Automatic Couplers for Railway Rolling-stock.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 21st Nov., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan.. 189
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Couplers for Railway Rolling-stock.
I, RICHARD YOUNG of 28 Halstead Street, Haulgh, Bolton in the County of
Lancaster, Tobacco Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention
to be as follows:-
Each
This invention relates to automatic couplers for railway rolling stock, such as,
locomotives, carriages, wagons, trucks, and other vehicles employed on railways; the
object of which is to enable them to be coupled automatically when brought together,
and uncoupled from either side of the said vehicles instead of the present system, by
which persons are required to go between or under the same. To the buffer beam of
each vehicle is mounted a circular or other sliding box provided with a concaved or
other face. Through the circular or other sliding box passes a hollow tube or spindle
held in position by a spring or other means. The end of the hollow tube or spindle
is fitted with a dise provided with claws or fingers capable of interlocking with the
claws or fingers on the corresponding disc of the vehicle it is coupled to.
side of the disc is fitted with: india-rubber or other pliable discs against which the
claws or fingers operate when depressed in the operation of coupling. When the
discs carrying the claws or fingers operate against each other the hollow tube or
spindle of each vehicle are depressed, after which they are locked in position by steps
or clips disposed loosely on the circular or other sliding box. The claws or fingers
are provided with springs or their equivalents to open them when necessary for
uncoupling. In case the ordinary buffers are depressed to their full extremity the
circular or other sliding box yields to the action of a spring. If desired this automatic
coupler can be employed in lieu of the ordinary spring buffers.
Suitable levers or other mechanical means are attached to the side of the vehicles
for operating or releasing the steps or clips when necessary for uncoupling. The
hollow tube or spindle is employed in connection with the automatic brake, and is
provided at each end with means whereby it is coupled and uncoupled automatically
with my improved couplers, thereby overcoming the chief draw-back to other couplers
in the market.
Doted the 20th February 1800
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Acrant
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Automatic Couplers for Railway Rolling-stock.
I, RICHARD YOUNG of Fox Hill Cottage Entwistle near Bolton, and late of
28 Halstead Street, Haulgh, Bolton, both in the County of Lancaster, Tobacco
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to automatic couplers for railway rolling stock, such as,
locomotives, carriages, wagons, trucks, and other vehicles employed on railways; the
object of which is to enable them to be coupled automatically when brought together,
and uncoupled from either side of the said vehicles instead of the present system, by
which persons are required to go between or under the same. To the buffer beam of
each vehicle is mounted a circular or other sliding box provided with a concaved or
other face. Through the circular or other sliding box passes a hollow tube or spindle
held in position by a spring or other means. The end of the hollow tube or spindle iş
fitted with a disc provided with claws or fingers capable of interlocking with the clawġ

page_text: ordinary buffers are depressed to their full extremity the circular or other sliding box
yields to the action of a spring. If desired this automatic coupler can be employed
in lieu of the ordinary spring buffers.
Suitable levers or other mechanical means are attached to the side of the vehicles
for operating or releasing the steps or clips when necessary for uncoupling. The
hollow tube or spindle is employed in connection with the automatic brake, and is
provided at each end with means whereby it is coupled and uncoupled automatically
with my improved couplers, thereby overcoming the chief draw-back to other couplers
in the market.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a part sectional elevation of a carriage, wagon, truck, or other vehicle
employed as railway rolling stock with my invention applied.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same with floor and si les removed so that my invention may be
more clearly shown.
Fig. 3 is a sectional olevation of one of my automatic couplers when unlocked.
Fig. 4 is a plan of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is an end view of disc carrying the hinged claws or fingers.
Fig. 6 is a plan of my invention when coupled together, and
Fig. 7 is an enlarged plan of one of the hinged claws or fingers with the spring
arrangement.
In all the figures the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts.
A is the carriage, wagon, truck, or other vehicle; B the framing; C the buffer
beams; D the wheels, and E the brake blocks. In the buffer beam C at the end of
each locomotive, carriage, wagon, truck, or other vehicle A is mounted the sliding
box F with the circular face I, held in position by the springs G and nuts H. The
ends R¹ of the sliding box F are secured to the plate T¹ by the nuts H, which prevents
the sliding box F from being drawn out of the buffer beam C. The plato T¹ also
serves as a bearing against the springs G. Through the sliding box F passes the
hollow tube or spindle J, which is held in position by the spring K located between
the buffer beam C and the framing B. The outer end of the hollow tube or spindle J
is fitted with the disc L provided with the hinged claws or fingers M capable of
interlocking in the spaces between the hinged claws or fingers on the corresponding
disc L of the vehicle it may be coupled to. The hinged claws or fingers M are
provided with the springs as shown in Fig. 7 to ensure of them opening when the
couplers are separated. Behind the circular face I of the sliding box F is mounted
the step or clip N to lock the couplers when brought together as in Fig. 6. The
step or clip N of each coupler is fitted with the stem or spindle P mounted in the
arm behind the circular face I of the sliding box F, which is operated by the levers R
attached to the ends of the vehicles A as shown in Fig. 2. The levers R are mounted
on the centres S attached to the buffer beam C or other convenient part for operating
or releasing the steps or clips N when necessary for uncoupling the latter being
effected without the necessity of persons going under or between the vehicles. The
hollow tube or spindle J of each coupler is connected together by means of the
hollow tube or spindle T shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 6; the ends of the latter being
provided with a square or its equivalent that will allow of the hollow tubes or
spindles T sliding and rotating according to the movements of the couplers and their
connections. On the hollow tube or spindle T is mounted the skew wheel U gearing
with the skew wheel W on the shaft V. The latter is held in position by the
fixings X secured to the framework of the vehicle. On the shaft are fixed the
;

page_text: friction pulleys Y which operate with the loosely mounted friction clutches Z. To
the latter are secured, by the pins or centres A¹, the rods B' coupled to the pivoted
brake bars C carrying the brake blocks E which operate on the wheels D. The
hollow tube or spindle T is rotated by the bevel wheels D' and E' from the guard's
van or from the locomotive itself, and when a train is coupled together the brake
blocks can be operated throughout at one operation.
This invention operates in the following manner :- -When my automatic coupler
is unlocked it is as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, in which case the collar or shoulder H¹ of
the hollow tube or spindle J is pressed against the backside of the circular face I by
the spring K, which places the disc L in position to allow of the hinged claws or
fingers M of the corresponding coupler to bend or turn down to the backside of the
disc L. When the hollow tube or spindle J is in this position the step or clip N
is resting on the larger diameter of the same. Immediately two vehicles are brought
together the hinged claws or fingers M of each coupler interlock each other and come
in contact with the circular faces I which bends or turns down the hinged claws or
fingers M behind the disc L of each corresponding coupler. This action causes the
hollow tubes or spindles J to slide inwardly until the hinged claws or fingers M meet
the circular face I, in which position they are locked by the steps or clips N
dropping on the hollow tube or spindle J between the collar or shoulder H and the
backside of circular face I as shown in Fig. 6, by which they will remain locked
until raised by the lever R. In case the pressure between the vehicles in coupling
is greater than the pressure imparted by the springs G the latter will yield and allow
the box F to slide through the buffer beam as shown on right hand side of Fig. 6.
Immediately the strain is reduced by the travelling of the vehicles or other causes the
springs G will re-set the sliding box F as in Fig. 4. When it is desired to uncouple
the vehicles it is effected by raising the steps or clips N by the levers R from either
side of the vehicle, after which, by moving the vehicles asunder, the hollow tubes or
spindles J will be pressed back to their normal position, which action releases the
hinged claws or fingers M from behind the discs L, and places them in the position
shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which allows the couplers to part; the operation being
assisted by means of the springs O.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In automatic couplers for railway rolling stock the use of hinged claws or fingers
interlocking each other that will allow of rotation to operate the brake of each vehicle
coupled, with means for locking and releasing the same, substantially as described.
2. In automatic couplers for railway rolling stock wherein are employed hinged
claws or fingers interlocking each other the use of the springs G and K, substantially
as described for the purpose specified.
8. The construction, combination, and arrangement of parts forming my improved
automatic couplers for railway rolling stock that will allow of rotation to operate the
brake of each vehicle coupled, substantially as described and as shown on the drawings.
Dated the 14th November 1890.
EDMUND CHADWICA,
Agent.