An Improved Car-coupling.
Year: 1897

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PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Car-coupling.
I, RICHARD RAINSFORD, of Lonsdale Chambers, 27, Chancery Lane, in the
County of London, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a
communication to me from abroad by Robert E. Bates and Joseph Renschlein,
both of Spring Green, Wisconsin, U.S.A., Inventors), to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this invention is to provide a car-coupling which is simple in con-
struction, and not likely to get out of order.
The invention comprises a suitable draw-head having an opening for the con-
necting link in its front end. A vertically arranged bracket is mounted on the
draw-head and has an aperture through a projection thereon, which coincides with
apertures in the top and bottom walls of the draw-head. A coupling pin is
adapted to reciprocate vertically in the apertures and is kept in its normal lowest
position by a spring coiled around it between the top of the bracket and the top
of the draw-head.
A lever is pivoted midway its length to short arms which hang from the bracket.
This lever has one end bifurcated so that it can embrace and be conveniently
pivoted to the coupling pin; its other end resting upon two hand levers pivoted to
the end of the car. By means of these-levers the bifurcated lever and coupling
pin can be raised when required to enter a link into the draw-bar.
A plate is horizontally pivoted in the cavity of the draw-head and is pressed
downwards upon the link by a suitable spring. By means of a rod or other con-
nection to the bifurcated lever, aforementioned, it can be simultaneously raised
with the coupling pin to permit the entrance beneath it of the link.
171
1
Danaimban 1907
I, RICHARD RAINSFORD, of Lonsdale Chambers, 27, Chancery Lane, Manager,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad
by Robert E. Bates and Joseph Renschlein, both of Spring Green, Wis., U.S.A.,
Inventors), 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 automatic car couplings, and the object is to produce a
simple, reliable, and effective device for automatically coupling cars on a straight

page_text: track, as well as on a curve; and to this end the invention consists in the con-
struction, combination and arrangement of the device, as will be hereinafter more
fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings the same reference characters indicate the same
parts of the invention;
Figure 1 is a front elevation of my automatic car coupling. Fig. 2 is a top plau
view, Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same.
1 represents the tubular draw-bar, provided with the usual integral flanged
draw-head 2.
3 represents a bracket extending vertically from the draw-bar, and its upper
forward end is provided with a rectangular orifice 4 to receive the coupling bar 5,
the lower end of which terminates in an integral coupling pin 6 which has a
vertical movement in the aligned orifices 7, 7, in the draw-head 2. This coupling
pin 5 is pivoted in the forward bifurcated end of a lever 8, fulcrumed between the
lower ends of the parallel straps 9, 9, pivoted to a bolt 10, fixed in the upper end
of the bracket. The spiral spring 11 encompasses the coupling bar and extends
from the under side of the bracket to the top of the bifurcated end of the lever 8,
so as to exert its tension to normally secure the coupling pin in the drawhead.
The rear end of the lever 8 projects into the path of two transversely crossed
hand levers 12, 12, fulcrumed on the straps 13, 13, extending vertically on each
side of the car. It will be noted that these vertical straps 13, 13, form a sup-
port for the fulcrumed point of the hand levers and also act as guards or guides
to insure the vertical movement of said levers. A longitudinal follower 14 is
pivoted on the bolt 15 in the draw bar, and its horizontal bifurcated end extends
forwardly on each side of the coupling pin. A V-shaped leaf spring 16, fixed in
the draw head, impinges upon the forward end of the follower to press it down;
ward, and a rod 17, fixed to the follower is connected, by a link 18 to an eye 19
on the lever 8 so as to insure a simultaneous movement of the follower with said
lever. A rectangular yoke 191 is mounted in a horizontal cross-bar 20, fixed in the
rear end of the draw-bar, its forward end terminating in a cross-head 21, which
extends across the face of the upper end of the draw-head. 2 so as to project into
the path of the corresponding draw-head on the opposite car. A horizontal
plate 22 extends through the aligned horizontal slots 23, 23, in the draw-bar, and
its outer ends are fixed to the parallel arms of said yoke. This horizontal plate
working through the slots in the draw-bar forms a guide for the end of the yoke,
and it is also adapted to project into the path of the coupling pin to retain it into
an elevated position when the cars are about to be coupled.
24, 24, represent spiral springs encompassing the parallel arms of the yoke 19
between the outer ends of the plate 22 and the projecting ends of the cross bar 20,
the tendency of which is to press the forward end of the plate against the coupling
pin, so that if the coupling pin be raised the plate will be projected into its path
and supported in elevated position. In doing this the spiral springs project the
crosshead of the yoke beyond the face of the draw-head and into the path of the
corresponding drawhead on the opposite car, so that if a link in the draw-head of
the opposite car be inserted into the draw-head 2 the draw-head of the opposite car
will abut against the crosshead of the yoke, press it backward, carrying with it the
plate 22, which slides from under the coupling pin and allows the spiral spring 11
to force the coupling pin through the link and couple the cars. If either of
these levers 12, 12, be drawn downwardly, they will carry with them the rear end
of the bifurcated lever 8, which raises, the coupling pin. An ordinary coupling
link may then-be inserted in the draw-head under the follower. If the hand levers
be released, the coupling pin will pass through the link, and at the same time the
bifurcated end of the follower will press the rear end of the link against the bottom
of the draw-head, and thus sustain the link in a horizontal position ready for
insertion in the opposite draw-head when the cars come together. The friction
of the follower on the coupling-link due to the leaf-spring is sufficient to hold it
in any position into which it may be adjusted, so that if the cars are to be coupled

page_text: on a curve the forward end of the link may be turned to the right or the left to
correspond to the curve on which the cars are being coupled.
Although I have specifically described the construction and relative arrange-
ment of the several elements of my invention, I do not desire to be confined to
the same, as such changes or modifications may be made as will clearly fall within
the scope of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
(1) An automatic car coupling, comprising the tubular draw-bar 1, the vertical
bracket 3, fixed thereto, the integral coupling bar and pin having a vertical move-
ment in said draw-bar, the bifurcated lever 8 pivoted to said coupling bar and ful-
crumed in the parallel straps 9,9, pivoted in said bracket and having its rear end
projecting into the path of the transversely crossed levers 12, 12 substantially as
shewn and described.
(2) An automatic car coupling comprising the tubular draw-bar 1, the vertical
bracket 3, fixed thereto, the integral coupling bar and pin having a vertical move-
ment in said draw-bar and bracket, the bifurcated lever 8 pivoted to said coupling
bar and fulcrumed in the parallel straps 9,9, in combination with the follower 14,
fulcrumed on the bolt 15, in said tubular draw-bar and its bifurcated forward end
extending on each side of the coupling pin, and connected to said bifurcated lever
so as to move simultaneously with said bifurcated lever substantially as shewn and
described.
(3) An automatic car coupling, comprising the tubular draw-bar 1, the vertical
bracket 3, fixed thereto, the integral coupling bar and pin having a vertical move-
ment in said draw-bar and bracket, the bifurcated lever 8 pivoted to said coupling
bar and fulcrumed in the parallel straps 9, 9, pivoted in said bracket and having
its rear end projecting into the path of the transversely-crossed levers 12, 12, in
combination with the follower 14, the V-shaped spring 16 engaging said follower,
and the yoke 19, the horizontal plate 22, fixed thereto and spiral spring 11 encon-
passing the parallel arms of said yoke, substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 17th day of September 1898.
R. RAINSFORD,
Applicant.