Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 22nd May, 1890-Accepted, 28th June, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
We GEORGE SHIPP GAINES, Farmer, and James DAVISON PICKENS, Doctor, both
of Corona in the County of Walker and State of Alabama, and SYLVESTER JONES
GAINES, Merchant, of Tuscaloosa in the County of Tuscaloosa and State of Alabama,
United States of America do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to couplings for railway vehicles of the American type and
has for its object to provide an automatic car coupler of simple construction.
The draw-head is provided with a socket extending rearward from its mouth of
such character as to admit of a free movement of the coupling link back of the pin
during the operation of coupling or in starting the cars.
To one wall of one of the draw-heads we apply a yielding bearing plate formed,
preferably, of spring steel, the outer end of which plate is bont laterally and is seated
in a recess formed in the front edge of the wall to which it is secured. The free end
of the plate bears against the wall serving to relieve the bent portion of the plate
from any undue strain when the link engages the same during coupling.
To the front end of the wall of the corresponding draw-head and opposite the plate
we apply a swinging fender or guide plate, the inner end of which normally abuts the
coupling pin which is arranged slightly to one side of the centre of the draw-head.
The fender is hinged in such a manner as to admit of its being quickly swung outward
and when so adjusted to automatically lock itself in position. The fender is hinged
upon a pintle held by a strap secured to the outer face of the draw-head, and we
provide the socket portion of the fender with a depending lip which engages a notch in
the holding strap such lip being adapted when the fender is swung outward to
automatically drop into the notch and lock the fender in its outward position, said
socket, portion being arranged to have a limited vertical movement on the pintle
whereby the fender may be slightly raised vertically to disengage said lip from the
notch when it is desired to swing the fender inward.
The coupling link has a hole in its butt end to receive the coupling pin of one of the
draw-heads and its front end being hook-shaped to form a coupling head. The front
lower face of the link is bevelled to facilitate the entrance of such link into the
draw-head.
In adjusting the coupler for operation, we swing the fender of one of the draw-heads
out to admit of the insertion of the butt end of the link. When the two draw-heads
come together, the front end of the link engages the face of the fender in the other
draw-head and is deflected against the spring plate and the bevelled end of the link
engaging the pin is forced past the same until the recess engages with the pin, the
spring plate serving to hold said link in locked position. The link can freely move
backward as the cars bump together or are started, and owing to the inclined face,
the further the said link is pushed in, the tighter the plate will bear to hold the same
in position so that the link cannot be accidentally pulled out.
A bent link formed similar to the link described may be employed when cars of
different heights are to be coupled.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
We GEORGE SHIPP GAINES, Farmer, and JAMES DAVISON PICKENS, Doctor, both
of Corona in the County of Walker and State of Alabama, and SYLVESTER JONES
GAINES, Merchant, of Tuscaloosa in the County of Tuscaloosa and Stato of Alabama,
United States of America 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 couplings for railway vehicles of the American type ; and
it has for its object to provide an automatic car coupler of simple construction.
The Invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
forming part of this specification wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of our
improved car coupler. Figure 2 is a horizontal section of two draw-heads, with our
improvements applied, coupled together. Figure 3 is a detail front view of one of
the draw-heads, shewing the fender or guide plate swung open to more clearly
illustrate its hinged connection with the draw-head. Figure 4 is a perspective
view of the coupling link. Figure 5 is a view of a modified form of such link.
The draw-head A, which may be of any ordinary construction, has its link-receiving
socket a extended rearward from the mouth a¹ so as to admit of a free movement
of the coupling link B back of the pin during the operation of coupling or in
starting the cars. To one wall A¹ of the drawhead A we apply a yielding bearing
plate C formed preferably of spring steel, the outer end of which is bent laterally
and is seated in a recess a formed in the front edge of the wall A' being secured
thereto, by means of the screws bb, as shewn. The free end of the plate bears
against the wall A¹, as shewn at a³, such bearing serving to relieve the bent
portion c of the plate from any undue strain when the link B engages the same
during coupling. D indicates a swinging fender or guide plate which is hinged to
the front end of the wall A' of the draw-hoad opposite the plate C the inner end d
of which normally abuts on the coupling pin F arranged slightly to one sido of
the centre of the drawhead, as shewn. The fender D is hinged in such a manner as
to admit of its being quickly swung outward and when so adjusted to automatically
lock itself in position.
By reference to figure 3 of the drawings, it will be observed we hinge the
fender D upon a pintle G held by the strap H secured to the outer face of the wall A
and we provide the socket portion d' of the fender with a depending lip d³ which
engages a notch g in the portion g' of the holding strap H, such lip d² being adapted,
when the fender is swung outward, to automatically drop into the notch g and lock the
fender in its outward position, said socket portion d being arranged to have a limited
vertical movement on the pintle G whereby the fender may be slightly raised vertically
to disengage said lip d from the notch g when it is desired to swing the fender
inward.
The coupling link B has a hole i in its butt end to receive the coupling pin of one
of the draw-heads, its front end being provided with a coupling head, such head being
preferably formed by bevelling one face of the link, as at 10, providing such face at
the base of the bevel with a vertical socket 20 from which the said face is inclined
outward, as at 30, the opposite face of said link-being straight the entire distance, as
shewn at 40. The front lower face of the link is also bevelled, as shewn at 50 to
facilitate the entrance of such link into the draw-head.
In adjusting our improved devices for operation, we swing the fender D of one of
the draw-heads out (see figure 2) to admit of the insertion of the butt end of the link B.
Now, when the two draw-heads come together, the front end of the link will engage
the face of the fender D and be deflected against the spring plate and the bevel
face 10 engaging the pin F will pass the same until the recess 20 is forced into
engagement with the rear face of the pin F the spring plate C serving to hold said
link in locked position with the pin F. It will be observed that by such construction,

page_text: the link can freely move backward as the cars bump together or are started and
owing to the inclined face 30, the further the said link is pushed in the tighter the
plate C will bear to hold the same in position so that the link cannot be accidentally
pulled out.
F* denotes a bent link formed similar to the link F which is employed when cars
of different heights are to be coupled.
It will be obvious, by reference to the drawings, that the link may be changed so
as to couple from either end of the car.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is ;
1. A car coupler constructed substantially as shewn and described, consisting of a
coupling link B provided with a lateral coupling hook at its front end and a draw-
head provided with a yielding bearing plate C said plate secured at its forward end
to the front end of the wall A' of the draw-head and its rear end as adapted to
bear against the inner face of said wall, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
2. In a car coupling, the combination, with the draw-head A, the coupling pin F
and the yielding bearing plate C operating against the wall A¹ of the draw-head,
of the swinging fender D hinged to the wall A of the draw-head, its inner end
adapted to bear against the front face of the coupling pin, and the coupling link B
provided with a straight face 40 adapted to engage the yielding plate, and with a
bevelled end 10 formed with a coupling barb 20, adapted to engage the pin F,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
3. In a car coupling essentially as described, a swinging fender or guide plate
hinged to one wall of the draw-head its free end adapted to engage the front face
of the coupling pin and close one portion of the mouth a¹ of said drawhead in
combination with the yielding bearing plate Carranged on the inner face of the
opposite wall of said draw head, said fender adapted to guide the coupling link
against said plate C in coupling, substantially as and for the purpose described.
4. The combination, with the draw-head A the pin F and the yielding plate C
secured to the inner-face of the wall A' of the draw-head, of the swinging fender
plate D hinged to the outer end of the wall A' of the drawhead and a detent or
bolding device for automatically locking said fender in its open or swung-out
position, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 92nd day of May 1890