Improvements in or relating to Car Couplers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 7th May, 1895-Accepted, 22nd June, 1895
Improvements in or relating to Car Couplers.
A communication from JOSEPH E FORSYTH, of Chicago, Illinois, United States
of America, Manufacturer.
1, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the saine is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement
-
This invention relates to an improvement in the class of cai-couplers known as
the master car-builders type wherein the draw-bai cairies a horizontally swinging
Jaw or knuckle provided with means for locking it at the tail-piece, when closed,
o in the condition of coupling, and with means for unlocking and throwing out
the knuckle by the uncoupling operation.
This improvement relates, particularly, to the locking and unlocking (including
the throwing out) means for the swinging aw; and it also relates to the con-
struction of a jointed pivotal connection between the rock-shaft of the locking
and unlocking device and the cranh-rod for operating it, whereby not only shall
the play of the diaw-bar leave the crank-tod undistui bed, but the throw of the
rock-shaft of the locking and unlocking device shall not be transmitted to the
operating clank-1od,
Releting to the accompanying drawings-
Figues a broken sectional plan view of a car-couple provided with this
improvement and showing the knuckle in locked condition,
Figue 2 is a broken view showing the diaw-head in horizontal section with the
knuckle in unlocked condition and thrown out;
Figure 3 18 a section taken at the line 3 on Figure 1, viewed in the direction of
the arrow and enlarged,
Figure 4 is a perspective view of this improved combined knuckle locking and
unlocking device, in its prefered form,
Figure 5 is a broken section taken at the line 5 on Figure 1, viewed in the
dnection of the arrow and enlarged,
Figure 6 18 an end view of the rock-shaft of the knuckle locking and unlocking
device;
Figure 7 is an inner end view of the cap for receiving the reduced end of the
roch-shaft and provided with a socket flaring outward from opposite sides of its
centic to permit tuning of the rock-shaft without turning the operating-rod
connected with the cap; and
Figure 8 is a section taken at the line 8 on Figure 5 and viewed in the direction
of the antow.
A is the draw-head on the draw-bar B, both hemg of the usual, or any suitable,
gencial construction, and C is the knuckle, pivoted, as usual, to one side, near the
outer end, of the diaw-head to be swung on the pivot The tail-piece C¹ of the
knuckle C should be beveled at its inne end, the bevel extending to its upper side
near the extremity of the tail-piece, as indicated at ; and it is also beveled on its
under side from near the hub of the tail-piece upward toward its extremity, as
indicated at in Figure 3, the tail-piece being formed with a recess in its real
side, to admit the stress-taking ribs s, s' projecting from the adjacent inner wall of
the bend A, and to lighten its weight, the recess affording a rearward extending
projection or beating p on the tail-piece.

page_text: At or near the junction between the draw-bar and draw-bead, is provided a
hearing of at opposite sides of the open end of the draw-bar, for the rock-shaft r
of the improved combined knuckle locking and unlocking device D, the rock-shaft
projecting at its opposite ends through openings in the opposite sules of the diaw-
hend and at which benrangs 9 terminate, and each (or either) end of the shaft r
19 reduced to the shape of a flattened tongue o, which should be perforated or
have an eye o formed in it, as shown in Figure 4, for a purpose hereinafter
explained
From the 1ock-shaft r, near one of its ends, there projects forward the locking-
head or lug r', shown as of general rectangular shape; and toward the opposite
end of the toch-shalt there is provided, to project forward from it, the unlocking
or throwing out uger for the knuckle, being shown as having two prongs,
and, at its extremity to beni against the beveled under surface or sin faces. on
the knuckle by turning the rock-shaft backward, both of the prongs, as shown,
being substantially upon the same plane.
The operation of the improved locking and unlocking device is as follows⚫
The tail-piece of the knuckle C, when the latter is swung inward, encounters
the lug or head,' in its path, and when the bevel at a strihes the locking-head it
raises the latter, turning the rock-shaft r backward, and is thus enabled to pass the
head, which, when the tail-piece has passed it, falls, by its own weight (tunning
the rock-shaft forward) and blocks the return-path of the tail-piece, a web shown
in the diaw-head to afford an outer side bearing for the lug r
To unlock the knuckle C the shaft r is tuned backward, thereby raising the
head, out of the path of the tail-piece C' and raising the prongs and till
the former encounters that portion of the beveled surface on the tail-piece
which is in its path, and the stram of the rotable moving prong against the
beveled surface of the tail-piece tends to turn it outward and thus throw out the
knuckle on its pivot, and soon after it has been started, the prong encounters
the adjacent portion of the beveled su face, or that portion on the under side of
the projection and continues the outward throw of the knuckle till it has
reached the end of the throw, the prong still remaining in contact with the
projection, so that the latter will be sure to slip over, and not strike against, if
when the tail-piece 18 swung back for coupling.
It may hare be stated that the beveled surface should be continuous by joining
the projection with the body of the tail-piece, but that would unduly increase
the weight of the knuckle and the beamng-ubs and s¹ could not so well be
provided to take the stress of the coupling blow, and in that case, there would
be no purpose of forming the end of the finger with the two prongs
When the shaft r 18 thrown, in the manner described, were no means provided
to prevent it, the crank (not shown) which forms the termination on each of the
operating rods which pre connected, respectively, and preferably in the manner
hereinafter described, with the opposite ends of the shaft r, would fly up or down,
with ability to hurt any one, as a bakeman, standing near. To prevent this,
the flattened perforated tongues o me provided at the ends of the shaft to enter
caps 1, through which and the eyes o' cotter-pins are passed, loosely, to fasten
the caps to the rock-shaft. The socket m each cap flares outwardly from the
longitudinal center, as most clearly shown in Figures 7 and 8 to afford a central
bearing or attecunted r dge for the espertise tongue o to turn on without, as a
consequence of the turning of the shaft, also turning the cap, since the latter is
allorded lost motion, in either direction, toward opposite sides of the flaring socket!',
as represented in Figure 8, sufficient to correspond with the extent of roching the
shaft r.
The caps should terminate at their outer ends in eyes to be engaged by the
hooks or eye-ends ou the operating-1ods 1, which are supported in bearings, in a
usual on any suitable manner, on the front end of the car (not shown) and terminate
at their outer ends in the crank-aims, herein before referred to, by which to turn
the operating-rods to rock the shalt backward for the unlocking function of the

page_text: device D. The provision of the two rods is shown merely to indicate that the
coupler is adapted for freight and passenger cars, on which the rods for operating
the coupler oxtend to contrary sides of the car.
By providing the flexible connection between a rod and the end of the shaft r,
or cap, thereon, the play of the draw-bar B is not hampered as it would bo
were the connection stiff However, the improved device D may be adapted
to be employed where a chain connection is used in a common manner between the
operating rod and shaft r; so it is not limited to the particular operating connection
with which it is shown
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, & in what manner the
same is to be performed I declare that what I clam is
1. In a car-coupler, a combined locking and unlocking device for the knuckle,
comprising a 1ock-shaft journaled in horizontal position in the draw-head and
carrying toward one end, a locking-hend projecting forward into the path of the
tail-piece said shaft carrying, towaid its opposite end, a finger projecting forward
to beat against and force out the tail-piece by turning the rock-shaft to raise the
locking-head for unlocking, substantially as described.
.C
2. In a can-coupler, the combination with the knuckle having its tail-piece
provided with the beveled surfaces and and the projection p, of a combined
locking and unlocking device for the knuckle, comprising a rock-shaft carrying a
locking bead projecting forward into the path of the tail-piece, and a finger
projecting forward and termmating in prongs and to hear against the beveled
surface and force out the tail-piece by turning the rock-shaft for unlocking,
substantially as described.
3. In a car-coupler, the combination with the knuckle, of a combined locking
and unlocking device therefor, comprising a rock-shaft carrying a locking-head
projecting forward to the path of the tail-piece and a finger projecting forward
to bear agamist and force out the tail-piece by turning the rock-shaft. for
unlocking, a tongue affording a flattened extremity of the lock-shaft and a cap
containing a socket flaring laterally in opposite directions from its longitudinal
central portion and fastened upon said tongue, substautially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4. In a car-coupler, the combination with the knuckle, of a combined locking
and unlocking device therefor, comprising a rock-shalt caying a locking-head
projecting forward into the path of the tail-piece and a finger projecting for waid
to bear against and force out the tail-piece by turning the rock-shaft for unlocking,
a tongue affording a Hattened extremity of the rock-shaft, a cap containing a
socket flaring laterally in opposite directions from its longitudinal central portion
and fastened upon said tongue, and an operating rod connected with said tongue by
a flexible joint, substantially as and for the purpose set forth
l
I
5. In a car-coupler, the combination with the knuckle having its tail-piece
provided with the beveled surfaces and el, of a combined locking and unlocking
device D comprising a 1och-shaft terminating at its extremities in tongues o in
the flaring sockets of caps ou said tongues and provided with eyes P, said rock-
shaft carrying the forward projecting locking-head and unlocking finger, and
an operating rod mlinked to the eye in a cap, the whole being constructed and
arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 7th day of May 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.