US83591A - Improved car-coupling - Google Patents

Description

` B'ARTHELMESS -KLMILLAR.

` `Cr Coupling.'

Patented iNo`v. 3, 1868.

ROBERT M., BARTHELMESS AND CHARLES NAH, GEORGIA.

O. MILLAR, OF SAVAN- Letters Patent No. -83,591, dated November 3, 1868' IMPROVED CAR-COUPLING.

The Schedulexeferred to in these Letters I-iatent and making part of the same.

To all 'whom it lmay concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT' M. BAnTnELMEss and CHARLES O. MILLAR, of Savannah, inthe county of Chatham, and VState ofGeorgia, have invented a new and improved Gar-Coupling; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being vhad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in whichi Figure 1 is a iront view of the bulfer-head, latch, and coupling-link.

Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 are longitudinal sectional latchin different positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several igures.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement on that class of car-couplings wherein a link and latch are employed for connecting the several cars or coaches of a train together, said latch being so arranged and pivoted as to act as a self-coupling.

The invention relates particularly to the self-coupling slotted latch, which plays th'rough'a vertical slot, made longitudinally through the upper part of the hufferdlead, and which is so hruig as to have a vertical bodily movement,and also a longitudinal vibrating movement, so that while it operates as a self-coupler, itcan also be readily raised and depressed by hand, like the ordinary coupling-pin.

The nature of our invention consists in a slotted segmental coupling-pin or latch, applied permanently to a buffer-head, by means of a transverse pivot-pin or rivet, so as to have a free vertical bodily movement, and also a vibrating movement, in combination with a concave forward abutment, which is concentric to the axis of motion of the latch, and so arranged that the latter cannot get in such a position that it will bind, or fail to drop, by its own' weight, into its proper place when raised, a s will be hereinafterdescribed.

lo enable others skilled in the art to understand our invention, we will describe its construction and'operation.'

The buffer-head is made with a flaring bell-mouth, extending back into a channel having rectangular sides,

views of the coupling and link, showing the link and and terminating in a receptacle, a, for receiving the end ofthe` coupling-link A, and keeping this link in a horizontal position, as lshown in iig. 3.

This buiier-head B has a slot, l), madevertically and longitudinally through it, above the hell-mouth chamber C, which slot is of such length as will allow the latch D t0 vibrate freely backward of the position in which it is represented in figs. 2 and 5.-

Beneath this slot l), and in the same vertical plane,V is a depression, c, made in the lower part of the buffer.- head, for receiving the lower end of the latch D, and affording a forward abutment therefor, when the latch is in the position shown in iigs.l 2 and 5.

The latch D of the form of a segment, with an eye, d, through its upper end, to which `is applied ring, e, for raising the latch to uncouple.

This latch D has a slot, f, through it, through which passes a pin or rivet, y, that extends transversely 'through ears formed on top vof the bufferhead.

'lhe ends ofthe pin g are riveted, so that said latch will be permanently attached tothe buffer-head.

The oblong slot, j', through the latch D, is of such /f length as will allow ,the latch .to be raised suiiiciently high to detach the `coupling-link A from it, and this slot has the same curve as the front edge of the latch.

The front curved edge of the latch D is fitted snugly but not tightly against an abutment, h, which latter serves, in conjunction with an abutment at fi, to support the latch at two points, and on both sides ofthe cou liri -link A as shown in iig. 5.

The curved abutment, h, pitches the upper end of `the latch forward, and causes it to rise and fall bodily inthe arc of a circle, so that this latch cannot, under any circumstances, bind, or assume such a position that it will fail to fall properly in position when released, after being raised to allow of the withrh'awal of the link.

NVhile this forward abutment, h, will prevent the latch D from vibrating whenraised, it will not prevent 'it' from vibrating back of the position shown in fig. 2

when depressed.

The abutment at t', and the eye-piece al, on the latch D, Will prevent the lower end of the latter from being 'thrown up too high in making a coupling of two cars.

a train is in motion, going forward, in 'which position of the link the latch will receive veryA little strain.

We do not claim the construction of slotted latch for links of cars, shown in the patent of J. M. Gow,

granted February 9, 1864, as such construction would not accomplish the resultssecured by our combined segmental abutment h h and segmental latch D but having described .our invention,

What we claim as'new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is`

The application, within a longitudinal slot, b, through a buffer-head, B, of a slotted segmental latch, D,jof described construction', guided 'and kept in place by means o f a`pin, g, and curved abutment yh, substantially as described, and for the'pru'poses set forth.

- R., M. BARTHELMESS Witnesses: OHARLES'C. MILLAR.

JOHN B. BARTHELMEss, WM. B. Hemus.

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