Improvements in Couplings for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd June, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by ALFRED FRANKLIN CALDWELL, of 59, Rush
Street, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.]
Improvements in Couplings for Railway 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:-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing the draw-head ready for
coupling;
Figure 2 is a similar section, showing the position of the coupling link and disk
when the link is locked in the draw-head; and
Figure 3 is a similar section, showing the position of the various parts ready for
uncoupling.
This invention relates to car couplings, and the object of the invention is to
provide a coupling in which the operation of the coupling will be automatic, and
which may be uncoupled from the side of the car, so that it will not be necessary
for any person to go between the ends of the cars. This object is accomplished as
illustrated in the drawings and as hereinafter specified. That which is regarded as
new will be pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings,
A, indicates a draw-head, which is preferably similar in most respects to those
ordinarily used on freight-cars. The draw-head A is provided at the top with a
slot a, which extends longitudinally of the draw-head, and extends preferably from
the top to the bottom of the draw-head.
At or near the central portion of the draw-head, the usual recess b is provided for
the reception of the coupling link. At the front, the draw-head is provided with an
opening B, through which the coupling link may be inserted into the recess b, which
opening is shaped as shown in the drawings, being larger at the front and growing
gradually smaller as it approaches the recess b, as shown.
C, indicates a dog, which is shaped about as shown in the drawings, being
provided with arms cc', which are almost at right angles to each other, and are
provided with a curved inner surface, as shown. The dog C is adapted to work
freely in the slot a, and is pivoted in the back part of the upper portion of the slot
by a pivot d, which preferably consists of a bolt or rod which passes horizontally
through the draw-head. The arm c' is made heavier than the arm c, so that the dog
will normally be held in about the position shown in Fig. 1. The arın c' extends
downward to about the bottom of the recess b, as shown.
E, indicates a second dog, which is pivoted in the lower portion of the slot a,
preferably upon an extension a¹, by means of a bolt or rod d', which also preferably
extends horizontally through the draw-head. The dog E is pivoted in the rear
portion of the slot a, and extends forwards to a point near the forward portion of
said slot, where it is preferably provided with an enlarged portion e, as shown
in the drawings. The enlarged portion e is adapted to lie opposite a rounded
depression in the recess b, as shown, which depression is in the forward part of
the recess b.
The end of the dog E is supported upon an eccentric F, which is mounted upon a
suitable pivot secured in the drawhead in a suitable position to support the end of
said dog E. The eccentric F is provided with a handle or lever G, by means of
which it may be rotated, and it is so arranged that the greater radius will normally
be downwards, as shown in Fig. 1. The eccentric F is of such width that it will
move in the slot, a, .in which it is adapted to move to raise or lower the dog E.

page_text: H, indicates a ball or disk, which is adapted to pass through the slot a into the
recess b, in which it is adapted to move. It is preferably made in the form of a
disk with rounded edges, and is of such size that it cannot pass through the opening
leading from the recess out of the end of the draw head A, as shown in the
drawings. In order to insert the disk H into the recess, the pivot d of the dog C
is removed, when the dog may be removed or pushed back, and the disk H may be
dropped through the slot a into said recess. To prevent the disk from dropping
through that portion of the slot a below the recess b, the slot a below the recess is
made somewhat smaller than it is above the recess, so that when the disk His
dropped into said recess, it will rest in said recess over the slot a in the lower portion
thereof. Owing to the presence of the depression in the recess b, the disk H will
be adapted to move to the forward portion of the recess, and to rest in the
depression b, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The size of the disk II and the depth of the
depression are preferably such that when the disk rests in the depression it will.
project equally below and above the recess b, as shown. The object of this con-
struction will appear more fully hereinafter. The length of the arm e, the arrange-
ment of the slot a at the upper portion of the draw-head, and the size of the disk H,
are so arranged that after the dog C is pivoted in the draw-head, it will be im-
possible to withdraw the disk H through the slot a without removing the dog C,
as the diameter of the disk is greater than the distance between the end of the
arm c and the front of the slot a, which prevents the disk from being thrown out of
the recess b.
The lever G above referred to, is mounted upon the end of any suitable rod,
which is connected with the pivot of the eccentric F, and extends to the side of the
car, being secured thereto in any suitable manner, so that the eccentric F may be
operated by a person standing at the side of the car. The lever G may be of any
suitable construction adapted to operate the eccentric F.
When the coupling is ready to receive a link, the various parts are in the position
shown in Fig. 1, the greater radius of the eccentric being downwards, and the dog E
being thereby held at its lowermost point. The disk H will then rest upon the
bottom of the depression in the recess b, and the dog C will be about in the
position shown in Fig. 1. When the end of a link, J, is introduced, in the process
of coupling cars, the link will pass into the draw-head through the opening B in
the end of the draw-head, and will come in contact with the forward portion of the
disk H, which it will push backwards in the recess until it reaclics the dog C.
As the disk H moves backward in the recess, it will pass out of the depression and
will consequently be raised, and will then strike the dog C above its pivotal point,
which will cause the arm of the dog C to strike the lower portion of the disk H.
This will cause the disk H to be moved in an upward direction, allowing the end of
the link to pass under it. The disk will then fall inside of the link to about the
position shown in Fig. 2, its size and the arrangement of the arm and slot a pre-
venting its being thrown out of the draw-head. Any pull upon the link J will draw
the disk H to the forward portion of the recess b, where it will be held as long as
the pressure continues, the opening of the recess, as above described, being too
small to permit of the passage of the disk H through it. By the construction
shown the pressure of the link upon the disk will be preferably a little above the
center of the disk, so that there will be no tendency to cause the disk to fly upward.
The construction of the lower portion of the recess prevents any downward motion
of the disk H.
When it is desired to remove the link J, by moving the lever G the eccentric F
will be rotated, thereby raising the dog E into the depression b¹.
Since, as above described, the disk H rests upon the upper portion of the enlarge-
mente of the dog E, by the upward movement of the end of the dog E the disk
will be raised until its lowermost point reaches the level of the bottom of the
recess b. This operation throws the center of the disk H above the link J, as shown
in Fig. 3, and by a slight pull on the link J the disk H will be caused to move
upward sufficiently, to allow the link to pass out of the draw-head. The eccentric F

page_text: may then be turned down again to its former position, when the draw-head will be
again in position for coupling.
The dog C may be slightly varied in form without departing from the spirit of
the invention, the construction being such that as the disk H strikes said dog the
disk will be thrown forwards and upwards. The enlarged portion e upon the dog E
may be removed if desired, and the shape of said dog be otherwise slightly varied,
without materially altering its operation.
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 correspondents I declare that what we claim is,-
1. In the combination with a draw-head having a recess in the interior thereof,
and an opening for the passage of a link, of a disk in said recess, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
2. The combination with a draw-head having a recess in the interior thereof,
and an opening from the front of the draw-head into said recess, of a disk in said
recess, a slot for the insertion of the disk into the recess, and a depression
adapted to receive one edge of the disk, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3. The combination with a draw-head, having a recess adapted to receive a disk,
an opening in the front of the draw-head extending into said recess, of a slot in the top
of said draw-head extending into said recess, a depression in the lower portion of
said recess, and a disk adapted to move in said recess, said disk being of such size
that it cannot pass through the opening at the end of the draw-head out of said
recess, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
4. The combination with a draw-head having a recess in the interior thereof, an
opening adapted to permit of the admission of a link to the interior of said recess,
a disk adapted to move in said recess, and a slot adapted to receive said disk, of a
dog mounted in the lower portion of said draw-head, adapted to raise such disk,
and devices for raising said dog, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
5. The combination with a draw-head having a recess in the interior thereof, a
depression in said recess, and an opening at the front of the draw-head into said
recess, of a slot at the top of said draw-head, extending into said recess, a ball
adapted to move in said recess, and devices for raising said ball, substantially as
and for the purpose specified.
and a
6. The combination with a draw-head having a recess b, a depression b',,
slot extending through the upper portion of said draw-head into the recess b, of a
disk adapted to move in said recess and slot, dog E adapted to move up into the
depression, and devices for operating said dog, substantially as and for the
purpose specified.
7. The combination with a draw-head having a recess b, said recess having a
depression at its forward end, a slot at the top of said draw-head, extending into
the recess, and a disk adapted to move in said recess and slot, of a dog C pivotally
mounted at the rear end of said recess, and devices for raising the disk from the
depression, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
8. The combination with a draw-head having a recess b, said recess having a
depression near its forward end, a slot a extending through the draw-head into
the recess b, and dog C pivotally mounted in the rear of said recess, of a disk H
adapted to move in the recess band upper portion of the slot a, dog E pivotally
mounted in the lower portion of the slot a, said dog being adapted to be operated to
raise the disk from the depression ', and devices for operating said dog, substantially
as and for the purpose specified.
9. The combination with a draw-head having a recess b, said recess having a
depression near its forward end, a slot a extending through the draw-head into
the recess b, and dog C pivotally mounted in the rear of said recess, of a disk H
adapted to move in the recess and upper portion of the slot a, dog E pivotally
mounted in the lower portion of the slot a, said dog being adapted to be operated

page_text: to raise the disk from the depression 6, an eccentric F pivotally mounted under the
free end of said dog, and a lever for operating said eccentric from the side of
the car, to raise or lower the dog E, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 3rd day of June 1891.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.