Improvements in or connected with Appliances for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway and like Vehioles.
Year: 1899

page_text: 000
Date of Application, 15th Mar, 2000
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 10th Feb., 1900
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 10th' Feb., 1900
Improvements in or connected with Appliances for Coupling and
Uncoupling Railway and like Vehioles.
We, CHARLES ALEXANDER WHEELER, of 14, Harley Road, Willesden, County
of Middlesex, Engineer, and ELI PERRY, of Crowndale House, 1, Camden Street,
St. Pancras, County of London, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
"This invention relates to certain improvements in or connected with appliances
for coupling and uncoupling railway and like vehicles.
To carry this invention into practice, in vehicles having a through draw bar
from one end of a train to the other, we provide the under frame of each vehicle
with a connection bar or link with a kind of universal joint at each end in
connection with spring or rubber resilient pads, through the cross timbers of
which other bars or roda pass for end on motion. The opposite ends of these
bars or rods are provided each with an eye or toggle for a screw nut or key of
another rod, a portion of which is square or of such shape that it can slide in the
boss of a worm wheel capable of operation by a worm on a cross shaft, the
ends of which can be actuated by a winch handle or hand wheel from either
side of the vehicle. The free end or ends of said rod as a portion of the draw
bar is screw threaded and carries a travelling nut hold in a brace to which the
inner end of the draw hook is pivotted, said draw hook being guided in a socket
plate of the head stock, or end cross timber, in such manner that the hook
proper can have a slewing motion imparted to it.
The hook proper is somewhat deep in its face to allow for different heights of
coach or truck body without becoming detached when once coupled up.
We, in some cases, provide slots in the head stock socket into which bolta
can be dropped or removed at will, these being for the purpose of slewing the
hook sideways and for retaining the hooks in a coupled condition.
The bolts
are arranged for operation from either side of the vehicles by levers, the handles
of which project. These are pivotted to the draw bar and have each a slotted
right angled plate, in the slot of which the inner end of draw bar is loosely
connected, and by which the slewing of the coupling hook can be accomplished.
The same appliances can be fitted to goods or mineral wagons with or without
the tightening screws. In such vehicles, the draw bar usually terminates at the
mid-cross timbers and provided with a spring in the usual manner.
By this invention, for passenger vehicles, the hooks can be forced outwardly
by the screw arrangement, then by the levers be slowed sideways to clear one
another, or the hook at the end of one vehicle only need be so operated from
either side of the vehicle for uncoupling, the reverse operation being effectod
when two coaches are brought together with the buffers in touch, then by operat-
ing the cross shaft from either side, the hooks can be drawn tight and the buffers
compressed by the screwing up appliances.

page_text: The draw hook stem may be provided with an eye for the attachment of an
ordinary screw coupling for making up purposes should a vehicle having an
ordinary draw bar hook he coupled therewith.
The whole of the appliances are so arranged as to prevent a man going between
the ends of the coaches.
Improvements in or connected with Appliances for Coupling and
Uncoupling Railway and like Vehicles.
We, CHARLES ALEXANDER WHEELER, of 14, Harley Road, Willesden, County
of Middlesex, Engineer, and ELI PERRY, of Crowndale House, 1, Camden Street,
St. Pancras, County of London, Gentleman, 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 certain improvements in or connected with appliances
for coupling and uncoupling railway and like vehicles.
To carry this invention into practice in vehicles having a through draw bar
from one end of a train to the other, we provide the under frame of each vehicle
with a connection bar or link with a kind of universal joint at each end in
connection with spring or rubber resilient pads through the cross timbers of
which other bars or rods pass for end on motion. The opposite ends of these
bars or rods are provided each with an eye or toggle for a screw nut or key of
another rod, a portion of which is square or of such shape that it can slide in the
boss of a worm wheel capable of operation by a worm on a cross shaft, the
ends of which can be actuated by a winch handle or hand wheel from either
side of the vehicle. The free end or ends of said rod as a portion of the draw
bar is screw threaded and carries a travelling nut held in a brace to which the
inner end of the draw hook is pivotted, said draw hook being guided in a socket
plate of the head stock or end cross timber. in such manner that the hook
proper can have a slewing motion imparted to it.
The hook proper is somewhat deep in its face to allow for different heights of
coach and truck body without becoming detached when once coupled up.
We in some cases provide slots in the head stock socket into which bolts
can be dropped or removed at will, these being for the purpose of slewing the
hook sideways and for retaining the hooks in a coupled condition. The bolts
are arranged for operation from either side of the vehicle by levers, the handles
of which project. These are pivotted to the draw bar and have each a slotted
right angled plate, in the slot of which the inner end of draw bar is loosely
connected and by which the slewing of the coupling hook can be accomplished.
The same appliances can be fitted to goods or mineral wagons with or without
the tightening screws. In such vehicles, the draw bar usually terminates at the
mid-cross timbers and provided with a spring in the usual manner.
By this invention, for passenger vehicles, the hooks can be forced outwardly
by the screw arrangement, then by the levers be slewed sideways to clear one
another, or the hook at the end of one vehicle only need be so operated from
either side of the vehicle for uncoupling, the reverse operation being effected
when two catches are brought together with the buffers in touch, then by operat-

page_text: ing the cross shaft from either side, the hooks can be drawn tight and the buffers
compressed by the screwing up appliances.
The draw hook stem may be provided with an eye for the attachment of an
ordinary screw coupling for making up purposes should a vehicle having an
ordinary draw bar hook be coupled therewith.
The whole of the appliances are so arranged as to prevent a man going between
the ends of the coaches.
Our invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 plan of under frame of two adjoining ends of railway vehicles having
our hook shackles or couplings shown for a continuous draw bar method and
end draw bar respectively, each having an appliance by which the hook shackles
or couplings can be operated from either side of a vehicle.
Figure 2 plan of apparatus showing on the left hand portion a screw up
arrangement by which the carriages can be drawn close up for the buffer springs
to have a strain put upon them.
Figure 3 shows a side elevation of this method.
Figure 4 end elevation of head stock of a railway vehicle with the hook bar
in section and representing a transverse sliding rod for shifting the position of
the hook from either side of a vehicle.
Figure 5 end of railway wagon with a throw up appliance. from either side
of a vehicle to move the hook shackle or coupling clear of the adjoining hook
of the next wagon.
Referring to the left hand portion of Figure 1, A, through draw bar.
B, resilient resisters of strain. C, deep faced hook as a coupling hook projecting
from the end or head stock D of the carriage body frame. E, socket plate in
head stock D and slotted horizontally for side swing motion of the hook bar F
which is pivotted to the end of the draw bar A. G, transverse disengaging rod
between two arms or forks H of which the hook bar F has location, the rod G
terminating with hand pulls or pushers I, I, for operation from either side of
the carriage.
The motion of the rod is limited by the slot in the socket plate from whichever
side the rod is operated whether pushed or pulled.
The projecting hook coupling bar is of sufficient length when central to spring
slightly sideways and become hooked or coupled to an adjoining hook of the
next vehicle when pushed together, thus constituting an automatic coupling,
the rebound of the buffer springs ensuring the clasp action of the two hooks
for draught purposes. The uncoupling by this arrangement can only be effected
at the instant of compression of the buffer springs by the thrust of one vehicle
against another but in any case the method of uncoupling or coupling up
obviates the necessity of a man entering between the vehicles as at present.
As regards the right hand portion of Figure 1, the draw hook bar F is pivotted
at J and its tail end is secured to a leg K of the double ended swing lever G
operable by a slewing motion from either side of the vehicle, otherwise the con-
nection and disconnection corresponds with that already described.
According to Figure 2, the draw hook is extensible by the parbuckle
appliances Loperable by transverse shaft G with worm and worm wheel shown
more clearly in Figure 3. This arrangement can be used with or without the
transverse sliding rod for slewing the hook bar over. For instance, if the hook
bar be slotted and a bolt be put through the socket plate or by blocks M the
hook bar in the outward or inward travel will slew itself into either position
according to the direction of rotation of the shaft by an attendant.
In such a case, it would not be necessary for both hooks to be slewing
hooks, particularly with vehicles always running to and fro without either one
or the other being turned end for end, such as might happen when carriages
have to be picked up from aidings of country stations, it is however more practical
to fit both ends of every carriage with slewing hooks such as we have shown
for rapid connection and disconnection.

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With goods, mineral, and like trucks where no through draw bar is used,
we prefer to pivot a double ended throw up or down lever G such as we show at
Figure 5 for slewing the hook bar over into either position, the lever G
being temporarily yet efficiently locked by either of the cam or curved plates Ny N,
fixed to the truck end.
..
It will be seen by the elevation shown at Figure 3, that the hooks Care 'some-
what deep in their clasping portions so that their engagement is certain, whether
the vehicle be empty or loaded.
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For railway contractors whose trucks are of the roughest description and
subject to exceptional risks, this latter method is specially applicable, since a
number or single trucks can be coupled or uncoupled without danger to the
men in charge or otherwise attending them.
For end-on tipping trucks the arrangement shown at Figure 4 would perhaps
be the most serviceable because the engaging and disengaging rod' G is fitted on
the face of the head stock D but for side tipping trucks, that shown at Figure 5
would be available.
**
"
Having now. particularly, described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
" '
1. As coupling and uncoupling appliances or railway and like vehicles, deep
faced hooks C, the bars of which have a side slewing motion from the ends of
such vehicles in the manner described and by either of the means or appliances
represented on the annexed drawings.
2: In connection with side slewing motioned deep faced hooks of coupling
appliances for railway and like vehicles, the bare slewing motions during concus-
sion of vehicles for disengagement from either side or by extension of such
draw hooks for automatic slewing motions or mechanical actioned slewing
motions when operated for engagement or release from either side, all 'as set
forth and substantially as represented.
3. In railway coupling apparatus, the employment of the worm and worm
wheel appliances L with transverse rod or shaft G shown at Figures 2 and 3
operable from either side of a railway vehicle in combination with a through or
continuous draw bar A for end on motion of tightening up apparatus, substan-
tially as described and represented on the annexed drawings."
The 15th day of December 1899.
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Charles Alexander Wheeler and Eli Perry.