Improvements in Couplings for Tramway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Jan., 1892-Accepted. 20th Feb., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Tramway and other Vehicles.
We TRUMAN HOPKINS GILBERT of 152 Seventh Street in the City of Buffalo
County of Erie and State of New York Master Mechanic and CHARLES
AUGUSTUS BABCOCK of 174 Whitney Place City of Buffalo County of Eric
State of New York Pattern Maker both in the United States of America 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:-
Our invention relates to that class of couplings in which a pivoted arm or dog is
used to assist in opening the coupling as hereinafter more fully described.
Our said invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan of the coupling.
Figure 2 is a similar view representing the position of the parts when the
coupling is open.
Figure 3 is a side elevation also showing the coupling open the walls 3 and 3"
being omitted.
It is well known that in couplings of this construction where a substantially
centrally pivoted bar or arm is used to assist in opening the coupling, that when
the pawl, by which the coupling is operated, is moved to open the coupling, the
coupling parts very often move only part way open, so that when two cars under
these conditions come together to be coupled, the result is one or both of the
couplings are broken instead of locking together as they should, under which
condition both cars are rendered useless for the time.
The object of my invention is to avoid this objection.
Referring to the drawings 1 represents the ordinary drawhead of a self connecting
coupling and 2 is the draw head shank.
This draw head is also provided with the usual vertical protecting and
strengthening walls 3 3, and 3, preferably all formed and cast in one piece with it.
The coupling jaw 4 and locking arm 5 are formed in one piece, as usual and
pivoted by a bolt 6 to the draw head 2 so as to turn into its locking position as
shown in Figure 1 and its unlocking position as shown in Figure 2.
The locking pawl 7 is pivoted by a pin 7 to the drawhead and is provided with
a notch 8 in which the end of the coupling jaw 4 rests when the coupling is locked
or in engagement with another coupling and locked substantially as shown
in Figure 1 the connecting locking jaw and locking arm being represented by, the
dotted lines 9 and 9 in said Figure 1.
At
The back of the locking pawl, 7, is made to incline outward from the top down
as shown at 10 the object of which is important and will appear further on.
the back of the locking pawl 7 is a curved upwardly projecting piece 11, having
one side inclining outward from the top down, substantially as shown at 12
in Figure 1 and 3. This incline extends down to the point 13 and then straight
downward thereby leaving a vertical portion 12ª against which the back side of the
locking pawl 7 rests when down in the position shown in Figure 1. From this
construction it will be seen that the locking pawl 7, will be raised up on the
incline 12, when lifted up past the vertical portion 12" and then turned backward
on its pin 7". At the back of the locking pawl 7 is an opening arm 14 pivoted
nearly in the centre of the arm by a pin 15, one end 16, of the arm 14 rests against
the back of the coupling jaw 4, in the recess 17, in the back of said. jaw see
Figures 1 and 3 the depression, 17 being shown more clearly in Figure 3, the
opposite end, 18, of the pivoted arm 14 is made to incline to one side to correspond,

page_text: with the incline on the locking pawl 7, the object of this construction will appear
when describing the operation of the invention.
19 represents the holes in which the ordinary link pin is used when required.
At the top of the locking pawl 7 is an eye bolt 20 to which is secured the chain
links, 21, (shown in Figure 3) and pivoted to the top of a beam adapted to be
attached to the end of a car, in boxes 22, is an arm 23 having a shorter arm 24
arranged at right angles to the arm 23 and rigidly connected to it so as to turn
with it.
The opposite end of the chain links 21 is pivoted to the outer end of the short
arm 24.
As heretofore constructed the sides 10 of the locking pawl 7, are made vertical
without any inclination either way, while the inner side 18 of the pivoted arm 14,
is also made vertical without any inclination either way. By such a construction
the pawl 7 does not exert any influence in moving the opening arm, 14, except its
turning movement on its pivot 7".
This in practice has not been found sufficient to throw the coupling entirely open
at all times consequently the object of my invention is to avoid this trouble.
To uncouple the device all that is necessary is to turn the arm 23 into the
position shown in Figure 3. This operation first lifts the pawl 7 up past the vertical
portion 12, then causes it to turn round and pass up the incline 12, and both of
the inclined sides being in contact, there are two movements which tend to turn the
arm 14, one is the turning movement of the pawl 7, the other the vertical move-
ment of the pawl 7 which by reason of the inclined sides 10 of the pawl 7 and 18
of the opening arm 14 which gives the end 16 of the arm 14 a greater movement
against the unlocking jaw 4 thereby insuring its being thrown wide open at all
times. Of course it will be noticed that as the pawl 7 is turned back it moves
away from the end of the unlocking jaw and thereby releases it so that it can be
thrown open by the end 16 of the arm 14.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
In a coupling for tramway or other vehicles the combination with the pawl 7
and its operating mechanism substantially as above specified of an unlocking
arm 14 having the inclined side 16 and the locking pawl 7 provided with an
inclined side 10, for the purposes described.
Dated this 19th day of January 1892.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.