US234652A - Car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

P. W. BRADBURN.

Car Coupling. I

Patnted Nov. 23,1880.

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NJEERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHIE?, WASHINGTON D C 4UNTTTD STATns PATENT @Tarea PETER W. BRADBURN, OF GUTHRIE CENTRE, IOVA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,652, dated November 23, 1880,

Application filed June 15, 1880. (No model.)

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER W. BRADBURN, of Guthrie Centre, in the county of Guthrie and State oi' Iowa, have invented an Improved Gar-Coupling, ci' which thefollowin gis a speciiication.

The object oi' my invention is to avoid the dangers and accidents incident to coupling railway-cars, and to prevent the maiming and killing of persons and the damages and losses result-in g from unsafe couplings. It relates to that class ot' couplings in which a link of corninon form is detachably connected with a draw head by means of a straight pin.

Heretofore sliding-pin supports and pinlit'ting devices have been used in combination with a draw-head to automatically couple cars by means of a link, and to uncouple without going between the cars. A spring has also been fixed in a draw-head in such a manner that the coupling-link could beindependently adjusted relative to the spring, so as to be held in position by the spring as required, to enter a corresponding draw-head.

My improvement contemplates controlling in a draw-head both the link and the pin by means of one rod or lever, and by one motion thereof, in such a way that the act of unconpling will adjust the link and alsothe pin as required to automatically couple two cars when they come in contact.

It consists in forming, arranging, and combining a draw-head, a pin and pin-support, and a link-balance, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure l of my accompanying drawings is a sectional view, showing my several devices combined with each other and with the ends of cars. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing my invention applied and adjusted on a car as required to control the link and to retain it in proper position to enter a corresponding draw-head on another car to connect the two cars. J ointly considered, these figures clearly illustrate the construction, application, operation, and utility .of my complete invention.

A represents a section of a car, to which a draw-head, B, is iiXed by means of bolts, or in any suitable way. This draw-head has a cavity, c, of common form, adapted to receive a link of common form. It also has a vertical pin-hole,1,intersectingthecavityc. Astraight pin, e, is fitted into the hole d to pass downward through the cavity c to engage the link f as required to retain the link whenever necessary.

g is a rod iiexibly connected with the top end ofthe pin e.

h is agbracket extending horizontally from the end .ot' the car near its top. lt has an eye or bearing, i, formed on or attached to its end, through which the rod g is passed and operated.

70 is-a ring or handle formed on or attached to the top end ot' the rod, by means ot' which the combined rod and pin may be operated by a person on top of the car and without going between two cars.

lis a rock-shaft, mounted in suitable bearings, iixed tothe front end ot' the car at a point intermediate between the bracket It and the draw-head. lt has a rigid arm, l', that extends outward and is iiexibly connected with the rod g. It has crank-handles l on its ends, that can be readily reached by a person at the side of the car and raised and lowered to rock the shaft, and thereby operate the rod f/ and the adjustable devices connected therewith.

m is a removable plate on the front and top of the draw-head. lt covers a slide, m', that is iitted 1,0 move in a corresponding groove and bearing, m, formed in the top face ofthe draw-head. This slide and pin-supporting device has a pin-hole corresponding with the pin-hole in the draw-head, and when properly adjusted in its bearing the pin-holes register, and the pin e is allowed to pass downward to engage the link.

n is a spring itted to the rear end of the slide m. In its normal condition the spring presses the slide forward to project beyond the front end ot' the draw-head and to close the pin-hole in the draw-head in such a manner that the pin e will be held up thereby as required to keep the cavity c in the drawhead free to admit a coupling-link.

o is a lever pivoted t0 bearin gs formed on or attached to the lower side ot the draw-head. It is bent upward at its front end to engage the coupling-link in the cavity c ot' the drawhead.

r is a bent rod thatl extends downward through a perforation in the draw-head. Its top end and horizontal portion is connected with the rod gin such a manner that it can be elevated by means of the rod g, which has a shoulder, g', to engage the eye on the end of the bent rod.

s is a weight attached to the lower end ofthe rod 1'. The rear end of the lever o is flexibly connected with the lower end of the rod r, and operated by means of the rod and weight as required to control the coupling-link.

In the practical operation of my invention I adjust the coupling-pin d, the pin-support m', and the link-balance o as required, to prepare the draw-head and complete device for the reception of a coupling-link carried by an approaching car, by simply lifting the rod g, by means of its handle k or the rock-shaft l, and thereby withdrawing the piu d from the cavity cof the draw-head, and also from the piu-hole in the slide m. When the slide m is thus disengaged the spring n will move it under the pin, to afford a rest and support for the pin, and to cause it to project forward from the front face of the draw-head. The same motion ofthe rod g will, at the saine time, lift the bent rod 1", and thereby the balance-weights, as required to lower the front end of thelinlesupport o, and to leave the link-cavity c unobstructed. When my coupling is thus adjusted on two cars that are to be coupled together, I pass a link into the cavity c of one ofthe draw-heads, and then press in the projecting end of the slide and pin-support m to allow the piu to drop through and engage the link. The same motion that frees the pin also frees the suspcnded rod o' and weight s, and allows the link support o to vibrate and its front end to ascend and engage the link and hold it in position as required to direct the link into the mating draw-head of the car that is to be connected; and when a link is thus placed and supported in one of the draw-heads it will readily pass intolthemating draw-head when their ends come together, and the projecting pin-support and slide m of the same mating draw-head will be pressed in and adjusted as required to allow the pin to drop and automatically couple the cars.

To uncouple I simply lift the rod g on one of the cars, and by so doing free the link and leave all the opera-tive parts properly adjusted to be again automatically coupled whenever desired.

I claim as my inventionl. The link-support o, the rod r, having a weight, s, and the rod g, having a shoulder, g', arranged and combined relative to a drawhead and a couplinglink and pin substantially as shown and described,to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposes specified.

2. The improved car-coupling, consisting of the following elements, to wit: the draw-head b c d, the combined pin and rod e g, the rodbearing device h t', the pin-operating device l l', the pin-support m n, the link-support 0, the bent rod i', and weights, substantially as shown and described, to accomplish the unitary results contemplated and specified.

PETER lV. BRADBURN.

Witnesses:

J. LANDIs, CARSON H. PRroR.

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