Improvements in Car-couplers.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Lelt, 19th Oct., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by LEONARD FROST, of Barada, in the County of
Richardson and State of Nebraska, U.S.A., Inventor.]
Improvements in Car-couplers.
1, REGINALD WALTER BARKER, of Monument Chambers, King William Street,
London, Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of said invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-COUPLERS to be as follows :-
My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplers, and has for its object
to produce a car-coupler which shall be simple in construction and easy and effective
in operation.
A further object is to provide an improved coupling-pin by means of which the
link will be held in position to enter into a draw-head.
A further object is to produce a coupling-pin constructed and applied to a draw-
head in such a manner that it shall of itself, without the intervention of auxiliary
devices, be automatic in the coupling operation.
A further object is to provide a draw-head with means for maintaining the link
in a normal level position.
With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of
construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth.
The draw-head used with my invention is in general construction similar to the
draw-heads now commonly in use. Made in the centre of the top and bottom of
the draw-head are aligned perforations, and located within the draw-head upon the
bottom thereof is a block, having a recess adapted to partially surround one of the
perforations, for a purpose which will presently appear. Passing transversely
through the draw-head in rear of other of the perforations is a bar, supported at its
ends in notches made in the walls of slots in the side walls of the draw-head,
whereby said bar may be adjusted at different distances from the bottom jaw of the
draw-head. The transverse bar is preferably made of spirally-twisted metal or in
other manner to insure more or less elasticity, and is so located in the draw-head
that a coupling-link may be inserted beneath it and be maintained in a level position
by means of said bar, whereby it will at all times be in position to enter a draw-
head with which it is to be coupled. By making the cross-bar of elastic metal it
will readily adjust itself to links of different thicknesses without the necessity of
further adjustment.
In lieu of the transverse bar of elastic metal, said bar may be made in other
suitable forms by which it is pivotally supported at its ends in one pair of notches
in the walls of the slots and is provided with a lip or flange adapted to project
downwardly. With this form when the link enters the draw-head it strikes the lip
or flange and is guided beneath the bar, the flange being elevated sufficiently to
permit the link to pass under it. Thus links of varying thicknesses may be employed,
the flange being elevated to admit the link, and in all cases the flange will normally
rest on the link.
Passing through the perforations is a coupling device or pin. This device is
preferably made in a single piece of substantially inverted-U shape, comprising a
pin proper and a guide-rod, the pin and guide-rod being adapted to pass through
the perforations. The guide-rod is provided with a shoulder adapted when two
cars are to be coupled to rest upon the bottom of the draw-head at the top of one
of the perforations, thus maintaining the pin elevated. With the notch in position
with the coupling-pin elevated, when the link enters the draw-head it passes under
the transverse bar and strikes the guide-rod, disengaging the shoulder and thus
permitting the pin to fall within the link.

page_text: By providing the block in rear of the guide-rod when the link of another car
strikes the guide-bar the latter will be prevented from being bent or otherwise
injured.
The shoulder may be made on the reverse side of the device, and have on the
inner face of the pin near its free end a notch made adapted to receive and hold the
link in position for coupling, the weight of the pin holding the link up level until
contact of an approaching draw-head is made, when the link is forced back, thereby
being disconnected from the pin, whereupon the pin drops down into proper position.
When the link is disengaged from the notch in the pin, the pin drops down, said
notch coming below the line of draft, thereby avoiding any weakening of the pin.
With the shoulder on the rear side of rod, it is disengaged and the pin permitted to
fall by the jarring of the draw-head, caused by the engagement therewith of the
draw-head to which it is to be coupled.
In another form of pin the notch is dispensed with and in lieu thereof a notched
block may be inserted in a slot in the end of the pin.
When it is not desired to couple the car, the pin may be made to enter a socket
in rear of one of the perforations.
I do not wish to restrict myself to the use of a single guide-rod, as more than one
may be employed.
In another form of the invention the pin is provided at a point in or approximately
in its centre with a screw-threaded perforation. In proximity to the pin a guide-
rod is passed through this perforation in the draw-lead and projects downwardly
therefrom. A screw-threaded arm projects at right angles to the rod and is adapted
to enter the perforation in the pin, which latter is made with a notch near its lower
end to receive a link, as previously explained. Another guide-rod is passed through
a perforation in the draw-head and projects upwardly therefrom, being provided at
its lower end with a screw-threaded arm adapted to enter the screw-threaded
perforation in the pin.
.
In another form of the invention the guide-rod is passed through perforations in
the draw-head and made to project above and below the same, being provided at a
point between its ends with a screw-threaded arm to enter a similarly-threaded
perforation in the pin.
Dated this 17th day of February 1891.
REGINALD W. BARKER.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car-couplers.
1, REGINALD WALTER BARKER, of Monument Chambers, King William Street,
London, Middlesex, Patent Agent, 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:-
My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplers, and has for its object
to produce a car-coupler which shall be simple in construction and easy and effective
in operation.
A further object is to provide an improved coupling-pin by means of which the
link will be held in position to enter into a draw-head.
A further object is to produce a coupling-pin constructed and applied to a draw-
head in such a manner that it shall of itself, without the intervention of auxiliary
devices, be automatic in the coupling operation.
A further object is to provide a draw-bead with means for maintaining the link
in a normal level position.
With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of
construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth,
and pointed out in the claims.
A represents a draw-head, which in general construction is similar to draw-heads

page_text: te
now commonly in use. Made in the centre of the top and bottom of the draw-head
are aligned perforations a abb, and located within the draw-head upon the bottom
thereof is a block B, having a recess e, adapted to partially surround the per-
foration, for a purpose which will presently appear. Passing transversely
through the draw-head in rear of the perforations a a' is a bar C, supported at its
ends in notches d, made in the walls of slots d' in the side walls of the draw-head,
whereby said bar may be adjusted at different distances from the bottom jaw of the
draw-head. The transverse bar C is preferably made of spirally-twisted metal or
in other manner to insure more or less elasticity, and is so located in the draw-head
that a coupling-link D may be inserted beneath it and be maintained in a level position
by means of said bar, whereby it will at all times be in position to enter a draw-
head with which it is to be coupled. By making the cross-bar of elastic metal it
will readily adjust itself to links of different thicknesses without the necessity of
further adjustment.
In lien of the transverse bar D, of elastic metal, said bar may be made in the
form shown in Fig. 4. In this form the bar is pivotally supported at its ends in
one pair of notches in the walls of the slots d¹ and is provided with a lip or flange e,
adapted to project downwardly. With this form when the link enters the draw-
head it strikes the lip or flange and is guided beneath the bar, the flange being
elevated sufficiently to permit the link to pass under it. Thus links of varying
thicknesses may be employed, the flange e being elevated to admit the link, and in
all cases the flange will normally rest on the link.
Passing through the perforations a a' bb' is a coupling device or pin E. This
device is preferably made in a single piece of substantially inverted-Ū shape, com-
prising the pin proper E' and a guide-rod 12, the pin being adapted to pass through
the perforations a a¹, and the guide-rod E2 being adapted to pass through the
perforations. The guide-rod E2 is provided with a shoulder, adapted when
two cars are to be coupled to rest upon the bottom of the draw-head at the top of
the perforation, thus maintaining the pin El elevated. With the notch as shown
in Fig. 5 and the coupling-pin elevated, as in Fig. 1, when the link enters the draw-
head it passes under the transverse bar D and strikes the guide-rod E' and
disengages the shoulder, thus permitting the pin to fall within the link.
By providing the block B in rear of the guide-rod when the link of another car
strikes the guide-bar E the latter will be prevented from being bent or otherwise
injured.
On the inner face of the pin near its free end a notch g is made and adapted to
receive and hold the link in position for coupling, the weight of the pin holding the
link up level until contact of an approaching draw-head is made, when the link is
forced back, thereby being disconnected from the pin whereupon the pin drops
down into proper position.
When the link is disengaged from the notch g in the pin, the pin drops down,
said notch coming below the line of draft, thereby avoiding any weakening of the pin.
The shoulder is disengaged and the pin permitted to fall by the jarring of the
draw-head, caused by the engagement therewith of the draw-head to which it is to
be coupled.
In the form of pin shown in Fig. 6 the notch g is dispensed with and in lieu
thereof a notched block h is inserted in a slot in the end of the pin.
When it is not desired to couple the car, the pin may be made to enter a socket F
in rear of the perforation a'.
I do not wish to restrict myself to the use of a single guide-rod, as more than one
may be employed.
In the form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 8 the pin is provided at a point in
or approximately in its centre with a screw-threaded perforation. In proximity to
the pin a guide-rod is passed through this perforation in the draw-head and
projects downwardly therefrom. A screw-threaded arm; projects at right angles
to the rod i and is adapted to enter the perforation in the pin, which latter is made
with a notch k near its lower end to receive a link, as previously explained. Another

page_text: guide-rod is passed through a perforation in the draw-head and projects upwardly
therefrom, being provided at its lower end with a screw-threaded arm 4, adapted
to enter the screw-threaded perforation in the pin.
In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 7 the guide-rod m is passed through
perforations in the draw-head and made to project above and below the same, being
provided at a point between its ends with a screw-threaded arm m³ to enter a
similarly-threaded perforation in the pin.
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. The combination, with a draw-head having aligned perforations therein, of a
coupling-pin and guide-rod adapted to pass through said perforations, said guide-
rod having a shoulder thereon, and a rigid block in the draw-head, in rear of the
perforations, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with a draw-head having openings or perforations therein,
of a coupling-pin and connected guide-rod adapted to pass through said per-
forations, said guide-rod having a shoulder thereon for engaging the draw-head,
and a link-supporting device located in a vertical plane passing between the plane
of the coupling-pin and the plane of the guide-rod, the said link-supporting device
being supported at its ends in the sides of the draw-head, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination, with a draw-head having aligned perforations therein, of a
coupling-pin passing through said perforations and a link-supporting device of
elastic material passing through the draw-head and supported at its opposite ends
in the sides of the draw-head, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination, with a draw-head having aligned perforations therein, of a
coupling-pin passing through said perforations, said pin having a recess g on its
rear face near its free end to receive one end of a link, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 19th day of October 1891.
REGINALD W. BARKER.