Improvements in Railway Couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 14th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Couplings.
I, THORNTON EUGENE WEBSTER FAY of 820, North Fifth Street, Philadelphia,
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Retired Merchant, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
=;
The object of my invention is to produce a strong simple and easily operated car
coupling of the American type which is adapted to automatically engage the
draw-bar of an opposing coupling, which is constructed in such a way that it
permits the necessary freedom of movement of the connected cars, which is not
likely to get out of order, and which is protected against snow and ice; also to
combine with said coupling a buffer so constructed that when two cars come
together the shock is neutralized so that passengers will feel no inconvenience, and,
in the case of goods trains, the freight will suffer no damage.
The drawhead of the coupling consists of a rectangular box, held together by
bolts which serve to secure the box in position on the vehicle. The box has side
pieces and longitudinal vertical partitions, and these, together with horizontal
partitions, form four compartments which contain spiral springs which press against
the back end of the box and against the head of the bolts of a buffer plate or head
which is arranged parallel with the end of the box or drawhead and has a central
hole arranged opposite the open end of the box or drawhead. The hole in the
buffer head is adapted to receive the draw-bar which has a bevelled end or head
provided with shoulders adapted to engage oppositely-arranged locking jaws which
swing centrally in the drawhead or box and which are formed on horizontally-
swinging and outwardly-extending plates whose outer ends are enlarged to
counterbalance the jaws. The jaws are normally thrown into position to engage
with the draw-bar by springs and are swung so as to release the drawbar by a lever
or levers secured to one or both of the jaws, or preferably by means of chains
attached to the rear end of the "jaw-plates" by bolts and extending along
outwardly towards the ends of the crosshead beam and passing over and around
guide pulleys, the chains returning and extending along the beam to one side of
and at or near the head end of the coupling box or drawhead and being secured to
the lower end of the shaft of an ordinary "wheel hand-brake" upon which the
chains are wound. The ends of the chains attached to the "jaw-plates," have each
an open end link upon the outward ends of which are formed eyes for the bolts to
extend through them and the "jaw-plates" either upward or downward, the links
straddling, and corresponding with the thickness of, the "jaw-plates."
The operation is as follows:-When two cars come together the draw-bar enters
the mouth of the opposing coupling and when its end enters between the jaws it
swings the jaws backward so as to permit the end of the draw-bar to pass and
thereupon the springs push the jaws back and they engage the shoulders of the
draw-bar so as to prevent the withdrawal of the latter. When tension is put on
the draw-bar, the jaws are thrown forward and the "jaw-plates" come in contact
with the rear walls of the slots in the draw-head and thus effectually prevent the
withdrawal of the draw-bar. To uncouple the cars, the lever is thrown forward
when the end of the draw bar is in the rear end of the coupling and the jaws aro
thus turned outward so as to permit the withdrawal of the bar. After the draw-
bar has entered the coupling the buffer plates of the opposite couplings strike one
another and the springs are compressed gradually until by the time the buffer-

page_text: plates are pushed back against the ends of the couplings, the cars will have stopped
and this without excessive shock.
Dated with 1002
T. E. W. FAY,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
Improvements in Railway Couplings.
1, THORNTON EUGENE WEBSTER FAY, of 820, North Fifth Street, Philadelphia,
State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Retired Merchant, 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 my invention is to produce a strong, simple, and easily-operated
car coupling of the American type, which is adapted to automatically engage the
draw-bar of an opposing coupling, which is constructed in such a way that it
permits the necessary freedom of movement of the connected cars, which is not
likely to get out of order, and which is protected against snow and ice; also to
combine with said coupling a buffer so constructed that when two cars come
together the shock is neutralized, so that the passengers will feel no inconvenience,
and, in the case of goods trains, the freight will suffer no damage. To these ends
my invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts
which will be hereinafter described and claimed.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the views.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the car coupling, on the line 1-1 in
Figure 2, as applied to a car.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan, on the line 2-2 in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a
detail sectional plan of a preferred form of mechanism for releasing the coupling
jaws.
.
The drawhead of the coupling consists of the rectangular box 10 which has
parallel top and bottom plates 11 and 12 and suitable end pieces 13 and 14 which
fit in grooves 12" in the top and bottom plates. The plates are held together by
bolts 15 which extend downward through the top and bottom plates and also
through the platform or crosshead beams of the car whereby the box or drawhead
is held securely in position. The box bas side pieces 16 which are also held in
grooves in the top and bottom plates and in the end plates 13 and 14, as shown in
Figure 2, and inside of the box are longitudinal vertical partitions 17 which are
arranged near opposite sides and parallel with the side pieces 16.
The side
pieces 16 and partitions 17 support horizontal partitions 18 which are arranged
near the centre and form four compartments in the sides of the box, two on each
side, and in each of these compartments is contained a strong spiral spring 19
which presses against the back end of the box and also against the head 20 of one
of the bolts 21 which slide in the front end piece 14 of the drawhead or box and
are reduced at their outer ends and screwed firmly into a buffer plate or head 22.
By reducing the ends of the bolts, their shoulders take the thrust of the buffer
plate so as to relieve the threads from strain. The buffer head or plate 22 is
arranged parallel with the end of the box or drawhead and has a central
aperture 23 opposite the open end 24 of the box or drawhead 10 to receive the
draw-bar 25 which projects into the central compartment of the box between the
partitions 17. This draw-bar has a bevelled end or head 26 provided with
shoulders 27 which are adapted to engage the oppositely-arranged locking jaws 28

page_text: which swing centrally in the middle compartment of the drawhead or box, and
which are formed on horizontally-swinging and outwardly-extending plates 29
moving in slots 30 and 31 in the partitions 17 and 16, the outer ends of which
plates 29 are enlarged to form heads 32 which counterbalance the jaws 28. The
heads 32 are normally pressed rearward so as to throw the jaws 28 into position to
engage with the draw-bar by springs 33 which are arranged upon guide pins 34 on
the front portions of the heads 32, the opposite ends of which springs are secured
to the sides of the box or drawhead 10 near the front end thereof. The jaws 28
are swung so as to release the drawbar by means of a lever or levers 36 secured to
one or both of the jaws by means of a bolt 35 which extends downward through
the jaws and through the car platform or the crosshead beam of a goods truck, or
preferably by means of chains 37 (Figure 3) attached to the rear ends of the
"jaw plates 29 by bolts and extending outwardly towards the ends of the cross-
head beam and passing over and around guide pulleys 38 upon the under side of
said platform or cross-head beam, the chains returning and extending along the
beam to one side of and at or near the head of the coupling box or drawhead and
being secured to the lower end of the shaft 39 of an ordinary" wheel hand-brake
mounted upon the platform or crosshead beam through which the shaft extends
downward to wind the chains upon it which when operated will move forward,
simultaneously, the ends 32 of the jaw plates and so release the draw bar. The
ends of the chains attached to the jaw plates 29 have each an open end link,
made something like a two-tined fork, upon the outward ends of which are formed
eyes for the bolts to extend through them and the jaw plates, either upward or
downward, the links (fork-shaped) straddling and corresponding with the thickness
of said jaw plates.
"
The operation is as follows:-When two cars come together the draw bar 25
carried by one of the couplings enters the mouth of the opposing coupling and
when its head 26 enters between the jaws 28 it swings the jaws backward and the
plates 29 and heads 32 forward so as to permit the head 26 to pass and thereupon
the springs 33 force the jaws back and cause them to engage with the shoulders 27
of the draw-bar so as to prevent the withdrawal of the latter. When tension is
put on the draw-bar the jaws 28 are thrown forward and the plates 29 caused to
abut against the rear walls of the slots 30 and 31 in the draw-head thus effectually
preventing the withdrawal of the draw-bar. To uncouple the cars, the lever 36 is
thrown forward when the head 26 of the draw-bar is in the rear end of the
coupling and the jaws 28 are thus turned outward so as to permit the withdrawal
of the bar. After the draw-bar has entered the coupling the buffer plates 22 of
the opposite couplings strike one another and the springs 19 are compressed
gradually until by the time the buffer plates are pushed back against the ends of
the couplings the cars will have stopped and this without excessive shock.
By reference to the drawings it will be seen that sufficient space is left in the
aperture 23 and mouth 24 of the coupling to permit any necessary movement of
the draw-bar, so that coupled cars may pass easily around a curve or up a
gradient. It will be noticed that the operating mechanism of the coupling is
entirely enclosed, so that there is no danger of the filling up of the drawhead
with snow or ice.
It will be understood that a greater or less number of compartments may be
made to receive the springs 19 and the bolts 21, without departing from the
principle of the invention. It will also be observed that in operation the
buffer plate 22 does not in any way interfere with the working of the coupling
but it rather assists, as it serves as a guide and support for the draw-bar.
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 I
claim is :-
1. A combined car coupling and buffer, comprising a box-like drawhead having
a central coupling compartment with an open mouth, oppositely-arranged jaws

page_text: held to swing in the middle compartment of the coupling the jaws having
outwardly-extending spring-pressed plates which move in slots in the sides of
the drawhead, a draw-bar having an inclined lead with shoulders which engage
the locking jaws, compartments arranged in opposite sides of the drawhead, and
a perforated buffer plate having rearwardly-extending spring-pressed bolts which
slide in the said compartments of the drawhead, substantially as described.
2. A car coupling, comprising a box-like drawhead having a central recess therein
and compartments in its opposite sides, oppositely-arranged horizontally-swinging
jaws arranged centrally in the coupling and adapted to engage a draw-bar, spring-
pressed plates secured to the jaws and extending outward through slots in the sides
of the drawhead the plates having enlarged heads at their outer ends, and a
draw-bar having an inclined head with shoulders at its inner ends to engage the
locking jaws, substantially as described.
1
T
1000
T. E. W. FAY,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.