An Improved Car-coupling.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 25'h Feb., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1892
NYIONAL DI POLITUATION.
An Improved Car-coupling.
1, WILLIAM HENRY MUNNS, of 106, 107, and 108, Victoria Chambers,
55 and 56 Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by
Casper F. Phelps, of Kohala Hawaii, U.S.A. Inventor,) to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to an improved car-coupling, whereby the necessity
of a man going between the cars to couple or uncouple them, and the danger
thereby incurred, is avoided.
The draw-head of the coupler consists of a piece of metal which is adapted to be
secured to the underside of the car, and to project a short distance from the end
thereof. This draw-head is made in two parts, each half being secured to the
other by bolts or the like. At the front of the draw-head is an inwardly tapering
recess to admit the link of an adjacent car. A circular vertical internal recess is
located at the rear of the front opening, and an internal recess is formed behind the
circular recess and terminates at its rear end in a curved socket. Within the
curved recess is a disc. The periphery of the disc, is provided with a hook-shaped
slot, and further around it, with locking shoulders, which are adapted to engage a
suitable latch-dog. This latch-dog is located in the recess at the back of the
internal recess, and is formed with a circular rear end, to conform to the recess.
A cam-block is located below the latch-dog, and a hook-bar is pivoted to the
cam-block. This hook-bar is adapted to engage a toe on the slotted disc in order
to rotate said disc when the hook-bar is operated by a lever applied to its rock-
shaft, which projects on each side of the draw-head. When, the disc is rotated,
the hook-shaped slot therein engages the link and retains it until the locking-latch
is released by the cam-block.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Car-coupling.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MUNNS, of 106, 107, and 108 Victoria Chambers,
Chancery Lane, in the County of London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention (a communication to me from abroad by Casper F. Phelps,
of Kohala, Hawaii, U.S.A. Inventor) 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 an improved car-coupling of a type employing an
elongated link which may be automatically coupled to two adjacent draw-heads,
the object being to provide a coupling of the character named which will be of
simple substantial construction and that will afford means to release the engagement
of two connected couplings manually from either side of the cars, thus securing.
safety to the operator.
To this end my invention consists in certain features of construction and com-
bination of parts, as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this
Specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in
all the figures.

page_text: Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a main portion of the draw-head,
the other portion being removed on the parting line 11 in Fig. 2, interior working
parts being exposed, which are adjusted to engage a coupling-link.
Fig. 2 is a plan view, in section, taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1 as they appear when
locked in engagement with a coupling-link.
The draw-head consists of an elongated metallic bar longitudinally divided to
receive interior parts, the line 11 in Fig. 2 indicating where the two pieces A. A',
which form the draw-head, are joined, screw-bolts a being preferably used to
secure these sections together, both sections being flared at the front end to receive
a coupling-link B. The section A (shown in Figs. 1 and 3) has a circular recess
laterally formed in it for the reception of a locking-disc b, and directly opposite
said recess a similar cavity is produced in the section A' of the draw-head, which
will also receive a portion of the locking-disc when the two draw-head sections are
secured together, an axial shafte being introduced into aligning perforations in the
draw-head sections, whercon the disc is revolubly supported. Each of the
sections A A' is excavated at the rear of the circular recess in which the disc bis
seated, so as to produce an elongated cavity d. A slot is cut in the disc bat e of a
suitable depth from the peripheral edge inwardly and below the shaft c, thus
producing a locking-tongue on the disc, which will engage the link B, when the
disc is caused to rock on its supporting-shaft by an end-thrust of the link, such a
movement being permitted on account of the relative position of the slot e with
regard to the shaft c.
At the rear terminal of the cavity da circular formation is given thereto for
the reception of the rounded end g¹ of the latch-dog g, the parts fitting together to
afford a knuckle-joint connection between the draw-head and the dog. Above the
latch-dog g the cavity d is enlarged to produce an upwardly and forwardly inclined
wall, thus providing clearance for the latch-dog that it may engage with the
locking-notches, that are cut in the edge of the disc b, or be released there-
from. The location of the notches his such with regard to the position given to
the slot e that the latch-dog will engage with the notch when the slot e lies
extended toward the open front end of the draw-head free to receive the end-thrust
of the coupling-link B, and have a locking engagement with the notch h¹ in the
disc after the link has been thrust against the inner terminal wall of the slot e
and the disc partly rotated, so as to engage the tongue with the coupling-link.
A detent-stud is projected from the inner face of the part A of the draw-head
and enters and transverses a curved slot in the side of the disc b, which slot
represents the arc of the circle struck from the shaft c as a centre and serves to
determine the rocking movement of the disc by the impingement of the stud on
the terminal end walls of the slot. Each of the notches has a shoulder
produced at k, against which the free end of the latch-dog will abut when it is
engaged with either notch, said shoulders being adapted to prevent a revoluble
movement of the disc in an improper direction when the parts are uncoupled, and
also to prevent a rotative movement of said disc while coupled until a disconnection
of the latch-dog is designedly produced, the stud i coacting therewith to effect
such a locking action of the parts.
n,
9
To facilitate the manipulation of the coupling so as to release a coupling-link
when desired and effect the same from either side of a car with safety, the cam-
block m is secured on a transverse rock-shaft which rock-shaft projects
through a lateral perforation in the draw-head at a proper point below the
latch-dog for the rocking engagement of the cam-block therewith, so as to
elevate said latcli-dog and release the disc when the shaft is revolubly moved
in a proper direction.
As shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, the crank-levers o, which are secured
upon the outer ends of the shaft n, are disposed in an inclined position toward the
front of the draw-head, so that the weight of the crank-levers will be utilized to

page_text: hold the disc in a position to receive the link B and retain said disc interlocked
with the latch-dog y wlien a coupling has been effected.
The shaft is shown broken in Fig. 2, it being designed to extend said rock-
shaft toward the sides of a car, whereon the coupling is placed, and thus permit
the handles or levers o to be loosely connected to rods or chains that may extend
to the top of the car and afford means for the disconnection of the coupling from
the roof of the car.
Upon the lower forward corner of the cam-block in a hook-bar is pivoted, the
free hooked end pl of said bar being upwardly projected to have contact with the
toe on the disc, so as to bring the disc b into position, as hereinafter described.
The manner in which my said invention is operated is as follows:-
When the parts of the coupling are in position shown in Fig. I ready to receive
a coupling-link of an adjacent car, the lever arms are raised, which partially
rotates the shaft and the cam m. The movement of the cam raises the latch-
dog g out of the notch h, rendering the disc b free to turn. The end of the link B
is then inserted into the mouth of the draw-head and into the slot e. The forcible
contact of the end of the link against the end of the slot e causes the disc to
rotate, such rotation being limited by the length of the slot and pin i.
In case
the disc b should not rotate sufficiently far to enable the point of the latch-dogg
to enter the notch ', the hooked end p' of the hook-bar p (which is drawn back-
ward with the movement of the cam m) comes into contact with the toe rand
brings it into position for the engagement of the latch-dog with the notch ¹ of the
disc b. The point pl of the hook-bar p slides beneath the periphery of the disc/>
until the cam m is about to take the position shewn in Fig. 3, when it is raised
into engagement with the toe by reason of its lower edge coming into contact
with the rounded portion m³ of the cam m. When the link is in place the cam is
returned into the position shewn in Figs. 1 and 3 in full lines, and the latch-dog g
engages the notch ', as shown.
When it is desired to uncouple the link the operation for coupling is reversed.
The cam is not, however, rotated sufficiently far to allow the flat side m³ of the
cam m to come into contact with the underside of the latch-dog g, (in which position
the hook-bar is in engagement with the toe r) but only far enough to enable the
rounded point m' to raise the latch-log sufficiently to allow the disc to rotate when
the link is withdrawn.
It is claimed for this coupling that the parts are strong, few in number, and
efficient in service, affording means for the automatic coupling of cars and a
release of such an engagement without danger to the operator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my
said invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that
what I claim is :
1. A car-coupling consisting in the two-part draw-head A A', having a link-
opening, a circular vertical internal recess at the rear of said opening, an internal
recess behind said circular recess and terminating at its rear end in a curved
socket, the disc b, turning in said circular recess and provided with slot e and
locking-shoulders, the latch-dog g, having a circular rear end g¹, turning in said
socket and engaging the disc with its forward end, and means for operating said
dog, the said dog and the disc being wholly enclosed within the draw-head, sub-
stantially as described.
2. The combination, with the draw-head having a coupling-disc provided with a
latch-dog, of a cam for raising the dog, a hook-bar pivoted to the cain and adapted
to engage the disc and return the cam into its normal position, and means for
operating the cam, substantially as described.
3. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a longitudinally-separable draw-head
having an interior recess and a slotted disc pivoted in the recess and having an
integral locking-tongue formed by a slot, of a vertically-vibratile latch-dog adapted

page_text: to interlock with the notches in the disc, a cam-block below the latch-dog, a
hook-bar pivoted to the cam-block and adapted to engage a toe on the slotted
disc, and a rock-shaft supporting the cam-block and means for rocking it, sub-
stantially as set forth.
Dated this 95th d...
No 1901