Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1886.
Specification Accepted, 14th Jan., 1887.
JOSEPH HENRY BETTELEY 42 Old Broad Street, London E.C. Engineer 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 my Invention relates to further improvements in Railway Couplings for which
I obtained Letters Patent No. 7460 dated the 18th day of June 1885 which are
designed more particularly for the purpose of coupling together automatically and
instantaneously two or more Railway Carriages, trucks or other vehicles, by hooks,
links or shackles, lifting and locking gears of a novel description for locking and
unlocking the same with facility in any required position and for assuring more
effectually immunity from risk of injury to life and limb.
The first portion of my Patent refers to the construction of a compound hook as
shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 12, 13, 13ª and 13b of the annexed drawings as a
Railway Coupling appliance which hook may be worked automatically or by hand,
also forming when desired a connection with the ordinary hook or chain and links as at
present in use, and can also be used in conjunction with any description of coupling
gear, for coupling together Carriages, trucks or other Vehicles.
The second part of my Invention relates to flexible shackles constructed with or
without springs in the manner as hereinafter described to allow for the give and take
motion in the plunger of spring buffers in traversing curves, and for getting over the
vis-inertiae in wagons or trucks of ordinary construction, when made up into heavy
laden trains.
The third part of my Invention relates to lifting and locking gears which are used
for raising hooks or shackles of any description from their normal positions, and
holding the same in readiness for coupling automatically also for locking or inter-
locking connecting links or shackles when in any position from either side of a
Railway or other vehicle.
The said couplings with their attendant parts I construct of suitable material in
various ways, and in order that my Invention may be more readily understood and
explained in detail, I have hereunto annexed 3 sheets of Drawings on which letters of
reference are marked on corresponding parts on all the Figs. alike.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Sheet 1. Fig. 1. is a side elevation of one of my Improvements in Railway
Couplings, shewing a novel construction of Compound hook, which shews the automatic
coupling hook out of gear and in position for coupling with the ordinary chain or
links (shewn in dotted lines) as at present in use.
Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1. shewing more particularly the normal positions
occupied by the various parts on the end of a Railway truck or wagon representing
the hook in position for coupling with the ordinary chain as at present used.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. shewing the different parts in position for
instantaneous automatic coupling.
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of Fig. 3.
Sheet 2. Figs. 5 and 5ª represent respectively a side elevation and plan of a double
locking coupling, in this example the pin connecting the hook and buffer-headed
flexible link or shackle (with a slightly convex face) with the fork of the draw bar
head, has an eye or hole of any convenient shape and size at either end thereof through
which the ends of my improved shackle work, the said shackle having a head or nut at
its extremities to prevent the same becoming detached.
When the trucks or carriages fitted with this shackle are run one against the other
or brought together for coupling, both of the said shackles have the sufficient play
required to allow for the give and take motion of the plungers of spring buffers. In
traversing curves and for getting over the vis-inertiae in wagons and trucks of ordinary
construction, the said shackles if fitted with springs have them placed by preference
on each arm. between a shoulder formed thereon and the eye-piece end of the pin (as
shewn on the drawings,) connecting the said shackle and hook with the fork on draw
bar-head.
Figs. 6 and 6ª represent respectively a side elevation and plan of a hook formed on
the draw bar head shewing a shackle with a spring on each of its arms (as in Figs. 5
and 5a) but without buffer heads, the pin connecting the shackle with the draw bar
head being made of an oval form so as to fall or pass through a slot made across the
draw bar head on its top side for about an inch in depth, and fit into a slot or hole
equal to its largest diameter.
Figs. 7 and 7 represent respectively a side elevation and plan of a flexible shackle
made in parts with an inside connection, the ends of each shackle having eyes formed
therein to allow a pin of an oval form to pass through and connect same with draw
bar head as described in Figs. 6 and 6ª.
Figs. 8 and 8 represent respectively a side elevation and plan of a flexible shackle
made in parts with an outside connection, the mode of connection with the draw bar
head being similar to that described in Figs. 6, 6ª 7 and 7ª.
Sheet 3. Figs. 9 and 10. are side elevations of different modes I employ for
constructing flexible links or shackles, to allow of the give and take of the buffer rams
and play in traversing curves.
Figs. 11 and 11" represent a side elevation and plan view respectively of a double
locking coupling with locking and lifting gears with attendant parts, and it will be
seen on referring to Figs. 5 and 5a that these couplings are similar in construction
but reversed in their positions, the buffer headed flexible shackles with convex faces
being placed above and the hooks below.
Fig. 12 shews a side elevation of a coupling, the head having a more acute angle
(than in the other examples) for facility of coupling and disconnecting, and a lower
hook to which the ordinary chain coupling link may be attached.
Fig. 12 shows the said coupling thrown back and out of gear, and in position for
coupling with the ordinary hook, the chain acting as a counter balance weight, when
used as an automatic coupling.
Fig. 13 is an end view of one of my improved modes of lifting and locking gears
and used for retaining the hook or shackle in any desired position separately or in
combination, the lifting and locking gears shewn in these views viz :-Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 5ª, 11, 11ª, 13, 13ª, and 13b can be applied to any existing couplings.

page_text: Fig. 1 is a side elevation or a nook and snackle in their normal position, shewing
the upper lifting gear, preventing the ordinary chain link over-riding and the bottom
lifting gear in its normal position.
Fig. 13b shews the top lifting gear ready for disconnecting the compound automatic
hook, or locking it out of position for coupling, and the bottom cranked shaft acting
as a lifting and locking gear which is supported in suitable bearings, ³ having a
projecting tongue or lip on which the cranked arms of the said shaft rest when holding
the hook and shackle in position ready for coupling automatically.
In these Figs. a is the headstock of a Railway wagon through which the draw bar
head b works, the shackle c and hook d are connected to the fork of draw bar head
by means of the pin e dead buffers fare shewn in all the Figs. as applied to a Railway.
truck or wagon, the lifter g being keyed on a shaft or bar h extending transversely
across the wagon and supported in bearings fixed beneath the buffers at h² and having
lateral or side play, so that when lifted from the side of the wagon by means of the
handle i at either side it is either pushed or drawn forward on to an inclined bed or
plate and is prevented from becoming unlocked by means of the small piece of
metalk on the side of the said bed, the aforesaid lifter being caused to hold the
shackle c and hook d in position for coupling automatically as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4
of the drawings.
When the carriages or wagons fitted with similar gear as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,
6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 12, 12ª, 13, 13ª, 13b are run or brought together, the hook á
comes against the nose or end of the shackle at c³, which by reason of its novel form
causes the hook d to rise and ride over the said nose at c² and become connected. The
cranked bar or rod 7 extending from side to side of the truck and supported in suitable
bearings is used for the purpose of lifting and locking the hook d out of position also
to prevent the ordinary chain from over-riding the hook at d when used as a
connection.
In Figs. 5 and 5 which shew a double locking flexible buffer headed coupling with
a slightly convex face the same letters of reference apply to the different parts, but
instead of the shackles being in an inclined position when ready for automatic
coupling, they are held by the lifter g in a line one with the other (see Figs. 5 and 11)
so that when the trucks are run one against the other for automatic coupling, the said
shackles " play" by sliding through eye holes formed at either end of the pin,
connecting the shackle and hook with the draw bar head, at the same time permitting
the hook to ride over the shackle and become connected.
In Fig. 11. it will be seen that as the hooks are beneath the shackles, (reversely to
that shewn in Fig. 5) the wagons when run against each other for coupling will cause
the shackles d to rise over the hooks and become coupled.
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 :—
1. The novel construction of combined or compound hooks as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3,
4, 12, 12, 13, 13a and 13b of the drawings, to be used in the manner, and for the
purpose as herein substantially described, set forth and fully illustrated in the drawings
annexed.
2. In a coupling for connecting vehicles the novel construction of a flexible buffer
headed shackle, made in parts with or without springs on each of its arms and which
said shackle can be used with any description of coupling in the manner and for the
purpose as herein substantially described set forth and fully illustrated in Figs. 5, 5ª
11 and 11ª of the drawings annexed.
3. The novel construction of a coupling for connecting vehicles with a flexible shackle
made in parts, with or without springs on each of its arms which can be used with any
description of coupling in the manner, and for the purpose as herein substantially
described set forth, and fully illustrated in Figs. 6 and 6ª of the drawings annexed.
4. The novel construction in a coupling for connecting vehicles, of a flexible shackle
made in parts with or without springs on each of its arms, and inside connections, to
be used with any description of coupling in the manner, and for the purpose as herein

page_text: substantially described, set forth and fully illustrated in Figs. 7 and 7ª of the drawings
annexed.
5. The novel construction in a Railway coupling, of a flexible shackle made in parts,
with or without springs on each of its arms and outside connections, to be used with
any description of coupling in the manner and for the purpose as herein substantially
described, set forth and fully illustrated in Figs. 8, 8ª 9 and 10 of the drawings
annexed.
6. The novel construction in a Railway Coupling, of the hook and shackle shewn in
Figs. 12 and 12ª of the drawings, to be used in the manner and for the purpose as
herein substantially described set forth and fully illustrated.
7. The novel construction of lifting and locking gears shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
5ª, 11, 11º, 13, 13ª and 13b of the drawings and which said gears are applicable to
any description of vehicular couplings to be used in the manner and for the purpose as
herein substantially described set forth and fully illustrated.
8. The novel form of a slot or oval hole formed either in the draw bar head or
shackle, vide Fig. 14 of the drawings to allow for play in the coupling when a rigid
shackle is used as herein substantially described, set forth and illustrated.
9. The combination of any or all of the parts herein substantially described, and
fully illustrated in the drawings annexed.
10. Constructing a bolt of a round, oval or other section, having an eye at each
end thereof in the manner and for the purpose as herein substantially described, set
forth, and illustrated in the drawings.