Improvements in Car Couplers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplers.
I, GEORGE CALVIN HARLIN, of Windsor Hotel, Hunter Street, corner of Weber
Avenue, Stockton, in the State of California, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in car couplers, and particularly that
class known as automatic couplers, and the object of the invention is to pro-
duce an arrow-head coupler which is automatically coupled and in the provision
of novel means whereby the parts are held in operative position against acci-
dental displacement, and whereby they the said parts, may be released and
swung out of operative position, that the cars may be uncoupled.
A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with the
arrow-head coupler, a novel arrangement whereby the vertical hook coupler may
be swung into and out of operative position, when necessary for the purpose of
the exchange of cars from road to road, thus by my invention I acquire the
direct pull of the arrow-head type under two possible conditions, while when
it is impossible to employ the arrow-head type the vertical hook couplerris
speedily adjusted to use.
The further object of the invention is to provide means for guiding the parts
into contact and in making the parts strong, durable and efficient, while at the
same time comparatively inexpensive.
With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details
of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts to be herein-
after more fully set forth and specifically claimed.
In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompany-
ing drawing forming part of this specification, wherein like characters of
reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which:
Fig. 1, is a plan view, looking at the bottom of my improved coupler applied
to a car, with the parts broken away in places,
Fig. 2, is a top plan view showing mechanism which protrudes beyond the
end of the car,
Fig. 3, is a central sectional view of the draw-head and draw-bar.
In these drawings, 1, denotes brackets which are attached to the car-beams
said orackets having apertures to receive the ends of the follower plates 2, said
ends forming trunnions for supporting the draw-bar and allowing the swing.
ing movement thereto.
The draw-bar protrudes through the follower plates and is encircled by the
usual spring 3, for absorbing the jar etc.
A sleeve 4, is formed with the front follower plate and is provided with a
depending portion 5, having an aperture to receive a bolt G, which is spring
pressed and arranged in a housing 7, of the draw-head extension 8. said draw-
head extension encircling the draw-bar. Arranged on the draw-head extension
is a lug 9, which is adapted to abut the shoulders 10, formed by cutting away

page_text: the edges of the sleeve, for the purpose of limiting the rotation of the coupling
head.
The bolt 6. is withdrawn from engagement with the sleeve by the flexible
connection 11, operated through a guide 12, of the draw-head extension and
over the sheave pulleys 13, on the transverse shaft 14, which shaft is so arranged
as to be manipulated from the side of the car when it is desired to arrange the
parts in operative or inoperative position it being necessary to rotate the said
shaft in opposite directions to accomplish the two results, it being understood
that when the coupler is locked in its operative position by the bolt the rota-
tion of the shaft will exert a pull on the flexible connections and that such
pull will first withdraw the bolt from its engagement and when said bolt has
reached its furthermost backward limit further effort would be directed to the
rotation of the coupling head.
In conjunction with the mechanism just described I have provided a vertical
hook coupler, which may be also used as a link and pin attachment and in this
arrangement I have an extension a, with a rounded inner surface b, acting as
a guide for the coupler of the opposite car, that the said coupler of the oppo-
site car may be directed into operative position with relation to the adjacent
coupler. On the casting with the extension and on the opposite side
thereof I arrange a sleeve or socket c, having a suitable internal shoulder d,
against which a spring e, abuts to provide a yielding connection for absorbing
the jar etc. At the mouth of the sleeve or socket is a flange f, extending part
way therearound said flange having angular corners against which the lug g
of the draw-bar . comes to limit the rotation of said draw-bar when thrown
into or out of operative position by gravity. The draw-bar h, is curved at
approximately right angles as it protrudes from the sleeve and terminates in
the draw-head, which draw-head with a guide (heretofore described) will
afford an interlocking connection with the vertical hook coupler now in use.
The draw-bar his rotated by means of the beveled gear wheels A and B, the
former on the draw-bar and latter on a vertical shaft c, which takes motion
from the shaft 14, through the worm gear D.
When the link and pin connection is desired the pin may be inserted in the
aperture, of the draw-head, and the link will lie in a slot (not shown) in
the end of said draw-head.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that both forms are readily
arranged for engagement and that one will not interfere with the other, although
as is well known the vertical hook coupler does not have a central draft, hence
the pull is off center and as it is necessary at times to exert a force of five or
six thousand pounds to effect a coupling of the couplers with vertical hooks,
the result is a lateral force which causes great wear on the rails and car wheels
and the road bed itself is weakened by the jar incident to the operation of the
class of couplers, hence it is my object to use the arrow-head couplers wherever
they can be substituted.
.
It will be noted, in view of the foregoing that changes in the proportions
and other details of construction may be resorted to, and yet the spirit of my
invention will not be departed from.
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. In a coupling, a draw-bar, a sleeve thereon having an apertured flange, a
housing on the extension of the draw-bar, a spring pressed pin in the housing
adapted to be seated in the apertures of the flange, means for limiting the rota-
tion of the draw-bar and arresting the parts when the pin registers with one
of the apertures, a flexible connection secured to the end of the pin, means
for withdrawing the pin and rotating the draw-head at a single operation,
substantially as described.

page_text: 2. In a coupling, a draw-bar, a sleeve thereon having an apertured flange, a
housing on the extension of the draw-bar, a spring pressed pin in the housing
adapted to be seated in the apertures of the flange, means for limiting the rota-
tion of the draw-bar and arresting the parts when the pin registers with one
of the apertures, a flexible connection secured to the end of the pin, a shaft, a
sheave pulley for attachment with the flexible connection, substantially as
described.
3. In a coupling, a draw-bar, a sleeve thereon having an apertured flange, a
housing on the extension of the draw-bar, a spring pressed pin in the housing
adapted to be seated in the apertures of the flange, means for limiting the rota-
tion of the draw-bar and arresting the parts when the pin registers with one
of the apertures, a flexible connection secured to the end of the pin, a shaft, a
sheave pulley for attachment with the flexible connection, a guide on the exten-
sion through which the flexible connections operate, substantially as described.
4. In a coupler, an arrow-head coupler adapted to operate automatically, and
a vertical hook coupler adapted to be rotated into and out of vertical align-
ment with the arrow-head coupler, substantially as described.
5. In a coupler, a guide having a rounded inner edge, a sleeve formed with
the body of the guide a draw-bar arranged in the sleeve and having its pro-
truding end bent at approximately right angles and terminating in a draw-
head, said draw-head acting in conjunction with the guide and arranged to
partially rotate, substantially as described.
6. In combination with a body having a socket and an extension forming a
guide, a coupler head adapted to be rotated into and out of operative position
with relation to the guide, and an arrow-head coupler arranged constructed and
operating substantially as described.
Dated this 17th dose of Innil 1800
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.