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It is common knowledge that the modern automatic coupler replaced the old link and pin coupler.  However, there must have been hundreds of variations of both types that achieved practical application, not to mention the hundreds of other designs that were patented and tested.  This was especially true with the link and pin coupler since it came to be viewed as a problem that needed fixing.  There were several attempts to automate the link and pin couplers.  John White's book The American Railroad Freight Car has an extensive discussion of the evolution of coupler design including many fine engraving illustrations.  However, I do not see such an illustration of the current coupler design.  It has evolved quite far from the original Janney design.The problem with link and pin couplers is widely understood to have been the hazard of standing between the cars to hold the link up as the coupler faces came together.  This is sort of like putting you hand into a punch press and removing it at the last second.  And even if you removed your hand in time, the couplers could deflect and pass each other, thus allowing the cars to come together against their dead blocks.  So a brakeman could remove his hand in time, only to have his body crushed by the car ends.But aside from the safety hazard, another significant problem of the link and pin couplers were the detachable parts, and the variation of these parts that made them non-interchangeable.  Mr. White points out that road crews would hoard pins and links in a stockpile in their caboose so they would be prepared to meet any contingency of missing hardware on cars that they were to pick up.  Of course, in order to maintain their stockpile, they would often strip all the links and pins off of cars they set out, leaving the next crew to refurnish the hardware from their own stockpile.
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