Patent GB-190213218-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Vehicles.
Inventor: BROCKELBANK THOMAS ATTWOOD
Filed: 1902-06-10
Granted: 1903-05-21
Abstract: 13,218. Brockelbank, T. A. June 10. Couplings, automatic and non-automatic.-Relates to railway-vehicle couplings of the kind in which a coupling-hook is suspended by a link from a draw-hook and has its point directed sideways and downwards so as to engage with another similar hook on another vehicle as described in Specifications No. 12,955, A.D. 1898, Nos. 7512 and 12,167, A.D. 1899, and Nos. 8287 and 18,617, A.D. 1901. The coupling-hook a, Fig. 3, is suspended by a link f from the draw-hook d, and is formed with a forked tail c, which rides astride a supporting and operating member h pivoted at k to a support g fixed to the headstock e'. In the position shown in Fig. 3, the hook a does not couple automatically. To bring it into position for automatic coupling, the member h is turned into the position shown in Fig. 1, by means of a cranked shaft m<1> and a lever 7 at the aide of the vehicle. The weight of the hook a then causes its tail end to slide up the face of the member h into a notch o, Fig. 3, in the support g. The hook a is then ready for automatic coupling. The parts are held in either of the two positions by the weight of the hook, but the lever 7 may also be provided with means for securing it in either position. The support q consists of two cheeks extending from a flanged plate q by which it is attached to the headstock. Extensions q<1> of the support g protect the headstock from being struck by the tail of the hook a. Lugs r on the support g form stops for the member h. The member h consists of two plates connected by stays t, t, and may be mounted either inside or outside the cheeks of the support g. The operating faces i have hooked extensions u for engaging the crutch of the fork c when the parts are being moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 into the position shown in Fig. 3. One of the faces i is advanced slightly in front of the other near its upper end, in order to move the hook a slightly to one side when uncoupling. At the lower ends of the faces i are hooked extensions n, for engaging the tail of the hook a when it is in the inoperative position, and lateral extensions 6 to limit the downward movement of the tail. One of the extensions n is slightly set off inwards so as to cant the hook a when it is in the inoperative position, and cause it to fall in a more effective manner. The retaining- devices n may be formed on the fixed support g instead of on the operative member h. Forked extensions l of the member h are engaged by the cranked shaft m<1>. This shaft may be made in two parts connected at the cranked part by a sleeve permitting adaptation to vehicles of different widths. Brackets 3 for carrying the shaft are formed with narrow bases 3<b>, Fig. 21, and clearances 3<c> to prevent them from fouling rivet heads. They are secured to the headstock by bolts passing through holes 3<d>, and may be either plain or triangular. The eye 8, Fig. 1, of the coupling- hook a is made to take a vertical position, and is formed with a nearly rectangular section. The shank and point of the hook are made with a suitable oval section. The lower side of the hook at the junction of the shank and point is slightly hollowed, so that a pair of hooks bed one into the other. The extreme point of the coupling-hook is bent sideways to prevent it from fouling the draw-hook of the other vehicle when the vehicles are pushed close together. The Provisional Specification states that the extreme point may be enlarged or ball-pointed.