Improvements in Railway Vehicle Couplings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application (in the United Kingdom), 21st Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1896-Accepted, 21st Nov., 1896
ngs.
I, JOHN HENRY SENGER of Cerro Gordo, in the County of Piatt, State of
Illinois, U.S.A., Mechanic do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
In this invention the drawhead of the vehicle is provided with a transverse
opening for the reception of the link and a link guide and carrier or hook
fulcrummed on the drawhead in advance of the opening and having at its inner
extremity an arm adapted to be engaged by the link. Preparatory to automatic
coupling the link is held in a horizontal position by a support pivotted to the
drawhead. In the coupling operation the link comes upon and slides up an inclined
plane on the link guide and hook, so as to turn round this latter on its pivot into
the link engaging position. The combined hook and link guide may be thrown
into the disengaged position and effect uncoupling from either side or from the
top of the vehicle by means of lever and chain connections.
Dated this 21st day of February 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Railway Vehicle Couplings.
I, JOHN HENRY SENGER of Cerro Gordo, in the County of Piatt, State of
Illinois, U.S.A., Mechanic, 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 a railway vehicle coupling capable of coupling
automatically, and adapted to guide a link into the drawhead which receives it, to
avoid going between the vehicles, and adapted to be uncoupled from the top and
sides of the vehicle whether stationary or in motion.
In the drawing
Fig. 1 is a perspective view shewing the coupling of this invention applied to
the end of a railway vehicle, the parts being arranged to receive and guide a wing
into engagement with the draw head. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of
the same.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a side view shewing the manner of supporting a link.
transverse section of the same.
Fig. 4 a
1 is a drawhead having near its front or outer end a transverse opening 2 to
receive and engage a link 3, and provided with a longitudinal recess 4 in which is
pivotally mounted a link guide and carrier 4" on a transverse pivot 5 near the end
of the draw head and consisting of a substantially triangular portion 6 having a
rounded butt or base and adapted when thrown forward as shewn in Fig. 1, to
project beyond the draw head and provide an inclined face or way 7 up which the
link is adapted to ride. At the upper extremity of the inclined face 7 is arranged
an arm 8 projecting forward from the link guide and carrier when the latter is in
operative position and adapted to have the link abut against it, whereby the link
causes the guide and carrier to swing rearward and to conduct it into the link
receiving opening 2. When the link is in engagement with the draw head (Fig. 3)
it pulls against the same at the front side of the opening 2 and the guide and
carrier 4 does not receive any of the strain incident to drawing a train of
vehicles.
The uncoupling operation is performed by swinging the link guide and carrier
forward from the position of Fig. 3 to that of Fig. 1, which movement carries the
link out of the opening 2 and conveys it clear of the draw head. This swinging
movement of the link guide and carrier may be accomplished by any suitable
mechanism, and a chain 9 is preferably attached to the butt or base of the link
guide and carrier, and is arrauged on the rounded edge of the same, where it is
grooved for the purpose. The chain then extends inward or rearward in the
recess 4 and passes upward through an opening in the top of the draw head and is
connected with the operating mechanism consisting preferably of a bell crank
lever 10 fulcrummed on the vehicle 11 and having handle rods 12, 13, connected
to its inner and outer ends. The rod 12, which is connected to the inner end of
the, bell crank lever, extends to the top of the vehicle in a substantially vertical
direction and the other rod 13 is arranged horizontally and extends to one side of
the vehicle. With this construction, uncoupling may be performed from the top
and sides of the vehicle.
The link 3 is maintained in a substantially horizontal position preparatory to
automatic coupling by a link support 14 comprising a pair of supporting blocks
located at the sides of the draw head in advance of the opening 2 and pivotted
to the draw head by a transverse pin 15. The blocks of the link support are
tapering or substantially triangular, being inverted and extending upward from
the transverse pin, and an operating chain 16 is connected beyond the pin 15 with
the smaller end of one of the blocks, and is adapted to swing the larger end
upward and forward beneath the link. When the link support is not in use the
blocks lie in a substantially horizontal position, extending inward from the
transverse pin 15, and their upward swing is limited by a fastening device 17
projecting inward from the inner face of each block and arranged in a curved
groove 18. The groove prevents the blocks from swinging upward and assuming
a horizontal position, whereby when the link is lifted from the blocks, the support
will swing backward to its initial position.
The link support is operated from the top and sides of a vehicle by means of
rods 19, 20, connected with the ends of a bell crank lever 21 fulcrummed at its
angle on the vehicle and having its inner end attached to the operating chain 16,
suitable guides being provided for the latter which extends along the draw head
and upward on the same.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1., In a railway vehicle. coupling, the combination of a draw head provided with
a transverse link receiving opening, and a link guide and carrier fulcrummed on
the draw head in advance of the opening, and having an inclined edge to receive

page_text: and guide a link, and provided at the inner extremity thereof with an arm
adapted to be engaged by the link, for the purpose specified, substantially as
described and shewn.
2. In a railway vehicle coupling, the combination of a draw head having a
transverse link receiving opening, a link guide and carrier fulcrummed on the
draw hand, and consisting of a substantially triangular portion having a rounded
base, and an arm projecting from the base and adapted to be engaged by a link,
and operating mechanism having a chain arranged on the rounded portion or base
of the link guide and carrier, for the purpose specified, substantially as described
and shewn.
3. In a railway vehicle coupling, the combination of a draw head provided with
a transverse link receiving opening and having at opposite sides curved grooves 18,
a link, a transverse pin passing through the draw head, a pair of blocks located at
opposite sides of the draw head and mounted on the ends of said pin and adapted
to be swung upward beneath the link, projections arranged at the inner faces of
the blocks and extending into the grooves 18 and limiting the swing of the blocks,
whereby the latter are caused to fall automatically, and means for swinging the
blocks upward, for the purpose specified substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 17th day of October 1896.
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.