US905078A - Car-coupling. - Google Patents

Description

R. E L. JANNEY, P. KINNE & W. E. TRUMP.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

"R. E. L. JANNEY, E. P. KINNE & W. E. TRUMP.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 16, 1908.

Patented Nov. 24. 1908.

4 SHEBTS-SHEET 3.

R. E. L. JA-NNEY, E. P. KINNERZ W. E. TRUMP.

OAR COUPLING. I

APPLICATION FILED MAYIB, 1908. 905,078.; Patented Nov. 24. 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

v r 15,7 7 1s I a 1 5 Maw, 7 gmliui 7 ROBERT E. L. JANNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINO IS, AND TRUMP, or ALLIANCE, onto, ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES, A oonronn TION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

EDMUND e. KINNE AND WILLIAM E.

canoonrnmc.

resented Nov. 24, mos.

Application filed, na 16,1908. Serial no. assess.

To all uiho'm may concern:

Be it known that We, I Net, of Chicago, county of Cook, Stateof Illinois, and EDMUND P. KINNE and WIL- -LIAM E. TRUMP, of Alliance, county of Stark, State of Ghio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a specifica-' tion.

couplers also the lock lore of the pivoted knuckle, a lock therefor, and a lifter for operating the lock.v A coupler of this general type is disclosed in the patent to Schroeder ofAugust 6, 1907, No. 862,204.

There are two general types of .M. C. B. couplers, in one of which the ported on the tail of theknuckle when the latter is open, and'drops back into looking position when the knuckle is closed in coupling. In this type of coupler the lock, or its operating means, projects, when. the knuckle is open, through the wallfof the couplenhead, and beyond its normal position when the knuckle is closed, and is exposed to the danger act of coupling. In the other type of coupler,"such as the original J anney, the lock is in the normal or lower position when the knuckle is'open and .must be again moved when the coupling is made. The first de- Our invention relates to that class of coupscribed type of coupler is usually preferred because of coupling,

,i'rvhen it 'is freed from the knuckle; In these classes of and lifterare some times combined in a single piece, typified by a vertically-movilig liftlng and locking pin, but in some instances, patent above mentioned, the lock is disposed 'wholly within the head of-the coupler and is operated by a separate lifting mechanism which extends through the wall of the coupler. It isdesirable to provide a lock of such size and strength .as to withstand all of the shocks and strains of service and to inclose it wholly within the head.

of the coupler so as to protect it against contact with parts extraneous to the coupler. It is also desirable to provide a means for and opening the knuckle strong and not liable to be cars are thrown together lifting the lock which shall be broken when the in coupling, but

ROBERT E. L. JAN4 therefore,

inclosed within M. C. Bwtype which employ a.

and exposed beyond the normal lock is sup-' of breaking during the gravity into the as in the Schroeder this latter object is defeated when these lifting means are left exposed beyond their normal position. i

It is the. general object of our invention, to provide a coupler. whichshall have a stron and substantial lock wholl be maintained in position to allow the have a strongand substantial means for liftin the lock and opening the knuckle, such lilting and -oening means being acted upon by the knuckle only during the opening movement position only during the 'act of uncoupling. These several objects we attain in a coupler in which the uncoupling mechanism is adapted to the M. C. B; standard type of chain and clevis.

In our construction we employ a lock and a separate lifter but so construct and arrange these parts with reference to each other and the tail of the knuokle'that when the litter is disengaged from the lock-set by the opening of the knuckle it will drop to 'ts original position and so remain during the coupler-head; which wi l nuckle to be closed without being again i moved or lifted; and which shall the whole movement of the kn-uckle, while the lock will knuckle tail. I v Another feature ofour inventionrelates to the provision of means for-preventing the creeping of the look while under draft. Vi e apply theanti-creeping provisions to the lock itself and the lock remain supported by the falling by 'grav- Y ity to its normal positionlrenders them effe'ctive and the lock cannot creep or move toward the released position by any movement of the knuckle but must be moved to a different position by the lifter before it can be position. These anti-creeping provisions are functionally independent of the lifter-and of the draft.

VVeare aware that been provided with anti-creeping provisions sothat when the lock falls by gravity some partthereof engages the draw'head or the lifter and is moved initially by the lifter from this position when opening the look, but in such former constructions this anticreeping provision did not prevent the look from being moved by the tail of the knuckle out of engagement with the anti-creeping prov sion.

moved toward its unlocking gravity locks have resting on the knuckle tail, and, in full lines, the lifter in its lowermost position, while In the accompanying drawings, Figure-1. 1s a vertical longitudinal sectional view of our improved coupler showing the coupler closed .and locked andthe lifter down. Fig.

2. is a similar view showing the lifter partly raised and disengaging the look from the I anti-creeping devices. Fig. 3. is a similar the dotted lines indicating the view showing the lock released andthe lifter on the dock-set. Fig. 4. is a similar view showing the knuckle partly open, the lock said lifter is alsoshown in dotted-lines in the act of being kicked oif the lock-set. Fig.

5. is a similar view' showing the knuckle being thrown open by the hfter and opener, position into which the lifter and lock will drop if released. Fig. 6. is a horizontal section through the coupler-head and shank, showing the knuckle and-lock'in plan and the lifter in section. Fig. '7. .is a sectional elevation on the line 7-7 of Fig.6. showing the knuckle and lifter in elevation and the lock in cross-section. Fig. 8. is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 6. looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 9. is a fragmentary View showing the lock in' side eleva tion, andshowing the anti-creeping mechanism. Fig. 10. is a similar view showing a slightly modified construction of anti ecree'ping m'echanism.- Fig. 11-. is a vertical section through the'shank and a part of the head of the coupler. Fig. 12. tiVQVlBW of the lock-and lifter engaged. 13. is aperspectiveview of the knuckle, an Fig. 14.. is a plan view of the lock.

In the drawings 15 represents the couplerhead. or casing, 16the knuckle, 17 the lock and 18 thelifter, these parts being so constructed and combined with each other that the knuckle is held in the closed position by the lock, and said lock is released from the locking position by the vertical movement the lifter is allowed to drop back to the of the lifter and is supported on the tail of the knuckle when the latter is open, while normal position. The lock shown in the drawings is supported at its rear end within the shank of the coupler, its forward end being heavyand provided with ailat face 'ing a curved u to-m'ake contact with the vertical face of the knuckle tail and being supported, when in its lowermost positiornby a ledge 15 formed in one side of the dra'whead, as.

shown in Figs. 1, 2, 7, 9 and 10. The lock is'provided at its rear end 'with integral trunnions which may be in the form shown particularly in Figs. 9. and 12. wherein 17 represents one of the trunnion members havper surface and terminating at its rearwar side in the plane of the rear end of the body of the lock, and 17* a second member which has a symmetrical curved port on extending beyond the rear end of is a perspe'ccreeping device. the position shown in Fig. 2, however, with clined or cam surface 15 and an upper vertical wall 15*, as best seen in Fig. 9, while theseat 15 of the'vertical web 15 is similarly shaped, as seen in Fig. 11. The bottom wall of the coupler shank is provided with a led e or shoulder 15, with which a rearward y projecting hook 17on trunnion 17 engages when the lock-is in its normal lowermost position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5). hen the rear end of the lock l7-is raised, as shown in Fig. 2, and as-hereinafter de scribed, the hook 17 of the trunnion 17 will be at once disengaged from the led e 15, and then the forward end of the loc may be raised, as shown in Fig. 3, but until this disengagement takes place said hook 17 and ledge 15 will effectually prevent any movement of said lock on its pivot, due to the fact that both the vertical Web 15. and ,the'post 15 will prevent rearward movement of the locking bar, and will thus not as an anti When initially raised to the upper sides of the trunnions 17* and 17 in contact, respectively, with the upper wall. of seat 15 in vertical web 15, and the underside of overhanging flange 15, the rear end of lock 17 is free to turn on its pivot, the enlargement formed by inclined surface 15 on vertical member'15", and the corresponding inclined surface inseat 15 of web 15,

affording the necessary room. 7 During this turning'or rocking movement of lock 17 the rear endl'f of said lock will contact with a ledge or post 15, while undu'eforward movement of the lock will be prevented by the engagement of the forward edges of the trunnions 17 and 17". with the incline 15 and the corresponding incline in seat 15? of web 15*.

As shown in the plan view Fig. 14, the lock is provided on .its side opposite the lockingpface with a shoulder 17 which may be used as an additional means for preventing the upward creeping of. the look by its engagement with a forwardl projecting rib or web 15*, this shoulder un erlying the extreme edge of said rib or web when the parts are in the normal locked position as shown in Fig. 1. When the rear of-the lock is raised and the rotative movem ent begins, the axis of rotation being above the axis of the tion, the movement will take place in such manner that the shoulder will clear the forward edge. of the web. It is obvious that in.

the return movement of the lock to its normal position the contact between its rear end and the post 15 att-he rear wall of the seat pocket will permit the lock to descend to its position beneath the web and the front edge of the trunnion contacting with the cam surface 15 will insure the rengag mentof the hook 1'? the ledge 15, thus making effective again the anti-creeping provisions.

As a further assurance against creeping it will be noted from an examination of Fig. 9. that the seat for the rear endof the lock when in normal'position has a vertical wall 15 below the cam surface 15, and that if the front end of the lockshoulel begin to rise under draftthe contact between the forward edge of the trunnion and such vertical wall,

taken in connection with the engagement of the rear end 17 of the lock with, the rear vertical wall of the seat formed by the upstanding post 15 would prevent such creeping movement.

In Fig. 10. we have shown the lock pro vided with cylindrical trunnions, the hook being omitted, and reliance being placed, to prevent the creeping, mainly upon the contact of the shoulder 17 on the lock with the anti-creeping flange or web 15* of the casting. It will also be notlid that the upper part of the seat for the rear end of the lock has a greater longitudinal diameter than the lower portion thereof so that when the lock is raised into said larger portion of the seat it' may rotate freely therein, while whenin the lowered position the vertical rear wall 17 of the lock so looks with the post 15 as to prevent such rotative movement.

' While we have described several provi sions forpreventing the creeping of the lock, it will be understood thahthey may be used either independently or jointly.

The. formof the is best shown in Fig. 12. and in the form shown is a vertical, movable member havi a lateral or outstanding shoulder 18 to engage beneath the lock, and a knuckle open mg member 18 to engage the knuckle tail,

In the coupled position the shoulder 18? may be in'contact with the lower surface of the lock, and this contact is about midway of the length of the lock but rearward of its enter of gravity, with the result that when the lifter is raised i t first lifts-and disen gages the rear end of the'lock from the control of the anti-creeping devices and, then rotates the lock scribed until it is tailof the knuckle. To insure the lifter picking up the lock in the rear of its center cf'gmvi-ty and thereby disengaging it from upon its bearings as. de-

of the trunnion with Now, if the knuckle lifter and opening piece and forsome distance engage the wall of the free from contact with the its anti-creeping provisions, the couplerhead is provided with an opening the forward wall 15 of which forms a guide surface for the lifter during the initial opening movement and until the lock shall have been disengaged from its anti-creeping provisions and is in position to rotate. When the un-, locking movement has roceeded until the opening member 18 of the lifter contacts with the tail of the knuckle, if the knuckle is engaged with the knuckle of another coupler, the movement can proceed no further. but the lifter will be forced forward by reason of its cam shoulder 18 riding on the lower inclined surface of the lock until it is in the lock-set position (see Fig. 3.). be opened the lifter will be drivenoff the lock-set by the contact of the rib 16 on the tail of the knuckle with the curved bulged portion 18 of the lifter and the latter will drop to its original position as shown by the full lines in Fig. 4., the

lock remaining supported on the tail of the knuckle.

The lifter has rather deep depressions 18 and-18, respectively, above and below the bulged projections 18, theformer permitting the knuckle to close whenthe lifter is down without strikingthe litter and the latter permitting the tail of the knuckle to pass. through in the ing member 18" acting as a cam on the lower nclined surface of the knuckle tail during the major part of the movement, while the final opening impetus is given to the knuckle when the lifter contacts with the rear wall of the opening in the top of the couplerhead, as shown in Fig. 5., which acts as a fulcrum to throw the lower forward, the knuckle tail resting then in the deepest partof the depression 18.

to facilitate the freeing of the the pulling out of In order knuckle in the event of the coupler due to the failure of the draft connection, the rears ide of the lifter at the point of'contact with the wall of the coupler below said point is cut away to provide a downwardly and forwardly inclined cam surface 18 which will coupler under the pull of the lifting chain thus increasing the leverage of, andreducing the friction on, the lifter and thus assisting in raising the lock tofi'ee the knuckle.' The anticreepi features being independent'of the draft, the only friction to be overcome in is that due to the turning'of their hearing surfaces. knuckle is flattened as shown the parts on at 16 to pro the! em ltwill be is helid or suppaided its 'imised posison byitheemraa of as re and its trunmions with? the walls of its pocket 0) this exigency' The side of the ville apiece between it and the lock to receive nqted'tliait the rear end of the Y opening movement, ,the openend of the lifter" seat. thecaiu ledge l5 and the similar ledge in the seat 15" of the web l5 cooperating with'the trunuions and rear end of thelock and the upstanding post to support the lock in its raised position the front end of the lock being supported as already described. Instead of the lock being supported by the trunnions on the cam ledges, these ledges may be omitted. as shown in Fig. 10, and the upper portion of the retaining walls enlarged to permit rotating the lock so that when the lock is raised the vertical rear wall 17 will turn into contact with the post 15 which will supportthe lock in a raised position. While-we have shown the rear end of the lock contacting with-and having an eccentric or c'am contact with the upstanding post 15 it is obvious that this eccentric rocking may take place between the trunnions themselves and the guide ribs only and the upstanding post may be omitted.

In assembling the parts, the lifter is first put in place. The lock may then be inserted by turning it so that the'trunnions extend in a vertical plane with their curved surfaces toward the lifter and with the trunnion 17 b upward, and then by giving it a quarter turn it will drop down into its proper position, the hook 17 engaging over the ledge 1s" andthe forward end of the lock resting on the bottom wall of the coupler above the lock-set, or the lock may be first 'inserted and the lifter dropped down to a position as in throwing the knuckle, when if the lock be raised the lateral shoulder 18*may be swung under the lock and the parts will fall to their natural position. The knuckle then being inserted and the pivot pin put in place, it. is obvious that the lock will always be held in its proper position by its contact with the inner side of the knuckle when the latter is closed and by the lifter when the knuckle is open and the lock is in the raised position resting on the tail of the knuckle. l-leretofore locks operating on trunnions have not been securely retained, in their seat and are liable to displacement while the couplers are being handled in shipment. In

our improved construction the lock is re-" tained securely in its seat, without the use of extra parts.

The operation of our improved coupler will be obvious from the foregoing description taken in connection with the illustrations of the various positions shown in the drawings. Itis also obvious that the principles of our invention are capable of embodiment in other structural forms, which may be made consonant with the principles of our invention which include broadly such a combination of knuckle, lock and lifter as will enable the lock to be lifted and the lifter to return to its normal unexposed position, and such anti-creeping provisions as will effectually prevent crceping'of the lock under draft in combination with means for freeing the lock from engagement with said anti-creeping provisions and then free the same from the knuckle.

structurally our invention comprises, broadly stated, a lock having a shifting pivot and normally incapable of rotation until such pivot is shifted toa new osition, in combination with means for holding the lock in normal position and for shifting it to a new position and then rotating it on its pivot to free the knuckle. Also our improvements comprise, broadly stated, a lifter of such construction that it shall serve to shift the lock pivot, to rotate the lock on its pivot and to return to its normal position leaving the lock elevated but preventing it from becomingdisplaced while riding on the tail of the knuckle. These functions require that the lock and lifter shall be separate and that the engagement between them shall be broken when the lifter has performed itsprimary function. Another structural characteristlc of our invention is that the lifter, while capable of being sustained on the lock- -set, is disengaged therefrom upon the'opening of the knuckle and ,by engagement therewith of the knuckle tail and shall be returned to its normal position by gravity, thus insuring the return of the lifter out of harms way when the knuckle is open and providing against any possible contact therewith of the knuckle or other parts'in coupling or when the ears are thrown to ether. Our invention also affords a coup er in which the lock is easily manipulated, because the initial movement of the lifter is opposed only by'the weight of the rear end of the lock while the lifting of the front and heavier end of the lock is accomplished by a rocking movement which is facilitated by the sliding action of the lifter on the lock.

The form of .the lifter also affords an effective leverage in opening the knuckle, the lock holding the lifter forward with its cam projection in contact with the knuckle tail duringthe initial opening movement, while the final throw of the knuckle is accomplished by the tilting movementof the lifter, and finally the lifter is so fashioned as to facilitate the freeing of the lock to open the knuckle in case of accidental breakage of the draft rigging. thus preventing the coupler being pulled out and dropping on the track.

\Ve claim:

1. In a car coupler, the combination with a pivoted knuckle. of a lock adapted to be 60 adapte from the anti-creepln provislons, then move a pivoted knuckle, of a lock ada ted to. be supported by the knuckle-when t e latter is open, and a combined lock lifter, knuckle opener and lock set adapted to dro. to its lowermost position when the knuckle is open. 3. In a car coupler, the'combination with a pivoted knuckle,.and a one piece lock therefor, of, means on "said lock for preventing creeping movement of said lock 1n any .dr-

rectlon toward which the draft on said knuckle may tend to force said lock, and

means for first withdrawing said lock from said anti-creepi lprovisio'ns'and then moving the same to t 1e unlocking position.

4. In a car coupler, the combination with a knuckle oscillating upon a fixed axis, of-a lock therefor having a floatin pivot, and means for lifting said lock to the unlockin position said means operating to first shi t the pivot of said lock and to then lift it to release the knuckle.

5. In a car coupler, the'combination of a ivoted knuckle, 'a lock therefor having a oating' pivot, means for preventing the creeping movement of said look under draft,

and means for initially shifting said pivot to.

free said look from its anti-creeping provisionsand then raising said lock to its unlocking position.

3o 6. In a car cou ler, the combination with 4 a lmuckle oscillating upon a fixed axis, of a lock therefor having a floating ivot, means applied to the rear end of the ock for preventing the creeping movement thereof under draft, and means for lifting the lock said means bein o erated to first. free the rear end of the Iocl: from its anti-creeping rovisions and then to lift it to release-the muckle. 40 7. In a car coupler, the combination with a pivoted knuckle, of a lock therefor, said lock being; normally held against creeping movement dueto the draft, and a lifter adapted to be operated first to release the look from. its anti creepin provisions and then to move the same to re ease the knuckle,

' said lock being adapt'ed to rest upon and be supported by the tail of the knuckle when M open, and the lifter being adapted to return to its normal unexposed position when the knuckle is opened, substantially as described.

j 8. Ina can coupler, the combination with a ivoted knuckle, of a lock arranged wholly wlthin the coupler casing with its front end 'adaptedto contact-the knuckle and prevent its opening and its rear end engaging pro-' jections'on the casing-to prevent its rotation, and a lifter reci rocable through an openin in the top wa l of the coupler and when raised tofirst free the lock the same to release t e knuckle and finally to drop. back to normal, unexposed position leavi' the lock supported on the tail of the I knuck e.

9. In a car coupler, a knuckle lock having a pivot vertically movable to operative position.

10. In a car coupler, -a ivoted knuckle look, a seat for said pivot s' said pivot to shift therein, and liftin ,means for said .lock adapted to initially shift said pivot in its seat.

11. In a car coupler, aknuckle lock having a floating pivot, and anti-creeping,pro-

' visions applied to said lock at its pivotal end.

12. In a car coupler, a knuckle lock having a floating pivot and an eccentric rock ing movement thereon and an anti-creeping provision forward of its ivot.

13. Ina car cou ler, a uekle lock, a seat for the rear end of said lock, and means for supporting the rear end of the lock above its seat when out of locking position.

14. Ina'carcoupler, a lock lifter having its front edge provided with a bulged portion to contact the tail of the knuck e and a depression above said bulge to ermit the knuckle to 0 en and close when t e lifter is in the norma position.

15. In a car coupler, a lock lifter normally disengaged from the lock and having its front face forwardly bulged for contact with the tail of the knuckle, and having a depression above said bulge to ermit the return of the knuckle when the li or is lowered, and a depression below said bulge whose aped to permit wall contacts with the tail of the knuckle in the final opening-movement.

.16. In a car coupler, a knuckle havin a flattened portion in the rear of the locking face of the knuckle to receive the lifter,-and having'a cam rib beyond said flattened portion.

17. In a car coupler, the combination with the body portion thereof, and a pivoted knuckle therein, of 'a pivoted lock therefor, a separate lifter for said lock, and means forming part of the pivot of said body portion for engaging said lock to revent the removal thereof while said knuck e and lifter are in osition.

18. n a car coupler, the combination with the body portion thereof, and a pivoted knuckle therein, of .a lock having trunnions therefor, a separate lifter for said lock, and

means forming part of said body ortion engaging said trunnions to retain t e latter in operative position while said knuckle and lifter are in osition.

OBERT E. L. JANNEY. EDMUND P. KINN E. WILLIAM E. TRUMP. Witnesses: WVILMAM J. Grammar, K. E. MILLER.

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