Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 28th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 9th June, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
I, JAMES HENRY SWINDELL of Reidsville, Tattnall County, and State of
Georgia, United States of America, School Teacher, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to couplings for railway vehicles of the American type in
which draw heads and coupling pins are employed and it consists in a coupling so
constructed that the longitudinal movement of the draw heads in coming together
will serve to operate the devices which support the pin and link-holder.
The draw head is provided with the usual flared opening for the admission of the
coupling link, a pin hole for the coupling pin, and a guide opening for a guide arm
with which the pin is provided, and a lifter for the link preferably formed with
hook ends for engagement by a supporting device hereinafter described.
According to my invention, I seek to provide a latch operated by the longitudinal
movement of the draw head and having portions arranged and adapted to support
the coupling pin and link holder in the elevated position; also to provide a coupling
in which the latch for supporting the pin and link holder will be guided in its cover
plate.
The coupling pin and guide arm are made in one with a head or cross piece and
said arm is furnished with a nib or shoulder for engagement by the latch.
The
latch has a rearwardly projecting tail piece, a cross-bar to engage the nib or
shoulder on the guide arm, forwardly projecting guide arms, lateral lugs which
constitute supports for the arms of the link holder, and rods around which are coiled
springs by which the latch is operated. These rods are secured to the body of the
latch by nuts, while the other portions of the latch are cast in one piece. The latch
is fitted in or to a cover which has openings for the main and guide arms of the
coupling pin and is provided with an edge Hange formed with cut-away portions for
the tail piece and lugs on the latch. The cover has a depending flange or rib
provided with guide openings for the guide arms and rods of the latch, and the
springs are confined between the latch and the rib and act to normally press the
latch back with its cross-bar in engagement with the shoulder of the guide pin and
with its stem protruding from the top or cover which serves as a case to enclose the
latch and its spring.
In use the cover with the latch in place, is fitted on the draw-head with the pin
openings of the said cover coinciding with those of the draw-head and the cover is
firmly bolted in such position on the draw-head.
The coupling pin may be raised by a shaft journaled to the car and having a
crank arm connected with the pin or by other suitable means and when so raised it
is held in position by the cross-bar on the latch engaging with the shoulder of the
guide arm. As the vehicles come together the draw-head is forced back and its
tail piece striking the car sill or other abutment releases the pin and couples the
If the link is held in the draw head and it is desired to lift the link to enter
cars.

page_text: a higher draw-head, it is only necessary to lift the link-holder arms to engagement
with the lugs of the latch and when the draw-heads meet, the movement of the
latch will release the arms and permit the lifter to adjust by gravity to its usual
position.
Dated thin 10th day of Tulu 1902
J. H. SWINDELL,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
I, JAMES HENRY SWINDELL of Reidsville, Tattnall County, and State of
Georgia, United States of America, School Teacher, 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 :-
My invention relates to couplings for railway vehicles of the American type in
which draw heads and coupling pins are employed, and it consists in a coupling so
constructed that the longitudinal movement of the draw head in coming together
will serve to operate the devices which support the pin and link holder.
The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter
described and pointed out in the claims.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved coupling.
Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof.
Figure 3 is a detail top plan view, the cover plate being removed, and
Figures 4 and 5 are detail views.
The draw head A is formed with the link mortise B, pin hole C, and guide
opening D for the guide arm E of the coupling pin F, and is provided with the link
lifter G having the crank-like arm or arms H which latter have preferably the hook
ends for engagement by the supporting device presently described.
By my improvement I seek to provide a latch operated by the longitudinal
movement of the draw head and having portions arranged and adapted to support
the coupling pin and link holder in elevated position.
The invention' also secks to provide a coupling in which the latch for supporting
the pin and link holder will be guided in its cover plate.
The coupling pin F has a head and a guide arın E, the latter having a shoulder e
for engagement by the latch. In the construction shewn, the latch I has a rear-
wardly-projected stem 1', a cross-bar or portion 12 to engage the shoulder e of the
pin arm E, forwardly-projecting guide arms 1³, and the laterally-extended lugs I',
the latter forming supports for the arms of the link holder. The latch also has
rods I supporting its actuating springs 1. The rods I³ are usually of wrought
iron secured to the body of the latch by nuts, as shewn, the other portions of the
latch being preferably cast integral. This latch is fitted in, or to, a cover J which
has openings for the main and guide arms of the coupling pin and is provided with
an edge flange J' provided at and with openings for the parts I and I of the
latch. This cover also has a depending rib or Hange J2 which is provided with
guide openings for the rods 13 and 1 of the latch. The springs 1 bear between
the latch and the rib J2 and operate to normally press or actuate the latch back
with its portion 12 in engagement with the shoulder of the guide pin and with its
stem protruding from the top or cover which serves as a case to enclose the latch
and its actuating spring.
In use, the cover with the latch in place is fitted on a draw head with the pin
openings of the said cover coinciding with those of the draw head and the cover is
firmly bolted in such position on the draw head, as shewu.

page_text: In operation, the pin may be raised by a shaft journaled to the car and having a.
crank arm connected with the pin or by other suitable means desired. When so
raised it will be held by the portion I engaging the shoulder e. Now, if two draw-.
heads meet, the drawhead will be forced back, the stem I' will strike the car sill or
other abutment, and the pin will be released and fall to complete the coupling. If the
link is held in the draw head and it is desired to lift the link to enter a higher draw
head, it is only necessary to lift the link holder arins to engagement with the lugs I
and when the draw heads meet, the movement of the latch will release the arms and
permit the lifter to adjust by gravity to its usual position..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improvement in car couplings comprising the longitudinally movable draw
head, the coupling pin, the link holder having a crank-like arm, and a latch having
portions arranged and adapted to support the pin and link holder in the elevated
position and adapted for operation by the longitudinal movement of the draw head,.
substantially as set forth.
2. The combination, with a longitudinally-movable draw head, of a latch pro-
vided with devices arranged to engage and hold the pin and the link holder elevated
and to release the same when the drawhead is pushed rearwardly, substantially as
set forth.
3. In a car coupling, a latch provided at its sides with projecting lugs to support
the arms of the link holder and between its sides with a bearing by which to engage.
and support the pin elevated, substantially as set forth.
4. In a car coupling, the combination of a cover plate having a depending flange
provided with openings ",, and the latch fitted to said cover and having
portions I, I, protruding through the said openings,, substantially as set
forth.
5. In a car coupling, the combination of the cover having a depending rib.
provided with guide openings, the latch having rods 13 and 15 held and movable in
said openings, and the actuating spring or springs, substantially as set forth.
6. In a car coupling, the combination, with a longitudinally movable draw head
and the coupling pin and link holder, of the latch having at its side a projecting
portion to support the link holder and provided between its sides with a portion to
support the pin and a spring by which to actuate the latch, substantially as set
forth.
7. In a car coupling, the combination of the cover having a rib J provided with
guide openings, the latch having its spring rods movable in said openings and the
springs on said rods, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination of the cover having rib J provided with openings i¹, i*, and the
rib J provided with guide openings, of the latch provided with a stem I', side.
lugs I, intermediate cross-bar I, the guide rods 13 and spring rods 1, and the
actuating springs, all substantially as set forth.
9. The combination, substantially as described, of the drawhead, the link holder
having crank-like arms provided with hooked ends, the coupling pin provided with
a shouldered guide arm, the cover plate having ribs or flanges J, J, the latch
having cross-bar I, lateral lugs I', stem I', and spring rods I and the actuating.
springs, substantially as set forth.
Doted this 971
100
J. H. SWINDELL,
By A. M. & Win. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents..