IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR COUPLING
Year: 1886

page_text: We, SLYVESTER ANDRAL KILMER, Physician and EDGAR JAMES CRANDELL,
Photographer, residing at Binghamton, in the County of Broome, and State of
New York, one of the United States of America do hereby declare that the nature
of our invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR COUPLING, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement :-
This invention relates to link draw-heads for car-couplings and it consists in the
construction and novel arrangement of devices, as hereinafter described and pointed
out in the claims.
Referring to the drawings -
Figure, i, is a side elevation.
Figure, 2, is a top plan view of a car coupling-embodying our improvements.
Figure, 3, is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-bar and Figures, 4,
and, 5, are detail views.
In these drawings, the letter, A, designates the draw-head which may be cast
in one piece or in two sections longitudinally and centrally joined and bolted
together.
The draw head is of usual external contour having the bar portion, B, and the
head portion, C, the latter being provided with a recess opening forward to receive
the link. The walls of the bell mouth shelve toward the throat, D, which is of
proper size transversely and vertically to allow the link to enter easily and to have
some play. This throat is short however and opens in rear into a transverse pear
shaped slot, P, the larger portion or fundus of which is toward the throat.
This pear shaped slot extends backward from the throat and its rear or narrower
portion serves to provide a rest for the rear end of the link, in adjusting the latter
in position for coupling. The slot extends entirely through the draw head from
side to side and is of sufficient size to admit the hand or fingers thereof, and to
enable the brakeman to direct the link by taking hold of its inner portion which
is guarded by the front of the draw-head. The floor of the slot curves upward
and rearward to guide the key as it rises when pushed by the entering link.
From the pear shaped slot or opening extends upward the key slot, F, which is
narrow from side to side and broad from front to rear, communicating with nearly
the entire length of the top of the opening, P. The walls of this key. slot are
Figure, 2, is a top plan view of a car coupling embodying our improvements.
Figure, 3, is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw-bar and Figures, 4,
and, 5, are detail views.
In these drawings, the letter, A, designates the draw-head which may be cast
in one piece or in two sections longitudinally and centrally joined and bolted
together.
The draw head is of usual external contour having the bar portion, B, and the
head portion, C, the latter being provided with a recess opening forward to receive
the link. The walls of the bell mouth shelve toward the throat, D, which is of
proper size transversely and vertically to allow the link to enter easily and to have
some play. This throat is short however and opens in rear into a transverse pear
shaped slot, P, the larger portion or fundus of which is toward the throat.
This pear shaped slot extends backward from the throat and its rear or narrower
portion serves to provide a rest for the rear end of the link, in adjusting the latter
in position for coupling. The slot extends entirely through the draw head from
side to side and is of sufficient size to admit the hand or fingers thereof, and to
enable the brakeman to direct the link by taking hold of its inner portion which
is guarded by the front of the draw-head. The floor of the slot curves upward
and rearward to guide the key as it rises when pushed by the entering link.
From the pear shaped slot or opening extends upward the key slot, F, which is
narrow from side to side and broad from front to rear, communicating with nearly
the entire length of the top of the opening, P. The walls of this key. slot are

page_text: parallel except in the lower front portion when the front wall extends obliquely
toward the upper wall of the throat, D, as shown at, d, so that the key slot has an
offset at, a, to receive the shoulder of the coupling key which when in coupled
position engages the front wall of the opening or chamber, P. G, represents the
coupling key or pin which is of flattened form from side to side, and is designed to
slip easily into the key slot. Its upper portion or shank is tapered a little in front
as at, f, so that it will be allowed a little play in the slot when in the raised
position.
Its lower portion is in rounded claw form, the upper front part of this claw, I,
being beveled at, b, and extending a little forward of the shank portion, is shown
to form a shoulder.
From this part, the forward edge of the claw is rounded downward and back-
ward to correspond with the contour of the fundus of the pear shaped opening, E.
The back of the claw is recessed at, c, to engage the link, H, as shown. The
upper end of the key is usually provided with a lug, K, having an eye, e, which
extends through said key lug from front to rear. When the key is down, or in
engaged position, its shoulder, b, engages the bevel wall, d, of the offset, a, of the
key slot, and its rounded claw edge engages the lower front wall of the pear
shaped opening, so that the key is steadied in position, and casual disengagement
on account of any upward jumping of the key is not liable to occur.
When the key is raised, its lower portion moves rearwardly to allow the
shoulder of the claw to clear the bevel wall, d, of the offset, a. This play is
allowed by the angular recess in the front edge of the key indicated at, b, f.
L, indicates a transverse hand lever, which is pivoted to a fulcrum block, m, above
the bar portion of the draw-head, and is provided with a forward arm, V, having
the oblique angular portion, k, which extends upward and forward and connects
the end portion, l, of the said arm to the rear portion. The end, l, of said arm
is designed to engage the eye of the key and when the lever is moved to raise the
key, the arm, V, rises and as the key is drawn upward, its rear top shoulder, z, is
engaged by the bend or angular portion, K, of said arm, forming a lock, which
prevents the key from being thrown upward out of the key slot.
The link being properly directed enters the mouth and throat of the draw-head,
and will be automatically engaged by the key as its end readily slips under the
rounded claw, into the back portion of the pear shaped slot and allows the key to
fall and engage said link by its rounded recess or notch, e.
In order to further facilitate the operation of adjusting the link in giving it the
proper direction to enter the opposing draw-head, an angular lever, J, is provided
having a weighted rear arm, w, pivoted at, 8. The front arm, n, of this lever has
an inwardly turned finger, h, designed to enter the opening, P, of the draw-bar far
enough to engage the side bar of the link when said arm, n, is depressed. By
means of this weighted lever, the rear end of the link can be depressed to raise and
direct the front end properly. When not in operation the lever is held in proper
position by its weighted arm.
When it is desired to lock the key to the draw-bar, a pin, t, may be employed
passing through an oblique slot, g, of said key.
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. The combination with a draw-head, having a narrow key slot formed with
an offset in its lower front portion as at, a, of the laterally flattened key, having
the taper wall, f, the shoulder, b, and the lower rounded claw recessed in rear,
substantially as specified.
2. The combination with the draw-head, having a key slot and the key having a
shoulder in rear of a top lug, formed with an eye opening from front to rear, of
a hand lever having an oblique or stop bend adapted when raised to engage said
shoulder, substantially as specified.

page_text: 3. The combination with the draw-head having a key slot, a narrow mouth, D,
and a transverse opening, P, in rear of said mouth of the lever, J, having the
weighted arm, w, and the front arm, n, formed with the inwardly directed finger, h,
substantially as specified.
4. A draw-head for coupling links, having a transverse throat, and in rear
thereof an opening having a rearwardly and upwardly curved guide floor, and a
slot in its upper wall, in combination with a laterally flattened claw-shaped key,
resting on said guide floor and adapted to rise on said guide floor when pushed by
the entering link, substantially as specified.