Improvements in Couplings for Railway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Communicated from abroad by CHARLES ALBERT GOULD, of 66, Broadway,
New York, United States of America, Manufacturer,]
Late the
Lun
Improvements in Couplings for Railway and other Vehicles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent
Agents, 45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 that class of car couplings which comprise a hori
zontally swinging coupling jaw or knuckle pivoted to the drawhead and
borizontally swinging locking pawl for retaining the jaw in a coupled position and
having means for operating it from the side of the drawhead. The invention bas
for its object to improve the construction of the device for operating the locking
pawl so as to render the same more reliable in its action.
In the accompanying drawings :
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a car coupling containing my
improvement.
Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof, on line 2-2, Figure 1, with the
connecting link detached from the lock.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the coupling showing the position of the parts
when the jaw is locked, and
Figure 4 is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the jaw is
unlocked.
ני
several figures,
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures."
A represents the drawhead which is chambered in the usual manner for receiving
the n
emovable parts of the coupler.
t
!".
“Bis the pivoted coupling jaw or knuckle which swings on the vertical pivot pin b
and C'the horizontally swinging lock which is pivoted in the drawhead by the
vertical pin & Figures 3 and 4 and engages with the locking arm b' of the jaw, for
holding the coupling jaw in its closed coupled position. D Figure 4 is the
customary incline on which the lock rises when swung rearward for releasing
the coupling jaw and whereby the lock is automatically interlocked with the arm
of the jaw.
}
E is a transverse operating bar or link connected with the outer portion of the
lock and extending laterally through an opening formed in that side wall of
the coupling located on the same side as the pivot of the lock. This operating link
is connected with the lock preferably by a staple having its legs secured in
openings cast in the lock and passing with its projecting bow through an aperture e
formed in the adjacent end of the link, the staple being arranged at right angles 'to
the link and the rear side of the lock being recessed to receive the inner end of the
link. The outer portion of the operating link is connected with the usual actuating
chain by means of a clevis or coupling H. This chain, which is not shown in the
drawings, may be operated by the well-known upright shaft or spindle or the hand
lever by which the lock is usually retracted or by any other suitable means.
coupling H preferably consists of a horizontal eye h to which the actuating chain
is connected, a pair of vertical eyes ¹ formed integrally with the borizontal eye
and separated by a space which receives the outer end of the operating link, and
:
077
The

page_text: a vertical pin or bolt which passes through the vertical eyes 4 and an opening et
formed in the adjacent portion of the operating link.
I represents springs which tend to retain the operating link in its inner position
in which the lock is engaged with the
Figure 3, and which counteract that the arm of the coupling jaw, as shown in
weight of the actuating chain when the lock
swings forward in engagement with the
are arranged respectively above and below of the coupling jaw. These springs
plane of the operating link and are
enclosed in transverse pockets, or sockets, formed in the adjacent portions of the
drawhead.
.
j represents transverse tension rods passing through the springs I and connected
at their outer ends to the coupling H by means of the upright bolt At which passes
through openings formed in the outer portions of the rods. The upper tension rod
is held on this bolt by the head of the latter, while the lower rod is retained on, the
bolt by a transverse pin passing through the bolt below the lower rod.
Ik represents followers or enlargements arranged on the rear, portions of the
tension rods'j, respectively, and bearing against the inner, ends of the springs I;
whereby the latter are compressed between said followers and the closed front ends
of their sockets when the tension rods are pulled, outward by the chain attached
to the coupling H. Each follower & preferably consists of a cylindrical screw,
applied to the externally screw-threaded inner portion of its tension, rod and
having a spline or feather which engages in a corresponding recess k¹ formed
u the pocket, as shown in Figure 2, whereby the follower is held, against
turning.
in
4.
***
nut
When the lock is engaged with the arm of the coupling jaw, as shown
Figure 3, the tension rods and the operating link are, drawn into their innermost
position by the springs I, thus retaining the lock in that position. Upon pulling
the link outward by means of the actuating chain, the leck is swung rearward out
of engagement with the arm of the coupling jaw, as shown in Figure 4, allowing,
the jaw to swing into its open or: uncoupled position. By this movement, the
transverse rods are also pulled outward, thus compressing the springs 1. Upon,
releasing or slackening the actuating chain, the operating link is drawn inward by
the reaction of the springs I, causing the link to aid the incline D in swinging the,
lock forward to its locked position: When the lock is, in this position and the
coupling jaw is swung from its open to its closed position, the lock is deflected
backward against the resistance of the incline and the springs, until the nose
or shoulder at its outer end clears the rear end of the locking arm of the jaw,
when it is interlocked with said arm and held in engagement therewith by, the
springs and the incline..
"
3
1:
The operating link is arranged to move at a sufficient angle to the lock to draw
the same backward, upon pulling the link outward.
By providing the operating link with two tension rods, arranged on opposite
sides of the plane of the link, a straight draft is exerted upon the link whereby
binding of the tension rods is prevented.,
"
".
The springs I by overbalancing the weight of the actuating chain and taking up,
the slack thereof, prevent the chain from retarding the forward' movement of the
lock-t
k-thus insuring the reliable operation of the latter. In addition to this function,
the springs also serve to supplement the action of the usual incline.
My improved lock operating mechanism, being arranged within the drawhead
and on one side thereof, avoids the necessity of forming apertures in the upper side
of the draw-head, thus excluding snow, ice, cinders and the like from the interior
of the head.
The drawhead A is pivoted to the outer end of the longitudinal draft bar L'by
a vertical pin m so that the draw-heads of two opposing cars can swing laterally
or at an angle to the longitudinal centre line of the cars when the latter rounds a
curve. n are yielding followers bearing against the drawhead on opposite sides of
its pivot, whereby the draw-head is righted or returned to its normal position in
line with the draft bar L after the car passes a curve. These followers are
}
1.

page_text: tubular and are guided in forwardly converging sockets O secured to the end sill P
or frame of the car and bear with their closed front ends against lugs or shoulders r
formed on opposite sides of the drawhead. s are springs arranged within the
tubular followers and these sockets and bearing at their rear ends against the
bottom of the sockets and at their front ends against the closed outer ends of
the followers.
When the drawhead is swung at an angle to the draft bar, the follower on the
inner side of the curve is forced farther into its socket, while the other follower
is farther projected, and as soon as the car passes the curve, the drawhead is righted
by the reaction of the inwardly pressed follower.
The springs of the followers are somewhat compressed in the normal position of
the drawhead, so as to retain the followers in contact with the lugs of the drawhead
in all positions thereof.
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 drawhead, the coupling jaw and the pivoted lock,
of an operating link connected with said lock and passing through the side wall of
the drawhead, a transverse rod connected with said link, and a spring applied to
said rod, substantially as set forth.
2. The combination with the drawhead, the coupling jaw and the pivoted lock,
of an operating link connected with the lock and extending through the side wall
of the drawhead, and springs arranged respectively above and below the plane of
said link and connected with the latter, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the drawhead, the coupling jaw and the pivoted lock,
of an operating link connected with the lock and extending through the side wall
of the drawhead, transverse follower rods arranged respectively above and below
the plane of said link and connected at their outer ends therewith, and springs
applied to said rods, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a draft bar and a drawhead pivoted thereto, of yielding
followers bearing against the drawhead on opposite sides of its pivot, substantially
as set forth.
5. The combination with the end frame of a car, a draft bar and a drawhead
pivoted to the bar and having lugs or shoulders on opposite sides, of sockets secured
to the end frame on opposite sides of the drawhead, followers guided in said sockets
and bearing against the lugs or shoulders of the drawhead and springs arranged
within said sockets and followers, substantially as set forth.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.