Improvements in or relating to the Coupling and Uncoupling of Railway Cars and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 14th May, 1889--Accepted, 20th July, 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Coupling and Uncoupling of
Railway Cars and the like.
A communication from DAVID HENRY FREEMAN, of Brazil, in the County of
Gibson, and State of Tennessee, United States of America, gentleman.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E. 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:—
This invention relates to an improvement in automatic car couplers and uncouplers.>
The object of the invention is to provide an improved car coupler, simple, cheap
and durable in construction, and composed of a minimum number of strongly
constructed parts, and which will automatically couple when the cars come together,
and a further object is to provide means by which the cars or any car, can be auto-
matically uncoupled from the rest of the train while in motion, from the side of the
track without any danger or risk to the operator and the mechanism is so
constructed that the cars will not be uncoupled until the particular car to be detached
reaches the uncoupling point.
These objects are accomplished by and the invention consists in certain novel
features of construction and combination of parts more fully described hereinafter.
Referring to the accompanying drawings:
Fig. 1 is a top plan of the adjoining ends of two cars and the track showing the
uncoupling mechanism on the track.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a perspective detail view of the coupling heads locked, and the uncoupling
mechanism located upon either side of the track.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detail elevations of the coupling heads.
Fig. 6 is an elevation of the hinged uncoupling post of lever upon the track.
Fig. 7 is a detail view of the pivotted lever loosely secured to one of the coupling
heads and adapted to engage one of the uncoupling posts.
In the drawings the reference letter a indicates a railroad track and 6 the cars
upon the same.
с
The coupler consists of the coupling heads c d provided with the usual draw bars e
secured to the ends of the car to yieldingly give to longitudinal strain.
One of these draw bars is pivotted to the car to allow lateral swing of the head d
carried by the same which is of the form of a horizontal hook open on one side to
swing laterally into or from engagement with the other head c which is constructed
in the form of a vertical open frame upon the end of the draw bar, provided with
vertical end bar g with which the hook of the opposite head engages when the
coupling is effected. This bar g is preferably constructed longer than the thickness
of the hook (see figure 2) so that the coupling can be used where the cars vary in
height.
The hook coupling head d is yieldingly held to the limit of its lateral movement in
one direction by a spring has shown.
It will be seen that when the cars come together the bevelled front end of the hook
will engage the vertical bar g of the open frame of the opposite head which will throw
the hook laterally against the pressure of the spring to pass the bar and when its front
end has passed the bar the spring will force the hook into engagement with the same
and thereby yieldingly hold the parts locked together.
A rigid vertical post his located upon one side of the railway track. Upon the
other side of the track opposite the post h', a hinged post or lever i is located and this
post at its lower end is suitably, hinged to allow its free end to swing in a vertical

page_text: plane from a vertical position beside the track away from the same, and the upper end
of this hinged post i is provided with a block or cam j the inner face of which parallel
with the track is preferably although not necessarily bevelled or inclined from the
centre of the block towards the ends as shown.
A rod k is secured to and extends laterally from the side of the hook head opposite
to that upon which the spring bears, and this rod is of such length that it will engage
the block when the hinged post carrying the same is swung into vertical position
This arm or rod is supported to allow longitudinal movement of the same by suitable
brackets secured to the end of the car (see figure 1).
A rigid arm projects forwardly from the opposite end of the car and upon the
opposite side of the coupling, and upon this arm a lever mis pivotted in a suitable
manner, as by a pin projecting up through a longitudinal slot n in the lever. The
inner end of this lever is provided with a yoke o loosely embracing the draw bar of
the coupling head c and adapted when the coupling is effected to slide up upon the
coupling head and partially close the opening in the same (see figure 2) and thereby
prevent the hook from becoming accidentally disengaged from the bar 9.
The operation is as follows:-
Suppose the cars to be coupled and approaching the uncoupling point if it is
desired to detach one of the cars from the train the operator or switchman will swing
back the hinged post until the cars preceding the one to be detached, have passed, the
post will then be swung into the vertical position shown in figure 3, so that the rod k
can engage the same but just before this rod strikes the hinged post the lever m strikes
the post and is thereby swung and throws back the yoke o from the coupling head
so that the hook can be disengaged; the free end of the rod k will then come in
contact with one end of the block upon the hinged post and as it passes along its
inclined face the rod will be forced longitudinally and throw the hook laterally
against the pressure of the spring from the bar g of the opposite head and
thereby uncouple the cars. If desired the rod can be provided with a notch p
to engage one of the supporting brackets and removably hold the hook in its
uncoupled position.
The front face of the block on the hinged post is provided with a friction
roller q which will force down the end of the rod as it passes along the face of
the block and thereby throw the notch p into engagement with the bracket.
The end of the rod or arm is preferably provided with an anti-friction roller
on its end to engage the uncoupling post or other device located beside the track
and adapted for the same purpose as the post i.
From the foregoing description and the drawings the great simplicity and
strength and durability of the construction is obvious, and it will be observed
that the cars are both coupled and uncoupled automatically and if desired the
coupling heads can be provided with the usual rods or levers so that the coupling
can be operated from the cars.
It is also evident that various changes might be made in the form and arrange-
ment of the parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction herein
set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
;-
1st. A car coupling comprising a coupling head consisting of a vertical open
frame or head carried by a draw bar and having a vertical end bar and the opposite
head consisting of a horizontal swinging draw bar having a horizontal hook to
engage said bar substantially as described.
2nd. A car coupling comprising one coupling member consisting of vertical open
frame having a vertical end bar and the other member consisting of a horizontal
hook to engage said end bar and provided with a spring to yieldingly hold the
hook to the limit of its lateral swing in one direction substantially as described.

page_text: 3rd. An automatic car coupling comprising a coupling head consisting of a
laterally swinging hook to engage the opposite coupling member a longitudinally
movable rod to swing the hook laterally to uncouple the same and adapted to
engage and be operated by a post etc. located beside the track and when the car
is moving as set forth.
4th. An automatic car coupling comprising one coupling member consisting of a
draw bar having an open frame or head on its end and provided with an end bar
the other member consisting of a hook to engage said bar a yoke movable on the
draw bar and adapted to partially close the opening in the head and hold the
hook therein and a lever to operate the yoke substantially as described.
5th. An automatic car coupling a coupling member consisting of an open frame
or head upon the end of a draw bar a yoke movable on the draw bar and adapted
to partially embrace the open head and a lever pivotted to an arm of the car to
operate the yoke and extending beyond the side of the car and adapted to engage
a post etc. and be operated thereby substantially as described.
6th. Means to automatically uncouple railway cars comprising a post hinged at
its lower end beside a railroad track to swing from a vertical position back wardly
from the track and provided with a block having inclined faces on its side towards
the track adapted to be engaged by and move longitudinally a rod connected with and
adapted to uncouple couplings of passing cars substantially as described.
Dated this 14th day of May 1889.
W. F. THOMPSON & DOULI,
Agents.