IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Charles Bowen, of 11, Token House Yard, in
the City of London, Contractor, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES." A communication from abroad by
Richard Dalby Morkill, junior, of Sherbrooke, in the Province of Quebec,
Canada
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Charles Bowen
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th August 1880.
EDWARD CHARLES BOWEN, of 11, Token House Yard, in the City of London,
Contractor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES." (A com-
munication from abroad by Richard Dalby Morkill, junior, of Sherbrooke, in the
Province of Quebec, Canada.)
The object of this Invention is to provide a means for automatically coupling the
draw bars of two railway carriages by merely moving the carriages so as to bring
the coupling parts into the required contact, thereby dispensing with the necessity
of an attendant to conduct the parts in order to effect the coupling as at
present.
For this purpose a block of iron or other suitable material is suspended from a
pivot in the end portion of the draw bar, such block being of sufficient weight to
fall into a vertical position by gravity, and so formed and placed as to be capable
of supporting the connecting pin when in such position, and when pushed against
to allow the connecting pin to fall into the connecting link and effect the
coupling.
When two carriages are required to be coupled, the connecting pin of one or both
of them is supported in its vertical position by the suspended block, while in the
other draw bar the block is pushed inwards and rests on the inner end of the
connecting link, thereby allowing the pin to drop into the link which projects from
the draw bar.
When the parts are in these relative positions, the coupling is effected by causing
the ends of the two draw bars to approach each other, whereby the said projecting

page_text: link of the one draw bar will be caused to enter the open end of the other and push
the suspended block therein inwards, thereby allowing the vertical connecting pin
to drop into the link.
The ends of the draw bars are formed with enlarged mouths and with an incline
at the bottom part inside, in order that when the suspended block is pushed out
of its vertical position it may rest on the inner end of the link, and raise the
outer end thereof into a position in about a central line with the opposite mouth
of the draw bar, thereby allowing for inequalities of level in the parts to be
connected.
Also a mortice or recess is formed in the upper part of the draw bar inside, in
order to receive the block when pushed inwards and resting on the inner end of the
link, thereby preventing any undue strain on the pivots of the block when so forced
inwards.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edward Charles Bowen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th February 1881.
EDWARD CHARLES BOWEN, of 11, Tokenhouse Yard, in the City of London,
Contractor. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES." A com-
munication from abroad by Richard Dalby Morkill, junior, of Sherbrooke, in the
Province of Quebec, Canada.
The object of this Invention is to provide a means of automatically coupling the
draw bars of two railway carriages so as to bring the coupling parts into the
required contact, thereby dispensing with the necessity of an attendant to connect
the parts in order to effect the coupling as at present.
For this purpose a block of iron or other suitable material is suspended from a
pivot (or other mode of suspension giving the block the requisite freedom of motion)
in the end portion of the draw bar, such block being of sufficient weight to fall into
a vertical position by gravity, and so formed and placed as to be capable of
supporting the connecting or coupling pin when in such position, and when pushed
against to allow the connecting pin to fall into the connecting link and effect
coupling.
When two carriages are required to be coupled, the connecting pin of one (or
both) of them is supported in its vertical position by the suspended block, while in
the other draw bar the block is pushed inwards and rests on the inner end of the
connecting link, thereby allowing the pin to drop into the link which projects from
the draw bar.
When the parts are in these relative positions, the coupling is effected by causing
the ends of the two draw-bars to approach each other, whereby the projecting link
of the one draw bar will be caused to enter the open end of the other and push the
suspended block therein inwards, thereby allowing the vertical connecting pin to
drop into the link.
The ends of the draw bars are formed with enlarged mouths and with an incline
at the bottom part inside, in order that when the suspended block is pushed out
of its vertical position it may rest on the inner end of the link and raise the
outer end thereof into a position in about a central line with the opposite
mouth of the draw-bar, thereby allowing for inequalities of level in the parts to be
connected.
Also a mortice or recess is formed in the upper part of the draw bar inside in
order to receive the block when pushed inwards, and resting on the inner end of the
link, thereby preventing any undue strain on the pivots of the block when so forced
inwards.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention, I will proceed to
describe more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the aid
of the accompanying Drawings, in which are represented the parts forming the
coupling above referred to.

page_text: receive the pendant block B when acting as a link guide or when access to the
draw bar rod is required.
B is a block of iron or other suitable material suspended at the upper side of
the draw-bar by means of pivots at G (or other mode of suspension giving the
requisite freedom of motion), and of such form and weight as when in a vertical or
pendant position it will support the connecting or coupling pin H, as shewn in
Fig. 2; and when in the position shewn in Fig. 1 it will press the inner end of the
link K against the inclined surface E, F, of the draw bar, thereby causing the
projecting end of the link to be held in a position about central in relation to the
depth of the draw bar mouth, and consequently adapted to the varying heights of
the other draw bars with which it may have to be coupled. This block when
forced up into the mortice D (as shewn in Fig. 1) will prevent any undue strain on
the pivots at G or other means of suspension of the block. The action of the
coupling is as follows:-When the draw bars of the two carriages are required to
be coupled, the pin H of one of them is raised, when the block B is allowed to drop
into a vertical position, and is thereby caused to act as a support or holder of the
pin H, as shewn in Fig. 2; whereas in the other draw bar the link K is pressed
backwards, and thereby caused to raise the block B into the position shewn in
Fig. 1, when, by resting on the inner end of the link K, it serves as a guide to hold
the link in its required position.
When the two draw bars are brought together, the link K of that shewn in
Fig. 1 will force backwards the block B of the draw bar (Fig. 2), when the pin H,
having no longer any support, will fall by its own weight and complete the
operation of coupling automatically or without the aid of a workman to connect the
parts as usual.
It will be seen that the link K being held in position solely by the pressure of the
block B acting as a link guide, the projecting end of the link is left free to be moved.
to a considerable extent, both laterally and vertically, so that should the centre of
one draw bar not be in line with the opposing one, it will not prevent the
coupling being effected, provided only that the projecting end of the link be caused
to strike within range of the curved surfaces forming the bell mouth of the opposing
draw bar.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention communicated to me
from abroad as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I hereby
declare that what I claim as of the said Invention is,-
First. The combination in one and the same suspended piece of a link guide and
connecting or coupling pin holder, to be used in a draw bar in the manner herein-
before described.
And, Secondly. The formation of the draw bar with an inclined surface E, F, in
combination with the link K and link guide B, as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Charles Bowen, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.
E. C. BOWEN. (L.S.)