IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Į JOSEPH KAYE of Kirkstall in the County of York, and 93 High Holborn,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Lock Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the couplings of vehicles such as Railway carriages,
Tram cars, Waggons, Fire engines &c, when it is desired to couple the one to the
other or horses or engines to any one of them and has for its object the construction
of an automatic and instantaneous fastener.
In the case of a Railway carriage, through the end of the frame, between the
buffers I pass one or more projections hereinafter described and one or more
openings hereinafter described.
When the carriages are brought together, the projections on the one carriage are
opposite to the openings on the other. The projections are tongues of iron or steel
having a notch or notches in the required position connected up to the ordinary
draw bar arrangements, this tongue or coupling enters an opening and is retained
in the position by a quadrant form of catch actuated by a spiral or coil spring or
counter balance.
The uncoupling is readily effected by lifting the catch, the centres of which
can be carried to the outside of the carriage and actuated without the porter or
attendant stepping on to the rails or between the carriages or between the engine
and the carriage or carriages it is intended to couple together, a recess is made into
the ends of the centre of the catch for a railway key which on applying will have
ample leverage for the uncoupling.
When it is desired to have the catch held up a ratchet wheel and paul or its
equivalent is provided on the shaft in any convenient position.
Dated this eighteenth day of February 1884.

page_text: I, JOSEPH KAYE of Kirkstall, in the County of York, and of 93, High Holborn,
London, in the County of Middlesex, Lock Maker, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS, and in what manner the same
is to be perforined, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to the coupling of vehicles, such as railway carriages,
tram-cars, waggons, fire engines, &c. when it is desired to couple the one to the
other, or engines to any of them, and has for its object the construction of an
automatic and instantaneous fastener, which consists in securing to the draw bars
of railway carriages, or to the frames of the engine or tram-cars, a hollow casing
in which is mounted a quadrant form of catch, arranged in such a manner that
the projecting tongue or corresponding part of my improved coupling, when the
carriages are brought together, enters the opening of the hollow casing, it com-
presses a spring or other flexible cushion at the extreme end of the opening; and
at the same time actuates the quadrant form of catch, causing it to turn on its axis
until the same is opposite an indentation cut in the projecting tongue, when it drops
into the same, thereby coupling the two carriages or other vehicles together, without
the attendant having occasion to step on to the rails between the carriages, or
between the engine and carriages or other things to which my improved coupling
may be applied.
I will now proceed to describe my invention more in detail by making reference
to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Fig 1 represents a side elevation
of my improved coupling as prepared for tram-cars. Fig. 2 is an elevation partly
in section, shewing the quadrant form of catch in gear with the indentation cut in
the projecting tongue. Fig. 3 is another elevation with the quadrant moved clear
of the projecting tongue, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the apparatus: in all the figures the
two portions of the couplings are shewn detached from the vehicles or other things
which require coupling.
The coupling will require different forms of attachments to suit the different
classes of carriages, engines or other things to which it may be applied; the one
shewn by the drawings is prepared for a tram engine, and is attached to the same
by a pin passing through the jaw A, and corresponding portions on the engine.
This jaw is jointed to the hollow casing B by pin C which allows the coupling to
accomodate itself to the curves of the lines.
The opposite end of the hollow casing at D is funnel shaped, and at some distance
from the end thereof, I mount a shaft E, upon which is formed a quadrant catch F;
upon the said shaft is also secured the catch plate G, and near to the end of the
shaft is secured the lever H. When the lever H is in the position as shewn by
Fig. 1, the quadrant catch F is as shewn by Fig. 2, and when the projecting
tongue J which is attached to the car draw bar is made to enter the hollow casing,
the end of the said tongue coming in contact with the flat side of the quadrant
catch F, causes it to turn on its axis and allow the tongue to continue its course,
until the indentation cut in the said tongue is opposite the quadrant catch F, when
the same will drop into the indentation and thereby couple them together.
At the end of the recess in the hollow casting, I place a spiral spring or other
flexible cushion K, such as india rubber, which is compressed on the bar entering,
and serves to keep the indentation in the tongue in contact with the quadrant
catch when standing.

page_text: In order to uncouple the vehicles without the attendant having occasion to go
between them, the shaft E is extended for some distance from the coupling, and
on raising the lever H until the pawl L drops into the recess 2 in catch plate G,
the quadrant catch F will be moved to the position as shewn by Fig. 3, thereby
allowing the projecting tongue J to be withdrawn and uncoupled.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
The coupling of vehicles or other things together by apparatus the projecting
tongue J of which is cut with an indentation, and the other portion of the apparatus
fitted with a quadrant catch F which when the two are brought together in the
manner described, enters the indentation, thereby automatically coupling them
together, all arranged substantially in the manner described, and as illustrated by
the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 19th day of November 1884
WAUGH & CHAPMAN,
Agents for the Applicant.