Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and like Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and like Vehicles.
WILLIAM BELCHER Builder 10 Springfield Road Kingston-on-Thames Surrey
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My improvement in Automatic couplings for railway and like vehicles is a
mechanical arrangement to be fixed on the ends of existing Carriages or Trucks
and will couple Automatically so soon as the Buffers meet and can be uncoupled
without the necessity of going between the carriages and consists of First A
long iron or steel hook fixed with a spring upon the inner end, so that the nook
can give way a few inches when the carnages are drawn apart although not un-
coupled, this hook to be fixed a few inches inside the night hand butter, so that it
will rise and fall as required. Second An iron or steel shoe or box to be fixed a
few inches inside the left buffer, this shoe is fan hike in shape and is to be fixed so
that it slopes downwards away from the carriage, the shoe forms a kind of a siot,
widest at the lower end narrowing as it rises towards the carriage. At the top of
this box there is a hole to receive the corresponding hook from the next carriage.
Third A hook and shoe of this description, fixed in a similar way to all carriages,
will, which ever way the Carriages be turned come togeuner so that the UK Un
each Carriage will strike the sloping part of the shoe on the next Carriage and
when being pressed together will slide up the slot and drop into the hole at the
top when the buffers are slightly pressed together. Fourth A Lever rod will be
fixed on the end of each Carriage, so that any person can uncouple the Carriages
without going between the buffers.
This principle can be applied in two or three different ways but I claim to have
invented the principle whichever way it is applied.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and like Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM BELCHER, Builder, of 10, Springfield Road, Kingston-on-Thames,
in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
1
This Invention has reference to improvements in connection with coupling
and releasing mechanical apparatus and appliances for use upon railway and other
like vehicles, the object being to provide for the coupling and uncoupling of one
[Price 8d

page_text: vehicle to or from another by means of automatic or other movements of the ap-
paratus effected from outside the vehicle so as to obviate the existing dangerous
practice of coupling by hand labour when the person is standing between the car-
riages or vehicles.
In the accompanying sheet of explanatory drawings,―
:
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the ends of two railway trucks having my in-
proved apparatus attached.
Figure 2 is a reverse plan of the ends of the trucks showing my improved
apparatus thereon.
Figure 3 is a detailed sectional elevation of the hook and coupling when con-
nected together.
1 mount upon the under frame G of the carriage or truck a hook A having a
spring of any ordinary construction upon the inner end of the draw bar A forming
the hook carrier. This spring attached bar A' allows of a free movement of the
hook A, which is also free to move vertically upon its pin or pivot attachment a.
To receive the hook I place a shoe or guiding striking plate B on each carriage
end inside the buffer as shown on Figures 1 and 2, this shoe being mounted upon
a pivot band shaped somewhat as a fan or à guiding trough with its inclination
downwards away from, the carriage. I mount the shoe upon the outer link end F
of the draw bar so that it may receive the engaging end of the oppositely placed
hook A carried upon the other carriage.
I make the inclination of my shoe or striking plate B when in the coupling
position such that when the hook A from the opposite carriage meets or strikes the
inclined surface it is guided or caused to slide up the plate and caused to drop
into the recess.or. opening at the upper end of the shoe and thus engaging with the
link end of the draw bar, so as to effect an automatic coupling of the carriages
or trucks when they are brought together, and when the buffers H are slightly
compressed.
To alter the inclination of the striking plate B I attach a link or rod C to the
outside of the plate, and I connect this rod to, a lever or hand bar E, which I pivot
to the carriage on its under frame; the lever being so arranged and constructed
that it may be free to be moved from each side of the vehicle. The plate can thus
be placed in the coupling position whenever it is desired that the carriages should
automatically couple, themselves on coming together.
To release or uncouple the hook A from the link end of the draw bar D I move
the hand lever E from either side of the vehicle to a sufficient extent to cause the
back inclined portion B' of the striking plate B to lift the inner end of the hook A
so that it may be raised free from contact with the link end F. Should the
buffers be compressed sufficiently when the lever E is drawn back to relieve the
grip of the coupler the hook will free itself when the vehicles are drawn asunder,
this result.being brought about by the back inclined portion B' of the striking
plate or shoe.
I do not limit the application of my invention to the particular form of draw-
bar, hook, spring or lever, or to the special shape or form of striking plate shown in
the drawings as alterations, in. the shape of any of these may be made witho at
changing the mode of action, or departing from the invention. I modify the same
to suit the type of rolling stock or form of under frame or vehicle, to which.my
improved couplings are to be applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In couplings for railway and like vehicles the combination and arrangement
of a pivotally mounted guiding striking plate or shoe with a link or rod connecting
the plate to an operating lever for altering its position, the guiding striking plate
or shoe being attached to or suspended from a spring drawbar carried upon the
under frame of the vehicle, together with a hinged engaging hook, which is

page_text: mounted upon a spring drawbar of the opposite vehicle in such a manner that if
the hook is brought in contact with the inclined guiding striking plate or shoe
when in coupling position the vehicles are coupled together and are free to be un-
coupled by the movement of the operating lever which moves the guiding striking
plate or shoe into the uncoupling position so as to remove the hook from engage-
ment therewith substantially as hereinbefore described and as set forth in the
accompanying drawings.
2. The improvements in couplings and drawbars for railway and like vehicles in
which an inclined guiding striking plate for connecting with and receiving a
hook or hooks pivotally mounted upon the opposite vehicle, the guiding striking
plate being arranged so that its position may be altered to receive or to release
the hook substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., and
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, Agents for the Applicant.