Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1887.
Complete Left, 17th Aug., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 11th Oct., 1887.
I, JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincolns Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Edmond Joseph Roullié, Mechanical Model Maker
and Léonce Alexis Singier both of Paris in the Republic of France to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to an automatic coupling for railway and other like vehicles
which enables the automatic coupling to be performed with equal facility upon
straight lines and upon curves of small radius. This improved apparatus which is
free from complexity and can be economically constructed comprises a male and
female part hereinafter described each end of the two vehicles to be thereby connected
together being provided with the two parts.
The male part consists essentially of a draw bar provided with an elongated link
of peculiar form presenting a long straight or approximately straight part at the
extremity where it engages with the jaws or hooks constituting the female part on
the next vehicle so as to ensure the proper contact of the parts even when presented
at an angle as when the coupling has to be performed on a curve for example. This
link is capable of turning on a pin or axis provided at each end with a ratchet wheel
the teeth of which engage with a double spring pawl or catch attached to the part
supporting the pin. This ratchet arrangement enables the link to be adjusted and
retained at any desired angle for the purpose of coupling vehicles of unequal height.
The corresponding female part consists essentially of two hinged jaws or hooks
presenting inclined surfaces which are acted on by the link on the next vehicle in
such a manner as to cause the jaws to open and become engaged with the said link.
Each jaw is provided with an arm acted on by a spring common to both jaws which
tends to maintain the jaws in the closed position. The said arms are connected by
supporting plates or links to studs or pins screwed to the support or part directly
connected to the draw bar. A pin or bolt is passed through the said plates or links
and connects them to supports or T pieces on a lever used for uncoupling the

page_text: vehicles. This lever works in a guide attached to one of the buffers or other suitable
support and provided with a spring catch for retaining the lever in the position for
coupling. A handle on one end of the lever projects at the side of the vehicle so as
to enable the coupling to be operated without going between the vehicles.
The two couplings at each end of the vehicle are connected to opposite ends of one
transverse bar connected at the middle to a central draw bar provided with springs in
the usual manner. The tightening action is regulated or controlled by means of a
screwed shaft working in a nut or screw on the aforesaid transverse bar and rotated
by means of a bevel wheel gearing with corresponding wheels on transverse shafts
provided with hand wheels or crank handles. The screwed shaft is supported in a
step or bearing at one end and at the other is connected to the central draw bar by a
sleeve which admits of the rotation of the said screwed shaft. The transverse shafts
are capable of sliding longitudinally so as to enable the bevel wheels to be moved
out of gear when required.
The jaws or hooks are made of such a length as to allow the link to move freely
therein and obviate all danger of breakage even when the buffers are pushed home.
The jaws or hooks may be arranged to ossilate in a vertical or horizontal plane and
in the latter case the ratchet wheel arrangement on the coupling link may be
dispensed with.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and other
Vehicles.
1 JAMES YATE JOHNSON of 47 Lincoln's Inn Fields in the County of Middlesex
Gentleman do hereby declare the nature of this Invention which has been com-
municated to me from abroad by Edmond Joseph Roullie mechanical model maker
and Leonco Alexis Singier both of Paris in the Republic of France and in what
manner the same is to be performed to he particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :-
This Invention relates to an automatic coupling for railway and other like vehicles
which enables the automatic coupling to be performed with equal facility upon
straight lines and upon curves of small radius. This improved apparatus which is free
from complexity and can be economically constructed is provided with a link or loop
of special form which engages with a pair of hooks or jaws a link or loop and a pair
of hooks or jaws being provided at the ends of each vehicle in combination with means
for operating the same as hereinafter described.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
anore particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
figures on the annexed sheet of Drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents the improved coupling in plan
and Figure 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the same partly in section. Figure 3
represents the coupling with the jaws or hooks open.
Figure 4 represents the joint of the hooks or jaws of the coupling in section the
section being taken along the lines 1-2 figure 3.
The remaining figures illustrate modifications and details hereinafter described.
One part of the coupling consists of an elongated link or loop a be figures 1 and 2
of peculiar form presenting a long straight or approximately straight part be at the
extremity where it engages with jaws or hooks M M' (figure 2) forming the other
part of the coupling on the next vehicle. It will be seen by referring to the drawing
that the form of the loop a b c cuables it to engage with the hooks M M' even when
presented at an angle as when the coupling has to be perfórmed with vehicles standing
or moving on a curve for example. This link or loop is capable of turning on a pin
or axis A provided at each end with a ratchet wheel the teeth of which engage with
a double spring pawl or catch C attached to a head B on the end of a draw bar T
connected to the loop and passing through the head stock as shewn in the drawing.
This ratchet arrangement enables the link or loop to be adjusted and retained at any
desired angle for the purpose of coupling vehicles of unequal height.
The two hooks M M are connected together by a short pin O figure 4 and are
formed in one with arms m connected by links or plates to studs or pins & ¹

page_text: screwed to a head F on a draw bar T'arranged at the side of the draw bar T figure 1.
The arins m are acted on by a spring R common to both hooks and so arranged as to
maintain the hooks normally in the closed position as indicated in figure 2. The
extremities of two pins e connecting the arms m to the plates ll work with a certain
amount of play in elongated holes in plates S S' on the short arm p of a lever P
having its fulcrum at X figures 1 and 4. The long arm of this lever plays in a
guide D figure 5 provided with a catch t² and a spring which enables the hooks M M'
to be locked in the open position (figure 3) by moving the long arm of the lever P
away from the headstock (see arrows, figure 1) thereby causing the arm p to move
towards the headstock so as to open the hooks against the pressure of the spring R
the parts being retained in this position by causing the lever P to engage with the
catch as indicated in figure 5.
The heads B F of the two couplings at each end of each vehicle are connected by
the draw bars T T to opposite ends of a common transverse bar T2 figure 1 connected
at the middle by a screw N¹ to a central draw bar N provided with springs (not
shown in the drawing) in the usual manner. The tightening action is regulated or
controlled by means of the screw N which works in a nut or screw fin the aforesaid
transverse bar T and is rotated by means of a bevel wheel E gearing with corre-
sponding wheels F1 F2 on transverse shafts F3 provided with hand wheels or crank
handles (not shown in the drawing) at the sides of the vehicle. The screwed shaft N¹
is supported in a step or bearing at one end and at the other is connected to the
central draw bar N by a sleeve or swivel U which admits of the rotation of the said
screwed shaft. The transverse shafts F3 are capable of sliding longitudinally in their
bearings so as to enable the hevel wheels F1 F2 to be moved out of gear with the
bevel wheel E after the coupling has been tightened and thus leave the draw bar free
to move longitudinally in accordance with the strains to which it may be subjected.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the two vehicles are brought
together the part bc of the loops or links a b c is forced against inclines n n¹ formed on
the hooks MM' which first open to admit the part bc of the loop and then close upon
it under the action of the spring R. The form of the loops and hooks is such (see
figure 1) that ample play is allowed between them and there is no danger of breakage
even when the buffers are forced home. There is no danger of the hooks opening
accidentally so as to release the loops or links as the strain of the traction tends to
force the hooks together owing to the arrangement of the plates herein before
referred to which are mounted on separate centres from the hooks. In order to
uncouple the vehicles there is no occasion to go between them as by means of handles
(not shown in the drawing) on the outer ends of the levers P either of these levers
can be readily moved in the direction of the arrows in the plan (figure 1) whereby
the hooks M M' are caused to open as hereinbefore described and release the
loops a b C.
In the foregoing description the hooks M M are arranged one above the other in a
vertical plane but they may evidently be arranged horizontally if preferred. This
arrangement is illustrated in plan in figure 6 and in side elevation partly in section
in figure 7 and in transverse section in figure 8. The parts being marked with the
same letters of reference the action will be readily understood from the preceding
description by referring to the drawing the only material difference being in the
form of the hand levers which work horizontally and are arranged in a line with
the slotted plates S S¹ as indicated in figures 6 and 8.
When this horizontal arrange-
ment is adopted the ratchet wheels and pawls of the loops or links may be dispensed
with the part of the loops being of sufficient length to allow for any inequality in
the level of the couplings that is likely to occur in practice.
Figure 9 is a front elevation of the improved coupling arranged underneath a
central buffer. In this case the draw bars in place of passing through the head stock
as in the preceding arrangements work in suitable guides firmly bolted to the under-
side of the head stock and the hand levers P are placed beneath below the coupling.
The guides D for these levers are attached to a stirrup or strap bolted to the
underside of the head stock.

page_text: It is evident that the details of construction and arrangement may be modified in
various ways without affecting the principle of the invention for example a trans-
mission of motion may be employed enabling the angle or inclination of the loops or
links to be regulated from the sides of the vehicles.
The transverse traction bar T2 may be attached to the bars T T carrying the
heads BF by a moveable joint as indicated in Figure 11. Figures 10 and 11 also
show a simplified arrangement of the mechanism for regulating the tension and
consisting in the employment of a worm wheel E' fixed on the bar or screwed shaft N¹
and gearing with a worm F4 on a shaft F3 operated by hand wheels at its extremities
as in the arrangement herein before described with reference to figures 1 and 2. The
screw N works in a nut jointed to the bar T2 by a link or stirrup F* secured by a
pin y.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I claim is —
First An automatic coupling provided with a loop or link a b c acting in
combination with jaws or hooks M M' situated in a vertical plane and arranged and
operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figures 1 to 5 of
the accompanying drawings.
Second-An automatic coupling with a link or loop a be acting in combination
with jaws or hooks M and Msituated in a horizontal plane and arranged and
operating substantially as herein before described with reference to figures 6, 7, 8 and 9
of the accompanying drawings.
Third An automatic coupling with a link or loop abe and vertical or horizontal
jaws or hooks M M acting in combination with a tension regulator arranged and
operating in the manner and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Fourth-The arrangements and combinations of parts constituting the improved
automatic couplings for railway and other like vehicles substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Duted this 17th day of Sua 1007