First Automatic Railroad Car Couplings

April 29, 1873—Eli Janney received a patent for automatic railroad car couplings.

One day as he was deeply engrossed in his work, Janney hooked his fingers together and envisioned a safer coupler similar to the clasping of two hands in a vertical position with the knuckles bent, which forms a strong link, but can be easily unclasped.

For most of the 19th century before the Janney coupler was patented in 1873, rail workers performed the dangerous task of connecting rolling stock with link and pin couplers. This system, which resulted in many severe injuries including loss of limbs and even death, required the brakeman to be between the cars while holding the link in position to slide into the receiver of the car being coupled as it was pushed by an engine.

Before widespread adoption of the Janney coupler, nearly 40% of railyard injuries and deaths were attributed to coupling accidents. By 1902, only 4% of railroad accidents were due to car coupling.

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