IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR CONNECTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRUCKS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman, of No. 27, Claremont
Terrace, Fentiman's Road, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR CONNECTING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRUCKS."
Sealed the 16th February 1864, and dated the 20th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said. Giardinelli Spooner,
Kirkman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 20th November 1863.
I, GIARDINELLI SPOONER KIRKMAN, of No. 27, Claremont Terrace, Fentiman's
Road, in the County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS USED FOR CONNECTING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRUCKS," to be as follows:-
In lieu of the hook as at present used on the end of the draw bar I employ
a pair of jaws formed on the inner faces with lugs of an angular shape, the
angle of such lugs will be determined by the radius of the sharpest curve of
a railway over which trains of carriages or trucks may have to travel; with
this pair of jaws a hook is used, the stem of which is swedged out horizontally
and at right angles and formed with lugs. The stem of this hook is passed
into the cavity in the under carriage at the same angle as the lugs on the
jaws. The stem of this hook is then passed round so that the lugs on the
hook may come in contact with the rear of the lugs formed within the jaws.
The swedged parts of this hook as it is passed into position come in contact

page_text: with and press against two bolts or rods, one on either side, the ends of these
bolts pass through eyes which securely retain the ends of the chains, and
these bolts are kept pressing against the swedged parts of the hook by means
of springs. By this construction and combination of parts in the event of
any carriage or truck running off the line of rails and assuming an angle
with the next carriage or truck greater than would be required to pass
round the sharpest curve, the hook will be separated and drawn from between
the pairs of jaws and the bolts which secure the ends of the safety chain will
be moved back, and the carriage or truck will be disconnected from the next
carriage or truck.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 19th May 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GIARDINELLI
SPOONER KIRKMAN, of No. 27, Claremont Terrace, Fentiman's Road, in the
County of Surrey, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman, Her special licence that I,
the said Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman, my
executors, administrators, and 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 APPARATUS USED FOR
CONNECTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRUCKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman, my executors or admi-
nistrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman, do hereby.
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, that is to say:―
In lieu of the hook as at present used on the end of the draw bar, I employ
a pair of jaws formed on the inner faces with lugs of an angular shape, the
angle of such lugs will be determined by the radius of the sharpest curve of a
railway over which trains of carriages or trucks may have to travel; with this
pair of jaws a hook is used, the stem of which is swedged out horizontally and
at right angles, and formed with lugs; the stem of this hook is passed into
the cavity in the under carriage at the same angle as the lugs on the jaws.
The stem of this book is then passed round, so that the lugs on the book may
come in contact with the rear of the lugs formed within the jaws. The
swedged parts of this hook as it is passed into position come in contact with
and press against two bolts or rods, one on either side; the ends of these bolts
pass through eyes which securely retain the ends of the chains, and these
bolts are kept pressing against the swedged parts of the hook by means of
springs. By this construction and combination of parts in the event of any
carriage or truck running off the line of rails, and assuming an angle with the
next carriage or truck greater than would be required to pass round the
sharpest curve, the hook will be separated and drawn from between the pairs.
of jaws, and the bolts which secure the ends of the safety chain will be moved
back, and the carriage or truck will be disconnected from the next carriage
or truck.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will proceed more
fully to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a plan, showing the ends of two carriages connected by
my Patent apparatus; Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section on line A, B,
on plan; Figure 3 represents an end elevation of one carriage. In these
Figures the same letters of reference are used to indicate the same parts.
The dotted part of plan, Figure 1, represents the position that would be
assumed by a carriage leaving the metals, where it will be seen that the
shackle being rigid, the hook a (which I also call my separating and con-
necting piece) is brought round to an angle, and the lugs a', a', no longer
bearing against the rear of the angular lugs 6', 61, on the inner faces of the jaws
of the draw bar b, the hook separating or connecting piece a is freely with-
drawn from the cavity in the headstock or buffer beam of the under carriage..

page_text: of
The swedged part of the hook separating or connecting piece so long as in
position is always in contact with the ends of bolts c, c, which run laterally
along the face of the headstock or buffer beam of the under carriage, and are
kept constantly pressing towards the centre by means of springs c', c. To
protect these springs from injury, I propose to cover them by a box or сар
sheet iron, or other suitable material, and suggest that the same box or cap
should be made to open, so that the springs and bearing parts may be readily
got at. The ends of these lateral bolts or rods which come in contact with
and press against the swedged part of the hook separating or connecting piece
are rounded off at one side, to admit more freely of the swedged part of the
hook separating or connecting piece being passed into position, and the inner'
side is turned up, so as to form a check to the separating or connecting piece
coming out without a direct strain. The opposite ends of these lateral bolts
pass through eye pieces, which form the last link of each safety chain, and keep
such safety chains firmly secured to the carriage; it will therefore be seen
that so soon as the hook separating or connecting piece is withdrawn, the
pressure which is constantly acting upon the lateral bolts towards the centre
causes them to meet, occupying the space previously held by the swedged part
of the hook separating or connecting piece, and as a natural consequence the
eye pieces of the chains being no longer held, the weight of the chains alone
would be sufficient to cause them to drop out from their places in the head-
stock or buffer beam of the under carriage, and the separation is complete.
The angular lugs b', ', on the inner faces of the jaws of the draw bar bare
always calculated and governed by the radius of the sharpest curve over which
the train may have to travel, and as this angle is necessarily placed within the
jaws of the draw bar 6 at each end of the carriage to ensure its perfect action,
it may be desirable to secure one end, and with this view it is proposed to
parrow the cavity in the headstock or buffer beam of the under carriage at
one end by means of blocks, bolts, straps, or other convenient appliance; or
a collar might be run up the draw bar of such width as to prevent the shank
of the hook separating or connecting piece assuming such an angle as would
allow it to part, and thus it would always be the duty of the guard, or some
servant specially appointed prior to the departure of a train, to see that one
hook separating or connecting piece only is free to act. Or I would construct.
the swedged stem of my hook separating or connecting piece with a flange on
one side, so as to allow it to leave the jaws of the draw bar 6 at one side only,
and the end of the carriage to which this should be coupled would have the
hook to leave the jaws of the draw bar 6 at the opposite side, thus making
them right and left handed in their action, and obviating the necessity of

page_text: employing blocking or other means for securing either end, and insuring its
parting at a given angle. Or the jaws of the draw bar b might be so con-
structed as to allow the hook separating or connecting piece to enter only at
one side, consequently on one side only could it leave. The Drawing merely:
shews the connection between two carriages where the draw bar is attached to
a spring in the body of the under carriage, but the same principle equally
applies to the connection of locomotives, tenders, trucks, or wagons where it.
is not necessary to have a yielding draw bar. The jaws carrying the angular
lugs would then be secured to the headstock or buffer beam of the under
carriage, and the hook separating or connecting piece would be affected.
precisely in the same manner as herein-before described. The details are
merely modified to meet the altered circumstances of the case without
departing from the principle here laid down.
Figure 2, representing a longitudinal section, shews the ends of two
carriages on a line A, B, in Figure 1, with a side elevation of the draw bar b,
hook separating or connecting piece a, and shackle carrying right and left-
handed screws for drawing the carriages together, then a section through
longitudinal bolt c, and elevation of eye of safety chain. The shackle carrying
right and left handed screws as at present used for tightening the carriages
together, I propose to construct of flat metal, more fully to ensure a perfect
grip of the hook separating or connecting piece. It will be seen on reference
to Figures 1 and 2, that I have here constructed the sides of my shackle in
separate pieces, and rivetted them together, but these may also be forged out
of one piece and the jaws formed therein, or separately and welded together,
or any more convenient method; but I consider it desirable to prevent the
jaws or forked ends of the shackle opening upon an angular strain, that rivet.
heads or nuts should be employed at either extremity where the shackle passes
over the hook separating or connecting piece, and where it holds the blocks
into which the right and left handed screws work. Figure 3, representing an
end elevation of under carriage, shews the hook separating or connecting piece
in position, with the lateral bolts retaining the safety chains, and the boxes or
caps over the springs on the lateral bolts.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that what I claim is,―
First, the construction of my draw bar with jaws and angular lugs therein
to which shall be attached a separating piece, either of hooked form, or
otherwise, capable of being connected with a shackle, or such other apparatus
as may be employed for holding the carriages together. This principle is also
applicable to and may be employed instead of the slip at present used for
.

page_text: attaching a horse to tip or other wagons used in excavation or construction of
earthworks.
Second, the application of bolts or rods running laterally along the head-
stock or buffer beam of the under carriage, and holding in position the safety.
chains, the retention of which shall be governed by and dependent on the
connecting piece to my draw bar, which I have shewn of hooked form, with
swedged shank and lugs thereon, or with a flange on one side of the swedged
piece, as herein-before described, making these connecting pieces with reference
to the draw bar right and left handed in their action. Although I have only
shown the bolts or lateral rods with spiral springs encircling them, I claim tho
application of any other description of metallic or other spring, or power to
produce the same effect.
In witness whereof, I, the said Giardinelli Spooner Kirkman, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GIARDINELLI S. KIRKMAN. (L.S.)