IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING CARRIAGES AND PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION WAGONS ON RAILWAYS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE- WITH
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Turnbull, of Edinburgh, in the County of
Mid Lothian, North Britain, Writer to the Signet, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING CARRIAGES AND
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Turnbull at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 24th November 1869.
I, JAMES TURNBULL, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian,
North Britain, Writer to the Signet, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING
CARRIAGES AND WAGONS ON RAILWAYS, AND IN THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THERE-
WITH," to be as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to certain improvements in the apparatus
or means for connecting or disconnecting wagons and carriages on
railways, is based upon previous Letters Patent granted to the said James
Turnbull in or about the 29th day of May 1868, and numbered 1770.

page_text: The improvements consist in forming the end and hook of the draw
bar of railway carriages or wagons duplex, with a space between the two
parts of this duplex portion, into which space the combined hook and
eye and lever of which these form part is coupled by a pin or bolt. By
this arrangement the upper part of the drag hook is left solid and may
be used as the ordinary drag hook is at present, and the lower part of
the breast or buffer beam is cut away at the centre to allow of the free
upward, downward, and horizontal movement of the self-acting combined
hook and eye and lever according to the position they are placed in
when in or out of use, that is to say, accordingly as the wagons or
carriages are coupled by means of the usual drag hooks, or by the
improved self-acting drag hooks and eyes which constitute this present
Invention. In order to place the combined hook and eye out of the
way of interference when it is desired to couple the wagons or carriages
in the ordinary manner or to uncouple the improved hooks and eyes a
rod or shaft is used, which passes transversely across the vehicle, and
this carries an iron loop which embraces the lever to which the counter-
weights are attached, and when turned through a certain angle draws
down the hook and eye and maintains it fixed in that position. In order
to maintain the position of this draw rod in the breast or buffer beam
metallic guides are placed therein in which it rests and slides as it moves
horizontally.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Turnbull in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
TURNBULL, of Edinburgh, in the County of Mid Lothian, North Britain,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most. Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
nine, in the
thirty-third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said James Turnbull, Her special license
that I, the said James Turnbull, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said James Turnbull, my executors,

page_text: administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING CARRIAGES AND WAGONS ON RAILWAYS, AND IN
THE APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said James Turnbull, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Turnbull, 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :—
My said Invention, which relates to certain improvements in the
apparatus or means for connecting or disconnecting wagons and
carriages on railways, is based upon previous Letters Patent granted to
me on or about the 29th day of May 1868, and numbered 1770.
The improvements consist in forming the end and hook of the draw
bar of railway carriages or wagons duplex, with a space between the
two parts of this duplex portion, into which space the combined hook
and eye and lever of which these form part is coupled by a pin or bolt.
By this arrangement the upper part of the drag hook is left solid, and
may be used as the ordinary drag hook is at present, and the lower part
of the breast or buffer beam is cut away at the centre to allow of the
free upward, downward, and horizontal movement of the self-acting
combined hook and eye and lever according to the position they are
placed in when in or out of use, that is to say, accordingly as the
wagons or carriages are coupled by means of the usual drag hooks or by
the improved self-acting drag hooks and eyes which constitute this
present Invention. In order to place the combined hook and eye out of
the way of interference when it is desired to couple the wagons or
carriages in the ordinary manner or to uncouple the improved hooks and
eyes a rod or shaft is used which passes transversely across the vehicle,

page_text: and this carries an iron loop which embraces the lever to which the
counterweights are attached, and when turned through a certain angle
draws down the hook and eye and maintains it fixed in that position.
In order to maintain the position of this draw rod in the breast or buffer
beam metallic guides are placed therein in which it rests and slides as it
moves horizontally.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say :-
On Sheet 1 of the Drawings hereunto appended Figure 1 is a side
elevation, Figure 2 a plan.partly in horizontal section, and Figure 3 an
end elevation of a railway wagon showing the improvements which
constitute this Invention applied thereto. On these various Figures
corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters of reference.
The improvements above referred to consist in the first place in
forming the outer end of the draw bars A duplex, as shown at Figure 2,
so that there is a space between the two parts of the duplex end, and in
which space the portion of the apparatus constituting the combined
hook and eye and lever B is situated and attached to the draw bar A by
means of a pin or stud x, as more particularly shown in side elevation
at Figure 1. The upper part a of the draw bar A, that is the portion
which projects above the combined hook, eye, and lever B, is formed
solid and may be employed to connect two wagons as the ordinary drag
hook is at present employed. The outer arm of the combined hook, eyc,
and lever B is constructed with a flat palm at the end, as shown at
Figure 2. In this palm a loop or cyc b is formed, and the palm
terminates in a hook c, which hook projects upwards and is elongated at
the outer end, as more particularly shown in side elevation at Figure 1.
The inner portion of the combined hook, eye, and lever B, that is to say,
the portion which is situated underneath the framing of the wagon, is
formed duplex or of a forked construction, as seen more particularly at
Figures 2 and 3, and each arm of the lever is provided with a counter-
weight e in order to counterbalance the weight of the outer end and
maintain it in an approximately horizontal position. The hook of the
draw bar A is so constructed that the upper surface of the outer portion
of the combined hook, eye, and lover B rests against the solid part of the
under face of the book of the draw bar A, thereby preventing the

page_text: combined hook, eye, and lever B from assuming a position above the
horizontal. When it is necessary to depress the outer portion of
the combined hook, eye, and lever B this is effected by means of a loop
lever E, shown more particularly by the detail views, Figures 4 and 5, of
which views Figure 4 is a plan and Figure 5 a side elevation. The loop
lever E is fixed to a transverse shaft extending across the wagon,
which shaft is provided at each end with a handle G, so that it may be
actuated by an attendant from either side of the wagon, and on the
handle G on either side being turned through a certain angle the loop
lever E is brought into contact with the combined hook, éyc, and
lever B and thereby depresses its outer end, thus causing the combined
hook, eye, and lever to assume the position indicated by the dotted lines
at Figure 1, and also shewn in detail view at Figure 6. The loop
lever E is retained in its normal position so as to allow of the free action
of the lever B by the weight of the long end of the handle G, which end
is made sufficiently heavy for that purpose. In order to allow of the
free upward, downward, or endwise movement. of the combined hook;
eye, and lever B the lower part of the breast or buffer beam H is cut
And in order to stiffen or strengthen the part of
the beam H so cut away an iron plate is bolted to the beam, as shown
in end elevation at Figure 3 and marked R.
away at the centre.
The apparatus is actuated in the manner now about to be set forth.
When it is desired to couple two wagons together they are run towards
cach other, and as the elongated points of the hook c come in contact
one of them glides under the other until one hook c meets the eye or
loop of the other combined hook, eye, and lever B, when the weights
on the duplex or inner end of the combined hook, eye, and lever B
which is undermost raises the hook c through the loop or eye b of the
upper combined hook, cye, and lever, thereby completing the coupling
of the wagons; but when it is required to disconnect or uncouple two
wagons this is effected by an attendant from either side of the wagon by
raising the longer end of the handle G, thereby actuating the lever E
through the intervention of the transverse shaft F, by which means the
projecting arm of the combined hook, eye, and lever B is depressed, as
herein-before described, so that the hook c of the coupling of the one
wagon is freed from the eye b. of the other. When it is desired to run
two wagons together without coupling them the combined hooks and
eyes of the wagons are depressed, as above set forth, and retained in

page_text: that position by sliding the shaft F transversely until the longer end of
the handle G is pushed under a hook or stopper o, which hook or
stopper is fixed to the side of the wagon. When in this position the
combined hooks and eyes are brought within the line of the buffers, as
shown at Figure 1, and are thus protected from striking each other
when the wagons come in contact, and when in this position the wagons
may be coupled together by chains or links applied to the drag hooks in
the ordinary manner; or wagons provided with the self-acting coupling
apparatus constituting this Invention may when the combined hooks,
eyes, and levers B are so depressed be coupled by chains or links to
ordinary wagons having the usual construction of drag hooks. In order
to obviate the possibility of the hooks c striking each other and re-
bounding on the wagons being brought together and thus failing to
unite these two wagons the slot in the combined hook, eye, and lever B
through which the pin a by which the combined hook, eye, and lever is
connected to the draw bar A is formed clongated and inclined, as shown
in dotted lines at Figure 1; so that on the points of the hooks c coming
in contact the combined hooks, eyes, and levers B are driven inwards
and upwards, thus depressing the outer end of one of the said combined
hooks, eyes, and levers B, and enabling it to pass under and couple with
the combined hook, eye, and lever of the next wagon.
On Sheet 2 of the annexed Drawings is shown an arrangement of
my improved coupling and disengaging apparatus as it is intended to be
applied to passenger carriages or to carriages and wagons in general in
which spring buffers are employed.
On the accompanying Drawings the apparatus is shown applied to
the frame of a first-class passenger railway carriage, as shown partly in
side clevation and partly in longitudinal section at Figure 1, in plan at
Figure 2, and in end elevation at Figure 3. On these various Figures
corresponding parts are indicated by the same letters of reference.
The combined hook, cyc, and lever A and the lever B by which the
outer end of the said combined hook, eye, and lever is depressed being
constructed and actuated similarly to the arrangement herein-before
described and shown in reference to the preceding Sheet of Drawings
need not be herein further specified. The draw bar C in lieu of being
formed in one continuous length and attached at the inner end to a
spring as in existing arrangements is under this part of my Inven-
tion formed in several parts or pieces, as shown at Figures 1 and 2,

page_text: and is connected to the buffer rods D by means of a cross bar. or beam E,
the object of which connection is that on the buffers F coming in contact
and thereby being compressed the draw bar c may also be pushed
inwards, and thereby prevent either breakage or unlocking of the self-
acting coupling hooks and eyes. This is effected by providing the
rods D of the buffers F with strikers or tappets x, as shown in plan at
Figure 2, which strikers or tappets. on the compression of the buffers
coming in contact with the parts I of the connecting bar or beam E
carries the draw bar C back with the buffers. The strikers or tappets
are placed in slots formed in the buffer rods D to receive thom, and aro
loosely held therein by means of the pin as shown. On the buffers being
compressed the strikers or tappets come in contact with the projecting
pieces of metal a attached to the framing, and by this means are so
turned round that the parts shown dotted are brought to bear against
the heads of the cross bar. The draw bar C is attached by its inner
end to another bar I, which in its turn is attached to the combined draw
and buffer spring P. The head of the bar I is formed with a slot L, as
shown at Figure 2, in which the end of the draw bar slides freely, as
On the train
shown, on being pushed back by the tappets or strikers x.
of carriages being set in motion the tension on the draw bar C has the
effect of drawing it slightly out, and the strikers or tappets & are thereby
caused to assume their normal position through the intervention of the
cross bar or beam E. The length of the draw bar C is made adjustable
by means of the right and left band screw O, which screw is actuated by
the spur pinion R placed thereon. The pinion R gears into the corre-
sponding pinion S supported in the brackets c, as shown at Figure 1,
these brackets being firmly fixed to the under side of the flooring of
the carriage. The pinion S is rotated by means of the bevil wheel and
pinion T and T situated respectively on the shaft of the pinion S and on
a transverse shaft U, as more particularly shown in plan at Figure 2.
The shaft U is caused to project to the outside of the carriage, and is
provided at each end with a disc or hand wheel V by which an attendant
may rotate the shaft from either side of the carriage and thereby
regulate the length of the draw bar C. The spur pinion S is formed of
greater length than the pinion R in order that as the draw bar C is
either lengthened or shortened or the pinion R moved outwards or
inwards the spur pinions R and S may still be in gear with each other.
The carriages, after being coupled, are drawn tightly together so as to
compress the buffers by means of the spur pinions R and S and shaft

page_text: herein-before described, and by which the screws O are rotated either for
drawing the carriages together or for loosening them for being
uncoupled. When it is necessary to connect or couple carriages or
wagons provided with the coupling apparatus herein-before described
in reference to the second Sheet of. Drawings with such carriages or
wagons as are provided with the coupling hooks at present in use,
coupling chains or adjustable links are attached to the hooks at the end
of the draw bars, and the combined hooks and eyes are depressed and
retained in that position by means of the mechanism herein-before
described and shown on the two Sheets of Drawings hereunto appended.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The constructing of the outer or hook ends of the draw bars of
railway wagons and carriages duplex so that they may admit the self-
acting combined hook, eye, and lever; as herein-before described and
shown on the two appended Sheets of Drawings.
Second. The constructing of the breast or buffer beam with a slot in
the centre of the lower part thereof in order to permit the self-acting
combined hook, eye, and lever to move upwards, downwards, or endwise
therein, as herein-before described.
Third. The arrangement and construction of apparatus whereby the
self-acting combined coupling hook, eye, and lever is rendered capable of
adaptation to carriages or wagons having spring buffers, as hercin-before
set forth and shown on Sheet 2 of the appended Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Turnbull, have hercunto set
my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May One thousand
eight hundred and seventy.
JAMES TURNBULL. (L.S.)