device.
A is the draw-bar having upon its outer end a shallow horizontal chamber B,
within which are pivoted the link holding jaws or levers C, the pivot pins being
upon the outer ends of the levers while the inner ends which move in contact with
each other when the levers are turned about their pivot pins, are slotted or
chambered as shown at D to receive the head E of the coupling bar.
The levers C are forced backward when the head of a coupling bar is introduced,
and as they turn about their pivot pins, the opening D closes about the head E and
locks the bar in place. Cushions or springs C₁ of any suitable description are
fitted behind the levers C to relieve the shock caused by the cams coming violently
together or by suddenly forcing the levers backward.
When the coupling bar is in place, it is retained by vertically fulcrumed levers G,
pivoted as shown at H, and moving in vertical planes about their pivot pins.
The front and rear ends of these levers have hooks I and J respectively, and
behind these hooks, the levers are brought together and have a single weighted or
spring actuated extension rearwardly by which the front ends are normally thrown
upwardly.
The operation of the coupling is as follows:-
When the rear portion of the levers G is raised, the rear hooks J are thrown
upward and forward against the rear portion of the horizontal coupling levers C,
thus turning these levers about their fulcrum pins and forcing them forward so as
to open the coupling jaws. The device is retained in this position, with the jaws
open, until they are forced back by the entrance of the coupling link which,
striking the rear of the opening, forces the jaws to turn about their fulcrum pins,
and the front portion of the opening is closed so as to retain the head of the
coupling bar in place.
This movement forces the jaws J backward, the levers G rotating about their
fulcrum pins, and as the jaws J move backward and downward, the jaws I are
correspondingly thrown upward and stand in front of the shanks of the levers C and
lock them in place so as to prevent the jaws which contain the head of the coupling
bar from being opened by any pull which may take place.

page_text: The coupling remains in this condition as long as it is desired to retain the cars
together, but in order to uncouple the cars, we have shown an arrangement of levers
connected with the rear extension of the locking levers G.
This connection is made as follows:
K is a rod, the lower end of which is attached to the rear extension of the
levers G. This rod extends upwardly just in front of the car, and has a pin a
extending horizontally from its upper end for the attachment of the levers L
and O.
The lever L extends from the side of the car inwardly and is fulcrumed as
shown at P.
The inner end of this lever has a curved slotted link formed upon it which fits
over the pin a of the rod K.
The other lever O extends upwardly to the top of the car, and is fulcrumed as
shown at Q, a little at one side, with the short arm extending essentially at right
angles with the long vertical arm and this short arm has a corresponding link K¹
formed upon its end.
The two links on the levers are curved as shown, the convexity of the slot and
curve being toward the fulcrum of the lever in each case, and both links fit over the
pin a as shown.
By this construction, whenever the operator is standing upon the ground, he can
employ the lever L to place the parts in position for coupling or to uncouple the
cars at will, but if he be upon the top of the car, he will then use the lever O which
extends up to the top of the car.
By reason of the slotted links attached to the ends of the levers, and movable
upon the pin a, it is possible to operate either of the levers independently of the
other, while each of them is allowed sufficient movement to accommodate itself to
the movement of the other lever.
If desired, the levers may be retained in their normal position by a spring or by
sufficiently weighting the outer end of the lever L.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention,
communicated to me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
I declare that what I claim is-
1st. A car coupling consisting of levers fulcrumed to swing in a horizontal
plane about the central line of the coupling bar, jaws formed in the meeting faces of
said levers to grasp the head of the coupling bar, and vertically swinging locking
levers, whereby the jaws are retained in a closed position or by which the jaws may
be thrown open at will, substantially as herein described.
2nd. A car coupling consisting of levers fulcrumed to swing in a horizontal
plane about the central line of the coupling bar, jaws formed in the meeting faces
of said levers to grasp the head of the coupling bar, and vertically swinging locking
levers whereby the jaws are retained in a closed position or by which the jaws may
be thrown open at will, in combination with horizontal and vertical hand levers
fulcrumed to the car having the curved slotted links formed at their inner ends, a
connecting rod extending upward from the rear of the locking levers and having a
pin extending through the links of the two hand levers whereby either of said
levers may be actuated independently of the other, substantially as herein
described.
Dated this WAL 1
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