Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
Improvements in Car Couplings.
We, DAVID JULIUS SCHULTE, and HENRY LEANDER DONNELLY, both of
Latrobe, in the County of Westmoreland, and State of Pennsylvania, United
States of America, Gentlemen, 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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in car couplings. The object of the
present invention is to improve the construction of car conplings of the Janney
type; to render the automatic operation of coupling positive, easy of action
so constructed as never to work hard, and to prevent the knuckle from being
forced outward or laterally of the draw-head when two cars come together for
coupling.
A further object of the invention is to relieve the knuckle pin of strain in backing
to prevent the knuckle-pin from being broken, and to provide means for preventing
two draw-heads from separating and one of them dropping to the track in event of
such draw-head becoming detached from its car.
The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrange-
ment of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings
and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings :-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car coupling constructed in accordance with
this invention, the knuckle being open.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view the knuckle being closed.
Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view.
Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the knuckle.
Figure 5 is a reverse plan view of the car coupling.
Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the catch.
Figure 7 is a similar view of the supporting arm.
Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
1 designates a draw-head having the general configuration of the draw-heads of
the Janney type, and provided at one side with upper and lower knuckle-pin
receiving eyes 2, and provided with a horizontal opening 3 to receive an arm 4 of
a knuckle 5, which is pivoted in the usual manner by a knuckle-pin 6 passing
through the said eyes and through a perforation of the knuckle.
The arm of the knuckle is adapted to be engaged and locked by a substantially
vertically disposed catch 7 consisting of a bar arranged in openings 8 and 9 of the
top and bottom of the draw-head and located in rear of the knuckle. The bar is
provided with a recess and has an inclined shoulder 10 at the top of the recess 11
adapted to be engaged by an inclined shoulder 12 of the knuckle-arm 4 whereby
the knuckle in closing is adapted to engage and lift the catch and pass beyond the
same. After the arm passes beyond the inclined shoulder 10 at the top of th
recess 11, the catch falls and locks the knuckle in its closed position. The lower
portion of the catch is inclined at 13 and the lower opening 9 of the draw-head is
correspondingly inclined extending upward and inward whereby when the catch is
raised it moves vertically and rearwardly to release the arm of the knuckle t
permit the latter to open. The lower end of the catch is provided with a
perforation receiving a key to limit the upward movement of the catch, aud any

page_text: suitable means may be provided for enabling the catch to be lifted to effect the
operation of uncoupling from the top, sides or platform of a car.
The knuckle is provided at its outer side with shoulders 14 formed by segmentally
recessing the eye of the knuckle, and arranged to engage corresponding shoulders 15
at the side of the draw-head to limit the opening of the knuckle and to prevent the
same from being swung outward when two draw-heads come together for coupling.
The knuckle is provided at its inner side with shoulders 16 arranged to bear
against corresponding shoulders 17 of the draw-head to relieve the knuckle pin of
strain when cars are being backed and the shoulders 17 of the draw-bead are
located in rear of the knuckle pin at points above and below the arm 4 of the
knuckle.
In order to prevent the draw-head from falling to the track in event of its being
pulled out from its car, it is provided with a substantially L-shaped bracket 18
constructed of a single piece of material and adapted to be readily attached to any
ordinary draw-head of the Janney type without altering the construction of the
car coupling. The bracket comprises a downwardly-extending arm and a hori-
zontally disposed portion located beneath the draw-head at the space in rear of the
knuckle at the centre of the draw-head whereby it is adapted to support å draw-
head to prevent the same from dropping out of engagement with the draw-head
with which it is coupled and falling upon the track and wrecking cars. The
bracket is provided at its top with an enlargement and it has a perforation for the
reception of the lower end of a knuckle pin whereby the device is adapted to be
readily attached to any ordinary draw-head of the Janney type, and is readily
removable therefrom when desired. It is retained on the lower end of the knuckle
pin by a key 19 and it is prevented from rotating and becoming displaced by a
rearwardly and upwardly extending arm 20 conforming to the configuration of the
bottom of the draw-head and fitting in a recess or indentation of the bottom of the
draw-head and locking the bracket rigidly in position.
It will be seen that the car coupling is simple and inexpensive in construction
that its automatic operation is positive and reliable and that the knuckle pin is
supported or relieved from strain in backing to prevent the same from being
broken or otherwise injured.
It will also be apparent that a simple and inexpensive device is provided for
preventing a draw-head from becoming uncoupled and dropping upon the track in
event of its becoming detached from its car and that the device is readily
applicable to draw-heads of the Janney type and is rigidly beld in proper position.
Changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be
resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages
of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A supporting device for car couplings designed to be arranged at the bottom
thereof and constructed of a single piece of material and consisting of a substantially
L-shaped bracket provided at its top with a knuckle pin opening, whereby the
device is adapted to be readily applied to any ordinary draw-head having a knuckle,
and the rearwardly and upwardly extending arm located at the top of the bracket
and conforming to the configuration of the lower face of the draw-head, and
adapted to fit in a recess or indentation to lock the device.against pivotal movement
on the knuckle pin, substantially as described.
2. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-head having knuckle-pin
receiving eyes, and provided in rear of the same with inner and outer shoulders, a
knuckle provided at its rear side with segmental recesses forming inner and outer
shoulders adapted to engage those of the draw-head to limit the inner and outer
swing of the knuckle, and a knuckle pin pivoting the knuckle to the draw-head,
substantially as described.

page_text: 3. In a car coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a knuckle pivoted to the
draw-head and provided with an arm having an inclined shoulder, and a vertically
disposed catch mounted in the draw-head and having its lower portion arranged at
an angle and inclining downward and forward and adapted to move the catch
rearward when the latter is raised and said catch being provided above the
inclined portion with a recess having an inclined upper face or shoulder adapted
to be engaged by the inclined shoulder of said arm, whereby the car coupling is
automatic in its operation, substantially as described.
Dated 19th day of December 1895.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents for the Applicants.