Improved Apparatus for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Oct., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1893-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
We PETER WILLIAMS of 12 Molton Street Mechanic, JAMES MORRIS
of 71 Bowker Street Engineer, both in Miles Platting and GEORGE MORRIS of
75 Cresswell Street Harpurhey, Pattern Card Maker, all in the County of
Lancaster, do hereby declaré the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the construction of improved apparatus for effecting
the automatic coupling of railway trucks, and for uncoupling the same without the
necessity for any person passing in between the buffers.
The invention consists principally of an improved apparatus to be fixed to the
ends of railway trucks for the purpose of raising up the ordinary coupling chain
and lifting it forward and dropping it onto the draw-hook. A reverse movement
of the same apparatus which can be worked from the side of the trucks will raise
the link of the chain off the coupling hook draw it back and allow it to fall down
out of the way.
For this purpose we bolt or otherwise fix to each end of the truck between the
buffer and the draw-hook a bracket which is provided with a curved slot. This
bracket is also fitted with a pin or bolt which carries a straight slotted lever, the
straight slot of the lever working on the pin which also acts as the fulcrum of
the lever. One end of this lever is made with an arm which is bent at a right
angle and forked or fitted to take hold of the end link of the coupling chain which
is provided with two wings or projections for that purpose.
The other end of the lever is curved and brought outwards to the side of the
truck where it is provided with a catch connected to the buffer.
The lever is also furnished with a pin or bowl running in the curved slot of the
fixed bracket above nained.
When it is desired to couple a truck the attendant presses down the outer end or
handle of the lever which by the action of the bowl in the curved slot in the
bracket and the sliding movement of the straight slot in the lever on its
pin or fulcrum will cause the inner arm of the lever to raise up the end link
of the coupling chain and throw it forwards, the catch holding the lever in
that position.
If the truck is then pushed into contact with another, the end link
of the coupling chain will be brought over and past the point of the draw-hook of
the other truck and the action of the buffer will then release the catch and allow
the link to fall onto the hook, thus completing the coupling automatically.
In cases where "dead" buffer blocks are used instead of spring buffers the
catch may be released by means of a light spring rod acting like a buffer.
To effect the uncoupling all that is necessary is to raise the link of the coupling
chain off the draw hook by means of the lever, and the trucks can then be moved
asunder.
Dated this 5th day of October 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants:
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
We PETER WILLIAMS of 12 Molton Street Mechanic, JAMES MORRIS
5 of 71 Bowker Street Engineer, both in Miles Platting, and GEORGE MORRIS. of
75 Cresswell Street Harpurhey Pattern-card Maker, all in the County of
[Price 8d.1

page_text: Lancaster, 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 the construction of improved apparatus for effecting the
automatic coupling of railway trucks and for uncoupling the same without the
necessity for any person passing in between the buffers.
The invention consists principally of an improved apparatus to be fixed to the
ends of railway trucks for the purpose of raising up the ordinary coupling chain of
one truck and lifting it forward and dropping it on to the draw hook of the other
truck so as to couple them together.
A reverse movement of the same apparatus will raise the link of the coupling
chain off the draw hook, pull it back and allow it to fall down out of the way.
The nature of our said invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference
to the sheet of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1 on the drawing represents in elevation the ends of two railway trucks
with our improved coupling apparatus shown as applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a
plan view of the same, with the coupling chain not shown.
Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the trucks.
a is the wooden buffer beam of the trucks, and b are the ordinary spring
buffers, c are the draw hooks, and d the coupling chains.
For the purposes of our invention we bolt or otherwise fix to each end of each
truck between the buffer b and the draw hook ca hinged bracket e which is
provided with a curved slot f. (see Fig. 1).
This hinged bracket e is also fitted with a pin or bolt g which carries a straight
slotted bent lever h, the straight slot i of the lever working on the pin or bolt
which also acts as the fulcrum of the lever. The inner end of this lever is bent at
a right angle (see Fig. 2) and is forked or fitted at the end to take hold of the
end link d of the coupling chain which is provided with two wings or projections d
for that purpose.
The other end of the lever his bent or curved and brought outwards to the
side of the truck where it is provided with a catch k for holding it in position.
The lever is also furnished with a pin or bowl running in the curved slot f of the
hinged bracket e above named.
The catch k may be connected to the buffer rod or to a small spring sliding
rod m which is acted on by the buffer.
When it is desired to couple a truck, the attendant presses down the outer end
of the handle of the lever h which, by the action of the bowl or pin in the
curved slot of the hinged bracket, and the sliding movement of the straight
slot in the lever h on its fixed pin or fulcrum g, will cause the inner end of the
lever to raise up the end link d¹ of the coupling chain and throw it forward into
the position shown on the left hand truck at Fig. 1. The handle of the lever h is
then placed in the catch k thus holding the lever in position and the link & ready
to fall on to the draw hook c of the other truck.
If the truck is then pushed into contact with another the end link d¹ of the
coupling chain will be brought over and past the point of the draw hook of
the other truck (as seen at Fig. 2) and the action of the buffer will release
the catch k and allow the link d to fall on the hook c thus completing the catch
automatically.
In cases where "dead" buffer blocks are used the catch k may be released by
allowing the light spring rods m to act against each other like buffers, or each
rod m may act against the dead buffer b see detached view Fig. 4.
To effect the uncoupling all that is necessary is to raise the link d of the
coupling chain off the draw hook c by means of the levers h and the trucks can
then be moved asunder the apparatus being allowed to fall into the position shown
on the right hand truck at Fig. 1.

page_text: In order to lift or lower the link d' when the trucks are close together it will be
necessary to give a sideways motion to the lever has it is raised or lowered to
allow the link to be carried round the hook as shown by the dotted lines in
Fig. 2 the bracket e turning slightly sideways on its hinge for that purpose; the
bracket e is preferably returned to its original position by a suitable spring not
shewn on the drawings.
It will be understood that one apparatus is fixed to each end of each truck so
that they can be coupled and uncoupled from either side of the train, and they are
so arranged right and left that they are always in the proper position to act,
however the trucks may be turned about.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is-
-
First The combination of the bent lever with a straight slot working and
sliding on a pin or bolt fixed in a suitable bracket, the said bracket being provided
with a curved slot in which a pin or. bowl fixed to the said lever works, the inner
end of such lever being forked or so formed as to take hold of the end link of the
ordinary coupling chain, and lift it onto or off the draw hook of the truck to be
coupled.
Secondly-The combination with a coupling apparatus of the herein before
described construction of the catch for holding the lever and link in position, and
the releasing apparatus for allowing the link to fall onto the draw hook when the
trucks are thrust together, all constructed and operating substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Dated this 4th day of July 1893.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.