IMPROVEMENTS IN CAR COUPLINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the county of Middlesex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this 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:-
-
This invention relates to car couplings and the novelty consists in the construction
arrangement and adaptation of parts as will be more fully hereinafter set forth
and specifically pointed out in the claim.
The invention is designed as an improvement upon the device patented in the
United States, under date of December 4, 1883 N° 289729 and it is illustrated in
the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section.
Fig 2 a horizontal section on the line of Fig 1.
Fig 3 is a perspective detail of the gravital locking plug.
Fig a detail perspective of the locking jaw.
Fig 5 is a top plan view showing the drawhead in Fig 2, in connection with an
interchangeable or detachable mouthpiece, adapting the drawhead to a link and pin
coupling and
Fig 6 is a detail perspective of said detachable mouthpiece removed.
For convenience but one draw bar and attachments are shown and the invention
will be described accordingly but it will be understood that another draw bar of
similar construction is contemplated. The object of the invention is to produce an
efficient car coupling at small expense and one which shall be simple in construction
and operation having few moving parts and hence not liable to get out of operation
and to have the locking features operated by gravity, a power which is always iņ
operation when, the cars are in a position to be coupled.
Referring to the drawings in which similar letters of reference indicate like
parts in all the references.
A designates the draw bar cast preferably in single piece with a longitudinal
cavity and a slot as above. Between ears b.of the head B of the draw bar is
pivoted a horizontally 'oscillating coupling jaw C having a hook portion cand a tail
Price 6d 1°

page_text: portion cat right angles to each other as shown. This jaw C has a beveled
portion c which portion c² as the jaw is oscillated in one direction strikes a similar
bevel d upon a vertically moving gravital plug D having a slot d' in which operates
a guide pin d² to limit its action and to keep it in its cavity in the draw bar.
The lower surface of the draw bar that is to say the floor of its cavity is
provided with two surfaces a and a¹ inclined in the same direction and an abutting
shoulder a This form corresponds with the lower surface of the thrust bar F the
inclines and f1 being adapted to ride up the inclines a and a¹ when the thrust
bar F is thrust inward in the act of coupling and the shoulder få being adapted to
abut against the shoulder a² to limit its action when it gravitates behind the tail c¹
of the coupling jaw.
When the thrust bar F is in its highest position the gravity plug D falls to its
lowest position and its rear abrupt side serves to hold the thrust bar locked in such
highest position until it is released by the plug D having been forced up out of
contact by the coupling jaw. In the United States hereinbefore mentioned the
form of the coupling jaw C was such that its inner corner when the coupling was
intact that is to say when the coupling was in operation was just outside the path
of the thrust bar and in case the said jaw was not forced to the full extent of its
stroke or in case of coupling on a curve the said thrust bar would be liable to catch
against the corner of the tail c¹ and the required coupling would. not be completed
because the thrust bar would not have made its complete stroke and reached a
position behind the coupling jaw to lock the same.
In the present invention for such contingencies is provided and particularly
adapted the device for coupling on a curve by cutting away or rebating the corner
of the tail c¹ as seen at C¹ thus providing for the free movement of the thrust bar
and a coupling may be effected upon the sharpest curve even if the jaw has not
been forced entirely home a.matter liable to occur upon a curve.
Upon this rebate feature of the locking jaw in its relation to the thrust bar
and upon the locking plug D in its relation to both jaw and thrust bar is based much
of the importance and novelty of this invention.
A rock shaft G. is operated by a lever H. to oscillate a bifurcated arm I the jaws
of which embrace a pin J upon the. thrust bar in substantially the manner in
which similar parts were operated in the patent cited and as these form not
important features.of this invention further description will not be necessary.
It will be understood that the hook,c of one coupling jaw strikes the tail c¹ of
the other and that the jaws are oscillated until the tlirust bars gravitate into the
rebates C when the coupling is effectually made and locked.
When it is desired to uncouple the lever H is manipulated properly to withdraw
the thrust bar against its gravity and up the inclines a and a¹ until the plug D
falls in front of the thrust bar and holds it thus elevated until the next coupling
operation occurs when the jaw. by bringing the inclines c² and d.into contact raises
the plug D until the thrust bar is liberated and gravitates into the rebate C
Thus the thrust bar locks the jaw automatically the plug locks the thrust bar and
the jaw releases the thrust bar by acting on the plug. For the employment of the
draw bar is provided with an ordinary link and pin coupling by.removing the
jaw c and substituting a removable mouthpiece M as shown secured by the same
pivot pin or by another pin acting in the same holes. This mouthpiece M has an
arm m which enters the cavity of the draw bar, and has a general contour
corresponding to that of. the draw bar as seen at m³ to give an extended bearing
between the parts. The mouth piece M has an ordinary vertical aperture for a
coupling pin and may be used with link coupling whenever occasion requires.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
1 The combination with the thrust bar and its operating means of- the-locking

page_text: 2 In combination with the draw bar A having inclines a a¹ and shoulder a³
and with the pivoted jaw C having tail cl with rebate C' and bevel the thrust
bar F having inclines ff' and shoulder f and the gravital plug D having bevel d
as set forth.