Year: 1895

page_text: A communication from FRITZ FLINDT, of 32 Karlstrasse, Berlin, in the Empire
of Germany, Barrister-at-Law.
I, LOUIS WILHELM FERDINAND BEHRENS, of Newfield House, Forest Hill,
in the County of Kent, Gentleman 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 :-
The object of this invention is to provide an automatic railway car coupler,
which may be operated from a position on either side of the car to loosen the
adjoining coupler, thereby doing away with the danger that hitherto existed
through the necessity of the operator stepping between the cars to arrange the
coupling.
In the accompanying drawings, the detailed arrangement of the coupler is made
clear.
Fig. 1. represents a side view of the coupler;
Fig. 2. a top view of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3. a view of the end of a railway car;
Fig. 4. a view of a half coupler ;
Fig. 5. a view of a coupler on the point of linking ;
Fig. 6. a section on the line of Fig. 4
Fig. 7. a view of the levers arrangement from the end of the car as in Fig. 3.
Fig. 8. a view of the levers and especially the slide from above.
"
as follows:-
:-On
The arrangement and modus operandi of the coupler are
each inner end of the car in place of the coupler now in use at about the same
height in each case, a stationary hook "a" and a link "6" movable in the slot of
a box "c are so applied, that at the concussion of two cars, the two links by
gliding on the sloping outer surfaces of the books "a" raise themselves and after
passing the highest point of the hook, in consequence of their own weight, fall.
down and lie against the perpendicular inner surface of the same.
In order to prevent the link from becoming accidentally detached from the hook
and to permit it to be lifted out easily when desired the inner surface of the hook
is supplied with teeth slanted toward the top. The links are in the form of a
trapezium, their non-parallel sides, which serve for drawing purposes being con-
siderably longer than the parallel sides or ends. Of these parallel ends the outer
and longer is besides appropriately broadened on its upper side serving to strengthen
it, the surface inclining inward so that the small edge insures a sure grip in the
hollows of the teeth of the hook "a" and a firm hold in the same, and so that in
uncoupling an unobstructed action is secured. The other narrow or shorter side of
the link is held in the hollow box in the manner represented in Fig. 4, as follows:
A perpendicularly penetrating partition "e" in the middle of the hollow box is far
enough open in the front that the link supported therein has ample play in all
directions. The length of the links is so measured, that in reciprocal contact there
is still sufficient room for play for the buffer in coupling. In order to prevent the
links in the passing of the car round sharp curves, from becoming injured by being
jammed against the side walls of the box, it is arranged that the walls can yield
to a side pressure of the links.
;

page_text: "
The uncoupling of the cars is rendered possible by the following arrangement :
On the stationary hook a stationary block", is secured near the back of the car
in which a movable block "z" guided by tongues in the grooves of the frame or
block"" can move up or down. A tongue formed on the underside of the
movable block "z" extends under the link and raises it when the block rises until
passing the highest point of the hook. In consequence of its own weight and the
incentation of its support, it glides back, a motion which moreover is favoured by
the specified depression in the underside of the box. The links rest then on the
upper edge of the hook and the connection of the two cars is loosened. The
movement of the movable block is effected from the side of the cars by levers u v.
On the upper back part of the stationary block "" is attached a slide d by the
movement of which, from side to side, the movable block "2" can be suspended in
its highest position, so that the car can be moved without becoming coupled. The
movable block "z can also be held firmily in its lowest position by closing the
slide, so that the movable block cannot be raised, and thus the coupling is doubly
assured.
.
"
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In a railway car coupler, à box carried by one car having a vertical division
wall with an opening therein, a link held in said opening and a look carried by the
otlier for automatically engaging the link, substantially as described.
2. In combination, the box carried by one car having a vertical division wall,
with an opening therein, a link having its end held in sail opening, and a hook
carried by the adjacent car having a serrated bearing face for engaging the link,
substantially as described.
3. In a car coupler, a box carried by one car having a vertical division wall with
an elongated opening in said wall having an inclined bottom a square-ended link
having one end held in said opening and a hook carried by the other car for
engaging the link, substantially as described.
4. In a car coupler, a box having a vertical division wall with an opening
therein, a link having one end loosely held in said opening, a hook carried by the
adjacent car for engaging the other end of the link, a vertically movable piece.
carried by the shank of the hook. having a tongue extending beneath the link, and
means for elevating said piece to uncouple the cars, substantially as described.
5. In a car coupler, a box having a link loosely held therein, a hook having an
inclined front face and a corrugated shoulder for engaging said link and preventing
accidental displacement and a vertically movable piece having a tongue for
engaging the link with operating connections to the side of the car for disengaging
the hook and link, substantially as described.
6. In a car coupler, a box having a vertical division wall with an elongated
opening in said wall having an inclined lower edge, a link having parallel ends and
converging sides loosely held by its narrower end in said opening and a lock
having an inclined face for engaging the spider end of the link, and means
operated from the side of the car for disengaging the same, substantially as
described.
7. In a car coupler, a box having a vertical division wall with an elongated
opening therein, having an inclined lower edge, a link having parallel ends and
converging sides with its narrow end loosely held in said opening, a hook having
an inclined upper face and a corrugated shoulder for engaging the inner. edge of
the broad end of the link, the said inner edge being sharpened to engage the
corrugations and prevent accidental displacement, substantially as described.
8. In a car coupler a box having a link loosely held therein, a hook engaging
said link vertical guide-ways carried by the shank of the hook, a block vertically
movable between said guideways, a tongue projecting from the lower part of the
block beneath the end of the link, operating levers connected to the block movable

page_text: from the side of the car for raising said block and tongue and disengaging the
hook and link, and a slide, which enables the movable block to be held in its
bighest or lowest position, substantially as described.
02nd Anil 1905
L. W. F. BEHRENS.