IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY WAGONS
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stanley Andrew Croft and Richard Lomax both of
Manchester in the County of Lancaster. for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY WAGONS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stanley Andrew Croft and
Richard Lomax at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
22nd January 1883.
STANLEY ANDREW CROFT and RICHARD LOMAX both of Manchester in the County
of Lancaster. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY WAGONS
"
The object of our invention is to effect the coupling and uncoupling of railway
wagons in such a manner that the shunter or porter does not go between the wagons
in performing the operation, and considerable danger to life is thereby avoided
and the work is accomplished rapidly and simply.
In performing our invention we may use a single drawbar with the coupling end
forked but we prefer to use two drawbars which are fixed in any convenient manner
to both ends of the wagons equidistant from the centre. The end of one of the
drawbars forms a bracket (which bracket can be made out of the ordinary book) and
to which the shackle and links are secured and the end of the adjoining drawbar is
shaped like a jaw, or bell mouthed. These draw bar ends are fixed to the wagons so
that the bracket and links on one wagon come opposite the jaw on the next wagon
and the bracket and links on the latter come opposite the jaw shaped end on the first
wagon. The end link has a loop link or bridge formed on it on the upper side
near one end and this loop link rests in a recess formed to support it on the upper
side of the bracket when the wagons are uncoupled and when they are buffered
up, the two brackets and links are brought automatically into the two jaws already
described. The jaw shaped ends have holes through which vertical draw-pins are
dropped or raised to hold or release the end links and thus couple or uncouple the
wagons. These draw pins are actuated by rods and bell crank levers fixed to the
ends of the wagons and may be worked from the side by means of the rods which
project slightly beyond the ends of the wagons when uncoupled and thus indicate
whether the coupling is made or not.
Catches or pins are employed to prevent the draw pins falling when the wagons
are uncoupled

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stanley Andrew Croft & Richard Lomax in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 20nd July 1883.
"
STANLEY ANDREW CROFT and RICHARD LOMAX, both of Manchester in the County
of Lancaster. IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY WAGONS
"
The object of our Invention is to effect the coupling and uncoupling of railway
wagons in such a manner that the shunter or porter does not go between the wagons
in performing the operation and considerable danger to life is thereby avoided and
the work is accomplished rapidly and simply.
In performing our Invention we may use a single drawbar with the coupling
end forked but we prefer to use two drawbars which are fixed in any convenient
The end of one
manner to both ends of the wagons equidistant from the centre.
of the drawbars forms a bracket (which bracket, can be made out of the ordinary
hook) and to which the shackle and links are secured and the end of the adjoining
drawbar is shaped like a jaw or bell-mouthed. These drawbar ends are fixed to
the wagons so that the bracket and links on one wagon come opposite the jaw on
the next wagon and the bracket and links on the latter, come opposite the jaw-
shaped end on the first wagon. The end link has a loop link or bridge formed on
it, on the upper side near one end and this loop link rests in a recess formed to
support it on the upper side of the bracket when the wagons are uncoupled and
when they are buffered up the two brackets and links are brought automatically
into the two jaws already described. The jaw shaped ends have holes through
which vertical draw pins are dropped or raised to hold or release the end links and
thus couple or uncouple the wagons. These draw pins are actuated by rods and
bell crank levers fixed to the ends of the wagons and may be worked from the side
by means of the rods which project slightly beyond the ends of the wagons when
uncoupled and thus indicate whether the coupling is made or not.
Catches or pins are employed to prevent the draw pins falling when the wagons
are uncoupled.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings
⚫ reference being had to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. is a side elevation partly in section and with portions of the wagon frame
removed to show our improved apparatus for coupling and uncoupling railway
wagons. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section showing two wagons coupled.
Fig. 3 is an end view of a wagon fitted with our improved apparatus. Fig. 4 is a
plan shewing two wagons coupled. Fig. 5 is an elevation and Fig. 6 a plan, both
partly in section showing our improved apparatus as applied to wagons with spring
buffers.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
a is the frame of the railway wagon and b the drawbar to which are connected a
carrier bar c and a coupling bar d equidistant from the centre: similar bars c and d
are placed at each end of each wagon and are so arranged that when two wagons
are brought together the bar c always comes opposite the bar d and vice versa.
The bars c and d are slotted at one end and secured to the drawbar 6 by a stud b'.
This stud b¹ secures the bars c and d to the drawbar b but at the same time leaves
them free to slide by means of the slots c¹ and d' respectively and thus allow the
bars to retire and also the buffers when spring buffers are used. A spur c³ is
formed with or forged upon the bar c and a striking plate d is formed upon the
bar d: the spur c and plate d are made of sufficient depth to allow for the
difference of height in wagons: an elbow lever e is pivoted to the frame a at e¹:
the lever is weighted at one end e² and has a slot ea cut in the other end. A pin e

page_text: passes through the bars c and d and slot e³ and thus connects the lever e to the
bars c and d. When the wagons are brought together the spurs c² come in contact
with the striking plates d' and the bars c and d are forced back thus lifting the
weights e2 by means of the levers e but as soon as the pressure is taken off the
weights e² bring the bars c and d back into position. Instead of the levers e and
weights e springs may be employed. The other end of the carrier bar c forms a
bracket to which the shackle f. and links f' and f² are secured and the end of the
adjoining bar & is shaped like a jaw or bell-mouthed. The end link ƒ³ has a loop
link or bridge fs formed on it on the upper side near one end and this loop link ƒ³
rests when the wagons are uncoupled in a recess formed to support it on the
Holes d³ are made in the
upper side of the bracket at the end of the carrier bar c.
jaw shaped end of the bar d and through these holes d³ a vertical draw pin g may
be dropped or raised to hold or release the end link f2. The draw pin g is actuated
by rods h secured near one end in brackets h' which are fitted so as to swivel and
bell crank levers h² fixed to the ends of the wagons or on the coupling bar d as
shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and may be worked from either side of the wagon by means
of handles at the ends of the rods h which project slightly beyond the ends of the
wagons when uncoupled and thus indicate whether the coupling is made or not.
Catches or pins (not shown in the drawings) are employed to prevent the draw-
pins g falling when the wagons are uncoupled.
When the wagons are brought together the carrier bar c and links f' and f' on
one wagon come opposite the jaw shaped coupling bar d on the next wagon and the
carrier bar c and links f' and f' on the latter come opposite the jaw shaped
coupling bar d on the first wagon.
When the wagons are buffered up the two carrier bars c and links f' are brought
automatically into the jaws of the coupling bars d. The shunter then by means of
the levers 2 and rods h which can be worked from either side of the train, forces
the pins g down and thus secures the links f' and completes the double coupling.
As the train proceeds the loops f³ leave the recesses and the pull is taken by the
links and the pins g.
To uncouple, the wagons are brought together, the pins g are raised by means of
the levers and rods h and the loops f³ and end links f* again rest in the
recesses c³ as shown in Fig. 1.
Having stated the nature of our Invention and described the manner of per-
forming the same we would have it understood that we do not limit ourselves to
the precise details given as they may be varied or modified without departing from
the main features of our Invention and
We declare that we claim
1. The improvements in apparatus for coupling and uncoupling railway wagons
substantially as herein shown and described.
2. The method of carrying the end link so as to be always ready for coupling or
uncoupling substantially in the manner herein shown and described.
3. Coupling or uncoupling the end links f' from either side of the wagons by
means of pins g worked by rods and levers or other suitable means substantially as
herein shown and described.
In witness whereof I the said Richard Lomax for myself and on behalf of the
said Stanley Andrew Croft have hereunto set my hand and seal this eighteenth
day of July One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.