Improvements in Draw Gear for the Coupling of Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Jan., 1997-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Draw Gear for the Coupling of Railway
Vehicles.
I, CHARLES ALBERT GOULD, of No. 66 Broadway, New York in the County
and State of New York, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 draw-gear for railway vehicles which is more
especially adapted to twin jaw couplings or such as comprise a head which is
attached to the outer end of the draft bar, a horizontally swinging hook or jaw
pivoted to the head and adapted to interlock with the similar jaw of an adjoining
vehicle and a lock for holding the jaw in its coupled position.
The object of my present improvement is to provide a construction which
enables the drawhead of the coupling to be rigidly secured to the draw bar and at
the same time permits the necessary longitudinal and lateral play of the same.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view partly in section, of the under frame
of a railway vehicle provided with my improved draft gear.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing a modified construction of the
draft gear.
Figure 4 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof.
.
Figure 5 is a vertical cross section in line 5-5 Figure 3.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
"
A represents the head stock, A' the side sills, A' the longitudinal centre sills
and A³ the cross bearer. The draw-bar comprises a main longitudinal draft rod
or bar B, a supplemental draft bar B¹ and an intermediate connecting bar or
link B2. The main bar B is connected with the link B2 by a yoke C arranged in
rear of the cross bearer and having bifurcated front and rear lugs e c¹ to which the
bar and the link are pivoted respectively by vertical pins d d. The link B
slides in an opening formed in the cross hearer. The supplemental draft bar B¹
is pivoted at its rear end to the front end of the link B2 by a vertical pine and its
front portion passes through a horizontal slot f formed in the head stock by which
construction this bar is capable of swinging laterally on the under frame. The
supplemental draft bar is preferably bifurcated or composed of two links arranged
one above the other, as shown in Figure 2.
G is the drawhead of the car coupling which is rigidly secured to the projecting
front end of the supplemental draft bar by vertical bolts g or by any other suitable
means.
H represents centering springs which operate against opposite sides of the
supplemental draft bar and yieldingly retain the same in its central position.
These springs are preferably fat and laminated and secured at their rear ends to
the centre sills A2 while their free ends bear against a vertical bolt i which connects
the links forming the supplemental draft rod.
J is a trausverse semi-elliptical draft spring arranged with its middle portion in
the yoke C and bearing with its free ends against wear plates; secured to the rear
side of the cross bearer A³. This draft spring resists the outward movement of
the draw bar in a well known manner.
Twin jaw couplings do not form a flexible connection which yields lengthwise of

page_text: the vehicle when the vehicles come together as do the screw couplings heretofore
in use on European railway cars, and in order to permit the necessary inward play
of the interlocked couplings the link B2 has a sliding connection with the yoke C,
so as to allow the supplemental draft bar to move inward independently of the
main draft bar. This connection is preferably effected by providing the front
lugs c of the yoke C with longitudinal slots k through which the connecting pin d
passes. As soon as this pin strikes the front ends of the slots k during the outward
movement of the supplemental draft rod, the pin compels the yoke C and the
main draft rod to take part in such outward movement, thus straining the draft
spring.
By arranging the supplemental draft bar to swing laterally, the coupling secured
thereto is permitted to assume a position at an angle to the longitudinal centre line
of the vehicle in rounding curves permitting it to remain at all times in engagement
with the coupling of an adjoining vehicle.
In the modified construction shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 the connecting yoke C¹
is arranged on the front side of the cross bearer aud the well known follower L
and spiral draft spring M are employed in place of the laminated semi-elliptical
spring J of the first described construction. The independent inward play of the
supplemental draft rod is obtained in this case by means of a short rod N which is
arranged to slide in an opening formed in the front cross bar of the yoke C¹ and
to which the rear end of the supplemental draft rod is pivoted, as shown at n.
The forward movement of the rod N is limited by stops or screw nuts n¹ applied
thereto on the inner side of the front cross bar of the yoke.
In this modification, transverse spiral centering springs H' are substituted for
the flat springs H of the construction previously described. These springs are
mounted respectively upon horizontal stems o pivoted at their inner ends to the
supplemental draft rod by a vertical pin o¹ and sliding with their outer portions in
flaring openings p formed in the centre sills A². These centering springs bear
through the medium of intervening washers against the centre sills and the
supplemental draft bar respectively.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The combination with the under frame of a railway vehicle, of a drawbar
comprising a main longitudinal draft bar and a laterally swinging supplemental
draft bar pivotally connected with the main bar and capable of moving inward
independently thereof, a stop which compels the main draft bar to move outward
with the supplemental draft bar and centering springs which yieldingly hold said
supplemental bar in its central position, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the under frame of a railway vehicle, of a main draft
bar provided at its front end with a yoke, a laterally swinging supplemental draft
bar pivotally connected at its rear end with said yoke aud capable of inward play
with reference thereto, a draft spring arranged in said yoke and resisting the
outward movement of said draft bars, and centering springs operating against
opposite sides of said supplemental draft bar, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the under frame, of a railway vehicle, of a main draft
bar provided at its front end with a yoke having a slotted lug, a link pivoted at
its rear end to said yoke by a pin passing through said slotted lug, a laterally
swinging draft bar pivoted at its rear end to the front end of said link, Hat centering
springs bearing against opposite sides of said supplemental draft bar and a draft
spring arranged in said yoke, substantially as set forth.
Dadhin 11th
L1507
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.