Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 20th May, 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Car Couplings.
We, JOHN BRADFORD, and EMMETT LOVELACE, of Marcelline, in the County
of Adams, and State of Illinois, United States of America, Gentlemen, 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 :-
The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings. The object of the
present invention is to simplify and improve the construction of car-couplings
and to provide one capable of automatically coupling and adapted to be readily
arranged for shifting.
The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts
hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed'
out in the claims hereto appended.
In the drawings :
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a car-coupling constructed in accordance with
this invention.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, the parts being in position
preparatory to coupling.
Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the
drawings.
1 designates a draw-head having a horizontal opening, in which is arranged a
spring-actuated pin-support 2, adapted to hold a pin in an elevated position
preparatory to coupling and to be moved rearwardly by the link of an approaching
car to allow a coupling-pin 3 to fall and engage the link. The coupling-pin 3 is
adapted to fall and is arranged when coupled in a perforation 4, and is maintained
in a vertical position preparatory to coupling by an upwardly and forwardly-
extending supporting-arm 5, which has its lower rear end 6 pivotally secured
above the draw-head and which is provided in its upper outer end with a pin-
opening 7 to receive the pin to hold the same in an approximately-vertical
position. The pin-support 2 is held forward by a spring 8, which is adapted to be
compressed to allow the coupling-pin to drop; but in shifting when it is not
desired to couple a car the coupling-pin is held against dropping by a pivoted
plate 10, which is arranged on the upper face of the draw-head. The plate 10 is
pivoted near its rear end at one side thereof, and is provided at its outer or front
end with a pin-opening 11, which when the plate is arranged as illustrated in
Fig. 1 of the drawings is disposed in advance of the coupling-pin perforation of the
draw-head, so that the draw-head will form a bottom for the opening 11. This
construction provides a socket to receive the lower end of the coupling-pin when
the latter is supported upon the draw-head, and when it is not desired to couple the
cars, and the coupling-pin is thereby prevented from being thrown from the draw-
head by the jars incident to shifting.
The pin-holding arm by being pivoted at its lower inner end is adapted to be
turned to one side, so that the coupling-pin may be readily withdrawn from the
draw-head for uncoupling. The coupling-pin is provided with a head 13, which is
greater in size than the coupling-pin perforation of the draw-head, so that the pin
will not fall through the draw-head when cars are coupled.
It will be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparatively inexpensive in
construction, that it is capable of enabling cars to be automatically coupled
without necessitating a person going between them, and that the coupling-pin may
be held above the draw-head to prevent coupling when cars are being shifted.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a plate pivotally mounted
on the draw-bead and provided with a pin-receiving socket-opening, a pin-holding
arm adapted to be swung to one side and extending upward and forward and
having its upper end arranged over the pivoted plate and provided with a pin-
opening, and a coupling-pin supported above the draw-head and having its lower
end arranged in the socket-opening of the plate and its upper end arranged in the
opening of the arm, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a draw-head having a coupling-pin perforation, a spring-
actuated pin-support arranged within the draw-head, a plate pivoted to the
draw-head and arranged on the upper face of the same and provided with a
socket-opening, and a pin-supporting arm having its lower end pivoted and having
its upper end arranged over said plate and provided with a pin-opening, sub-
stantially as described.
Dated this 4th day of April 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.