Railway coupler; I believe this is a semi-automatic Janney coupler.
Janney had patents for multiple couplings; here's one from 1881: https://www.google.com/patents/US251594.
Explanation:
Previously:
railway construction machine GIF
wartime railway and train sabotage techniques
Making an anvil from a railroad rail GIF
More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janney_coupler
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