An Improved Method for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1900-Accepted, 1st Sept., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
We, GEORGE ASHWORTH, of Waterfoot, in Rossendale, in the County of Lan-
caster, Gentleman, and JAMES TAYLOR, of Todd Carr Lane, Boothford, in Rossen-
dale, aforesaid, Time-keeper, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:-
For the purposes of our invention we fix a short transverse shaft secured in
suitable bearings and supported by two double necked pedestals at the end of
cach truck and which is passed through the hole in the draw-hook. On this
shaft is keyed a large specially shaped shackle and a small pinion wheel. Under
this shaft we have a longer transverse shaft secured as above (and additional
small pedestals near each end) on which 'is another pinion wheel which gears in
the pinion wheel on the short shaft and which longer shaft projects on each side
beyond the frame of the truck on each end of which is keyed a lever or handle
by means of which the shaft can be turned by the shunter from the outside and
the shackle lowered and raised on and off the draw-hook of another truck as
required. At the end of each truck is a small recess just over the draw-hook into
which the end of the large shackle passes when the buffer springs are contracted
or janimed together and the shackle naturally falls or drops to its place on the
draw-hook as the buffer springs expand. The shackle is secured in a vertical
position (preparatory to coupling) at the ends of each truck by means of a spring
fixed under each end of the truck to which spring is attached a lever at the
opposite end of which is a connecting rod which is attached to the longer shaft
by a studded bracket which answers the purpose of a crank. When the trucks
are coupled together the spring will keep the shackle in a horizontal position on
the draw-hook and prevent the same from becoming uncoupled except by the aid
of the said side levers or handles.
1900
GEORGE ASHWORTH.
JAMES TAYLOR.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
We, GEORGE ASHWORTH, of Waterfoot, Gentleman, and JAMES TAYLOR, of Todd
Carr Lane, Boothfield, Time Keeper, both in Rossendale, in the County of Lan-
caster, 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:-
This invention relates to means for coupling and uncoupling railway trucks
and the like from the side of the vehicle The object of our invention is to pro-
vide a simple and effective appliance to enable those who may be engaged in
making up a train or shunting, to couple or uncouple said trucks from either
side of the vehicles so as to avoid the necessity of passing between the buffers
or the ends of the vehicles.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings to which we hereinafter refer. Fig. 1 is an
end view of an ordinary low sided spring buffer goods wagon, with our invention
applied.
Fig. 2 is part plan, and Fig. 3 part sectional elevation of the same: Fig. 4
shows a part of Fig. 3 in different positions.
In these views similar letters refer to similar parts.
For the purpose of this invention we pass a short transverse shaft a through
the shank of the draw bar b, and support the ends of said shaft in the upper por-
tions of double necked pedestals or brackets c. We key on or other wise secure
to said shaft a shackle d and a toothed wheel e. We fit transversely below the
draw hook a shaft f extending to and projecting a little beyond the sides of the
vehicle; said shaft is supported near the centre by the lower portion of the afore-
said double necked pedestals c, and at each end by brackets as g that are secured
to the headstock. A toothed wheel or segment of a toothed wheel j is fitted on
said shaft and gears into the wheel e; a lever as k or an equivalent is fitted on
each end of the shaft f by which said shaft can be turned and the shackle d
raised or lowered.
The shackle d is retained in a raised position as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 by a
spring as that is attached to the under side of the wagon and connected to one
end of a pivotted lever as m the opposite end of said lever being connected by a
cranked rod q to a short lever p secured to the shaft f.
In order to couple two vehicles the shaft f is turned by the handle k with suffi
cient pressure to overcome the resistance of the spring and lower the shackle d
on to the draw hook of the adjacent vehicle, at the same time causing the end p¹
of the lever p to pass to the opposite side of the shaft f and rest against the head-
stock as shown in Fig. 4, when the spring reexerting its force on the lever
as soon as said lever has passed the vertical position prevents the end of the
shackle rising from the hook of the aforesaid adjacent vehicle: When wagons
require to be uncoupled, the shaft f is turned in the reverse direction to that
herein last named thereby raising the shackle d and causing the lever ? to
return to the position shown in Fig. 3 the shackle & being retained in a raised
Josition by the aforesaid spring. A small recess may be formed over the draw
hook at the end of each truck to permit the end of the shackle d to enter when
the buffer springs are contracted or pressed together the shackle falling again
into its place on the draw hook when the buffer springs expand.
Jn a modification of our invention in place of the spring and the lever we
fit a flat steel spring so as to project from the headstock under the end of the
shackled through which the shaft a passes, and form the underside of said end
square to rest thereon, so that when the shackle is either turned up or turned
down the action will be the same as when opening or closing a pocket knife.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
The improved coupling for railway trucks and like vehicles consisting in the
combination with the ordinary draw hook of a shackle as d that is raised and
lowered by a transverse shaft as f said shackle being retained either in an upward
or a horizontal position by a spring as or other equivalent spring substantially
as and for the purpose herein before described.
101
• T
محمد
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.