US1979908A - Vehicle coupler - Google Patents

Description

A. L. SCHULLER VEI-IICLE COUPLER Nov. 6, 1934.

INVENTOR A! red. lc/z aller ATTORNEYS v Filed Sept. 6, 1933 bail.

Patented Nov. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFI(IE VEHICLE COUPLER Alfred L. Schuller, Upper Montclair, N. J., as-

signor to Easton Gar & Construction Company, Easton, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 6, 1933, Serial N0. 688,274

7 Olaims. (GI. 280-3315) This invention relates to oouplers for vehicles.

The type of coupler involved is applicable 110 Vehic1es generally, but is widely used for industrial trucks and trailers such as are used. in factories, warehouses, etc.

The general type of coupler is one in which one end of a vehicle carries a bumper block having a horizontally positionecl bail; and ehe vehicle end to be coupled to it carries a bifurcated Tm draw bar that straddles the bai1, top and bottom,

and is latched thereto. It is desiralole, of course, that the bail be able 110 swing up=wardly and downward1y to faoilitate the passage of a train of coupled cars over bumps and from a horizontal floor '1g'r, to inclines, and vice versa. On the daher band,

' io is desirable that on an uncoupled car the bail should remain in a suitable fixecl position, so that a draw bar may make coupling engagement With it without manual control or manipulation of the Couplers of this generml type have been 'made in which the bail was supported in a horizontal Position (when uncoupled) by stop lugs which project beneath the bail. 'I'his holds th'e bai1 l 5 nicely for cou1aling and uncoupling; and it also permits the bail 110 swing upwardly, as is desirable when a train of coupled cars passes from a horizontal floor 130 an upward inoline. I-Iowever, this construction does not'perm'it the bail '30 to swing downwardly, as is desiralo1e wheh a train nasses (for example) from the top of an upward incline to a horizontal floor.

Couplers have also been built with the' bail pivoted and so counterbalanced that the bai1 5 Will stand in horizontal position when the cars are standing uncoupled on a level floor. 'I'his permits upward and downward inclination of the bail during pulling of coupled cars, but does not meet-all coupling requirements. Gar movement preparatory to coupling may starb the ball swinging like a pendulum, making it necessary to manually arresb or control the bai1 during coupling. Also when an attempt is made to couple cars standing on an inclined plane the bail stands horizontally with respeot to the earth, instead of paralleltothe inclined plane, so that the bail is not in the correct position for coupling.

An object of the present invention is to provide a coupler having a coupler element (e. g.

a bail) which can be tilted upwardly and downwardly during transit of coupled vehicles, but in which the coupling element is automatically hold. in a suitable fixed position (with respect to the vehicle) when the vehi 3le 15 uncoupled.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coupler which automatically holds a vertioally movable coupling element in a. fixed. position (With respeot to the vehicle) when the vehicle is uncoupled without permitting pendulum-like swinging of the ooupling element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-oontained unitary coupler whioh permits upward and downwarcl tilting of the ooupling element when coupled vehicles are in transit, but which automatically holds the coupling element in suitable coupling position when the vehicles are uncoupled.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view showing a car end equipped with a coupler embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the coup1e1 taken approximately on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 to 7 oonstitute an explocled view of the coupler except that duplicate parts are shown only once. Fig. 3 shows the coupler body; Fig.

4 the bail; Fig. 5 a weight associated With the bail; Fig. 6 a pin for attaohing the bai1 to the coupler body; and Fig. 7 a cotter pin three of which are used.

Fig. 8 is an elevation, partly in section showing a draw bar suitable for attachment 120 the coup1er shown in Fig. 1.

A one piece malleable cast or cast steel coupler body 11 has a bumper portion consisting of diverging vertica1 wingsf 12 anal 13 which are separated a1: their rear ends by a vertical web 14. The body 11 is hollow, and the opposite sides cf it have identical cut-out areas 15 which provide sockets 16 and 17, separated by a nose 18. T0 save weight and facilitate access 110 the inside 'of the coupler, the top of the body 11 is cut away ab 19 but may be closed by a 1ight name plate 20.

A cast steel bail 21 is adapted to straddle the body 11, and its ends 22, 22 are provided With flanges 23, 23 which cover the side cut-outs 15 in the body 11. Thebail ends are each provided With a pair of apertures 24, 24 which receive a pair of transverse pins 25, 25 that lie in the sackecs 16 and 17 of the coupler body. A weight 26 is placed. within the coupler body; and in assembly one of the pins 25 is passed through a bore 27 in the weigh and the other pin 25 is passed throgh a groove 28 in the weight. The weight is provicled with vertically aligned recesses 29, 29, so that a cotter pin 30 can be inserted as shown in Fig. 2 to hold the weight centrally on the pins 25 25. 'Ihe ends of the bai1 are cotter pinned at 31, 31 to the ends of the pins 25, 25.

Fig. 8 shows one of various draw bars which may be attachecl to the bail 21. The dravv bar has a bifurcated end which provides an upper leg anal a lower leg 36 which straddle the bail 21 top ancl bottom. A spring pressecl latch 37 automatically attaches the draw bar to the bail when the end cf the draw bar is thrust against the bumper block. The latch 37 may be provided with a pedal 38 to facilitate raising of the latch for uncoupling.

It will be understood that one end of each car is provided With a coupler as shown in Fig. 1 and that the other end of each car is provided with a draw bar such as.shown in Fig. 8. The power driven truck er tractor for pulling a train of cars is provided with the draw bar.

'Ihe draw bar shown has the advantage that no part cf it projeets above the car floor, where it might interfere with sliding of freight ofi' of the car in unloading. The only part of the coupler which projects above the car floor is attachment flange 40, which is bolted at 41 to the top 42 of the metal car frame. This flange and bolting may, however, be omitted, the coupler being attached to the car 'oy bolts 43 (one shown) which pass through the vertical web 44 of the coupler bocly and the vertical web 45 of the car frame. These bolts may also pass through internal strap 46 which is part of the supporting structure for the car floor 47.

It will be seen that the bail 21, the plus 25, 25, and the weight 26 constitute a system which can be tilted relative to the body 11 of the coupler. This system may be described as a tilting coupling element system 01' as a tilting bail system. When a train of cars passes from horizontal to an upward incline, the bail tilts upwardly on the rear pin 25, the front pin 25 beinglifted upwarclly in its Socket. As the train passes from the top of the incline back to horizontal, the bail tilts downvvarclly about the for ward pin 25, the rear pin being lifted in -its socket.

The bail system is supported. ab four spaced points; and the mass of the bailsystem (taken as a whole) is so distributed that its center of gravity lies on a vertical line passing through the area marked off by the four supporting points. The four points of support are provided by the two pairs of sockets 16 anal 17 (dupli'oateol on' opposite sides of the booly 11). These sockets receive the plus 25, 25 near the ends of the pins. The center of gravity of the bail system (bail 21, pins 25, 25, weight 26 and cotter plus 30 and 31) lies in a vertical plane that passes between pins 25, 25. Thus when a car is uncoupled, the bail system is in stab le equilibrium; and if the bail 21 be displaced from its horizontal position (relative t0 the coupler) it automatically returns to the position shown in 2, without any pendulum-like swingihg. If the cars to be couplecl are on an incline, the bail is held in the same position relative to the coupler, i. e., the bail stanols parallel to the floor whether the floor be horizontal er inclined. Tims, when a car is uncoupled the bail is automatically held in coupling position so that coupling can be readily effected without manual control or manipulation of the coupler.

In the preferred form shovvn in the drawing, the center of gravity of the bail system lies below the plane of the axes of pins 25, 25, but since there are f0ur points of support, this is n0t essential. For example, the construction will function in a similar manner if the bail System be turned up-side-down, as the bail will still be supported in stable equilibrium, similar to the equilibrium of a four-legged table.

I have disclosed the best form in which I have contemplated applying the invention, but sinne various modifications may be made, the disclosure is to be considered as illustrative and 'not as limiting.

l-laving described my invention, I claim:

1. A vehicle coupler comprising a body portion; and a tilting coupling element system supported. by said. body portlon and capable of being inclined upwardly and downwardly with respect to the body portion, said tilting system including a pair of laterally spaced pins transversely engaging said body portion, and a coupling element attachecl to.both of the pins; said tilting system having its center of gravity below a plane passing through the axes of said pins and lying in a vertical plane passing betvveen the axes of said pins.

2. A vehicle coupler comprising a body portion; a pair 0f laterally spaced pins extending transversely cf said body portion, the body portion supporting the pins adjacent to their ends while pe'rmitting each pin to be moved. bodily upward; and a bail engaging both of said pins adjacent to each end thereof.

3. A vehicle coupler comprising a bocly portion; a pair of laterally spaced pins extending transversely cf said body portion, the body portion supporting the pins acljacent totheir ends while. permitting each pin to be moved bodily upwarcl; a bail engaging both of said pins adja cent to each end thereof; and. a weight n1ovable with the bail.

4. A vehicle coupler comprising a hollow body portion having means t0 attach it t0 the end of a vehicle; a coupling element attached to the body portion, the attachment permitting the coupling element to be tilted upwardly and downvvardly With respect t0 said body portion; and means within the bodyportion operative t0 return the coupling element when released. t'o a fixed position with respect t0 said body portion, regardless of whether the body portion be positioned' horizontally 01"- inclined. upwardly er dovvnwardly.

5. A unitary vehicle c0upler comprising a bocly portion having means to attach the entire coupler structure to the end of a vehicle; a bail attached to the body portion, the attachment permitting the bail to be tilt'ed upwardly and downwardly with respect to the body portion; and means carried at least immediately by said body portion to return the bail when released to a fixed position With respect to said body portion, regardless of vvhether the body portion be positioned horizontally er inclined upwardly er downwardly.

6. A vehicle coupler comprising a hollow body portion having two pairs of pivot-forming means, one pair of the pivot-forming means being located forwardly of the other pair, and the two pivot-forming means of each pair being in axial alignrnent at opposite sides cf the body portion; and atilting coupling element system having two pairs of pivot-forming means normally engzlging the respective pivot-forming means of the body portiorl to support the coupling' element system, and selectively cooperating pivotally, pair for pair, With the pivot-forming means of the body portion, the tilting system being capable of being inclined upwardly by pivoting about one set of a pair of pivots connecting said member and said body, one 0f said pivots being efiective when the draft force an said member is downward a.nd the other cf said pivots being effective when the draft force an said member is upward.

ALFRED L. SCHULLER.

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