Improvements in Side Couplings for Railway Rolling Stook.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improvements in Side Couplings for Railway Rolling Stook.
I SAMUEL SUDHEIM of No. 21 Grosse Rosenstrasse, Cassel Germany Gentleman do
hereby declare the nature of this Invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to bo particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in side couplings for railway rolling stock,
the object of the same being to couple the carriages without it being necessary for
the workman to enter between the two carriages in order to couple the same.
Many inventions have, I am awaro, been made with a view to obtaining a railway
coupling which can be operated from the side and a large number of Patents granted
in various countries, but up to this present time not one has been found to answer all
the requirements of the railway regulations.
As will be seen from the accompanying drawings my side coupling is simple in
construction and the parts can be readily applied to existing carriages.
Fig. 1 is a plan or top view of my improved coupling partially in horizontal
Bection.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the same.
Fig. 3 is a view of one of the semi tubular trunnion sleeves hereinafter
referred to.
A A are the arms hinged to the draw rod A¹ outside of the bifurcated end of the
hook K of the safety coupling, said hook being held by the same bolt a as the
arus A A on the draw rod A'.
BB are two semi tubular sleeves with trunnions bb, said trunnions passing through
borings in the arms A into the borings in the navo of the bevil wheels E E and
urning readily in the same.
C is the nut which operates on the spindle H and produces the extension or
shortening of the length of spindle between the nut C and the loop R.
D is a bevil wheel securely keyed to the nut C. E. E are bevil wheels which gear
nto the bevil wheel D on the nut C, said bevil wheels E E being provided with long
ollow naves to receive the trunnions b, b of the half sleeves B B and the squared
arms F of the spindles M. F are arms of square or other suitable section which fit
D
1

page_text: into corresponding places in the hollow naves of the bevil wheels E E at the one end
and are attached at the other end to the spindle M by means of the universal
joint G.
E is the spindle which is provided at the one end with male screw threads
corresponding to the female threads in the nuts C and at the other end with a loop R
for engaging with the hook A2 of the draw rod A' or with the hook K of the safety
coupling, said coupling hook being securely held by the bolt a which connects the
same and the arms A A with the draw rod A¹..
L. L are forked arms which serve to hold the arms A, A, when the same are
lowered, and also the hook K of the safety coupling.
M are the spindles for operating the wheels E E, for loosening or tightening the
coupling or for raising and lowering the same. m is a claw coupling for coupling-the
spindle M to the trunnions of the sleeves B.
NN are the ball bearings to the spindle M and arranged beneath the buffer
cases N¹.
P is the bow for holding the wheels D. E. E and is either made of two parts as
represented in the accompanying drawings or of one piece, the arms of which after
the parts are mounted are bent round so as to bring the wheels D E. E. into proper
gear.
M are spiral springs arranged on the outer ends of the spindles M said spindles
being operated by any suitable crank hand wheel or key.
The operation of my improved side coupling is as follows:
If it is desired to couple two vehicles the crank hand wheel or key (not shown in
the drawings) is placed on the square end of one of the spindles M, the same is then
pushed inwards so that the spring M' is compressed, the claw coupling m brought
into gear and the rod or spindle M coupled to the one of the trunnions 6 of the half
sleeve or ring B. In this position of the parts it is only necessary to turn the crank,
key or hand-wheel on the spindle M so that the loop R and spindle H are lowered
from the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 2 and the loop R. laid into the hook K of
the safety coupling on the other vehicle.
As soon as the loop is laid in the said hook K, the pressure on the end of tho
spindle M and spring M is released and the claw coupling also released; the crank
on the spindle M and the spindle M itself are now rotated and as the inner square
arm F is firmly held in the square bearing in the hub of the bevil wheel E, the said
wheel E and with it the wheel D, nut C and second bevil wheel E are also caused to
rotate in such manner that the nut with its female threads will move on the male
threads of the spindle and tighten up the coupling. As soon as the safety coupling is
in position the main coupling is operated in like manner as described with reference
to the safety coupling with the exception that the main coupling is hooked into the
hook a² of the draw bar A¹.
As will be evident from the accompanying drawings that the bifurcated supporting
arm L prevents the arms A A and hook K from being lowered too far.
If it is desired to uncouple the vehicles the spindle M bevil wheels D E E and
nut C are rotated in the opposite direction to that described above, the spindle M and
arm F then pressed inwards so as to set the claw coupling m in gear and the hook R
lifted out of the hook A2 of the draw rod A¹ into the position represented by the
dotted lines in Fig. 2 after which the safety coupling can be released in like
manner.
The screw spindle H is so held by tongue and groove in the bow P that the same is
prevented from rotating with the nut C. It will be evident that the details of my
construction can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of my
invention.
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. In side couplings for railway rolling stock, the arrangement and use of the half

page_text: sleeves B. B. and trunnions b, b surrounding the nut (which carries the spindle H
with its loop R, the hook K of the safety coupling, the supporting arm L and the
arms A A substantially as and for the purpose described in the foregoing specification
and shown in the accompanying drawings.
2. In side couplings for railway carriages the arrangement and use of the
spindles M universal joint G, ball bearings N and the claw coupling m, substantially
as and for the purpose described in the foregoing specification and shown in tho
accompanying drawings.
3. In side couplings the combination of the spindles M and arms F with the bevil
wheels E E semitubular sleeves B trunnions 66 and claw coupling m and with the
bevil wheel D, nut C, bow P, spindle H with loop R and the coupling hooks A² and K
substantially as and for the purpose described in the foregoing specification and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
4. My improved side coupling for railway rolling stock substantially as and for the
purpose described in the foregoing specification and shown in the accompanying
drawings.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
Associate Agent.