An Improved Car-coupling.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th Feb., 1894-Accepted, 10th May, 1894
An Improved Car-coupling.
We, WILLIAM HENRY STARKEY, and JAMES THOMAS STARKEY, both of
Moncton, County of Westmoreland, Province of New Brunswick, Canada,
Inventors, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This our invention relates to a new car-coupling which is simple in construction
and not liable to get out of order.
The shank and head of each drawhead are,-by this invention,-made up of three
horizontal sections which are rivetted together with a space between each to make
the drawhead light. The head is not integral with the shank, but is hinged
thereto by a steel pin to enable the cars to travel round sharp curves. Within a
groove in the head is a trip-plate which consists of a piece of metal having a
slanting base and resting on the inclined bottom of the groove. The inclination of
the groove towards the mouth of the coupling causes the trip-plate to slide
forwardly beneath the point of the coupling-pin when elevated, and which pin
passes through vertical apertures registering with similar apertures in the
adjacent drawhead.
In operation, the entrance of a portion of an opposing drawhead pushes the trip-
plate backward, and allows the coupling-pin to fall and couple the cars.
The coupling-pin can be readily raised to uncouple the cars, by the usual levers,
for that purpose provided.
Dated this 25th day of April 1893.
W. H. MUNNS,
Agent for Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Car-coupling.
We WILLIAM HENRY STARKEY and JAMES THOMAS STARKEY both of
Moncton, Westmoreland County, Province of New Brunswick Canada, Inventors
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 :-
Our invention relates to improvements in appliances for the coupling and
uncoupling of railway cars in a new and improved manner which can be applied
to all cars of whatever nature and we hereby declare that the following is a full
clear and exact description of the same reference being had to the accompanying
drawings in which
Fig. 1, is a general view of the coupling embodying our invention attached
to a car.
Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the same with draw heads coupled together showing
the three longitudinal plates of the same.
Fig. 3, is a top view of the coupling showing.drawheads coupled together.
Fig. 4, is a view of the coupling showing drawheads with top plates removed
exhibiting the top of the pin-tripper D.
Fig. 5, is a side view of shank and a longitudinal vertical section of drawhead
through pin-tripper D.

page_text: Fig. 6, is a view of the rear end of the shank.
Fig. 7 is a rear view of the drawhead shewing the pivot pin C.
Fig. 8 is a front view of drawhead showing coupling pin h held in position by
pin-tripper D.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The objects of our invention are the coupling automatically and uncoupling of
railway cars in a new and improved manner which we attain by the mechanism
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
The mechanism comprises a new and improved drawhead A (Fig. 1) of the
peculiar shape shown and made of three longitudinal and horizontal plates a, c, b,
of suitable metal, respectively representing the upper center and bottom parts and
riveted together as shown in Figs. 1, 3 & 4.
The drawhead is connected with the shank B by an ordinary hinge joint
pivoted by a steel piu C so as to allow for the motion of cars when passing over
curves.
The sections a, b and c, have circular openings for the reception of the pin h,
which pin h (Fig. 1) is held in position by the pin-tripper D which has a vertical
slotted hole d through which a steel pin f, is placed to guide the pin-tripper. The
pin tripper also has an oblique base e which moves on an inclined plane in a
cavity in the drawhead being guided by the pin in the slotted opening up and down
the inclined plane of the cavity in the drawhead so that when the position of the
drawhead strikes the pin tripper it is forced up the inclined plane g guided by the
pin fand thus allows the coupling pin h (which it held in the position shewn in
Fig. 1,) to fall, pass through the circular openings for its reception and thus
securely, effectively and automatically couple the cars. There is a lever rest p
attached to the end of the car and said rest supports the lever k when the cars are
coupled.
The coupling is effected by means of the steel pin h (Fig. 1) dropping as before
described and passing through circular openings in each drawhead which fit into
each other; one forming the counterpart of the other, a male and female part as
shown in Fige. 3 and 4.
The uncoupling is effected by raising the pin h by means of an ordinary
shackle attached to the pin h in an ordinary manner and moving in a slot k¹ in a
new and improved lever & peculiarly shaped as shown in the diagram & attached
to an ordinary shaft or rod on the rear of the car as shown in Fig. 1 of the
accompanying drawings.
The lever k is of the peculiar shape indicated in drawings having in the outer
extremity an elongated oval opening with the greatest curvature toward the
extremity & having a particular convex lower part and a concave upper part, the
whole made of suitable metal.
The shank B is made of suitable metal in three longitudinal horizontal
parts m, n and o respectively the upper center and bottom parts; the center part
having peculiar raised portions on its two outer and exposed sides which do not
extend to the outer edge of the sections m and o as seen in Fig. 4.
We prefer the center part n to be made of cast iron with holes for rivets
through the enlarged portions thereof, which thus afford greater strength and less
bulk than if one continuous part equal in dimensions with the top and bottom part
were made.
The upper and bottom parts m and n we prefer to have made of steel. The
shank is made of three parts for the purpose of being readily repaired affording
strength and forming a hinge joint in head (Figs. 4 and 7) by elongation of the
two sections m and o which have circular openings for pivot pin C the center
section n forming at its extremity in the head a butt for the hinge as in Fig. 4.
the drawhead we prefer to have the center part made of forged steel and the top
and bottom parts made of steel castings but the several parts of the whole
mechanism may be made of any suitable metal.
In

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. The combination in car-couplers of a drawhead A made in three parts a, b & c,
and having its shank B made in horizontal parts or plates m, n, o a pin tripper D
with oblique base e, having a slotted opening d, a steel pin f, a coupling pin h,
shackle j, attached to coupling pin h, lever k having slotted opening, and pivot
pin C, substantially as hereinbefore described and shown and for the purposes.
therein set forth.
2. The combination of a pin tripper D which has an oblique base and a vertical
slotted hole d through which a steel pin f is placed to guide it, with a drawhead
having a cavity with an inclined plane g, upon which the oblique base of the pin
tripper, e moves up and down when pushed in by the center part of the drawhead.
when cars are shunted together, the pin tripper holding the coupling pin in
position ready to drop when cars are shunted together substantially as herein-
before described and for the purposes herein set forth.
3. The pin tripper D having an oblique base also slotted opening d, and a steel
pin f, passing through it as shown and described and for the purposes set forth.
4. The lever "k" of the peculiar shape shown in the drawings and having in its
extremity a slotted opening k' of the peculiar shape shown in which a shackle
works for the purpose of lifting the coupling pins in position substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and described.
5. A shank B made of suitable metal in three longitudinal horizontal
parts m, n, o, respectively the upper center and bottom parts as shown in
drawings, substantially as hereinbefore described, and for the purposes therein set
forth.
Dhe 10th SW1901
W. H. MUNNS.