An Improved Car Coupling.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 1st July, 1091
Complete Specification Left, 1st July, 1891-Accepted, 17th Oct., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Car Coupling.
I, EUGENE FRANKLIN LONG, of 1150 Academy Street, Scranton, in the County
of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Machinist,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN IMPROVED CAR COUPLING,
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 car-couplings; and the object of the same is to effect
certain improvements therein.
To this end the invention consists in the details of construction hereinafter more
fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the sheet of drawings, wherein-
Figure. is a side elevation of two draw-heads of my improved construction about
to be coupled together, the cars carrying these draw-heads being a platform and
box-car, and slightly in perspective, and respectively showing the devices for
operating the hooks."
Fig. 2 is a section through the draw-heads alone, showing the manner in which
the hooks engage when they stand in the same horizontal plane.
Fig. 3 is a similar section at different planes.
Fig. 4 is a plan view showing one device for moving the hook-raiser.
Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view showing another device.
Fig. 6 is a front clevation of one of my improved draw-heads in its normal
position.
Referring to the said drawings, the letters C designate the cars, and D are the
draw-heads mounted thereon, as usual. Within cach draw-head is pivoted a
swinging hook H, whose upper end is shaped to form a catch K, adapted to engage
the hook proper of the other swinging hook, and the bottom of the draw-head is
cut away, as at A, to allow the hooks to fall to a vertical position. Arranged
below the draw-head is a hook-lifter L of approximately L-shaped configuration,
which when raised bears at its tip beneath the hook and raises the same, so as to
disengage its catch from the other hook to cause an uncoupling of the cars or to
raise its point to guide it into another draw-head and cause the coupling of
the cars.
At the right hand of Fig. 1 is shown a box-car, and mounted in eyes 1, at the
lower end thereof, is a transverse bar R, to which the hook-lifter L is connected.
The end of this bar is bent forwardly, as at F, and then downwardly, as at d. The
letter V designates a vertical rod, turning in eyes on the ends of the car and having
a horizontal elbow E at its lower end. The upper end of this rod is provided with
an operating handle or wheel O, and it extends to the top of the box-car, as shown.
When the handle O is operated, the elbow E is forced beneath the forwardly-bent
portion F, the bar R is turned in the eyes I, and the lifter L is raised so as to lift
the hook, its outer end striking said hook forward of the latter's horizontal pivot P
in the draw-head. Thus the hook can be operated from the top of the car or from
a position at either side thereof.

page_text: In Fig. 4 is shown a transverse bar T, which passes beneath the draw-head and
beneath the lifter L, the latter in this case being hinged to the draw-head. GG
are elongated guides carried by the car and in which the transverse bar T slides,
the latter having pins t to prevent its longitudinal displacement. In this case the
elbow E of the vertical rod V carries at its free end a sleeve M, which embraces
and slides upon the bar T. Hence when the handle is turned the elbow and the
sleeve cause the bar T to be moved within the guides and to pass beneath the
lifter L. The ends of the bar may also have handles h, whereby the same may
be operated by a person standing on the track at the side of the car. The
vertical rod V may in some cases be entirely omitted and the transverse bar T
operated by its handles only.
In Fig. 5 a slightly-different construction is shown. In this case a longitudinal
bar U slides in guides G¹ beneath the car-body, and T T₁ are sections of a
transverse bar, each of which has a handle at its outer end, is pivoted between
its ends, as at 1, to the car-body, and extends at its inner ends through a staple Y
in the bar U. In this case the elbow E also has a sleeve M, which embraces one
of the sections T, and hence when the vertical rod V is turned or when either of
the handles is operated, the longitudinal bar U is moved so as to drive its front
end beneath the bend in the lifter and cause its front end to rise.
In operation when the lifter rises, the hook is clevated so that its point will pass
over the body of a companion hook, which is at that time pendent. The hook
drops behind the catch K, and when tension is imparted to the train the hook draws
forwardly on the catch and turns the pendent hook around its pivot so as to throw
its lower end rearwardly against the rear end of the opening in the bottom of the
draw-head. To uncouple, the pendent hook must be turned, and the turning
thereof causes its catch to turn down out of engagement with the hook proper of
the other hook, and the latter then draws out of the draw-head. When a car
possessing this improved coupling is to be connected to a car having the ordinary
pin-and-link coupling, the link is passed into the draw-head D over the upper end
of the pendent hook, and a pin is passed downwardly through a hole in the top of
the draw-head, its lower end passing to the rear of the catch K, as seen in dotted
lines in Fig. 3. This improved coupling is very serviceable and durable, and may
be applied to cars as at present made at but a trifling additional expense.
The draw-head is preferably constructed with an incline Z at the top of its
mouth, terminating in a shoulder Q just in front of the pin-hole, and when one of
the hooks H is engaged over the catch K of the other it passes under the incline Z
and shoulder in such manner that its dislocation is rendered impossible, no matter
at what relative heights the two draw-heads may stand. When this incline is used
and it becomes desirable to uncouple the cars, the pendent hook must be turned to
move its catch K to the rear and away from beneath the hook, which is engaged
therewith, whereas if the incline and shoulder are not used, the horizontal hook
may be raised to effect the uncoupling of the cars.
In Fig. 6 is shown one of my improved draw-heads in front elevation, front which
it will be seen that the sides of the draw-head are thickened and serve as bumpers.
This is a function of which my invention is capable and susceptible by a slight
modification in the construction of parts.
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 1
claim is: :-
1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom
and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and having a catch at
its upper end, of a lifter hinged at one end beneath the draw-head and its other end
adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, and means, substantially as described,
for moving said lifter from remote points, as and for the purpose set forth.
2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom
and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and having a catch at

page_text: its upper end, of an L-shaped lifter hinged at one end to the draw-head and its
other end adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, a bar moving in guides
beneath the hinge of said lifter, and handles at the outer ends of said bar at each
side of the car, substantially as described.
3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom
and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and having a catch at
its upper end, of an L-shaped lifter hinged at one end to the draw-head and its
other end adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, a bar moving in guides in a
plane beneath the hinge of said lifter, handles at the outer ends of said bar at each
side of the car, a vertical rod mounted in eyes on the end of the car and having an
operating-handle at its upper end and an elbow at its lower end, and a sleeve
connected to said elbow and loosely engaging said bar, substantially as described.
4. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom
and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head and having a catch at
its upper end, of an L-shaped lifter hinged at one end to the draw-head and its
other end adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, a longitudinal bar moving
in guides in a plane beneath the hinge of said lifter, and transverse bar-sections
having handles at their outer ends at the sides of the car, pivoted.between their
ends to the bottom of the car, and their inner ends loosely engaging a staple in said
longitudinal bar, substantially as described.
5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head having an open bottom
and a hook mounted on a horizontal pivot in said draw-head, and having a catch at
its upper end, of an L-shaped lifter hinged at one end to the draw-head and its
other end adapted to pass through the bottom thereof, a longitudinal bar moving
in guides in a plane beneath the hinge of said lifter, transverse bar-sections having
handles at their outer ends at the sides of the car, pivoted between their ends to
the bottom of the car, and their inner ends loosely engaging a staple in said
longitudinal bar, a vertical rod mounted in eyes on the end of the car and having
an operating-handle at its upper end and an elbow at its lower end, and a sleeve
sliding on one of said sections and connected to said elbow, substantially as herein-
before described.
This This dow of T... 1001
F. W. BARKER,
Applicant's Agent.