Improvements in Automatic Railway Couplings.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July,
1897
Complete Specification Loft 25th Anr 1898- Accented 28th May. 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Railway Couplings.
I, GEORGE SMITH, of 117, Stratford Road, Plaistow, in the County of Essex, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
According to this invention a loop and a catch are pivotted to the draw bar of
cach vehicle. The loop is normally kept either in an approximately horizontal
or an approximately vertical position by a weighted lever at the side of the vehicle.
The catch is normally kept in a vertical position by a spring holding it against a
stop. When one vehicle is pushed into contact with another the end of the loop
when horizontal comes against the catch and turns it on its pivot against the spring
the loop riding over the top. When the end of the loop has passed the catch the
latter rises again engaging with the loop so coupling the vehicles together. For
uncoupling the weighted lever is thrown over bringing the loop into the vertical
position. The weighted lever at one end is on one side of the vehicle and at the
opposite end on the other side.
I, GEORGE SMITH, of 117, Stratford Road, Plaistow, in the County of Essex, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
According to this invention a loop and a catch are pivotted to the draw bar of
each vehicle. The loop is normally kept either in an approximately horizontal
or an approximately vertical position by a weighted lever at the side of the vehicle.
The catch is normally kept in a vertical position by a spring holding it against a
stop. When one vehicle pushed into contact with another the end of the loop
when horizontal comes against the catch and turns it on its pivot against the spring
the loop riding over the top. When the end of the loop has passed the catch the
latter rises again engaging with the loop so coupling the vehicles together. For
uncoupling, the weighted lever is thrown over bringing the loop into the vertical
position. The weighted lever at one end is on one side of the vehicle and at the
opposite end on the other side.
The accompanying drawings show a coupling made in accordance with this
invention

page_text: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the end portions of two vehicles coupled
together.
Figure 2 is a similar view showing the action of the coupling when two vehicles
collide; in this figure the spring attached to the catch is omitted, and Figure 3 is
an end view of a vehicle.
a is the frame of a vehicle, b is the draw bar to which is pivotted a loop cat c¹
and a catch dat d¹. The loop c is kept either in an approximately horizontal or
an approximately vertical position by a weighted lever e; in Figure 1 the loops
are shown in these two positions. The loops are also provided with handles f at
the opposite side to the levers e.
The catch d is normally kept in a vertical position by means of shoulders da
being kept against the draw bar 6 by a spring g which is connected to a hook h
fixed to the draw bar. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3 the draw bar is slotted
to allow the catch d to be turned when the loop c comes against it. After the loop
has passed the catch & the latter rises again engaging with the loop c so coupling
the vehicles together.
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. A coupling consisting of a loop attached to a weighted lever and a catch to
engage with the loop substantially as described.
2. A coupling consisting of a loop and a catch both carried by the draw bar
substantially as described.
3. A coupling consisting of a loop attached to a weighted lever and a catch to
engage with the loop both carried by the draw bar substantially as described.
4. Automatic railway couplings substantially as described and shown in the
drawings.