IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-COUPLINGS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Julius Boult, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson
and Boult, Agents for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323, High Holborn,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-COUPLINGS." A communication from
abroad by Jacob Hamilton Hunt and Frederick William Jones, both of
Spartanburg, in the State of South Carolina, and United States of North
America
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Alfred Julius Boult at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th August 1881.
"
ALFRED JULIUS BOULT, of the Firm of W. P. Thompson and Boult, Agents
for Foreign Patent Solicitors, of 323, High Holborn, London, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer and Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-COUPLINGS.
A communication from abroad by Jacob Hamilton Hunt and Frederick William
Jones, both of Spartanburg, in the State of South Carolina, and United States of
North America.
My Invention has for its object an increase in the efficiency, safety, and ease of
manipulation of devices employed for connecting together rail-road cars, and to
this end
It consists principally in a draw head formed in two parts which are united
upon a vertical, central, longitudinal line, and are adapted to yield to lateral
pressure and release the link, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter
specified.
It consists farther in the construction of the two part draw head, whereby the
sections are prevented from being spread by draft upon the coupling pin, substan-
tially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. It consists farther in a draw
head provided with a semi spherical socket and vertical longitudinal groove in
combination with a coupling pin which has a spherical head that is contained
within said socket, whereby said coupling pin is adopted to swing in a line with
the draft, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

page_text: It consists farther in the construction of the couping pin, and its combinat
with the draw head, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and
described.
It consists farther in combining with a draw head, a plate or block adapted to
drop in rear of and to hold the link in longitudinal position, when said link is
engaged by the coupling pin, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter
specified.
It consists finally in the construction and relative arrangement_of parts,
substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. In the annexed Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the parts of my device separated from each
other; Figure 2 is a like view of the same combined, the locking plate being
supported by or upon the rear end of the link; Figure 3 is a perspective view of
said device with the link fully locked in place; Figure 4 is a central longitudinal
section of the same, showing the link at the rear limit of its motion, and the
coupling pin and locking plate ready to drop to place; Figure 5 is a like view of
said device after the coupling pin has assumed its normal position, and Figure 6 is
a central longitudinal section of the same, with all of its parts in position to permit
draft upon the link.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the Figures.
A represents a draw head of usual exterior form, which is provided with an
interior recess a that is rectangular in cross section, and at its end has the ordinary
bell mouth shape, and from thence to its rear end has its upper and lower sides
formed upon converging lines, so as to give to said recess a V shape in side
elevation.
Passing vertically through the draw head A is a central longitudinal slot a',
which within the upper half of the same extends from the rear end of the recess a,
nearly to the front end of said head, while within the lower half of the latter, said
slot has about one half the length of the said upper portion, and from its rear end
at the bottom of said head extends rearward and upward, preferably upon a curved
line, as shown. Upon the upper side of the bead A, at and immediately in rear of
the front end of the slot a¹, is a boss a², within which is formed a semi-spherical
recess a³, that at its rear and lower sides opens into said slot. Fitted loosly
within the slot a² is a coupling plate or pin B, which in side elevation has the
general form of one fourth of a circle, and at the axial centre of the same is
provided with a spherical head b that corresponds to and fits within the recess a³,
and furnishes a pivotal bearing for and upon which said coupling pin swings.
The normal position of the coupling pin B is with its front edge vertically and in
engagement with the front end of the slot, from which position said pin may be
turned rearward and upward so as to enable a link C to be passed to position
within the draw head A, after which said pin will drop downward again to its
normal position.
The movements of the coupling pin are automatically effected by simply passing
the link into the draw head in the usual manner, but in order to release said link it
is necessary to raise said coupling pin vertically, until its lower end is free from
engagement with the same, after which said link may be withdrawn. When locked
in place within the draw head, the rear end of the coupling link C is engaged by
the curved portion of the pin B, and at such point of contact said pin is provided
with a slight recess b¹. In order that longitudinal motion of the link C may be
prevented, the following means are employed for locking the same in place, viz. :-
At a point immediately in rear of the rear end of said link a transverse slot a' is
provided within the head A, which slot extends vertically from the upper side of
said head to the bottom of the recess a, and has parallel walls.
Fitted within the slot a¹ is a block D which loosly fills the same, and when the
link C is in engagement with the pin B drops downward in rear of said link, and
locks the latter firmly in place. To release the link C from the draw head A, it is
only necessary that the pin B.be swung rearward and upward as before stated, but
in order that said link may be inserted again, it is necessary that the block D be

page_text: raised and kept in such position until said pin has turned downward to its normal
position. This result is secured by providing upon the lower front corner of the
coupling pin B a lug 68 which extends downward, and when said pin is swung
rearward by the insertion of the link C, engages with the lower end of the block D,
and raises the same to the position shown by Figure 4.
In passing out of engagement with the lug 6 of the pin B, the rear end of the
link C is beneath the block D, and by the forward and downward movement
of said pin, said block is lowered to and rests upon said link, where it remains
until the latter is pulled forward into engagement with said pin, when said block
drops to the position shown in Figure 6. The construction shown enables cars to
be coupled together with such perfect longitudinal rigidity as to avoid all of the
nnpleasant jerking motion which is the source of so much annoyance to the inmates
of cars having couplings which permit of relative longitudinal movement.
In order that a car jumping the track may be disconnected from the cars in front
and rear, so as to prevent the same from being dragged off said track, the head A
is formed in two sections which are united upon a vertical central longitudinal line,
and are held together by means of an U shaped spring E, the ends of which are
connected to or with said draw head in substantially the manner shown in
Figure 3.
The inward pressure of the spring E is sufficient to hold together the sections of
the head A under ordinary circumstances, but should a car leave the track, the side
pressure produced by such movement will cause the draw heads to be opened by
the links C, so as to release the coupling pins B, and leave the cars in front and
rear to maintain their positions upon the track.
The tendency of the draft upon the coupling pin will be to spread the draw head
so as to release said pin when the line of division of said head is exactly at the
transverse centre of the longitudinal slot a', to prevent which difficulty said line
of division is central until it reaches the front end of said slot, and from thence to
the front end of said draw head is upon a line with one side of said slot at the top,
and upon a line with the opposite side of the same at the bottom of said head.
By this construction the upper end of the coupling pin B is supported at its front
by a solid bearing which is attached to and forms part of one section of the head A;
while the lower end of said pin has a solid front bearing that forms part of the
opposite section of said head, the result being that draft upon said pin, instead of
operating to separate the sections of said coupling head, has the effect to hold the
same together.
The spherical head b of the coupling pin B affords a perfect pivotal bearing for
and upon which said pin swings, and at the same time leaves said pin free to be
raised bodily to release the link C. When raised and released, said coupling pin
will instantly resume its bearings within said draw head.
Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my Invention, what we
claim as new is,-
First. A draw head formed in two parts which are united upon a vertical central
longitudinal line, and are adapted to yield to lateral pressure and release the link,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Second. The draw head A divided longitudinally and vertically into two sections
with the lines of division at the upper and lower sides of said head in front of the
coupling pin B extending from relatively opposite sides of the slot a¹, substantially
as and for the purpose shown.
Third. A draw head provided with a semi spherical socket and vertical longitu-
dinal groove, in combination with a coupling pin which has a spherical head that is
contained within said socket, whereby said coupling pin is adapted to swing in a
line with the draft, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth. In combination with the draw head A provided with the recess a,
slot a', and semi spherical recess a³, the coupling pin B having the segmental form
shown and provided with the spherical head b, substantially as and for the purpose
shown and described.

page_text: Fifth. In combination with a draw head, a plate or block adapted to drop in rear
of and to hold the link in longitudinal position when said link is engaged by the
coupling pin, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Sixth. The herein before described car coupling in which the parts are constructed
and relatively arranged in the manner and for the purpose, substantially as shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Julius Boult, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one."
T DATTIM