Improvements in Car Couplings.
Year: 1890

page_text: Improvements in Car Couplings.
I, DAMON DOVE SHAW, of Big Bend, in the County of Phillips, and State of Kansas,
United States of America, Gentleman, 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in car-couplings, and it consists in certain
novel features, hereinafter described and claimed.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1, is a perspective view of my improved car-coupling.
ጋ
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, showing it arranged to permit the uncoupling
of the cars.
Fig. 3, is a detail perspective view showing the inner end of one member of the
draw-head and the support therefor.
In carrying out my invention I employ the beams A, A, which are secured to the
bottom of the car at the end of the same and are provided with horizontal longi-
tudinal slots, B, B, in which the ends of the supports C, C, are inserted. Between the
ends of the slots, B, and the front and rear sides of the supports, C, I arrange the
springs, D, D, the said springs allowing the supports, C, to yield to the blow put
thereon when the cars come together in the operation of coupling..
The supports, C, C, are provided in their inner sides with the curved grooves, E, E,
and these grooves are engaged by curved ribs, F, F, on the members of the draw-head
so that the said members will be held in their proper places at all times. The draw-
head is composed of two members, G, G, which are pivoted to the supports, C, C, the
pivot-pin passing downward between the ribs, F, and the grooves, E, before
referred to.
The front ends of the members of the draw-head are provided in their inner sides
with the longitudinal grooves, H, H, which fit around the coupling link and the
members are further provided with the transverse openings, I, which engage the
arrow-heads of the coupling link and prevent withdrawal of the same, thereby coupling
the parts together. The members of the draw-head are normally pressed together by
the springs, J, secured to one member and bearing on the front end of the other
member. On the upper side of one member, I pivot an operating lever, K, which
passes under a plate L, on the other member and is adapted to be locked thereto by a
pin, M. The lever is further connected with the opposite member of the draw-head by
a link, N, as clearly shown.
The construction and arrangement of the parts being thus made known, the opera-
tion of the device will be readily understood. When it is desired to couple the two
cars together, the coupling-link is secured in one draw-head by hand and the two cars
then brought together. The link will thus be guided into the opposing draw-head
and the head of the same will be engaged by the shoulders of the draw-head, thereby
coupling the cars together. As the link enters the draw-head its arrow-bead will
push the members of the draw-head apart and clear the shoulders after which the
springs throw the members of the draw-head together. The locking pin is then
inserted in place to secure the lever.
When it is desired to uncouple the cars the locking pin is removed and the lever is
then swung forward so as to separate the members of the draw-bead and permit the
removal of the link.
The draw-head may be arranged on passenger cars so that the lever will he vertical
instead of horizontal and the members of the draw-head are provided in their
opposing sides with recesses, which, when together will support an ordinary coupling
pin so that the ordinary pin and link coupling may be used.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a car-coupling

page_text: which is very simple in its construction and which will automatically couple the cars.
The device can move freely on its connection with the cars so as to easily pass around
curves and the advantages of the device are thought to be obvious.
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 combination of the supports; C, C, having the curved grooves, E, and
the draw-head members having the curved ribs, F, engaging said grooves, as set
forth.
2. The combination of the members of the draw-head pivoted together, the plate, L,
on one of the members, the lever fulcrümed on one member connected to the other
member and passing under the plate, L, and the pin inserted through the plate, L,
and the lever, as set forth.
Dated this 4th day of ML 1900'
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.