IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Herbert John Haddan, of Kensington, Middlesex, for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS communicated to
him from abroad by Newell. P. Cowell of Cleveland United States
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Herbert John Haddan at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1883.
IN
HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of Kensington, Middlesex, IMPROVEMENTS
RAILWAY CAR COUPLERS communicated to me from abroad by Newell. P. Cowell
of Cleveland United States
The invention relates to car couplers and more particularly to that class known
as automatic car couplers, that are adapted to engage with the opposite couplers
when the same are brought together without the interposition of any mechanical
device or endangering the life or limbs of a brakeman, and consists in parts and
combination of parts as will more fully hereinafter be described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig 1 represents an isometric view of the under
portions of two opposite car platforms carrying the improved couplers, one of the
couplers being shown in closed, and the other in open adjustment.
Fig 2 is a view showing the couplers locked together.
Fig 3 is a horizontal sectional view through one draw bar and couplers,
showing the mechanism for locking the coupler in open and closed adjustment, and
Fig 4 is a similar view showing the stop drawn out and disengaged from the
pivoted coupling head.
In the drawings A A¹ represent the platforms, preferably of passenger coach.
B B¹ represent the draw bars which consist preferably of two metal plates
sufficiently removed to permit the introduction of the spring as a stop, also the
pivoted head or coupler C, which is also adapted to turn upon the pivot D.
The pivoted head shown in Fig 3 is provided with the angular portion c, which
is adapted to engage with the same angular portion of the opposing coupler. It is
also provided with another angular face upon its opposite side as shown at C²,
which, is adapted to bear against the stop E when the coupler is open as shown
at C¹, in Fig 1.

page_text: The pivoted head has shoulders or projections on its side which slide upon the
circular portion of the plates composing the draw bars, thus the pivoted head is
adapted to revolve backward until the shoulders strike the non-circular portion of
the draw bar.
E is a stop adapted to prevent the pivoted head C from turning forward further
than shown at C', in Fig 1, by the angular portion c³ coming in contact with the
stop as there shown. When the coupler is closed, the stop rests against the back
portion d of the pivoted head as shown in Fig 3 and prevents its turning forward
until the stop is removed.
A coil-spring H or its equivalent is used to retract the stop when drawn out and
released.
On one side of the stop E is a rod e that is attached to the plates B B¹. This
keeps the stop E in place as it moves backward and forward; it also prevents the
stop E from being drawn out too far by a projection on the stop E, coming in
contact with the rod e.
It
In the drawing, I have illustrated one method of operating the stop E.
consists in connecting the stop by means of a chain F with a lever G, the lever
being pivoted in the platform of the car and adapted to be operated from the upper
side of the platform.
each
When the pivoted hooks of the couplers of two cars to be coupled together are
in their closed position as illustrated in Fig 3 the curved faces of the hooks will
strike each other, as the cars come together causing the hooks to recede laterally
until they have passed by a sufficient distance to allow their faces c to engage
other as illustrated in Fig 2. Or should the hooks be in their open position, they
will pass each other and after the cars have come to a standstill, they can be turned
and locked in their closed position as shown in Fig 2. When it is desired to
release the couplers, the lever G is operated and the stop E thereby withdrawn,
thus allowing the hook to turn on its pivot and disengage the couplers of two
adjacent cars. This operation can be done as readily when the cars are on a
curve as when on a straight line of track. To adapt cars provided with the
improved couplers to be coupled to cars having the ordinary link coupler, I attach
to the pivot D a hook D' with which may be engaged the ordinary link and in
this manner the cars may be coupled though furnished with different forms of
couplers. To prevent the links from displacement or becoming disengaged from
the hook D', a spring and suitable locking mechanism may be provided.
I claim:
1. The combination with a draw bar, of a coupling head pivoted to the end
thereof and provided with an angular face c, and with the straight faces d
and 2, and the spring actuated stop interposed between the draw bar and
coupling head, and adapted to operate, substantially as described.
2nd. The combination with the draw head B and coupling head C pivoted in the
head of the draw head, of the sliding stop E located in a recess formed
between the coupler and draw head, said stop being constructed with a
forwardly projection arm at its lower end, and a rearwardly projecting arm
at its upper end, and a spring located between a seat on the draw head and
the rearwardly projecting arm of the sliding stop, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof I the said Herbert John Haddan have hereunto set my
hand and seal this 7th day of June A.D. 1883.
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