Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Car Couplings.
We, FRANCIS MARION RARIDEN residing at Waynetown, in the county of
Montgomery and State of Indiana, United States of America Gentleman, and ALFRED
RILEY HEATH, residing at Covington, in the county of Fountain and State of
Indiana, United States of America, Gentleman, 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 improvements in Car Couplers and consists in the
construction and combination of the parts whereby the cars provided with this inven-
tion may be automatically coupled; they may be uncoupled either from the top or
sides of the car; and in case of accident they are uncoupled.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention.
Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same.
The letters A and B, designate the upper and lower halves of the draw-head. The
former is provided at the forward end with the opening C, and at the rear with the
perforation D. It is further provided upon the inner surface with the slot E, which
extends from the said opening to near the said perforation D, at the rear. The latter
of the said halves is provided at the rear of the said draw-head with the raised level F,
which extends back under the perforation D, in the said upper half. At the rear of
the said raised level is a second raised level G, upon which the upper half, A, of the
draw-head rests. To the rear of the raised level G, is the head H, the inner surface
of which is flush with the top of the half A, of the draw-head.
Mounted upon the level F, are the two guides I, I, which form the channel K,
between them. Suspended between the said guides upon the pivotal bearings L, is
the lover L. The said lever consists of the beveled apron L, and the lever arm L',
which extends to the rear of the said pivotal bearings L, to produce a long stroke for
a slight movement of the apron. Attached to the rear of the said lever arm is a

page_text: cord M, which passes over a pulley N, suspended in the said channel K, and divides
to two cords M, leading around pulleys O, and P, to the rear ends of the arms R' of
the coupling jaws R.
The said jaws R, are mounted in the draw-head just in front of the apron L³, and
works in and out of perforations in the side of the said head. Passing back between the
halves of the draw-head are the arms R'. The said arms are pivoted midway between
the said halves by means of the pins, S, S, which pass through perforations provided
in the same.
As hereinbefore stated, to the rear of these arms are attached the
cords M. Also attached to the rear ends of the said arms are the cords T, which pass
around the vertical pulleys, N, and joined from the one cord T, which passes out at
the perforation D, in the upper half of the draw-head. To the rear of the said pins S,
and seated in the sides of the said guides I, I, are spiral springs which bear against
the said arms R¹, and tend to keep the jaws R, closed.
The two halves of the draw-head are secured together by means of the bolts U,
which pass through and bind them together.
Upon the upper half of the said draw-head is a stopping bumper V, and upon the
lower half of the said draw-head to the rear of the said stopping bumper V, is a starting
bumper V¹. They are placed on either side of two bars passing cross-wise of the car
and fastened to the sills thereof.
In the head H, is a slot H¹; passing through the said slot is a bar which is attached
to the sills of the car. Play is allowed in all the constructions herein set forth as the
starting and stopping strain is taken up by the spring W. The said spring is secured
in a perforation in the rear of the head H, by means of the pin W₁, and to the car as
desired. The coupling link X, is shaped substantially as shown, with the barbed
heads X, adapted to be caught by the jaws R. The said heads are further supplied
with the perforations X2, by means of which the said link is secured to a car provided
with the ordinary draw-head, when coupling a car provided with this invention, in
which case the said link is fastened in the old styled draw-head first.
The front of the draw-head is further provided with the perforations Y, by means
of which the ordinary coupling-pin and link can be used.
The operation of the invention in coupling is as follows. The link X, is placed in
the draw-head of one on the meeting cars. The said cars are then bumped together
driving the free end of the link into the jaws, R, of the opposite car, which
immediately close upon the same behind the barbs and hold the said link, thus coupling
the car.
In uncoupling, the operator grasps the cord T, and pulls the same. In doing so
the cords T, are pulled around the pulleys N, and draw the ends of the lever arms R',
in, opening the jaws R, and uncoupling the cars.
The cord T, may be carried to the sides or to the top of a car, as desired, and the
coupling operated from that point.
The lover L, only operates in case of accident, when the cars would fall one on the
other, as in going over an embankment.
When this takes place the cars bend in the couplings. With this coupling when
this occurs, the barbed head of the link X, is forced up against the apron L³, and
raises the same.
As the apron L2, is raised, the lever L, turns upon the fulcrum L,
and bears the rear end down, drawing the cord M, over the pulley N, and the cords M,
around the pulleys O, and P. This action draws the rear ends of the arms R', to
which the cords M, are attached, in, and opens the jaws R, allowing the end of the
said link to escape. As the barbed head of the link forces up the apron it is forced
forward by the beveled face of the said apron and out between the jaws R.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :
1. In a car coupling such as described the combination of coupling jaws provided
with arms pivotally secured in the draw-head of said coupling; springs bearing
against the said arms to the rear of the pivots; and cords leading from the rear ends

page_text: of the said arms to and around pulleys situated between the same, and out of the said
draw-head to any point upon the car desired, substantially as described.
2. In a car coupling, such as described, the combination of coupling jaws provided
with arms pivotally secured in the draw-head of the said coupler; springs bearing
against the said arms to the rear of the pivots; a lever fulcrumed in the said draw-
head and provided with an apron resting behind the said coupling jaws and adapted
to be raised by the tilting of the coupling link; and suitable connections between the
rear end of the said lever and of the said arms, substantially as described, whereby
when the end of the said lever behind the coupling jaws is raised the rear end is
depressed and the rear ends of the said arms drawn in.
Dated this 18th day of February 1888.
FRANCIS MARION RARIDEN.
ALFRED RILEY HEATH.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.