IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to George Whyte, of Northview, Elgin, North Britain,
Doctor of Medicine, for the. Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED
WITH COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 2nd June 1876, and dated the 14th January 1876.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Whyte at the Office of
the Cominissioners of Patents on the 14th January 1876.
GEORGE WHE, of Northview, Elgin, North Britain, Doctor of Medicine.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
This Invention has reference to a new or improved self-acting coupling and
locking mechanism for the ends of railway carriages, waggons, and trucks, and in
the arrangement of springs and lengthening and shortening mechanism connected
therewith, which besides automatically coupling the carriages can be easily and
speedily locked or unlocked from the platform or side of the train without danger
to the attendant, and at the same time these couplings will be more secure and
efficient in their action than these hitherto in use.
And the nature and novelty of this Invention consist in forming the immediate
coupling parts of two solid hars, each with coupling heads at their outer ends with
vertical bearing or drawing surfaces on each side of the rod or bar, overlapping or
crossing each other laterally on each side, and having the heads beyond these
hooking and drawing parts formed with vertical surfaces rounded or bevelled
outwards, so that when the carriages come together these rounded or bevelled parts
press each other asunder laterally against the power of a spring at the other end of
their bars until the crossing and drawing parts pass each other, when the power of
the spring forces them into their close coupled position, in which they are locked by
one or two swivelling forked locking levers fulcrumed on a long hand spindle on
the top of each bar some distance back from the locking heads, the spindles
projecting sufficiently near the sides of the carriage, and with handles on them to
enable the attendant to turn down the forked end of the lever, and lock or unlock
these couplings at their bearing or drawing ends (or unhook the couplings) at
pleasure from the side of the train or platform without going in between the ends
of the carriages.

page_text: The inner end of each coupling bar is attached to and guided in a cast iron or
other box part (fixed or coupled to the centre of the end frames of each carriage) by
an ordinary form of conoidal spiral spring, which would sustain the force of shocks
and prevent breakage of the bars or hooks; these spring boxes are coupled to the
carriage at one or both ends by a longitudinal screw spindle or bar and screw nut,
through which the hook or coupling bars are shortened or lengthened to draw the
ends of the carriages and buffers close together or more apart, as desired, to hold the
hooks in proper acting distance. This shortening or lengthening is effected by a
transverse shaft fitted in the end of each carriage with handles at each side, and a
screw on the centre working into a screw wheel on the nut or on the before-
mentioned screw nut or longitudinal screw coupling bar, either direct or through an
intermediate spindle and increasing speed wheels, all so that the turning of the
transverse screw shaft by either of its side handles would lengthen or shorten the
coupling bars, and so tighten their hooking ends to the degree desired. The
conoidal drawing spring is preferably made to retain each coupling or hook bar in
its proper straight hooking position, and thus also act as the lateral engaging
spring, against the power of which the wedge or rounded heads act in the operation
of coupling. But by making a joint on each hook bar a separate lateral automatic
spring might be used for pressing the hinged hooked part into action.