IM- PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS AND IN APPLIANCES CONNECTED THERE WITH
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johann Heinrich Cohrs, of Steinstrasse, in the
City of Hamburg, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS in
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs
.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 10th April 1874.
I, JOHANN HEINRICH COHRS, of Steinstrasse, in the City of Hamburg,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS AND IN APPLIANCES CONNECTED THERE WITH,"
to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to railway couplings and to appliances connected
therewith whereby the couplings can be operated both for attachment
and for screwing up from either side of a carriage both for connecting
to adjoining vehicles and for uncoupling or disconnecting them when
desired without the necessity of workmen going between the carriages
as is now usually donc.

page_text: The Invention consists, firstly, in fitting upon or to the screw nut of
one link a plate, to which or to the nut a chain or its equivalent is
attached at one end, the other end being connected to a lever centred or
hung upon the carriage body in such a manner that it can be actuated
by a hand lever from the side of the vehicle. The nut of the other link
of the coupling has also a plate to limit the drop motion of the coupling,
and the lever has a link or strap to facilitate the lifting of the coupling
to and above a horizontal position for engaging upon the hook of the
adjoining vehicle.
Instead of the chain lifting apparatus I also use a lever arrangement,
which is attached to the framework of the vehicle, by means of which the
coupling can be lifted from beneath the same, being connected to levers
at the sides of the carriage in a similar way as above described.
The swing lover of the screw is formed with double ratchet pauls, onc
or other of which can be thrown into and out of gear with a ratchet
wheel keyed upon the screw itself according to the direction the screw
has to be turned, the double ratchets being under the control of lugs
arranged upon a swivel piece, and of a lever which can be thrown to
cither side of a depending lover by an attendant from the side of the
vehicle. The depending lever thus acts as the screwing up lever, and
has only to swing to and fro to draw the hook links nearer together or to
send them farther apart, as the case may be.
The next part of the Invention consists in threading a portion of the
draw bar which is beneath the vehicle and fitting a threaded cross head
with straps or link bars thercon, the cross head straps being in connection
with an intermediato piece, on which is a long toothed pinion and a
swivel socket forming the attachment to the portion of the draw bar
attached to the resistance spring. The long toothed pinion is geared
into by a pinion upon a rod whose opposite end has a bevilled wheel upon
it, and this is geared into by another bevilled wheel upon a rod running
athwart the carriage, and to which handles are arranged for operating
the various parts for both coupling and uncoupling the vehicles. In this
latter arrangement no swing lever is required to operate the coupling
screw, nor is a screw needed between the hook links. I purpose however
to employ the nut plates and the lifting appliances herein-before
described in conjunction when desired.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 10th October 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHANN.
HEINRICH COIRS, of Steinstrasse, in the City of Hamburg, Merchant,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent bearing date the Tenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
seventh year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs, Her special
licence that I, the said Johann Heinrich Colirs, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Johann Heinrich
Cohrs, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 RAILWAY COUPLINGS AND IN APPLIANCES CONNECTED THERE.
WITH," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Johann
Heinrich Cohrs, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their bands and scals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of tho 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs, do hereby.
declare the nature of my 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:—
This Invention relates to railway couplings and to appliances connected
therewith whereby the couplings can be operated both for attachment
and for screwing up from either side of a carriage for connecting two
adjoining vehicles and for uncoupling or disconnecting them when
desired without the necessity of workmen going between the carriages.
as is now usually done.

page_text: "
The first part of my Invention will be well understood on reference to
the accompanying Drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 show the end of
an ordinary railway carriage with the first of my coupling apparatus
affixed to it. a is a plate fitted upon or to the screw nut 6 of one link
of the coupling, to which plate or to the nut a chain c or its equivalent
is attached at one end, the other end being connected to a lever d centred
or hung upon a shaft & running across the end of the carriage body e in
such a manner that it can be actuated by hand levers f, f, from the sides
of the vehicle. The nut g of the other link of the coupling has also a
plate to limit the drop motion of the coupling. The position of the
coupling and levers when the carriage is not connected with another is
shown by the dotted lines, and to lift the coupling so as to enable it to
be passed over the hook of the carriage to which it has to be connected
the operator has only to pull down one of the levers f, f, which raises
the lever d, and by the connection of the latter lever with the coupling
through the chain c it is brought up to the required position. The
coupling can also be raised from the roof of the carriage by fitting
another chain i to the lever d and leading it up to near the roof of the
carriage, where it is supported and terminates in a handle j for the
purpose. When two carriages are connected the strain on the draw bar
spring can be regulated by the lever and balance weight fitted to the
usual right and left handed screw of the coupling, as shown.
Instead of the chain lifting apparatus I may use a lever arrangement
which is attached to the framework of the vehicle, by means of which
the coupling can be lifted from beneath, the coupling proper being con-
nected to levers at the sides of the carriage in a similar way as above
described.
This second part of my Invention is clearly shown in Figures 3 to 11,
inclusive, in which it will be seen that the chains c and i, as in Figures 1
and 2, are dispensed with, and the shaft d' is fitted at its centre with a
couple of levers 1, 1, arranged to take against the under side of the
coupling link. The result is that on a slight motion in the required
direction being imparted to the lovers f, f, at the side of the carriage
the coupling is raised by the levers 7, 1, in the position necessary for its
free link to be passed over the hook of the adjoining carriage. The
swing lever m of the screw is shown in Figures 8 and 9, and is formed
with double ratchet pawls n, n, one or other of which can be thrown
into and out of gear with a ratchet wheel p keyed upon the screw itself

page_text: according to the direction the screw has to be turned, the double ratchets
being under the control of lugs q arranged upon a swivel piece and of
a lever which can be thrown to either side of the depending or swing
lever m by an attendant from the side of the vehicle. The depending
lever m thus acts as the screwing up lever, and has only to swing to and
fro to draw the hook links nearer together or to send them farther apart,
as the case may be..
The next part of my. Invention consists in threading a portion of tho
draw bar t which is beneath the vehicle, and fitting a threaded cross
head u with straps or link bars v, thereon, the cross head straps being
in connection with an intermediate piece w, on which is a long toothed
pinion x and a swivel socket y forming the attachment to the portion of
the draw bar attached to the resistance spring. The long toothed
pinion is geared into by a pinion z upon a rod A, whose opposite end
has a bevilled wheel B upon it, and this is geared into by another bevilled
wheel C upon a rod D running athwart the carriage, and to which
handles E, E, are arranged for operating the various parts for both
coupling and uncoupling the vehicles. In this latter arrangement no
swing lever is required to operate the coupling screw, nor is a screw
needed between the hook links. I purpose however to employ the nut
plates and the lifting appliances herein-before described in conjunction
when desired.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
Firstly. The combination of appliances and the method by which
coupling and uncoupling of vehicles on railways can be effected from
the end of the vehicle, as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of
the accompanying Drawings.
Secondly. I claim fitting plates on the nuts of railway couplings by
which the links can be lifted and be brought into position for hooking,
as set forth and shown.
Thirdly. I claim the combination of appliances described with reference
to Figures 3 to 11 of the accompanying Drawings, whereby the lift of
the coupling for attachment and disconnecting can be effected from the
end of a railway carriage.
Fourthly. I claim the apparatus shown in Figures 8 and 9 of the
accompanying Drawings, as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: Fifthly. I claim the appliances described with reference to Figures 10,.
11, and 12 of the accompanying Drawings, by which a lengthening and
shortening of the draw bar of railway vehicles can be effected from the
outside for tightening up and releasing the touch of two adjoining
carriages, as set forth.
outside for Lightening up and releasing the touch of two adjoining
carriages, as set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, One
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of October, One
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
J. H. COHRS. (L.S.)