Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Carriages, Wagons, and other Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 26th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Carriages,
Wagons, and other Vehicles.
1, HENRY LACY, of Wood Cottage, Middleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a coupling apparatus to be operated
by the engine driver or his assistant on the engine or tender and without
necessitating the porter going between the vehicles as heretofore. In performing
my invention I employ a cylinder and piston as the actuating mechanism and I so
connect the head of the piston rod to the coupling hook that by the introduction of
steam into the cylinder at one side of the piston I am enabled to uncouple the hook
whilst by introducing steam at the other side of the piston I effect the coupling
operation.
Instead of steam it will be obvious that a vacuum might be employed to give the
necessary motion to the piston.
Dated this 24th day of April 1890.
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Carriages,
Wagons, and other Vehicles.
I, HENRY LACY, of Wood Cottage, Middleton, in the County of Lancaster,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :---
The object of this invention is to construct a coupling apparatus to be operated
say by the engine driver or his assistant from the engine or tender when the engine
has to be coupled up or when two carriages have to be coupled up by the porter or
other official without having to go between the vehicles as heretofore.
On the accompanying drawing
Fig. 1 illustrates a front view of my improved coupling apparatus & Figs. 2 and 3
are side and plan views respectively.
In carrying out my invention and as applied for coupling up railway carriages I
employ a vertical rod or shaft a by preference square in cross section having on one
of its faces as illustrated two racks or sets of teeth b and c and is capable of sliding
up and down in the vertical bearings d. d.
Upon a horizontal shaft e affixed thereto and gearing with the upper rack or set
of teeth upon the vertical rod a is a spur pinion, whilst directly beneath and
gearing with the lower rack or set of teeth c is a similar spur pinion g mounted
upon the horizontal shaft hand upon which shaft the coupling hooks i, i are also
mounted.
The spur pinions ƒ and g may be of the same size or diameter or one may be
smaller or larger than the other as desirable.
Supported and capable of sliding in brackets j.j is a rod k provided with a pawl /,
which pawl is designed to come opposite and fall by reason of its own weight into
gear with the teeth of the ratchet wheel m upon the horizontal shaft e, for the
purposes hereinafter more fully described.
When the coupling operation is effected by hand the respective ends of the
[Price 6d.1

page_text: horizontal shaft e are squared as illustrated to receive a winch handle or a suitable
operating lever. In the case of coupling the engine or tender to a carriage or
wagon I employ a cylinder and piston as the actuating mechanism and 1 so connect
the head of the piston rod to the coupling apparatus that by the introduction of
steam into the cylinder at one side of the piston I am enabled to couple up the
hooks, whilst by introducing steam at the other side of the piston, I effect the
uncoupling operation..
Instead of steam it will be obvious that a vacuum might be employed to give
the necessary motion to the piston.
The action of my improved coupling apparatus may be described as follows:
In order to effect the coupling up of say two carriages and assuming the coupling
hooks to be in their lowest or normal position as illustrated in Fig. 2, the pawl is
drawn out of gear with the ratchet wheel and revolving motion is imparted to the
shafte which in turn causes the pinion to revolve and engage with the rack band
lower the rod a and in so doing the shaft is caused to revolve by reason of the
lower rack gearing with the pinion and consequently the coupling hooks i. i are
raised to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, ready to be connected on
to the links or complimentary parts on the opposite carriage. By now reversing
the motion of the shaft e the rod a is raised and the hooks are lowered and the
coupling is completed.
9
To uncouple the vehicles a similar operation takes place, the vertical rod a being
first lowered and then raised in order to disconnect the coupling hooks and bring
them back to their original position.
To keep the coupling hooks in the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 so
as to be always ready for coupling-up, the pawl is allowed to drop into gear with
the ratchet wheel m which effectually locks the hooks in the raised position.
The pawl and ratchet wheel also serve to prevent the hooks after having been
coupled up becoming uncoupled.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1st. The improved combination and arrangement of parts constituting my
improved coupling apparatus substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
2nd. In a coupling apparatus mounting the coupling hook or hooks upon a
horizontal shaft actuated by a vertical sliding rack and spur pinions and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on the accompanying drawing.
3rd. The improved means of coupling an engine and tender to a carriage or other
similar vehicle by means of a piston and steam or vacuum cylinder substantially as
herein before described.
100
JOHN G. WILSON,
Patent Office, 55, Market Street, Manchester, Agent for the Applicant.