Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Vehicles.
We, ALEXANDER HAMILTON STEWART DAVIS, residing at No. 435 O Street N.W.
Washington, D.C., Correspondent, and ALMON CLARENCE BROWN, residing at
No. 2742 Third Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., Lawyer, do
hereby declare the nature of our 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 improvements in automatic car coupling attachments for
draw heads now in general use.
The object of the invention is to provide cars, already fitted with link and pin
couplings with an attachment whereby the coupling may be automatic without
changing the draw-heads or the links, and which may be used interchangeably with
or without the attachment, and thus utilize the present couplings, and moreover,.
without involving the necessity of a change in the means and method of coupling, as
is usually the case.
The invention consists in the combination with an ordinary draw-head of a link
lifter or support adjustable to different planes or angles, so that the link may be held
in a horizontal position or inclined in either direction to the right or left as may be
required to direct it to the mouth of another draw-head. This is necessary when
loaded cars are to be coupled with light or unloaded cars, as well as when cars of
different makes and heights are to be connected together, and when the draw-heads
are laterally out of line with each other.
The invention also consists in the combination with a draw-head movable with
relation to the car, of a coupling pin having a notch or shoulder, a loose catch or
latch mounted on the draw-head for holding the pin in its raised position and an
abutment or stop immovable with relation to the car for disconnecting the latch from
the notch or shoulder of the pin upon the inward movement of the draw-head when
the cars meet each other and the coupling is effected.
The invention also consists in other combinations hereinafter described and
claimed.
In the drawings forming a part of this Specification,
Figs. 1 and 2, are side elevations of adjacent draw heads with the attachments
applied, in position to be automatically coupled upon bringing said draw-heads
together;
Fig. 3, is an end elevation with the coupling pin raised in readiness for the free
end of the link ;
Fig. 4, is an inverted plan of a draw-head and adjacent parts of a car with our
improvements attached;
Fig. 5, is a plan showing the top plate and catch for holding the pin in raised
position;
Fig. 6, is a perspective of the bottom plate and its pendant or bracket for
supporting the link lifter ;
Fig. 7, is a perspective of a link lifter arm;
Fig. 8, is a perspective of a bracket for supporting one end of the lifter arm, and
Fig. 9, is a perspective, on an enlarged scale, of a second or modified form of the
nvention.
A is an ordinary draw-bar head, which, for brevity, is called through this Specifica-
ion, "draw-head."
B and B are clamping plates of cast or forged metal fitted to the upper and lower
ides of the draw-head and secured in any suitable way, as by bolts b b. These
lates are by preference provided with lugs or bosses 61, 61, to fit the depressions in

page_text: the surface of the draw-head in order to obtain as perfect a fit as practicable, and
thereby secure them firmly in place without liability of their becoming loose. In
addition to this a countersink may be formed around the pin hole and corresponding
boss on the plate B to fit therein. The inside surfaces of these plates will be varied
to fit the surfaces of different types of draw-heads.
O is a pendant or bracket attachment of the bottom plate B¹, as shown. This
pendant forms a loop or slot c and is provided with notches c¹ for supporting the
link lifter to be described. D is a bracket provided with grooved and slots d', d¹.
This bracket is shown as attached to bolsters A', A', alongside of the draw-head
on the under side of the car body, but obviously it may be mounted on any suitable
support.
a
D' is a loose arm in the form shown in Figure 7, hung by a cross-head d² in the
slots d' so as to slide freely therein. This arm has lips or flanges d³ extending
short distance along its sides which are adapted to interlock with the notches cof
the pendant C. The position of these lips is such that when the arm is pushed so
that its cross-head is at the inner extremity of the slots d', said arm will drop or
swing downward in the slot c, and upon drawing the arm outward and raising it, the
lips d³ will engage with one or another of the notches c¹. In this last position, the
cross-part d' of the arm whose upper surface is notched or corrugated will support
the coupling link in a horizontal, angular or inclined position as may be desired,
the series of notches affording means for adjusting the support and the link in the
proper plane or at the proper angle for connection with cars of different heights or
whose draw-heads are in different vertical planes.
His a coupling pin preferably made of a staple or inverted U shape, one of the
legs being somewhat longer than that which engages the link. One leg of this pin
is provided with a notch or shoulder h, as shown in Figure 2. Mounted loosely
on the top plate B is a catch h¹ for engaging the notch or shoulder h of the pin.
This catch has a head h² projecting beyond the plate, and when the draw-head is
driven inward by the impact of the other draw-head in the act of coupling the catch
is operated by coming in contact with the end of the car or some permanent attach-
ment thereof, and the coupling pin is released and drops by gravity through the
link and thus automatically couples the cars.
Both plates B and B are perforated for the passage of the long leg of the pin.
When the pin is set for automatic coupling, the short leg thereof should project into
the upper wall of the draw-head to about the inner surface of the mouth thereof.
When the draw-heads come together, the arm D¹ will be driven inward, the lips d³
will be detached from the notches c¹ and the arm will drop to the bottom of the slot
or loop cand at the same time the lips or flanges d3 bearing against the inclined
rear surfaces of the pendant C will carry the arm backward so that the front face of
its cross arm will be behind the end face of the draw-head. Obviously, the arm may
be permitted to drop and swing loosely under the car; a bail or yoke may be
used instead of the loose centrally arranged arm D', or the arrangement of the arm
and pendant alongside of the draw-head, as shown in Figure 9, instead of beneath
the same, may be adopted, without departing from our invention.
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―
1. The combination of a draw-head and a pivoted link lifter arm adjustable
independently of the pivot to different heights, whereby a link may be supported as
desired, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a draw-head, a loosely pivoted arm mounted in slots and a
slotted pendant having notches for engaging said arm and supporting it at the
desired elevation, substantially as described.
3. The combination of a draw-head, a loosely pivoted and sliding arm having
flanges as described, and a slotted pendant or bracket having notches for engaging
and supporting said arm at the proper raised elevation, also having the slot closed at

page_text: the bottom to form a loop for holding the arm steady in its depressed position,
substantially as described.
4. The combination of a draw-head, a coupling pin provided with a notch or
shoulder, a catch without connections loosely mounted on the draw-head and an
abutment for the latch fixed with relation to the body of the car, substantially as
described.
a notch
5. The combination of a draw-head, a staple-shaped coupling pin having
or shoulder, a loosely sliding catch mounted on the draw-head and an abutment for
operating said latch fixed with relation to the car, substantially as described.
6. The combination of a draw-head of ordinary construction for link and pin
coupling, clamping plates attached to said draw-head, a pendant provided with
shoulders or notches connected to one of said plates, and a link-supporting arm
mounted to swing and slide into and out of engagement with the notched pendant,
substantially as described.
7. The combination of a draw-head adapted for link and pin coupling, clamping
plates attached to said draw-head, a pendant connected to one of the clamping plates
having a closed slot or loop provided with shoulders or notches, and a link supporting
arm mounted to swing and slide into and out of engagement with the notched
pendant and to be supported at its free end within the loop when not in use, as
described.
DL: th
1000
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ALEXANDER H. S. DAVIS.
ALMON C. BROWN.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicants.