Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Carriages, Trucks, and Wagons, and Tram Cars and Engines, and in Buffers to be used with the said Couplings.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 27th May, 1889
Complete Specification Left, 18th Feb., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Carriages,
Trucks, and Wagons, and Tram Cars and Engines, and in
Buffers to be used with the said Couplings.
I ROBERT MARK MARK of No. 145 Larches Street Sparkbrook Birmingham in
the County of Warwick Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this
Invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of automatic couplings for railway carriages trucks and
wagons and tram cars and engines the parts of the said couplings being constructed
and combined and used substantially as hereinafter described. My invention consists
further of buffers constructed as hereinafter described to be used in conjunction with
my improved automatic couplings.
By the use of a coupling and buffer constructed according to my invention the
coupling of two railway carriages trucks or wagons is automatically effected when
their ends are brought together and the uncoupling is effected from the side of the
carriages trucks or wagons. Hence the danger attending the ordinary coupling and
uncoupling is obviated. My improvements may also be applied to the coupling of
tram cars to tram engines.
I will describe my invention as applied to the coupling of railway carriages. To
the end of one of the carriages to be coupled I apply my improved automatic
coupling and to the end of the adjacent carriage I apply my improved buffer which
acts both as a buffer and as a connection for the coupling on the other carriage.
The said coupling consists of a hollow projecting block having externally the
general form of a buffer. In longitudinal slots in the sides of this block two strong
horizontal lever jaws work the outer ends of which are hooked the hooked ends
being turned inwards or towards one another. The rear arms of the said lever jaws
are connected together by two links the inner ends of which are jointed to a sliding
cross piece pressed outwards by a strong coiled spring. When the sliding cross piece
is drawn inwards or backwards in the manner herein after described the links are
carried with it thereby causing the outer hooked ends of the lever jaws to be turned
outwards or separated and when the said jaws are free to move the said hooked ends
are pressed inwards and made to approach each other by the action of the spring
upon the sliding cross piece. For the purpose of opening the lever jaws for
uncoupling the carriages the sliding cross piece has connected to it a horizontal rack
bar with which a pinion carried by a cross shaft at the end of the carriage gears.
The ends of this cross shaft are situated near the sides of the carriage and on each
end of the said shaft is a hand lever for giving a partial rotation to it. When the
coupling is in action the hand levers are nearly horizontal and by raising one of the
said levers into a vertical position the pinion draws back the rack bar and cross
piece thereby opening the hooked ends of the lower jaws. On releasing the lever
the jaws are again closed and the parts are returned to their normal positions by
the action of the coiled spring upon the sliding cross piece.
I will now describe the buffer to which the coupling herein before described is con-
nected and from which it is disconnected. The said buffer consists of a hollow
cylinder the rear end of which slides upon a short hollow cylinder fixed to the end of
the carriage. In the axis of the two cylinders is a sliding spring rod the fore end of
which projects from the open end of the buffer and has a double wedge or heart
shaped head the pointed end of which is outwards. The base of the wedge shaped
head is double curved the curved base having a configuration the counterpart of that
of the hooked ends of the lever jaws of the coupling hereinbefore described so that

page_text: the said hooked ends of the lover jaws can engage with and seat themselves closely
upon the curved base of the wedge shaped head. The fore end of the sliding axial
rod carrying the wedge shaped head is jointed to the rear or inner part of the said
rod so that the said fore end of the rod is capable of a slight angular motion in a
horizontal plane to permit the coupled carriages to take a slight inclination to one
another in travelling on curves. The sliding axial rod carrying the wedge shaped
head has at its front end a guiding collar which works in the buffer cylinder and the
rear end of the said rod has a second guiding collar which works in the fixed short
cylinder on the carriage. Between the first named guiding collar and the front of
the fixed short cylinder is a strong coiled spring which spring when the buffer
cylinder is pressed inwards by a blow on its outer end is compressed the said buffer
cylinder working on the fixed short cylinder and the axial sliding rod being carried
with it. The axial sliding rod is capable of a sliding motion independent of that of
the buffer cylinder. The coupling is automatically effected in the following way.
The point end of the wedge shaped head of the axial rod of a buffer is situated in
line with the meeting edges of the hooked ends of the lever jaws on the end of the
adjacent carriage and when the two carriages are brought together for coupling them
the wedge shaped head passes between the hooked ends of the lever jaws and opens
the said jaws to their full extent. As soon as the wedged shaped head has passed the
said hooked ends the latter simultaneously close by the action of the coiled spring
and connections described and the said hooked ends engage behind the curved base
of the said head and thereby automatically couple the two carriages. In order to
uncouple the carriages the hand lever on the end of the shaft of the pinion working
in the rack bar connected with the cross piece of the coupling mechanism is raised
when the hooked ends of the lever jaws are again opened and the wedge shaped
head of the buffer rod released the two carriages may now be separated.
Dated this 27th day of May 1890.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
-
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Carriages,
Trucks and Wagons, and Tram Cars and Engines, and in
Buffers to be used with the said Couplings.
1 ROBERT MARK MARK of No. 145 Larches Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham
in the County of Warwick Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of a
my invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed to
be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of automatic couplings for railway carriages trucks and
wagons and tram cars and engines the parts of the said couplings being constructed
and combined and used substantially as hereinafter described. My invention
consists further of buffers-constructed as hereinafter described to be used in conjunction
with my improved automatic couplings.
By the use of a coupling and buffer constructed according to my invention the
coupling of two railway carriages trucks and wagons is automatically effected when
their ends are brought together and the uncoupling is effected from the side of the
carriages, trucks or wagons. Hence the danger attending the ordinary coupling and
uncoupling is obviated. My improvements may also be applied to the coupling of
tram cars to tram engines.
I will describe my invention as applied to the coupling of railway carriages. To
the end of one of the carriages to be coupled I apply my improved automatic
coupling and to the end of the adjacent carriage I apply my improved buffer which
acts both as a buffer and as a connection for the coupling on the other carriage.
The said coupling consists of a hollow projecting block having externally the

page_text: general form of a buffer. In longitudinal slots in the sides of this block two
strong horizontal lever jaws work the outer ends of which are hooked the hooked
ends being turned inwards or towards one another. The rear arms of the said lever
jaws are connected together by two links the inner ends of which are jointed to a
sliding cross piece pressed outwards by a strong coiled spring. When the sliding
cross piece is drawn inwards or backwards in the manner hereinafter described the
links are carried with it, thereby causing the outer hooked ends of the lever jaws to
be turned outwards or separated; and when the said jaws are free to move the said
hooked ends are pressed inwards and made to approach each other by the action of
the spring upon the sliding cross piece. For the purpose of opening the lever jaws
for uncoupling the carriages the sliding cross piece has connected to it a horizontal
rack bar with which a pinion carried by a cross shaft at the end of the carriage gears.
The ends of this cross shaft are situated near the sides of the carriage and on each end
of the said shaft is a hand wheel for giving a partial rotation to it. By turning one
or other of the hand wheels in the proper direction the pinion draws back the rack
bar and cross piece thereby opening the hooked ends of the lever jaws.
releasing the hand wheel the jaws are again closed and the parts are returned to their
normal positions by the action of the coiled spring upon the sliding cross
piece.
On
I will now describe the buffer to which the coupling hereinbefore described is con-
nected and from which it is disconnected. The said buffer consists of a hollow.
cylinder the rear end of which slides upon a short hollow cylinder fixed to the end
of the carriage. In the axis of the two cylinders is a sliding spring rod the fore end
of which projects from the open end of the buffer and has a double wedge or heart
shaped head the pointed end of which is outwards. The base of the wedge shaped
head is double curved the curved base having a configuration the counterpart of that
of the hooked ends of the lever jaws of the coupling herein before described so that
the said hooked ends of the lever jaws can engage with and seat themselves closely
upon the curved base of the wedged shaped head. The fore end of the sliding axial
rod carrying the wedge shaped head is jointed to the rear or inner part of the said
rod so that the said fore end of the rod is capable of a slight angular motion in a
horizontal plane to permit the coupled carriages to take a slight inclination to one
another in travelling on curves.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my invention is be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation and Figure 2 in horizontal section an automatic
coupling and buffer the parts of which are constructed and combined according to my
invention.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both Figures.
a,
are the end portions of the two carriages (or other vehicles) to be coupled
together the carriage a having affixed to it the coupling c and the carriage b the
buffer d d and the means for coupling the said buffer to the carriage a as hereinafter
explained. The coupling e consists of a hollow projecting block having externally the
general figure of a buffer as represented. In the said coupling block two strong
horizontal lever jaws e e²; e e² work, the said lever jaws turning on the vertical
pins or centres es, es and working in horizontal slots in the said coupling
block.
The outer hooked ends e², e² of the lever jaws are turned inwards or towards each
other (see Figure 2). The two lever jaws e e²; e e² are connected together by
the links f, fjointed to the rear ends of the said jaws and the inner ends of the
said links are jointed to a sliding cross piece 9 which is pressed outwards or
towards the buffer d d by the coiled spring bearing at one end against the
said sliding cross piece 9 and at the other end against the carriage a.
By the
pressure of the said spring h the lever jaws e e²; e e² when at liberty to move
take the acting positions represented in the Drawing, that is their hooked ends e²e²
are pressed inwards and made to approach each other. The hooked ends of the

page_text: On
lever jaws are opened or separated for uncoupling the carriages by means of the
horizontal rack bar i connected to the back of the sliding cross piece g.
the rack bar a pinion k-on the cross shaft gears. The ends of the cross
shaft are situated near the sides of the carriage a and on each end of the shaft
is a hand wheel m for operating the pinion k, the rotation of the shaft in one
direction drawing back the rack bar i and cross piece 9 and compressing the
spring and causing the hooked ends e e² of the lever jaws. to be opened and the
rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction giving freedom of action to
the spring for closing the said lever jaws.
.
The buffer consists of two tubular parts marked respectively d and d² the outer
part d being movable its rear part sliding upon the inner part d² which is fixed to the
carriage b. The sliding part d is prevented from turning on the fixed part d² by the
spring stud d³ (see Figure 1) working in the longitudinal slot d in the fixed part d²
of the buffer; n is a sliding spring rod in the axis of the two cylinders d, d² the
rectilinear motion of the said rod being preserved by a key n² working in the
longitudinal slot or key way n³ in the cylinder d²; p is a spring around a reduced
portion of the rod n the said spring taking a bearing at one end against the closed
back of the cylinder d and at the other end against the collar n* on the said rod, the
collar bearing against and pressing outwards the sliding cylinder d. The tension
of the spring p is adjusted by the drawing inwards and fixing of the rod n by means
of the screw nut and lock nut at q the said nuts being screwed on the screwed
end of the said rod n as represented.
The fore end of the axial spring rod n projects from the open end of the buffer
cylinder d and has a double wedge or heart shaped head . for the hooked outer
endee of the lever jaws to engage with. It will be seen by an examination of
Figure 2 that the base of the wedge shaped head is double curved the curved
base having a configuration the counterpart of that of the hooked ends e² e² of the
lever jaws so that the said hooked ends can engage with and seat themselves closely
upon the said base.
For the purpose of making the fore end of the rod n carrying the wedge shaped
head capable of a slight angular motion in a horizontal plane the said fore end
of the rod is jointed at 2 to the rear part of the said rod n and the block c is made
conical or bell mouthed at front. This jointing of the fore end of the rod and the
form of the mouth of the block c permit of the coupled carriages taking a slight
inclination to one another in travelling on curves.
When the buffer cylinder d is pressed inwards by a blow on its outer end the
spring p is compressed the said buffer cylinder d sliding on the fixed cylinder d².
The axial sliding rod n is capable of a sliding motion independently of that of the
buffer cylinder d that is to say, it is capable of a slight longitudinal motion during the
coupling and uncoupling of the carriages.
The coupling is automatically effected in the following way. The point end of the
wedge shaped head r of the axial rod n of the buffer on the carriage b is situated in
line with the meeting edges of the hooked ends e² e² of the lever jaws on the end of
the adjacent carriage a and when the two carriages a, b are brought together for
coupling them the wedge shaped head r passes between the hooked ends e², e² of the
lever jaws and opens the said jaws to their full extent. As soon as the wedge-shaped
head has passed the said hooked ends the latter simultaneously close by the action of
the coiled spring h and connections described and the said hooked ends engage behind
the curved base of the said head ras represented in Figure 2 and thereby automatically
couple the two carriages a and b.
In order to uncouple the carriages a and b one of the hand wheels m on the end of
the shaft of the pinion k working in the rack bar i, connected with the cross piece g
of the coupling mechanism, is turned in the proper direction when the hooked ends of
the lever jaws are again opened and the wedge shaped head r of the buffer rod n
released; the two carriages may now be separated the separation or uncoupling being
effected if necessary when the train is in motion.
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page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention of "Improvements in automatic couplings for railway carriages
trucks and wagons and tram cars and engines and in buffers to be used with the
said couplings" ;-
First An automatic coupling consisting essentially of two horizontal hook ended
lever jaws on the end of one carriage or vehicle and a sliding spring rod having
a double wedge or heart shaped head on the end of the adjacent carriage or vehicle
the said hook ended lever jaws being pressed together or closed by a spring and
engaged with the double wedge shaped head for coupling the carriages or vehicles,
the said lever jaws and double wedge shaped head and parts connected with them
being constructed arranged and working substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing.
Secondly-The arrangement or combination of parts hereinbefore described and
illustrated in connection with the hook ended lever jaws for uncoupling the carriages
or vehicles by hand from either side of the carriages or vehicles.
Thirdly-The construction and arrangement of the parts of the buffer herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawing to be used in combination
with the automatic coupling claimed in the prior claims.
Dated this 14th day of February 1890.
ROBERT MARK MARK.