An Improved Car Coupling.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 7th June, 1890-Accepted, 12th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL OF MULTICATION.
An Improved Car Coupling.
I, WILLIAM JOHN PONTO, of New Rockford, in the County of Eddy and Territory
of Dakota, United States of America Inventor, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:
This invention belongs to that class of devices known as "car-couplings ;" and the
novelty consists in the construction of the several parts and their combination
together, all as will now be more fully set forth and explained.
To any freight or similar car, I secure suitable draw-heads. Except as qualified by
the present invention, these are of the usual description. In the mouth of the draw-
head, and preferably near its roof, is a supporting plate, supported by and sliding in
slots. This movement is obtained by means of a bolt which slides in a slot or opening
at the side of the draw-head and to which bolt the aforesaid supporting plate is
attached. When two cars approach each other, the bolts in each meet and the one
on the car to be coupled is moved back and carries with it the aforesaid plate. Thus
the coupling-pin, which has rested on said plate, is released and falls by its gravity
into the draw-head and through a suitable coupling-link. The pin in this position holds
the plate back, and also prevents the bolt from moving outward under the influence
of a suitable spring at its rear end; but when the pin is drawn up, as when the cars
are uncoupled, the spring will force the bolt out, and thus the plate is placed in its
position underneath the coupling-pin and supporting the same. The coupling-pin has
a fin on each side that is laterally opposite extending from the head down about two-
thirds the length of the pin. A pin-hole in the draw-head is preferably made with
side and laterally-opposite extensions or enlarged to a proper shape for the fin to fit
snugly into it. The use and advantage of these fins are that they will rest upon the
link and hold the same horizontal and in proper position to enter the draw-head of the
approaching car that is to be coupled. To aid in this, the head of the pin may be
made quite heavy, or the lower end of a rod on the front of the car, which is connected
to the pin and by which it is operated, may be made heavy, or a supplemental weight
can be attached to the rod.
To prevent the displacement of the pin, as when it is being drawn up in coupling,
there is placed on the front of the car a lip or projection at a suitable height to
measure the proper range of the movement of the pin to clear the link and the plate.
The rod aforesaid can be passed through this as well as through the guide-brackets;
but a mere projection from the face of the car will answer all the desired purposes.
In using this device it is not necessary for the brakeman to touch the coupling-
link or step between the cars. The link is held in the proper position to enter the
approaching draw-head and the support of the pin in it is automatically removed,
so that the pin will fall into the draw-head and through the link; nor does my
device present any costly or cumbersome structure. The detail of the changes over
the ordinary draw-head are few and not costly; nor is my device liable to get out
of repair. It is strong and durable in every part. The plate which supports the
pin is operated by means outside the mouth of the draw-head, so that this mouth is
almost entirely free and unobstructed.
Dated this 95th day of Jann 1800
WILLIAM JOHN PONTO.
By his Agents,
Horn & Son.

page_text: An Improved Car Coupling.
I, WILLIAM JOHN PONTO, of New Rockford, in the County of Eddy and Territory
of Dakota, United States of America Inventor, 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 :—
Figure 1 is an elevation of the end of the car, showing my invention; Figure 2,
is a vertical central section of the draw-heads; Figure 3, a horizontal section in detail
of one of the draw-heads; Figure 4, a detail in elevation showing the coupling-pin,
and Figure 5 a top view of one of the draw-heads.
This invention belongs to that class of devices known as "car-couplers ;" and the
novelty consists in the construction of the several parts and their combination together,
all as will now be more fully set forth and explained, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings.
In the drawings A denotes any freight or similar car and B the draw-heads.
Except as qualified by the present invention, these are of the usual description. In
the mouth of the draw-head, and preferably near its roof, is the supporting-plate c
supported by and sliding in the slots b. This movement is obtained by means of the
bolt C, which slides in slot or opening at the side of the draw-head, and to which
bolt the plate c is attached. When two cars approach each other, the bolts C in each
meet and the one on the car to be coupled is moved back and carries with it the
plate c. Thus the coupling-pin D, which has rested on said plate, is released and falls
by its gravity into the draw-head and through the coupling-link E. The pin in this
position holds the plate c back, and also prevents the bolt C from moving outward
under the influence of the spring F at its rear end; but when the pin is drawn up,
as when the cars are uncoupled, the spring F will force the bolt out, and thus the
plate e is placed in its position underneath the coupling-pin and supporting the same.
The coupling-pin D has a fin d on each side that is laterally opposite extending from
the head down about two-thirds the length of the pin. The pin-hole 62 in the draw-
head is preferably made with side and laterally-opposite extensions 63 or enlarged to a
proper shape for the fin to fit snugly into it. The use and advantage of these fins are
that they will rest upon the link and hold the same horizontal and in proper position
to enter the draw-head of the approaching car that is to be coupled. To aid in this,
the head of the pin may be made quite heavy, or the lower end of the rod G on the
front of the car, which is connected to the pin and by which it is operated, may be
made heavy, or a supplemental weight can be attached to the rod.
To prevent the displacement of the pin, as when it is being drawn up in coupling,
there is placed on the front of the car a lip or projection a at a suitable height
to measure the proper range of the movement of the pin to clear the link and
the plate C. The rod G can be passed through this as well as through the guide-
brackets a¹; but a mere projection from the face of the car will answer all the desired
purposes.
In using this device it is not necessary for the brakeman to touch the coupling-
link or step between the cars. The link is held in the proper position to enter
the approaching draw-head and the support of the pin in it is automatically
removed, so that the pin will fall into the draw-head and through the link; nor does
my device present any costly or cumbersome structure. The detail of the changes
over the ordinary draw-head are few and not costly; nor is my device easily liable to
get out of repair. It is strong and durable in every part. The plate which supports
the pin is operated by means outside the mouth of the draw-head, so that this mouth
is almost entirely free and unobstructed.

page_text: 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. The draw-head B, having slots b and b', the bolt C, and plate c, connected to it
and the spring F behind the bolt, whereby the pin is held up by means mostly outside
the mouth of the draw-head.
2. The combination, with the draw-head having its upper pin-hole provided with
lateral opposite extensions, of the sliding plate c, to uphold the pin, the pin having
lateral opposite fins to fit in said extensions, and the coupling-link, which, when in the
draw-head, is horizontally held by the said pins which bear on its opposite side bars,
substantially as specified.
3. The combination with the draw-head having the slots bb₁ and provided with
an upper pin-hole having opposite lateral extensions, the bolt C, the spring F in
rear of said bolt, and the sliding plate c, attached to the bolt, of the coupling-link
and the pin D, having opposite lateral fins d, substantially as specified.
Dated this 7th day of June 1890
WILLIAM J. PONTO.
By his Agents,
Horn & Son.