IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILROAD CARS OR COACHES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Smith Sampson, of the City and County of New
York, in the State of New York, one of the United States of America, for
an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILROAD CARS OR COACHES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Smith Sampson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on, the 5th October 1880.
WILLIAM SMITH SAMPSON, of the City and County of New York, in the State
of New York, one of the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILROAD CARS OR COACHES."
My Invention relates to means by which cars or coaches on railroads can be
automatically coupled and uncoupled without necessitating an attendant passing
between the cars or coaches for the purpose of effecting the coupling or uncoupling.
According to my Invention I employ a horizontal bar capable of operation from
either side of a car or coach.
This horizontal bar is guided or supported on sheaves, pulleys, or other equivalent
means, and is so arranged and constructed that when pulled from or to either side
of the car or coach, it shall draw upon or release a cord, chain, or equivalent means,
and raise the same, thereby raising or lowering a pawl or hook into or out of
position to engage with a suitable connection formed on the end of the draw bar
of another car or coach. The aforesaid pawl or hook is pivoted in the end of the
draw bar of the coach or car.
The horizontal bar is provided with a central projection, to which the cord, chain,
or equivalent means for operating the coupling pawl or hook is attached, and
which, by being raised and lowered over the guiding sheaves or pullies, forms a
stop to retain the coupling pawl or hook in or out of position for coupling.
Suitable guides are employed to control the motion of the horizontal bar.
A vertical lever controlled from the platform of passenger cars of the ordinary
United States construction, or from the roof of freight or other cars or coaches may
be employed to operate the horizontal bar.
The ends of each draw-bar, to which my improvements are applied, are formed
with suitable apertures for the use of the ordinary links and pins now commonly
in use in the United States for the purpose of coupling cars or coaches on
railroads.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Smith Sampson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 26th
March 1881.
WILLIAM SMITH SAMPSON, of the City and County of New York, in the State
of New York, one of the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS
FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILROAD CARS OR COACHES."
My Invention relates to means by which cars or coaches on railroads can be
automatically coupled or uncoupled without necessitating an attendant passing
between the cars or coaches for the purpose of effecting the coupling or uncoupling.
According to my Invention I employ a horizontal bar capable of operation from
either side of a car or coach.
The horizontal bar is guided or supported on sheaves, pulleys, or other equivalent
means, and is so arranged and constructed that when pulled from or to either side
of the car or coach, it shall draw upon or release a cord, chain, or equivalent
means, and raise the same, thereby raising or lowering a pawl or book into or out
of position to engage with a suitable connection formed on the end of the draw
bar of another car or coach. The aforesaid pawl or hook is pivoted in the draw bar
of the coach or car.
The horizontal bar is provided with a central projection, to which the cord,
chain, or equivalent means for operating the coupling pawl or hook is attached,
and which, by being raised and lowered over the guiding sheaves or pulleys, forms
a stop to retain the coupling pawl or hook in or out of position for coupling.
Suitable guides are employed to control the motion of the horizontal bar.
A vertical lever controlled from the platform of passenger cars of the ordinary
United States construction, or from the roof of freight or other cars or coaches, inay
be employed to operate the horizontal bar.
The ends of each draw-bar to which my improvements are applied are formed
with suitable apertures for the use of the ordinary links and pins now commonly
in use in the United States for the purpose of coupling cars or coaches on
railroads.
But that my Invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe the
same more in detail by the aid of the accompanying Drawings which form part of
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of two freight-cars.
Figure 2 is an end elevation of a common freight-car.
Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the depressed portion of the horizontal
bar, showing the bar D in partial movement over pulley E¹.
Figure 4 is a face elevation of the draw-bar A, showing a portion of the face cut
down as a resting-place for the hook B at G, and showing the opening necessary
for the employment of the common link.
In the Drawings, A is the draw-bar; B, the hook; C, the chain or cord for lifting
the hook; D, the horizontal bar; E, E', pulleys, and F, the vertical lever.
The mechanism to accomplish the purpose of coupling and uncoupling cars
consists of a draw-bar, a hook, a chain to lift the hook, two pulleys or sheaves with
their axles, a bed plate for supporting the sheaves, a horizontal bar with a handle
at each end, and a guide at each end, with a portion of the centre depressed or
projected downward, inaking two inclined planes resting upon the periphery of the
grooves of the sheaves, and a vertical lever supported by a stud fastened to the
body of the car, with the upper end of this lever projecting above the roof of
the car.

page_text: The manner of operating this Invention is as follows:-The draw-bar A is so
made that the book B has its fulcrum within the walls of the bar. The hook B is
so formed that the pointed portion projects beyond the face of the bar A. This
projection is sufficient to enable the book to engage with the front of a draw-bar
attached to the car with which it is to couple. The under edge of the projecting
part of the hook is sloped, so that when this edge strikes the face of the opposing
bar the hook is lifted by the pressure, which brings the bars in contact until it
passes over the connecting-bar and the cars are coupled. To uncouple it is only
necessary to move the horizontal bar D over the pulleys in either direction. This
movement is by the hand grasping either end of the bar when the manipulator_is
upon the ground, or by throwing over the vertical lever when working from the
roof of the car. In whatever direction the horizontal bar moves the depressed
part of the bar is carried over one of the pulleys. This shortens the chain, so to
speak, and raises the hook the desired elevation to uncouple; at the same time the
weight and the friction of the horizontal bar are such that when the depressed-
portion rests upon the outside of the periphery of either pulley the hook is
maintained at its uncoupled elevation. It is obvious that the support for this
horizontal bar may consist of pins or studs in place of the sheaves I employ, and
that an eye-bolt may constitute a guide for the chain or cord which raises the hook.
These are modifications only of my plan, but regarded as less practical than the
sheaves.
In the construction of this coupler in America it has been kept in view that the
old form of coupling with link and pin will be met with until the new wholly
displaces the old. Hence connection between old and new must be provided for,
which is the case in this improvement, by piercing the draw-head for the reception
of the common link in manner similar to the draw heads in general use.
A modification of the device to which I attach some importance is to make the
horizontal bar D straight on the underside at the point where it runs across the
pulleys E, E', and to form a projection on the upper side, which shall, by means of
cams on the fixed portion of the car lock in the required positions with substantially
the same effect as in the construction shown.
In such case the devices which I have termed cams mounted on the fixed parts
to receive the spur on the upper side of the cross-bar D, are by preference elastic
and yield inward as the spur on the cross-bar D passes them, springing out again
after they have passed to afford the necessary holding means for retaining the bar
in place, and holding the coupling hook in the required elevated position.
But I can employ rigid cams by simply making the bar D sufficiently elastic
that in its movement by twisting slightly outward and springing back again into
its proper place it will hold the hook in its lifted position.
In this modification, as also in the other, the bar D may be made straight, and
instead of forming the handles by bending down the ends of the bar itself, the
handles may be formed by continuing the vertical lever F, and forming the handles
at the ends thereof. In such case I provide a bar for the opposite end of the
horizontal bar, corresponding to F, though the second bar need not be extended up
to the roof, as in the case of F.
Various other modifications may be made in many of the details without
departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the Invention. I
propose, for example, to make the pulleys or sheaves E, E', of considerably smaller
diameter than as here shown, and to mount them on a bed plate of reduced
dimensions.
However the parts are constructed it is essential to the convenient working that
the ends of the bar D or the lower ends of the vertical lever or levers F be extended
down sufficiently low to allow them to be easily operated by a man of ordinary
stature standing on the ground on either side of the car.
In the make of this class of coupler it is obvious that the main purpose is to
prevent loss of life and the crushing of limbs so frequent in the link-and-piu mode

page_text: of coupling, at the same time facilitating the making up and disconnecting of
trains.
Having thus described my Invention I would have it understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details, as shown and described, so long as the
peculiar characteristics of my Invention be retained substantially as described, but
what I do claim is,―
First. As a means for operating the coupling-hook, the two pulleys, in com-
bination with a horizontal sliding-bar having a central depression or projection,
substantially as herein specified.
Second. The sliding horizontal bar having a central depression and handles,
constructed and operated substantially as herein described.
Third. The combination with the vertical pivoted lever F of the horizontal
sliding-bar constructed and operating as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Smith Sampson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of November, A.D. 1880.
Witnesses,
WILLIAM COLBORNE BROOKES.
THOMAS DREW STETSON,
Patent Solicitor,
New York City.
WILLIAM SMITH SAMPSON. (L.S.)