Improvements in Couplings for Railway and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 12th June, 1897
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES ALBERT GOULD, of 66 Broadway, New
York, in the County and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Couplings for Railway and similar 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 a car coupling and means for operating the same,
designed more especially for cars used on narrow gauge railroads, and more
particularly to automatic couplings of the twin-jaw type which comprise a
horizontally-swinging jaw or knuckle and a horizontally swinging lock for retaining
the jaw in its closed or coupled position.
My invention has for its objects to produce a car coupling of this kind in which
the lock is reliably held in engagement with the knuckle, so that the same cannot
be jarred out of place by the shocks received by the cars; and which can be placed
in line with the link and pin couplings commonly employed on narrow gauge cars
and at the same time permits the use of a lock-operating device which does not
interfere with the safety chains or other appliances now in use on such cars.
invention has the further object to attach the drawhead to the draw-bar in such
manner that the same can be readily renewed in case of breakage.
In the accompanying drawing:
:-
The
Figure 1 is a front view of the under frame of a narrow gauge car provided with
my improved car coupling and operating device.
Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view thereof.
Figure 3 is a vertical cross section in line 3-3 Figure 4.
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the coupling in line 4-4, Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a section through the socket of the same.
Figure 6 is a bottom plan view thereof, partly in section.
Figure 7 is a transverse vertical section of the coupling in line 7-7, Figure 6, and
Figure 8 is a horizontal section of the pivot pin of the lock and the hub of the
actuating lever, looking upward.
Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.
A is the head stock or buffer beam of the car and B are the usual safety chains
secured thereto. C is the drawbar passing through a central opening in the headstock
and provided with the customary buffing and draw spring which is not shown in the
drawing. The front end of the draw bar, instead of being provided with the usual
head for receiving a link and pin carries my improved twin-jaw car coupling.
The drawbead D Figures 1 and 2 of the coupling is preferably provided in its
contracted rear portion with a longitudinal socket D' Figures 3 and 4 which receives
the projecting front end of the draw bar Figures 2 and 5 and the drawhead is
detachably secured to the drawbar by a removable pin or bolt D2 passing through the
drawbar and the socket of the drawhead, this pin being held in place by a cotter pin
or other suitable means. Upon removing this retaining pin, the drawhead can be
detached from the drawbar for making repairs or renewing the same.
In applying
be drawhead to a drawbar of the old construction the enlarged end of the bar is

page_text: simply cut off and a hole is formed in the same for the retaining pin D2 thus enabling
the old draw bar to be utilized, and saving the expense of a new bar.
The drawhead is chambered or recessed and provided on one side with the usual
guard d and on the opposite side with the bifurcated lug, between the jaws d' of which
the knuckle or coupling jaw E is pivoted by a vertical pin e. The knuckle has the
usual tail piece E' Figures 3 and 4 extending rearwarily from its hub.
F is the swinging lock which engages at its free end with the tail piece of the
knuckle and which is mounted on a vertical pin f arranged to turn in the top and
bottom of the draw-head. The lock is rigidly mounted on its pivot pin, so as to turn
therewith and for this purpose the body or main portion of this pin is preferably
square or of other angular cross section and the opening of the lock which receives
the same is made of corresponding form. The lower end of the pivot pin is round
and turns in a corresponding hole formed in the bottom of the drawhead, while its
upper square or angular end passes through a corresponding opening formed in the
hub g Figure 3 of an actuating arm or lever G arranged horizontally on the upper
side of the drawhead. The hub of this lever is round and its reduced lower portion
turns in a corresponding hole formed in the top of the drawhead. The lower end of
the pivot pin is retained in its opening by a cotter pin, or other suitable means
and its upper end may be retained in the hub of the actuating lever G by similar
means.
The spring mechanism whereby the lock is yieldingly held in engagement with the
knuckle is constructed as follows:
H Figures 4 and 7 is a horizontal bar or link connected by a staple or other
suitable fastening with the free end of the lock and extending laterally through an
opening formed in the adjacent side wall of the hollow drawhead. J represents
transverse tension rods arranged in pockets or sockets K formed transversely in the
upper and lower portions of the drawhead in rear of the lock, as shown in Figures 3
and 7. These tension rods are connected at their outer ends to an upright clevis
or coupling L attached centrally to the outer end of the link H by a vertical pin 1
as shown in Figure 7. M represents springs surrounding the tension rods
interposed between the closed front ends of the pockets K and followers or screw
nuts m applied to the screw threaded rear ends of the tension rods, so that the springs
resist the forward movement of the tension rods and the outward movement of the
link H and thereby hold the lock in its forward position in engagement with the tail
piece of the knuckle, as shown in Figure 4. The closed ends of the pockets K are
provided with openings for the passage of the tension rods, and the pockets and the
springs M are preferably arranged obliquely, as shown, so as to exert the force of
the springs in the most favorable direction. The tension rods and springs are
arranged above and below the plane of the link H, so as to exert a straight thrust
upon the link and prevent binding of the same and the tension rods.
N is a horizontal elbow or hand lever pivoted by a vertical pin n to a bracket O
secured to the face of the headstock as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The outer long
arm of this lever is formed with a suitable handle, while its inner short arm is
connected with the lock actuating lever G by a chain p or other suitable connection.
The long arm of the lever is arranged to move in a horizontal guide or loop g
projecting forwardly from the headstock.
When the lock is engaged with the tail piece of the coupling jaw, as shown in
Figure 4, the link H and the tension rods Jare drawn into their innermost position
by the springs M, thus retaining the lock in that position and preventing accidental
unlocking of the knuckle. When it is desired to unlock the knuckle, the handle of
the operating lever N is pulled toward the head stock, of the car, whereby the
actuating arm G of the lock is swung outward or in the direction of the arrow in
Figure 2, through the connection p, thereby swinging the lock backward out of
engagement with the tail piece of the knuckle and releasing the latter. By this
backward movement of the lock the link H is pushed outward, drawing the tension
rods J in the same direction and compressing the springs M. Upon releasing the
operating lever, the link H is drawn inward by the reaction of the springs, causing

page_text: the link to push the lock forward into the proper position for engaging automatically
with the knuckle when the latter is again closed.
By employing a separate operating lever on the car, in connection with the actuating
lever G of the lock, an increased or more powerful leverage is obtained, which
enables the lock to be operated with greater case and at the same time permits the
use of stiffer springs whereby the lock is more reliably held in engagement with
the knuckle. My improved coupler and operating means have the further advantage
of enabling the coupling to be placed in line with or at the same elevation as the
ordinary link and pin coupling while at the same time avoiding interference of any
of the parts with the customary safety-chains employed on such cars, thus permitting
the use of my improvements without the necessity of disturbing or removing any of
the old appliances of the car and enabling a car having my improvements to be
coupled to cars having the old appliances. For this purpose, the knuckle is provided
with a hole r, Figures 1 and 4 for receiving a coupling pin.
S is a shifting lever or ejecting device whereby the knuckle is automatically swung
into its open position as soon as the same is unlocked. This shifting lever is
arranged horizontally in the drawhead underneath the tail piece of the knuckle and
is pivoted between its ends by a pin s arranged in an opening in the bottom of the
drawhead. The long front arm of this lever has an upwardly projecting lip sl
which engages behind the tail piece of the knuckle, while its short rear arm has a
depending actuating pin s2 which projects through a curved slot s³ Figures 4 and 6
in the bottom of the drawhead. Against this actuating pin operates the transverse
tension rod t arranged to slide in a pocket T formed on the underside of the drawhead,
and to this rod is applied a spring which is interposed between a shoulder of the
rod and the closed rear end of the pocket T, as shown in Figure 6. In the locked
position of the knuckle, the spring is compressed and as soon as the knuckle is
unlocked by the withdrawal of the lock, the spring reacts and swings the shifting
lever in the proper direction to cause the same to throw the knuckle into its open
position. This shifting lever, though herein shown and described forms no part of
my present improvements.
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 drawbar, of a detachable drawhead provided at its
rear end with a socket or cavity which receives the front end of the drawbar, and
a retaining device for confining the socket of the drawhead on the drawbar,
substantially as set forth.
2. A detachable drawhead provided at its rear end with a socket or cavity adapted
to receive the front end of a drawbar, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the drawhead and the coupling jaw or knuckle, of a lock
mounted rigidly on a vertical pivot pin journalled in the drawhead, an actuating lever
secured to said pivot pin, a link connected with the lock and passing through the
side wall of the drawhead, and a spring which resists the outward movement of said
link, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with the drawhead and the coupling jaw or knuckle, of a lock
mounted rigidly on a vertical pivot pin journalled in the drawhead, an actuating lever
secured to said pivot pin, a link connected with the lock and passing through the
side wall of the drawhead, a tension rod connected with the outer end of said link
and guided on the drawhead, and a spring applied to said tension rod and tending to
resist the forward movement of the rod, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with the drawhead and the coupling jaw or knuckle, of a lock
mounted rigidly on a vertical pivot pin journalled in the drawhead, an actuating lever
secured to the upper end of said pivot pin, a link connected with the lock and passing
through the side wall of the drawhead, transverse tension rods arranged on the draw-
head above and below said link and connected at their front ends with the outer
end of said link and provided at their rear ends with followers or nuts and springs

page_text: applied to said rods and hearing at their rear ends against said followers or nuts,
substantially as set forth.
6. The combination with the drawhead provided in its top and bottom with pivot
holes, of a knuckle or coupling jaw pivoted to the drawhead, a lock baving its hub
provided with an angular opening, a pivot pin having an angular portion arranged in
the angular opening of the lock and a round end journalled in the lower pivot hole of
the drawhead, and an actuating lever having an angular opening for receiving the
angular upper end of said pivot pin, and a round hub journalled in the upper pivot
hole of the drawhead, substantially as set forth.
7. The combination with the under frame of a car and the drawbar, of a drawhead
carried by said bar, a coupling jaw or knuckle pivoted to the drawhead, a lock engaging
with the knuckle and mounted rigidly on a vertical pivot pin journalled in the
drawhead, a horizontal actuating lever secured to the upper end of said pivot pin,
a hand lever pivoted to the end of the underframe, and a connection extending from
said hand lever to said actuating lever, substantially as set forth.
ليم
n
1 1007
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.