Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 10th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
I, REGINALD HADDAN, of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co., of 18, Buckingham
Street, Strand, W.C., London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
nvention, a communication to me from abroad by John J. Malloy, of Portland, in the
County of Multnomah, State of Oregon, United States of America, 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 couplers of the knuckle class and has for its object to obtain
a coupler of this class of durable construction, and provided with a simple automatic
locking mechanism. The particular construction of my coupler will be apparent from
the accompanying drawings.
In such drawings,
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coupler embodying the features of my present
invention.
Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line x-x of Figure 4.
Figure 3 is a rear end elevation of the knuckle showing the arm and the locking
hook therein pivoted; and
Figure 4 is a plan section on the line y-y of Figure 2.
The letters designate the parts referred to.
The draw-head a is of the usual type and is provided with a recess a¹ adapted to
At the left end of the floor of said recess I
receive the L-arm c of the knuckle b.
provide an inclined approach all to automatically lift the hook f pivoted to the
When the coupler is
recess e in said arm c upon the latter entering the recess a¹.
being closed, said hook f travels along the said incline a¹¹ until it drops into the
vertical aperture 9. A portion of the surface c¹ of the back of the arm c is cut
away to conform the same to said incline in the floor in the recess of the draw-
head. A jog h is cut out in the right wall of the aperture g for the nose f¹ of
the hook to rest in, and the vertical surface h¹ of such jog is slightly inclined
to cause the upper part thereof to protrude and the contacting surface of the
By this arrangement the pull
nose of the book is correspondingly formed.
on the knuckles of interlocking couples will automatically hold the hook in
place.
The book is disengaged by lifting the rod i which slides in the vertical grooves of
the box j, the ring k preventing it from falling through.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim
is :-
1. In combination, a draw-head, as a, provided with a recess on its exterior and a
knuckle pivoted to said draw head, and having an arm entering said recess of the
draw-head, a hook in the end of the arm and a vertical aperture for the hook to drop
into and lock the knuckle upon the arm thereof having entered said recess, there
being an inclined approach in the floor of said recess to automatically lift and

page_text: guide said hook to said locking aperture, and means for lifting said hook to dis-
engage the knuckle arm again.
2. In combination, a draw-head, as a, provided with a recess, and a knuckle
pivoted to said draw head and having an arm entering said recess of the draw head,
a hook in the end of the arm, and a vertical aperture for the hook to drop into and
lock the knuckle upon the arm thereof having entered said recess, there being an
inclined approach in the floor of said recess to automatically lift and guide said hook
to said locking aperture and the surface of the said vertical aperture engaging the
hook being somewhat inclined to cause the upper part thereof to protrude and the
contacting surface of the nose of the hook being correspondingly formed, for the pur-
pose specified, and means for lifting said hook to disengage the knuckle arm again.
3. În combination, a draw head as a provided with a recess, and a knuckle pivoted
to said draw head and having an arm entering said recess of the draw head, a hook
in the end of the arm, and a vertical aperture for the hook to drop into and lock the
knuckle upon the arm thereof having entered said recess, there being an inclined
approach in the floor of the said recess to automatically lift and guide said hook to
said locking aperture; a jog as h in the right wall of such aperture for the nose of
the hook to rest in, and the vertical surface h¹ of such jog being slightly inclined to
cause the upper part thereof to protrude and the contacting surface of the nose of the
hook being correspondingly formed, for the purpose specified, and means for lifting
said hook to disengage the knuckle arm again.