Improvements in Couplings Applicable for Railway Waggons, Carriages, and similar other Vehicles, and in Means for Operating same.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improvements in Couplings Applicable for Railway Waggons,
Carriages, and similar other Vehicles, and in Means for
Operating same.
I, JAMES ALLAN WOOD, of Goulbourne Street, Keighley, Yorkshire, Mechanic do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows, that is to say :-
It relates to improvements in couplings applicable for railway waggons carriages
and similar vehicles, and in means for operating same, and consists of forming and
arranging the parts thereof so that they may be efficiently operated without the
operator being required to go between said vehicles to effect said object.
To attain this, I attach, in a suitable position and manner on the outer end of the
vehicle as is well known, an appropiately shaped hoop on which I hinge or mount a
suitably shaped hook-and-link. This combination hook-and-link is to enable the
positions of the couplings to be interchangeable, that is to enable one vehicle to be
coupled to another by the link of the one being joined or in connection with the hook
of the other or vice versâ, or so that they may be used in connection with and coupled
to the ordinary hook at present in use.
To operate the hook-and-link above named, without the operator being required to
go between the vehicles, a horizontal shaft is placed to pass across the end of said
vehicles, to each of the outer ends of which is attached a handle for the purpose of
operating said shaft. In or about the centre part of this shaft is formed a crank
which is made to span the hook-and-link above described, so that as said shaft is rotated
said hook-and-link is raised or lowered, and by it loosely laying hold of said hook
and-link any desired lateral movement may be also effected by said shaft being moved
bodily as may be desired.
Instead of the crank being formed on the shaft as above described, a suitably shaped

page_text: projection may be formed thereon, having the necessary cross or other pieces for
laying loosely hold of the hook-and-link.
It will readily be understood that when two or more couplings are required at each
end of each vehicle, those constructed according to this invention may be applied, a
separate cranked part or projection being formed on the horizontal shaft to suit each
separate coupling.
thin 4th day of October 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings Applicable for Railway Waggons,
Carriages, and similar other Vehicles, and in Means for
Operating same.
I, JAMES ALLAN WOOD, of Goulbourne Street, Keighley in the County of York,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, that is to say :-
It relates to improvements in couplings applicable for railway waggons, carriages
and similar vehicles, and in means for operating same; and consists of forming and
arranging the parts thereof so that they may be efficiently operated without the
operator being required to go between said vehicles to effect said object.
Such being the nature and object of my said invention in order that same may be
more readily understood I have hereunto appended sheets of drawings illustrative
thereof wherein fig. 1 is side sectional view of portions of two waggons with my
improved coupling applied.
Fig. 2 is a top view of fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views to figs. 1 and 2
respectively, but illustrate a modification in the coupling. Fig. 5 is a detail drawing
hereinafter referred to.
Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.
The object of this invention is attained by attaching, in the usual manner and
position, to the end of the vehicle a an appropriately shaped loop 6 on which I hinge
or mount a suitably shaped hook-and-link c c. This combination hook-and-link e c'
is to enable the positions of the couplings to be interchangeable, that is to enable one
vehicle to be coupled to another by the link c¹ of the one being joined to or placed in
connection with the hook c of the other or vice versa, or so that they may be used in
connection with, and coupled to the ordinary hook at present in use.
Instead of the link c¹ being rigidly attached to the hook e as shewn by figs. 1 and 2,
it might be hinged thereto as shewn by figs. 3 and 4.
To operate the hook-and-link c c above described, without the operator being
required to go between the vehicles a for that purpose, a horizontal shaft d is placed
to pass across the end of the vehicle to which said hook-and-link c c' is applied. To
each of the outer ends of said shaft d is attached a handle e (see figs. 1 and) for the
purpose of operating this shaft d, or instead of having the handle e attached to said
shaft d, a suitably shaped opening might be made in each of the outer ends of said
shaft d, into which a detachable handle g (see fig. 5) might be inserted.
In or about the centre part of the shaft d or otherwise in the proper part thereof
which is in suitable proximity with the hook-and-link c c¹ when same are applied to
a vehicle, is formed a crank h which is made to span the hook-and-link cc' so that as
the shaft d is rotated said hook-and-link c c¹ is raised or lowered, and by the crank
part only loosely laying hold of the hook-and-link c c' any desired lateral movement

page_text: may be also effected by said shaft d being moved bodily. The outer ends of said
shaft dare made to project a suitable distance beyond, and clear of the bearings
carrying same in order to allow this lateral movement of shaft d to be effected.
In order to give the necessary rigidity to the hook-and-link c c³, when same are
constructed as shewn by figs. 3 and 4, so that when the shaft d is rotated for the
purpose of raising said hook-and-link c c¹, these shall assume and maintain a similar
position, during such movement upwards or during any lateral movement that might
be imparted to them through said shaft d, to that of the hook-and-link constructed as
shewn by figs. 1 and 2; the outer part of the projecting arm of the hook c has attached
to it the projections kk which attain the desired object. However to give the hook c
more command over the link c¹ when any lateral motion is to be imparted thereto, as
above described (should the vehicles a a be moved closer to each other so that the
link c¹ is moved and held at an angle to the hook c), the outer end of the projecting
arm of the hook c is enlarged, the enlargement being forined somewhat of a semi-
circular shape as shewn at m fig. 3.
Instead of the crank h being formed in shaft d as shewn by fig. 2, said shaft may
be cranked as shewn at n n fig. 4, and have the fork-like projections s s attached as
will readily be understood.
From the foregoing it will be seen that since any vertically oscillatory as well as
any lateral movement can be imparted by the shaft d to the hook-and-link c c the
object of operating same as is desired may be attained without the operator being
required to go between said vehicles.
It will readily be understood that when two or more couplings constructed as herein
described are placed at each end of each vehicle it is only necessary for (a crank h or)
projections ss to be (formed in or) attached to the shaft d in quantity and position to
suit the quantity and position of the couplings so. used after the manner shewn by
fig. 4, in order for all of them to be operated by the shaft d.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
1. The hook-and-link c c¹ constructed as shown by figs. 1 and 2, the loop 6 and
the vehicle a in combination substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.
2. The hook-and-link c c¹ constructed as shewn by figs. 1 and 2, the loop b, the
shaft d having a crank (or cranks) h the handle e and the vehicle a in combination.
substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.
3. The hook-and-link cc' constructed as shewn by figs. 3 and 4, having projections k
and enlargement m, the loop 6 and the vehicle a in combination substantially as and
for the purposes herein specified.
4. The hook-and-link c e' constructed as shewn by figs. 3 and 4, the loop b, the
shaft d having the projections ss, and openings ff, the handle and the vehicle a in
combination substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.
Dated this 3rd day of January 1888.