Improvements in Railway Couplings.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Couplings.
1, HERMANN ROBINSOHN, of Wilmersdorferstrasse 23, Charlottenburg, in the
Empire of Germany, Student of the Charlottenburg Technical Institute, 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:-
My invention has reference to improvements in railway couplings, and consists in
improved means whereby the coupling or uncoupling of vehicles may be effected
without the necessity of railway servants (shunters, &c.) entering between the rails
for that purpose.
In this invention the couplings are operated from the sides of the vehicles, thus
avoiding the risk of shunters being crushed between the buffers.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will describe the drawing hereunto annexed, in which similar letters
refer to similar parts in the several figures.
Figure illustrates a plan of the ends of two vehicles showing the coupling
devices and the vehicles coupled.
Figure 2 is an elevation of Figure 1.
Figure 3 illustrates my plan of tightening the coupling thereby bringing the
vehicles nearer together.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of Figure 3.
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The coupler link a is pivotted on the draw bar b, and can turn on the bolt c. It
is provided beyond the bolt c with an extension piece g. Link a is so constructed
that it can bend sideways, springs d being provided right and left for this purpose
so as to allow the link to bend easily.
This coupler does not hang downwards as the ordinary coupler, but rests upwards
and obliquely against the front end of the vehicle. Below the draw bar is a lever e
shaped as a stirrup, which is actuated from the side of a vehicle by means of a
counter-weighted lever arm f. The position of lever e is normally below the vehicle
as shown in Figure 1.
If now two vehicles have to be coupled together, lever e is brought by means of
the lever of one vehicle into the position as shown in Figure 2. The extension
piece g of the coupler link on the moving vehicle strikes the lever e on the other
vehicle and in consequence a turns on the axis c and drops into the hook of the other
vehicle. Leverf is then let go back and e returns to its former position. The
detaching of the coupler link is performed by lever h which, assisted by lever i,
depresses extension piece g and thus raises the coupler link vertically, gravity then
causing it to resume its original position.
In order to obtain a tight coupling of the vehicles after the coupler link has
dropped into the corresponding hook, a device actuated from either side of the
vehicle is provided, by means of which the draw bars and hooks can be brought
nearer together.
The two ends of the draw bars are connected with a nut 7 having right and left
banded thread (Figure 3). On nut is a toothed wheel m gearing with an endless
screw p, which is actuated from the side of the vehicle by means of a shaft n.
The worm wheel m is so arranged that it cannot move in the direction of the
draw bars but remains in gear with the endless screw p when the draw bar is
pulled.
In order to avoid an extensive tension and simultaneously slackening, volute
springs o are provided on each side of nut l.

page_text: 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:
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1. In railway couplings, a coupling link provided with an extension piece fulcrumed
on the draw bar, the coupling and uncoupling being effected through the action of
the said extension piece, substantially as described and illustrated on the drawing
annexed.
2. In railway couplings, levers such as e, h, f, the latter weighted for actuating
the extension piece to couple or uncouple the vehicles, substantially as described
and illustrated in the drawing annexed.
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3. In railway couplings, the device as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the
drawing annexed, for the adjustment of the couplings, substantially as described.
4. In railway couplings, the combination of apparatus as described and
illustrated for coupling and uncoupling railway vehicles from the sides of the said
vehicles.
Dated this 12th day of September 1893
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.