Patent GB-190814702-A (GB)
Title: Improved Method of and Device for Coupling Railway, Tramway and like Vehicles.
Inventor: PAVIA NICOLA
Filed: 1908-07-10
Granted: 1909-04-15
Abstract: 14,702. Pavia, N., and Casalis, G. July 10. Couplings, automatic and non- automatic; buffers.-The coupling - link and hook - shaped tumbler of a double buffer coupling for railway, tramway, and other vehicles are mounted on opposite ends of a cross-bar 6, which is pivoted to the drawbar and arranged to slide longitudinally against the pressure of springs located in the buffer, the tumbler being locked in the coupled position by a pin 23 operated from the side of the vehicle. A special construction of coupling-link, and a non-automatic attachment are also described. The cross-bar 6 is forked so as to embrace the draw-bar 35 and tumbler 8, being connected to these parts by pivot pins 38, 9 respectively. To allow longitudinal motion of the bar 6, the drawbar has a slotted engagement with the pin 38, and the buffer casing and plunger are slotted at 4,510,11, this motion being resisted by springs 16, 141 placed respectively behind, and in front of the bar 6. The coupling-link 18 is normally retained in the horizontal position by the engagement of a flat 46, formed at its rear end, with a plate 14 which is pressed against the bar 6 by the spring 16, but the link may be turned to the vertical position shown in Fig. 8, when not in use. The link is guided into engagement with the opposing tumbler by a splayed guide 17, which is open at the rear to allow for the movement of the coupled link during buffing. During coupling, the springs 141 are compressed, thereby maintaining the coupling in a state of tension. For uncoupling, the pins 23 are raised and the vehicles separated, whereupon the tumblers 8 are rotated back to the position shown in Fig. 2, and are retained in this position by engagement with a tappet 20, the tail of which bears against the spring 141. The pins 23 are operated from cross-shafts 31, Figs. 1 and 8, which have weighted handles 32 and are connected to the pins by arms 29, rods 28, and levers 27, 24. The arm 29 is loose upon the shaft, but is formed with a slot engaging a key 34 on the shaft. The pins 23 are held raised, after ucoupling, by resting upon the tumblers 8, but fall automatically under the influence of the weights 32 when the tumblers are rotated during coupling. In a modification, Fig. 12, the loose arm 29 is ope. rated by one or the other of pins 54, 55 projecting from a double arm fixed on the shaft 31. To allow for lateral motion on curves, the link 18 may be formed with a central pivot as shown in Fig 11, the front part of the link being centralized by V-shaped portions 50 and a spring 51. For connexion to ordinary couplings, a non-automatic screw-link 42, 45, Figs. 1 and 8, is provided, the nut 41 of the screw being formed with lateral pivots adapted to slide between guides 40 formed inside the buffer head 13. When not in nse, the screw-link hangs vertically about its pivots, as shown in Fig. 1, and may be connected to a safety hook 47. This hook, when the screw-link 42 is in use, is connected up as shown in Fig. 8, and may be constructed from the drawhook which has been superseded by the automatic coupling. In order to resist relative lateral movement of the coupled buffer, the faces are formed with interengaging verticals grooves and projections. An additional buffer spring may be provided behind the headstock 3, being arranged to bear against a part of the cross-framing and to be acted upon by a sleeve mounted on the draw-bar 35.