IMPROVEMENTS IN "CAR COUPLINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: We "
THE EXCELSIOR LIFE SAVING CAR COUPLING COMPANY" doing business
at New York in the County and State of New York one of the United States of
America, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
"CAR COUPLINGS" 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 a perspective view of one end of a car having attached thereto the
improved coupling.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the lower side of two car platforms connected by
means of said coupling.
Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 4 is a like view of said cars with the draw bars and cross beam in
vertical section upon a line with the draft and
Figure 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the parts composing the coupling
separated from each other.
Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.
This Invention belongs to a class of devices which are known as twin-jaw
couplings and is designed to increase the efficiency and safety and to lessen the
expense of the same to which end said Invention consists principally in a car
coupling composed of a head and body formed in one piece, a draw-rod fitted
axially within the rear-portion of said body and adapted to move longitudinally
within the same and to have its rear, projecting end pivoted upon the frame of a
and a buffer spring placed around said draw-rod in rear of said draw bar
substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.
car,
It consists farther in a car coupling composed of a head and body formed in one
piece, a draw rod fitted axially within the rear portion of said body and adapted to
move longitudinally within the same and to have its rear projecting end pivoted
upon the frame of a car and a draw spring placed around said rod within said draw
bar substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.
It consists farther in a laterally swinging car coupling composed of a head and
body formed in one piece, a draw rod fitted axially into and adapted to move
longitudinally within the rear portion of said body with its rear projecting end

page_text: pivoted upon the frame of a car and means substantially as shown whereby
said head and body are held with a yielding pressure in position to maintain
engagement with another similar coupling substantially as and for the purpose
hereinafter set forth.
It consists farther in a car coupling composed of hooked and draw bars which
are adapted to engage with each other by lateral horizontal movements and are
held in such engagement by means of a lock that is connected with one draw head.
and is adapted to engage with a contiguous portion of the other draw head
substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and described.
It consists farther, in combining with the laterally swinging heads of twin-jaw
couplings a locking plate which is adapted to be moved vertically over two
engaging heads and to embrace the outer sides of the same for the purpose of
preventing accidental disengagement substantially as hereinafter specified.
It consists farther in combining with the body of the coupling, a roller journalled
beneath and forming a support for the same substantially as and for the purpose
hereinafter shown.
It consists farther in combining with the body of a laterally swinging draw bar,
a spiral spring adapted to hold the head of said draw bar with a yielding pressure
in position for engagement with the head of a similar draw bar and a cup shaped
block which encloses the outer portion of said spring, is contained within a suitable
guide or housing and furnishes a bearing for said spring upon said draw bar
substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.
It consists finally in the special construction of the parts of the coupling
substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and described.
In the annexed Drawings A represents the body of the draw-bar, which is
composed of a straight square bar and upon its front end is provided with a head A¹
that in plan view has an elliptical form with one side cut away to form a notch a
which at its front side a¹ is slightly convex laterally and is at substantially a right
angle to the line of draft, with its remaining side formed upon a rearward and
outward curving line. At the rear end of said notch the head is extended laterally
so as to form at such point a shoulder a² that has also substantially a right angle to
the line of draft.
Within the body A of the draw bar is provided an axial opening a³ which
extends from its rear end nearly to the head A¹ and at its front end is intersected
by a transverse groove a' that is cut within the lower side of said bar. Within
said axial opening is loosely fitted a correspondingly shaped rod B that is adapted
to slide longitudinally therein and is prevented from being withdrawn by a pin b
or other like means passed transversely through its front end, within the said
groove a. The rear end of said rod which projects to a considerable distance is
provided with an eye b¹ or other equivalent means whereby it may be pivoted upon
a fixed support.
The draw-bar thus constructed is placed in position within or below the frame C
of a car, with its body A suitably supported and permitted to move laterally and
its head A¹ projecting beyond said frame while the rear end of the rod B is pivoted
upon or within a cross beam D that furnishes a bearing upon which said draw bar
swings in a horizontal plane.
Between the rear end of said draw-bar and the eye b¹ around said rod B
is placed a spring 6 which operates to hold said draw bar with a yielding pressure
at the outer limit of its motion and forms of the same a spring buffer that will
resist in the ordinary manner, an inward pressure from another car, while another
spring bs placed between the front end of said rod and a stop or bearing upon said
draw bar operates to cushion the latter against outward pressure.
The draw bar A is held with a yielding pressure at the limit of its lateral
movement in one direction by means of a spiral spring E which is placed between
the side of said draw-bar opposite to the hook a and one of the adjacent fore and
aft beams of the frame C.

page_text: In order that said spring may be held in place and properly protected from
injury, its outer portion is contained within a hollow cylindrical block F which
bears against said draw bar and fits loosely within a correspondingly shaped
guide G that is secured to said frame the arrangement being such as to permit
said block F to slide longitudinally within said guide and to act as a shoe for
said spring.
By this arrangement the block F only is exposed and the durability and
certainty of action of the spring are materially increased.
Upon the coming together of two cars provided with the coupling, the inclined
engaging faces of the heads of respective couplings will impinge and force each
other horizontally outward until their hook shoulders have passed when by the
action of the laterally moving springs said heads will be forced inward until
engagement results as shown in Figure 2.
To enable the coupling heads to be released from engagement when it is desired
to uncouple the cars, a lever H is pivoted at one end upon the end of the frame C
at either side of the car and at a suitable point above its pivotal bearing has pivoted
one end of a rod I that from thence extends horizontally to and is connected with
the draw-head A'. By a suitable movement of the free end of said lever said
draw head may be moved to and held in the position to release it from engagement
with another connecting draw head. While preferably arranged to extend upward
from its pivotal bearing, said lever H may if desired be extended downward or in
a reverse direction.
In order that the friction caused by the weight of the coupling bar may be
diminished and its lateral movements rendered easy, a roller K is journalled upon
or within the outer portion of the frame C in position to furnish a rolling support
for said bar.
For the purpose of locking the coupling heads in engagement so as to prevent
them from becoming disengaged by the motion of the cars a U shaped plate Lis
hinged or pivoted to one of the heads A' in such manner as to permit it to
be turned downward over the same and its connecting head as shown in Fig. 2, or
turned upward to the position seen in Fig. 1.
When in the position shown in Fig. 2 said plate L effectually prevents all
relatively lateral movement of said heads but when turned upward leaves them
free.
The locking plate L is raised or lowered by means of a chain M which has one
end secured to the outer end of said plate, and from thence passes upward and
around a pulley N that is placed upon the end of the car. A weight O secured to
the opposite end of said chain overbalances said plate and operates to hold the latter.
in an elevated position.
When it is desired to turn said blocking plate downward into engagement with
the coupling heads said weight is raised and placed within a pocket P which is
provided for such purpose.
As an additional safeguard against the accidental disengagement of the draw
hends, there is pivoted at some suitable point upon one or both of the same, a
latch a preferably operated by gravity which upon the coming together of two
draw heads will drop into engagement with a notch a that is formed in the
contiguous portion of the opposite draw head and hold said parts in relative lateral
position.
In order that allowance may be made for changes in relative positions when cars
are passing around a curve, the engaging faces a¹ of the draw heads A² are made
convex laterally as before described and in consequence of such construction roll
upon each other and always have a firm engaging bearing.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. A car coupling composed of a head and body formed in, one piece, a draw
rod fitted axially within the rear portion of said body and adapted to move

page_text: longitudinally within the same and to have its rear projecting end pivoted upon
the frame of a car, and a buffer spring placed around said draw-rod in rear of said
draw bar substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. A car coupling composed of a head and body formed in one piece, a draw
rod fitted axially within the rear portion of said body and adapted to move
longitudinally within the same, and to have its rear projecting end pivoted upon
the frame of a car and a draw spring placed around said draw-rod within said draw-
bar substantially as and for the purpose shown.
3. A laterally swinging car coupling composed of a head and body formed in one
piece a draw rod fitted axially into and adapted to move longitudinally within the
rear portion of said body with its rear projecting end pivoted upon the frame of a
car, and means substantially as shown whereby said head and body are held with a
yielding pressure in position to maintain engagement with another similar coupling
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
4. A car coupling composed of hooked end draw bars which are adapted to
engage with each other by lateral horizontal movements and are held in such
engagements by means of a lock that is connected with one draw head and is
adapted to engage with a contiguous portion of the other draw head substantially
as and for the purpose shown and described.
5. In combination with the laterally swinging heads of twin-jaw couplings, a
locking plate which is adapted to be moved vertically over two engaging heads and
to embrace the outer side of the same for the purpose of preventing accidental
disengagement substantially as specified.
6. In combination with the body of the coupling, a roller journalled beneath and
forming a support for the same substantially as and for the purpose shown.
7. In combination with the body of a laterally swinging draw bar, a spiral spring
adapted to hold the head of said draw bar with a yielding pressure, in position for
engagement with the head of a similar draw bar, and a cup shaped block which
encloses the outer portion of said spring, is contained within a suitable guide or
housing and furnishes a bearing for said spring upon said draw bar substantially as
and for the purpose set forth.
8. The hereinbefore described car-coupling consisting of the body A provided
with the head A¹ notch a shoulder a², axial opening a³, and notch a, the rod B
pivoted to the frame C and fitted to and adapted to slide within said opening a³,
the spiral buffer and draw springs 63 and 63 respectively the laterally operating
spring E shoe F and guide G the lever H and the rod I all combined to operate in
the manner and for the purpose substantially as shown and described.
D10th 1
100A
Dated
20th day of February 1994.
Seal.
EXCELSIOR LIFE SAVING CAR COUPLING CO.
Jas. F. Wenman, President.