IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR- COUPLINGS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Edward Carmalt, of Scranton, in the County
of Lackawanna, and State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of
America, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR-
COUPLINGS." A communication by Milton Roy Thurber, of Scranton, in the
County of Lackawanna, and State of Pennsylania, one of the United States
of America, Gentleman.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said James Edward Carmalt at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 11th March 1882.
JAMES EDWARD CARMALT, of Scranton, in the County of Lackawanna, and
State of Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, Gentleman.
" IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR COUPLINGS." A communication by Milton Roy
Thurber, of Scranton, in the County of Lackawanna, and State of Pennsylvania,
one of the United States of America, Gentleman.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my Invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section showing the position of the parts when set for coupling; Figure 3 is a
similar view showing the position of the parts after the link has entered & the
coupling has been effected; Figure 4 is a sectional view of the draw-head taken
on the line x, x, Fig. 1. Similar letters of reference in the several Figures denote
the same parts.
This Invention relates to that class of car couplings which are automatic in their
operation, and it consists in certain improved details of construction whereby the
parts are better protected from the weather, and whereby also the coupling is
rendered more certain in its operation and the danger of accidental uncoupling is
avoided, all as I will now proceed to describe. In the Drawing A represents the
draw-head; B, an angular lever pivoted at b, and working in a slot in the lower
part of the draw-head, and carrying an upwardly projecting pin C near the end of
its lower arm b¹, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The base of the arm b' of the lever B
is brought near the pin C, and is inclined backwardly therefrom, as shown; this
[Prine 671

page_text: When
construction renders the operation of coupling more certain with the link in the
drawhead of a higher car, for the base of the arm 6* being near the pin C, or in
other words, far forward, the inclined link is not required to enter so far before
striking the said arm 6%. The latch D is hinged in the lower part of the draw-
head, and it plays within a recess A¹ in the upper part, and is operated by a cross
bolt e, which passes through its free end, and also through oblong slots S in the
sides of the draw-head, and has its bearings in the depending lugs or cams 7 of a
lever plate L. The latch D, it will be observed, thus arranged is entirely within
the draw-head, so that its operation cannot be impeded by the accumulation of
snow or ice. When the lever plate is turned down upon the upper face of the
draw-head, as shown in Fig. 1, a shoulder on each of its side lugs or cams l
engages with and rests on a stop m on the side of the draw head, as shown, but
when the said lever plate is turned up the stops m form fulcrums for the cams 1,
and the cross bolt is made to rise up in the elongated slots in the sides of the draw
hend, thus causing the latch to be raised so as to disengage it from the pin C.
When the lever plate is turned down it covers the pin hole in the upper part of the
draw head, made for the use of an ordinary coupling pin, and as this is its normal
position it effectually prevents all snow and rain from passing into the interior of
the drawhead. The cams of the lever plate cover the elongated openings in the
sides of the drawhead, and their shoulders so engage with the stops m when the
lever plate is down as to lock the parts and prevent accidental uncoupling.
the device is set for automatic coupling the angular lever and pin are in the position
shown in Fig. 2. As the link of the approaching car enters the drawhead it
strikes the face of arm 6%, and tilts the lever back on its pivot, thereby causing the
latch to be swung upward, the pin C at the same time rising up through the link.
When the end of arm 62 reaches a shoulder d² on the latch, the latch falls back to
its original position, leaving the arm b² engaged with the shoulder d' and the pin C,
projected up through the perforation d³ in the end of the latch, all as shown in
Fig. 3. In order to prevent the jamming of the arm 6* by the link when the cars
are in motion, the drawhead is formed with protecting shoulders a¹, a¹, just in front
of said arm 62, as shown in Fig. 4, and these shoulders form a solid abutment
against which the link can strike without danger to the arm of the lever behind
them. To uncouple, it is only necessary to swing up the lever plate L, which can
be done from either side of the drawhead or from above it, as will be readily
understood. The pin C has on its rear side, about an inch from its base, a pro-
jection c¹, which operates to hold the link horizontally when engaged under it, and
inclined downwards when resting above it, so as to cause the outer end of the link
to enter another drawhead in the same or in a lower plane, as the case may be.
This provision renders it unnecessary to go between the cars to direct the link, and
dispenses with the services of a man for performing this heretofore dangerous office.
It will be seen that in my coupling the pin is permanently connected to the draw
head, and is therefore not liable to be lost or misplaced.
Having thus described my Invention, I claim as new,
1st. The combination with the drawhead of the hinged latch and the pivoted
angular lever having the arms 61 and 62, and carrying the pin C, said arm 6º being
arranged at an acute angle to the pin C, substantially as described for the purpose
specified.
2nd. The combination with the drawhead, having the recess A¹ in its upper
part, of the latch D, constructed as described and hinged in the lower part of the
drawhead, and the pivoted angular lever carrying the pin, whereby the pivoted
latch is adapted to operate within the drawhead, and is protected from the weather,.
substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with the drawhead, having the elongated openings in its
sides, and the latch and angular lever carrying the pin of the cross bolt e, the lever
plate and its cams, and the stops on the sides of the drawhead, substantially as
described.
4th. The drawhead having the angular lever pivoted to it, and provided with

page_text: the shoulders a', a¹, for protecting the arm b³ of said lever from being jammed by
the link, substantially as described.
5th. The pin C provided with the projection on its rear side near its base for
the purpose of holding the link so that it will be presented properly to the draw-
head of an adjacent car of the same or different height, substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Edward Carmalt, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of March, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JAMES EDWARD CARMALT. (LS.)