Improvements in Car Couplers.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 15th June, 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplers.
I, WILLIAM LEE GELSTON, of Chester, in the County of Delaware, and State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Machinist, 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:-
My invention relates to the Janney type car couplers, in general, but more
especially to those having a rotatable head.
The object of my invention is to construct the head and draw bar that the
head may be rotated so that two or more cars may be coupled or uncoupled
while standing on a curve. This I accomplish by casting a lug or projection on
the draw bar while on the head I cast a slot, groove or opening in which the
projection on the draw bar works. Of course it is obvious that
may cast the
slot, groove or opening in the draw bar and the lug or projection in the head
as found most desirable. The rear of the draw bar seat in the head is curved
The
as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and beveled in from top to bottom.
draw bar is similarly constructed. The object of this construction is to prevent
the draw head being "sprung "when coupling. It is a well known fact that
many coupling heads are sprung, and thereby rendered useless by the other
coupling heads bumping against them (as the railroad men say) "foul."
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a coupler embodying my invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of Fig. 1 ou the line x-x.
Fig. 3 is an end view.
Fig. 4 is a top plan view of two couplers at an angle to each other.
Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the knuckle locking mechanism.
Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modification.
Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section of the same.
A represents the draw bar, the forward end of which is open from side to side
and has the top and bottom portions a, the ends of which are cast with an angle
less than a right angle as at a. On the inner face of these top and bottom
portions I form a lug or projection a² and a groove a³.
B is the coupling head. 6 the knuckle pivoted thereto by means of the pin b¹
and provided with the tongue 62. is a spring secured in the head in a suitable
manner, one end of which bears against the rear of the tongue thereby holding
the knuckle open or in an unlocked position when desired. 6 is a pin passing
through the coupling head to which is secured in any desirable manner a stop
provided with a cam face or portion 6º.
On
On one side of the head I form a projection 6' to be hereinafter referred to.
the rear of the coupling head B I form a lug, projection or rib 68 and a groove 6³.
The rib on the head engaging the groove a³ on the bar while the rib or pro-
jection a² on the bar engages the groove in the head. C is a cover which is
secured to the head directly over the groove and rib by means of the bolts c.
This cover C extends at right angles below the lug or rib 68, at c', thus forming a
stop to prevent the head and draw bar becoming disengaged, and further, in
conjunction with the walls of the recess in the head in which the draw bar works
to limit the rotatable movement of the head.
It will be noticed that the recess D in the head is wider at the front than at
the back, in other words, it has an inclination from back to front, thereby
11:
t in the void recess

page_text: From the construction described and the reference to the drawing it is of course
understood that the head B is adapted to be rotated.
The operation is as follows:
On the supposition that two cars are on a curve and it is desired to couple them,
all that is necessary is to turn the head B in the desired position and on one of the
heads it will be necessary to release the knuckle b, by pulling up the pin & thus
raising the stop & and freeing the tongue and permitting the knuckle to be
thrown open by the action of the spring 63. The cars are then pushed together
and the locked knuckle strikes the unlocked knuckle and forces it back to its
locked position where it is held by the stop ³.
When the knuckle is forced back.
the tongue engages the cam portion of the stop thus raising said stop out of
the way, but the instant that the tongue slides off the cam portion, the stop b
drops by gravity immediately in front of the tongue thereby locking the knuckle.
In Fig. 4 I have illustrated two coupling heads at an angle to each other, the
point, of one head being in engagement with the projection 7 of the other head;
the pressure against the heads will cause the point x, to press hard on the pro-
jection 67 and thereby rotate both heads into coupling position and thus couple.
The object of forming the angle a', on the ends of the portions a, is to prevent
the head from spreading when, subjected to great pressure or jam.
In Figs. 7 and 8 I have.. shown a slight modification in which. A is the head.
provided with a recess r, iu which are located lugs,or projections, or trunnions r¹.
These, trunnions are part of the casting.
.B is the draw bar one end of which is open and has top and bottom portions. s, in
each of which are openings s'. These portions 8, are pushed in the recesses, until
the openings s are directly over the lugs, projections or trunnions r', the bar is.
then dropped and the lugs engage the openings sthus the head may rotate on
the bar. After the bar is in position I. secure, a suitable cap C to the head by
means of bolts cast on the head, thereby holding the bar on the lugs r' in the
recesses r.
Of course it will be understood that the recess r, is of greater width. than the
ends of the draw bar to allow the head to rotate.
The head and bar except, as just explained are of the same construction as the
ones first described.
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 I
claim is
1. In a car coupler, the combination with a rotating head, of a lug on the
knuckle side thereof to be engaged by the opposite side of another coupler and
rotate both couplers into locking position when they meet at an angle.
2. A car coupler comprising a draw bar, the forward end of which is open and
its edges cast at an angle sloping rearwardly and outwardly, a lug or projection
and a groove on the inner faces of said end, and a draw head having a seat to
receive the lug or projection and groove, substantially as described.
3. A car coupler head having a seat provided with curved. and angular walls
in the rear end of the head, a solid wall sloping rearwardly, and forwardly in
front of said seat and a groove and lug or projection.. also on the rear of said
head, in combination with a draw bar having an open head constructed to engage
the inclined wall, groove and projection, and a cap to cover the head and draw
bar where they engage each other, a portion of said cover extending below the
lug 68, substantially as described.
4. A car coupler comprising a draw bar having an open forward end, a curve
and bevel on the extreme edge of said end, said bevel sloping rearwardly and
outwardly, a lug and a groove on the inner faces of said end, and a draw head with
a seat for the said lug groove, and curved and beveled end of the draw bar,
substantially as described.
5. In a car coupler, the combination with a rotatable head, a groove and rib on

page_text: said head, of a draw bar, a groove and rib on said bar, a stop to limit the movement
of said head, substantially as described.
6. In a car coupler, the combination with the head bar, a groove and projection
formed on said head and bar respectively, of a combined cap and stop to cover the
joint between the head and bar and limit the rotation of the head, substantially as
described.
Dated this 19th day of March 1895.
F. WISE HOWORTH,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.