Car-coupling.
Year: 1890

page_text: being date of first Foreign Application (n 16th Apr., 1990
United States of America),
Date Application (in United Kingdom), 4th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1890-Accepted. 14th Feb. 1881
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Car-coupling.
I, ALVIN CARR MCCORD, Gentleman, residing at Minneapolis, in the County
of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, one of the States of the 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings:-
My invention relates to car-couplings, and has reference more particularly to
that class of devices in which there are employed two jaws similar in all respects
to each other, which couple automatically as the cars are brought together.
In the drawings,
Figure is a perspective view of my improved coupler ;
Fi
Figure 2, a similar view showing the jaws separated;
Figure 3, a perspective view of the parts separated:
Figure 4, a horizontal sectional view.
A and B indicate the two jaws, which are in all respects duplicates of each
other, and as a description of one will apply equally well to both, I will now
describe in detail only the jaw A. The jaw comprises as its essential features a
main body or head C, a pivoted catch or beak D, and a locking pin or dog E.
The head or main body C will advisably be made of a single casting and will be
provided with two forwardly-projecting ears or lugs a, perforated to receive the
pin or bolt b, upon which the beak oscillates or swings.
In rear of and between the lugs or cars a the main body is provided with a lug
or projection e, against which the dog E, carried by the pivoted beak, is designed
to strike, so as to prevent the latter from swinging outward and uncoupling. On
that side of the head or main body opposite the forwardly-projecting lugs, the
said head is provided or formed with a forwardly-projecting nose d, whose front
face is curved, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, so that the beak of the opposite
jaw will be thrown inward as it strikes and rides along the said curved face."
The front face of the main body C, or more properly its nose d, will be recessed
or provided with a socket, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to receive the tail g of the
beak D. This pivoted beak is provided with a narrow slot h, extending from front
to rear, to receive a flat block F, which latter is held in place by a pin or pivot k
at the forward end of the block. The beak is further provided with two rear-
wardly-extending arms, which are separated to pass, respectively, above and
below the lug or projection c on the main body or head C, the lower arm i being
slotted lengthwise, as at j, to receive and embrace the lower end of the pivoted or
swinging locking-dog E. The upper arm is provided on its upper face with
sockets or bearings m to receive the laterally-projecting journals 1, formed upon the
upper end of the dog E and upon which the latter oscillates, and the said arm is
cut away, as shown, to permit the swinging of the dog.
The dog E is connected with the inner end of the block F by means of a link G,
so that when the end of the block F (which projects beyond the beveled nose or

page_text: front edge n of the hook II of the beak) is struck by the corresponding block For
beak D of the opposite jaw it will rock upon its pivot k, and in thus rocking draw
the lower end of the locking-dog E forward in advance of the lug c. A rod 1,
connected to the block F, extends outwardly to the side of the car, so that the
said block and the locking-dog may be actuated or controlled without entering
between the cars.
When the jaws are in the position shown in Fig. 4, the hooks H of the respective
jaws will be in engagement with each other, and it will be seen that unless the
hooks be locked in position they will be free to swing upon their pivots and thus
uncouple. It is to prevent the uncoupling, or rather to lock the hooks in this
position, that employ the locking-dog E. This dog, which is carried by the
arms of the beak D, is adapted to come into contact with the lug or projection c
on the head or body C, and thereby prevent the beak from swinging upon its
pivot b. Now, when the dog E is swung or moved forward beyond the end of the
lug or projection, so that the latter may be passed or cleared by the dog, the beak
is free to be swung upon its pivot, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4.
movement of the dog may be effected, as before stated, either through the actuation
of the rod or by means of the block F. The tendency of the dog is to remain
in a vertical position, and whenever the means employed for throwing its lower
end forward are released, gravity will return the dog to its normal position. The
back face of the lug or projection is beveled or inclined, and the rear face of the
dog is also advisably inclined, so that when the beak D swings into its closed
position the dog will be caused to ride up the inclined face of the lug and over the
end of the latter.
This
The jaws may be automatically coupled when either or both of the beaks are
locked or unlocked, as will be now explained.
First. When one of the beaks is locked.-Assuming that the beak of jaw A is
locked and that the beak of jaw B is unlocked, it will be seen that as the two jaws
are brought together the tail of the beak of jaw B will strike the nose of the beak
of jaw A at the same time that the nose of the beak of jaw B strikes the nose-
piece of jaw A; and it will also be seen that (if the movement of the jaws
toward each other be continued) the riding of the beak of jaw B along the curved
nose-piece and the pushing inward of the tail of the beak of jaw B will cause
the said beak to swing inward and engage the beak of the jaw A. In thus
swinging the locking-dog is retracted, as before explained, and by the time that
the beak has reached its proper position the dog will have passed over the end of
the lug and behind the same, and thereby locked the beak in position.
Second. Where both beaks are locked. In this contingency it will of course
be necessary that one or both of the hooks yield or give to allow the other to pass,
and to secure this I employ the blocks F, which project beyond the beveled noses
of the hooks H of each beak D. Now when the beaks come together the inclined
faces n will strike the projecting ends of the blocks, rock said blocks upon their
pivots k, and through the links G actuate the dogs E and release the beaks, so that
they may swing upon their pivots b. As the movement of the jaws toward cach
other continues, the nose-piece d of each jaw, acting in conjunction with the beak
of the opposite jaw, throws the beaks inward toward and into engagement with
each other, the beaks automatically locking themselves in position, as before.
Third. When both beaks are unlocked.-The action that takes place here is
just like that which takes place under the arrangement last above described after
the beaks have been released, so that they might swing outward to pass each
other.
One of the principal advantages of the present construction lies in the fact that
as the beveled noses of the beaks come together either one or both of said beaks
will be deflected laterally to allow the other to pass, and after passing to auto-
matically come into engagement, the unlocking to permit the lateral movement of
the hooks and the locking of the hooks being also performed automatically.
In order to adapt the jaws for use in connection with cars having the common

page_text: Torm of coupling, cut away a portion of the nose or hook of each beak just above
the end of the block F, as shown, to receive the coupling-link, the pin k in such
case serving as the ordinary coupling-pin.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. In combination with head C, pivoted beak D, locking-dog E, carried by the
beak to engage the head, and a block F, projecting beyond the nose of the beak
and connected with the dog, all substantially as shown and described.
2. In combination with head C, having lug c and perforated cars a, beak D,
having arms it, and pivoted to the ears a, and dog E, supported by the arms i i³,
all substantially as shown and described.
and
3. In combination with head C, having lug e, perforated ears a, socket
curved nose d, the pivoted beak D, having arms ii, tail g, and locking-dog E, all
substantially as described.
4. In combination with head C and pivoted beak D, a
arranged substantially as shown, to engage the head.
gravitating dog E,
5. In combination with head C, having beveled lug e, pivoted beak D, provided
with dog E.
6. In combination with head C, having lug c, pivoted beak D, having arms ii,
sockets m m, formed in arm i¹, a slot j, formed in arm i, and dog E, having lateral
arms or journals 1.
7. In combination with head C, pivoted beak D, provided with a slot h, a block F,
pivoted in the slot, a locking-dog E, and a connection between the dog and block.
8. In combination with head C, pivoted beak D, having block and dog E, a
connection between the dog and block, and a rod I, extending outward from the
block, all substantially as described.
9. In combination with head C, beak D, provided with locking-dog E, block F,
and a slot h, enlarged at its forward end to receive a link, and a pink for the block,
adapted to serve also as a coupling-pin.
Dated this 31st day of October 1890.
ALVIN CARR MCCORD.
Abel & Imray.