Year: 1886

page_text: I, HOUSTON STEWART STEWART of Palace Chambers Bridge St. Westminster
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Through the shackle or link hole in the existing coupling hook is passed one end
of an iron or steel bar, marked A in the accompanying drawing, of about 15 to
18 inches in length, the other end of which bar is hinged or connected to the
headstock, in such a manner that the first mentioned end (ie. within the shackle
hole of the existing hook) is free to move with the drawbar.
The bar A is swelled horizontally, close to where it enters the shackle hole & is
bored, where thus swelled, so as to receive vertically a hinge pin.
A coupling hook & shank, marked B. having at one end the coupling hook & at
the other a hinge jaw, is hinged by means of the above mentioned hinge pin, to
the swelled part of the bar A.
The piece B. is therefore free to swing round horizontally through about 60°
i.e: from a position nearly parallel with the centre line of the vehicle, & alongside
of the existing hook, to a position about 60° back, as controlled by the bell crank
arrangement, hereinafter described.
To the back of the shank of the piece B. is hinged a thrust & draw rod C. for
giving motion horizontally in either direction to B.
This rod C. is, at its other end, hinged to one arm D. of a bell crank, mounted
on the lower end of a vertical spindle E.
To the upper end of this vertical spindle E is similarly mounted the other arm F
of the bell crank as shewn.
This latter arm F is in the form of a handle so placed as to be conveniently
moved by hand, horizontally, from the side of the vehicle, without the necessity for
going between the buffers.
The vertical spindle E, free to revolve in a bracket G, is of such a length as to
bring the position of the handle F well above, & clear of the buffer; while the
crank arm D, attached to the lower end of the spindle E is on a level with the
centre of the piece B. & of the thrust & draw rod C.
In order to give automatic action to the piece B when engaging with a similar
hook of another vehicle, a spiral tension spring H. is connected (with a suitable
initial strain) to the swelled part of the bar A. at one end, and to the outer end of
the crank arm D at the other.

page_text: The effect of this spring (which may be either covered or exposed) is to bring the
hook piece B. sharply up to the existing shackle hook when deflected from that
position in the act of coupling or uncoupling.
A quadrant I. may also be affixed, over the buffer, on which the handle F moves,
& in this quadrant provision is made for securing the handle in either of its two
positions-viz-when B. is engaged with the coupling of another vehicle, & when
it is desired to draw the hook B. back so as not to engage with another vehicle, or
to leave the existing coupling hook clear for use with the ordinary links of a vehicle
not furnished with this automatic coupling.
The outer pin hole through the quadrant I. for securing (by means of a pin) the
position of B. when engaged with the similar coupling of another vehicle, is made
oval, so as to allow some latitude in the action of B when going round sharp
curves For this purpose some clearance at J. is also provided.
The shank of the hook piece B is made of a depth of about 4" inches, while the
depth of the hook itself is about 8" inches, so as to provide for varying buffer
levels.
To support the automatic coupling hook in its horizontal position several means
may be adopted, of which I have shewn 2, viz a suspending chain K. at an angle
of about 45° secured to B and to the end of the wagon well above the headstock..
I have also shewn an alternative means of support, by using a curved bar L,
secured to the under side of the headstock, and projecting beneath, & giving support
to, the automatic coupling.
It will be seen that when two vehicles, each furnished with the above described
.coupling, are brought together, the act of coupling is absolutely automatic.
The inclined faces of the coupling hooks meeting in a common plane, they are
deflected (one or both of them) from their normal position of rest nearly parallel
with the centre line of the vehicle, until their inner points pass one another, when
the hooks intly engage, being actuated by the spiral tension spring H.
Should "
ing hook of one of the vehicles have been accidentally locked
(by the g ant pin) in its normal position of rest, the couplings will still engage,
as the lit of motion of either hook is sufficient for that purpose without the
motion of the corresponding hook of another vehicle.
I have accompanied this provisional specification with a drawing to facilitate
description, but not to bind myself to exact details.
000
T
2000

page_text: I, HOUSTON STEWART STEWART of Palace Chambers Bridge Street, Westminster
Civil Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS
IN AUTOMATIC COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
Through the link hole in the existing coupling hook, is passed one end of an iron
or steel bar, marked A in the accompanying drawing; the other end of which
bar is hinged or connected to the headstock in such a manner that the first
mentioned end, (i.e. within the shackle hole of the existing hook) is free to move
with the draw bar.
The bar A is swelled horizontally, close to where it enters the draw bar hole and
is bored where thus swelled, so as to receive vertically a hinge pin.-A coupling
hook & shank, marked B, having at one end the coupling hook, and at the other a
hinge jaw, is hinged by means of the above mentioned hinge pin to the swelled
part of the bar A.
The piece B is therefore free to swing round horizontally through about 60°,
i.e. from a position nearly parallel with the centre line of the vehicle, and alongside
of the existing hook, to a position about 60° back, as controlled by the bell crank
arrangement hereinafter described.
To the back of the shank of the piece B is hinged a thrust & draw rod C. for
giving motion horizontally in either direction to B.
This rod C. is, at its other end, hinged to one arm D of a bell crank, mounted
on the upper end of a vertical spindle E.
To the lower end of this vertical spindle E. is similarly mounted the other arm F
of the bell crank as shown.
This latter arm F. is in the form of a handle, so placed as to be conveniently
moved by hand, horizontally, from the side of the vehicle, without the necessity
for going between the buffers.
The vertical spindle E free to revolve in a bracket G. is of such a length as to
bring the position of the handle F well below & clear of the buffer.
While tue crank arm D, is attached to the upper end of the spindle E, & is on
a level with the centre of the piece B, and of the thrust and draw rod C.
In order to give automatic action to the piece B when engaging with a similar
hook of another vehicle, a part of the handle F is extended beneath the headstock
of the wagon, and to the extreme end F¹ of this bar F. a spiral tension spring H
is connected, (with a suitable initial strain). The other end of this tension spring
being secured to the sole bar or side of the underframe.
The effect of this spring is to bring the book piece B sharply up to the existing
shackle hook when deflected from that position in the act of coupling or uncoupling.
A quadrant I may also be affixed, under the buffer, on which the handle F moves,
and in this quadrant provision is made for securing the handle in either of its two
positions viz: when B is engaged with the coupling of another vehicle; and
when it is desired to draw the hook B back so as not to engage with another vehicle,

page_text: or to leave the existing coupling hook clear for use with the ordinary links of a
vehicle not furnished with this automatic coupling.
The outer pin hole through the quadrant I for securing, (by means of a pin), the
position of B when engaged with the similar coupling of another vehicle, is made
oval, so as to allow some latitude in the action of B when going round sharp
curves. For this purpose some clearance at J is also provided.
The shank of the hook piece B is made of a depth of about 4" while the depth
of the book itself is about 8", so as to allow for varying buffer levels.
To support the automatic coupling hook in its horizontal position, several means
may be adopted, of which I have shewn one viz: a suspending chain K at an
angle of about 45°, secured to B and to the end of the wagon well above the
headstock.
It will be seen that when two vehicles, each furnished with the above described
'coupling, are brought together, the act of coupling is absolutely automatic.
The inclined surfaces of the coupling hooks meeting in a common plane are
deflected (one or both of them) from their normal position of rest, nearly parallel
with the centre line of the vehicle, until their inner points pass one another, (as
the vehicles approach each other closely), when the hooks instantly engage, being
actuated by the spiral tension spring H.
Should the coupling hook of one of the vehicles have been inadvertently locked,
(by the quadrant pin), in its normal position of rest, the couplings will still engage,
as the limit of motion of either hook is sufficient for that purpose without the
motion of the corresponding hook of another vehicle.
In this way also the process of uncoupling may be effected by means of the
handle of either of the two vehicles and consequently with equal facility from
either side of the train.
The handle F may, (by reversing the bracket G), be carried over instead of under
the buffer level if preferred.
· Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. The connection of the book B with the draw bar, by means of the bar A.
2. The bell crank action moving in the bracket G.
3. The combination of a spring H with the aforesaid parts.