Improvements in Car-couplings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 18th Aug., 1900
Improvements in Car-couplings.
I, WILLIAM SILVER, of Tamworth, in the Colony of New South Wales, 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 follow-
ing statement:-
This invention relates to couplings for railway and tramway rolling stock.
It belongs to that class of couplings in which two links jointed together are acted
upon by gravity and by a lifting and placing lever to connect or disconnect:
said lever being mounted on a shaft which is so placed that the coupling may
be operated from the side of the car.
.
Referring to the annexed explanatory drawings-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the coupling hanging at rest on a draw-bar-head:
Fig. 2 a side elevation shewing the coupling in the same position but with
the placing lever brought over into contact with the links for the purpose of
moving it into the coupled position. The rear portion of the near side of the
catching link is shown broken away, to exhibit the contact of the cam end
of placing lever with the hanging link;
Fig. 3 similar view illustrating the position of the parts when the end of
the catching link is approaching the draw-bar-hook;
Fig. 4 side elevation exhibiting the relative position of the parts as the
catching link is located over the mouth of the draw-bar-hook;
l'ig. side elevation showing the two draw-bars coupled, and the coupling
in the position of rest;
Fig. top plan illustrative of the relative positions of the parts when the
links are in the position indicated in side elevation of Fig. 4;
Fig. 7 side elevation of the catching link;
Fig. 8 side elevation of the hanging link;
Fig. 9 sectional inner side elevation of the catching link;
Fig. 10 rear elevation showing the catching link and hanging link in their
relative positions ;
Fig. 11 perspective view of the hanging link;
Fig. 12 perspective view of the coupling without the placing lever;
Fig. 13 perspective view of the catching link;
Fig. 14 perspective view of the placing lever and its spindle;
Fig. 15 elevation of outside of one of the members of the placing lever.
Fig. 16 section through same;
Fig. 17 plan of placing lever and its spindle;
Fig. 18 diagrammatic view indicating by a series of lines the positions assumed
by the link 11 in its motion.
The placing lever acts positively on the links, placing them in the necessary
positions irrespectively of the distance apart (within extreme limits) of the
iraw-bar-hooks. The action does not depend upon the chance swinging of the
Jinks. They are lifted and the catching link positively moved over or out of
the draw bar hook by a simple movement of the hand lever which is placed at

page_text: '
the side of the car. The placing lever performs two functions-it lifts the
coupling bodily up, swinging it outward about the fixed end of the pendular
hanging link, and it cants the catching link.
The shaft which carries the placing lever is mounted in bearings 2 in the
frame of the car.
It is turned by a hand lever 4 fitted to its end at the side of
the car.
The placing lever consists of two members 5 which are best shown
in Fig. 14. These members terminate in curved cam ends 6 and 7 which act
upon the links, an inner cam 6 bearing at the beginning of the lifting movement
against the under face of the hanging link S which acts as a pendular support
for the catching link, and an outer one 7 acting on the runner 9 which is formed
on the underside of the beak 10 of the counterbalanced catching link 11. The
action of the cam end 6 on the hanging link 8 is merely to move the whole
coupling pendularly about the point 12 as a centre, the curved path of the
pin 13 by which the links are connected (see Fig. 10) being shown by dotted
lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The action of the cam end 7 on the runner 9 is to
alter the angle of the catching link 11 to the horizontal, and to cause it to
oscillate on the pin 13 when the hand lever 4 is jerked.
The catching link 11 is lightly counterbalanced the weight of the end 14
being so proportioned that that link when left free will assume a position shown
in Figs. 1 and 2. It is not necessary that the counterweight should be heavier
than will merely overcome friction and bring the link 11 into a vertical position
with certainty. Indeed if this weight were very greatly in excess unnecessary
force would be necessitated in working, and the perfect action of the coupling
would be prejudiced, for instance, the result of the sudden drop of the lever 4
might be to suddenly throw the end 15 of the link 11 too far upwards so that
it would be practically very difficult to effect coupling.
The perfect action of the coupling depends largely upon the curve of the
runner 9, which is best shown in Figs. 9 and 13. The points of the curve are
determined with regard to the length of the hanging link and placing lever,
the position of the pin 13 and the shape and position of the cam ends and 7
of the placing lever. The object of canting the catching link is twofold-first
to extend the looped end 15 towards the draw bar hook which it is to embrace,
and second to cause the end 15 to descend as the pin 13 ascends so that the
end 15 moves approximately horizontally for a portion of its travel, and thence-
forward dips gradually as indicated in Fig. 18. The precise form and relative
proportions of the parts will vary with the relative positions of the points 2
and 12 and with the lengths of the parts 5, 8, and 11.
19 is a flat made on one of the sides of the hanging link 8 to narrow it at that
point and permit of its being dropped into the jaw of the draw-bar-hook 16.
It is not essential though for obvious reasons it is very desirable that the
placing lever should be double as shewn; for it is obvious that the movements
described would be produced by the action of one only of the levers 5. It will
also be obvious that if the pin 13 were keyed to the link 11, the runners 9-or
one runner might be fixed to the middle of the pin 13 and a lever corresponding
with the cams 7 made to act on it.
The mode of operation is as follows:-
The successive positions from open to coupled are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4,
and 5 and also in Fig. 18.
Referring to Fig. 18 it will be seen that the extreme limits within which
positive coupling and uncoupling may be effected are indicated by the lines
marked ef. In moving from the uncoupled position shewn in Figs. 1 and 2
to the position marked e in Fig. 18 the catching link 11 hangs vertically on
the pin 13. At this point e the cam ends 7 of the placing lever 5 commence to
act on the runners 9 in such a way as to cant the link 11 so that its upper
end 15 will move approximately horizontally until the position g is reached,
thence to the point fit dips gradually. The position of is the normal extreme
limit at which the coupling may be operated readily. A little dexterous

page_text: handling of the lever is required to effect coupling and uncoupling. When the
draw-bar-hooks are near together it is necessary to jerk the lever slightly at
the end of its movement and then to drop it in order to bring the end 15 of
the link 11 into the jaw of the hook; in this near position of the hooks un-
coupling is effected by gently raising the lever 4 until the end 15 of the link 11.
is clear of the hook, and then lowering it gently. At the extreme position,
when the hooks are far apart, these movements are reversed, a jerk and quick
drop being necessary to effect uncoupling, and a gentle lifting and lowering of
the lever effecting coupling. The dipping movement of the end 15 of the link 11
is required to compensate for its tendency to pull itself back, which becomes
progressively greater as the coupling is extended. When the hook 17 is much
lower than the hook 16 a heavier jerk is necessary to cant the part 15 down-
wardly so as to grasp the hook. The little dexterous manipulation necessary is
readily acquired in a few minutes practice.
When the lever 4 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1
the members 5 of the placing lever are first brought into contact with the under
side of the hanging link 8, their pressure against it moving the whole coupling
outward about the point 12 as a centre the path of the pin 13 being indicated
by the dotted curve in Fig. 2. When this outward movement has progressed a
few inches, (see Fig. 18) the cam ends 7 of the placing lever 5 come into con-
tact with the point on the runners 9, and the normal vertical position of the
catching link 11 is then altered, the cams 7 commencing to press against the
face of the runners 9. From the point to the extreme end, the runners 9 arc
curved backward so that the canting of the link 11 shall become progressively
greater to correspond with the progressive increase of vertical rise of the pin 13
as the coupling is extended. For this reason also the parts 7 of the placing
lever 5 are formed as cams. They might be simply rounded and the full effect
obtained by increasing the backward curve of the runners 9. The lever 4 being
still moved in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 the cam ends 7 of
the levers 5 continue to slide along the runner from 6 to d canting the link 11
whilst at the same time that link is lifted bodily on the pin 13 outwardly along
the are shown in Figs. 1 and 2.
When the movement is progressed to the point shown in Fig. 4 the end 15
of the link 11 may be dropped into the hook 17 by the dexterous movements
previously described.
The noses of the draw-bar-hooks should be made slanting backward as shewn
so that if it happen that the hook 16 is lower than the hook 17 the end 15 of the
link 11 may be pushed over it. When the hook 17 is lower than the hook 16
it is necessary to extend the coupling slightly more than is necessary when the
hooks 16 and 17 are on a level, in order to ensure the dropping of the link
end 15 into the hook 17.
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. A car coupling consisting of a pendular hanging link, a catching link, and
a placing lever acting on said links to extend the same, the catching link being
counterbalanced lightly and formed with runner beaks against which the ends
of the placing lever bear to cant it so that its outer end will move in a path
approximately as shewn in Fig. 18 of the accompanying drawings, substantially
as described.
2. A car coupling wherein a lightly counterbalanced catching link is sup-
ported pendularly and acted upon by a placing lever which simultaneously
moves its pendular support and cants it by pressing against runners in beaks
set at an angle upon it, so that its outer end moves in a path approximately as
shown in Fig. 18 of the accompanying drawings, substantially as described.
3. A car coupling wherein a placing lever presses upwardly and outwardly

page_text: respectively against a pendular, hanging link and a lightly counterbalanced
catching link which is supported by said hanging link, to extend the coupling
and by pressing against runners on said catching link to simultaneously depress
its upper end as its pivotal support is raised substantially as described.
4. In a car coupling, the combination of a hanging link capable of pendular.
motion, a lightly counterbalanced catching link supported pivotally by the
hanging link, curved runners on beaks on said catching link, and a placing
lever for moving the pendular support of the catching link outwardly and simul-
taneously canting the catching link by pressing against said runners thereby
extending the upper end of the catching link approximately as shewn in Fig. 18
of the accompanying drawings, substantially as described.
5. In a car coupling, the combination of a hanging link capable of pendular
motion, a lightly counterbalanced catching link supported pivotally by the
hanging link, and a placing lever with cam ends working against said runners
for moving the pendular support outwardly whilst canting said catching link,
whereby the outer end of said catching link is made to move along a path
approximately as shewn in Fig. 18 of the accompanying drawings, substantially
as described.
6. The combination of the pendular hanging link 8, the counterbalanced
catching link 11, the pin 13, the beaks 10 with runners 9, and the placing
lever, substantially as described.
Dated this 18th day of October 1899