Patent GB-190722013-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Wagons.
Inventor: DUIJN PIETER VAN
IPC: B61G1/08
Filed: 1907-10-05
Granted: 1908-07-16
Abstract: 22,013. Duijn, P. van. Oct. 3. Couplings, automatic ; buffers ; draw-gear.-A n automatic coupling is described in which a pawl engages a lateral shaft and is held in place by a specially - shaped locking - cap. The draw - bar 4 carries saddle-pieces 6, 9, the piece 6 being held in place by a cotter 7 and having at the rear a shoulder receiving the eye of a bar 8 fitted with a counterweight. The piece 9 carries a collar, which rests against a powerful spiral spring 14 and fixed collar 15, and is fitted with two pins 10, 11 and a locking-plate 12 held by cotter pins, and the front pin 11 carries a roller 13. A U-shaped coupling- carrier 3 passes loosely through the end beams and is free to move both sideways and up and down. Between its curved end 16 and a connecting-rib 17 the roller 13 is mounted, and a forked part 18 holds the bar 8 in position. A coupling-member 19 is articulated to the carrier 3 by pins 20, and consists of two specially-shaped guide-walls 22, Fig. 5, and 23, Fig. 6, rigidly connected by a T-girder 24 and a wall 25 carrying two ribs 26, 27. The free end of the wall 22 is bent outwards to form a contact surface 48 ; that of the wall 23 is formed into a nose 49 with a filleted recess. Lugs 28 attached to each side of the walls 22, 23 fit into recesses 29 at the ends 21 of the carrier 3, and the coupling- member is locked in position on the carrier by a stirrup 30, Fig. 16, carrying inner and outer lugs 31, 32, fitted with a handle, and pivoted by a pin in the lug 28. An hexagonal coupling-shaft 35 is rigidly mounted between the walls 22, 23, its two ends being hexagonal and half round respectively. The end near the wall 23 is shouldered to receive a pivoted coupling-pawl 37 with a short downward arm the stroke of which is limited by the two ribs 26, 27, and with two recesses 38, 39 having surfaces inclined at 120 degrees. Below each pawl 37, a guide - piece 50 is attached to the wall 55 and is sloped forwards and turned outwards laterally. A detaching-rod 40, passing through the member 19, can be turned by a handle at the side and on this rod, between the walls 22, 23, is pivoted a locking- cap 42, Figs. 7 and 8, with a projecting nose 43 and a contact-plate 44 at right-angles, the shell of the cap 42 having a claw 45. A pawl 46, with a claw 47 to abut against the claw 45, is rigidly attached to the rod 40, its free end being hammershaped, Fig. 9. In coupling, the pawl 37 pushes back the cap 42 till the first recess 38 engages with the shaft 35 and the cap 42 falls back into a recess on the back of the pawl 37. A uniform level of the two coupling, members is obtained by the wall 25 sliding up the opposite guide 50. When the wagons are pushed closer together, the second recess 39 engages with the shaft 35, the cap is forced away and the plate 44 descends on the back of the pawl 37. The buffer springs at this stage are slightly compressed. With some further compression, the walls 25 come into mutual contact, and the springs 14 are compressed. To release the coupling, the rod 40 is turned, the pawl 46 raises the nose 43 and plate 44 and turns them completely over on to the back of the pawl 37, and they fall forward into position when the pawl 37 is withdrawn. To compensate considerable differences of level of the coupling-members, the device shown in Fig. 14 is used. A flat plate 51 with a sloping surface is fixed to the axle and adapted to slide in a slot 52 in a draw-bar 53, which is articulated to a bar 54 connected to the lever of a pivoted shaft 55. The coupling-carrier 3 rests on a plate 56, Figs. 1 and 14, attached to the shaft 55. The counterweighted bar 8 and roller 13, Figs. 1 and 2, prevent undue angular displacement of the carrier 3 in rounding curves. Springs connecting the carrier to a cross-bar joining the buffer bars may serve the same purpose. The cross bar may, by engaging a lug on the saddle-piece 9, move the carrier back and prevent impact of the walls 25. The automatic coupling may be raised out of action by means of the stirrup 30, the lugs 32 of which then engage in the recesses 29.