IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY
CARRIAGES AND WAGONS."-A communication from abroad by Louis
Joseph Désiré Lemerre and Louis Florimond Vu, both of Paris,
France.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 17th June 1873.
I, HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
5 Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COUPLING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS," to be as follows:-
-

page_text: Many accidents occur to the employes of railway companies from the
want of some good system of coupling, whereby the attendant while
standing at the side of the carriage or wagon may couple and uncouple
it from the rest of the train with facility.
This Invention consists of two metal plates which are rivetted, welded,
or otherwise securely connected together in two different planes, the
upper plate carries in a recess a coupling hook which takes into a
V shaped opening cut in the lower plate of the abutting coupling. The
coupling hook which is pivotted near its centre to the upper plate has
an inclined head, and at its rear arm is a second and smaller hook.
When coupling the carriages or wagons are drawn together and the
inclined head of the hook striking against the recessed plate is raised up.
When the carriages are in their proper positions the hook is caused to
drop into the recess by means of a spring.
The uncoupling is performed by means of a lever projecting from
either side of the carriage or wagon, and pivotted so as to bear against
the rear end of the coupling hook. When by merely raising one or
depressing the other of these levers the hook is caused to disengage from
the recess.
Rests are provided for these levers so that they may not by
their weight cause the hook to uncouple while the train is in motion.
The metal plates may form part of or may be attached in
manner to the usual draw bar.
any
suitable
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 17th December 1873. .
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
"
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of June, in the year of a
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Edward Newton, Her special licence,

page_text: that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors, administrators.
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my.
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,'
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED
APPARATUS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS," being a com-
munication to me from abroad by Louis Joseph Désiré Lemerre and
Louis Florimond Vu, both of Paris, France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, my executors
or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or
one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was
to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date
of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to
say) :-
The object of this Invention is to construct a self-acting coupling for
3 railway carriages and wagons.
Many accidents occur to the employés of railway companies from the
want of some good system of coupling, whereby the attendant may while
standing at the side of a carriage or wagon couple and uncouplo it from
the rest of the train with facility.
According to this Invention the draw bars of cach carriago terminate
in a coupling piece in which is formed an eye, and by the side of which
is mounted a hook for taking into an eye in the coupling piece of the
draw bar of the adjacent carriage. These hooks are so shaped that
when the carriages to be coupled are brought together they will severally
drop into their respective eyes, and thus secure the carriages together.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of the improved
coupling apparatus, and Fig. 2 a corresponding plan view; Fig. 3 is a

page_text: sectional elevation taken in the line 1, 2, of Fig. 4, of one end of a
carriage provided with the apparatus; and Fig. 4 is a plan view shewing
the ends of two carriages coupled according to this Invention.
The coupling piece forming the extension of the draw bar Q is shewn
at P, and consists of two metal plates S and H, which are rivetted,
welded, or otherwise securely connected together in two different planes.
The upper plate S carries in a recess a coupling hook C. A. V shaped
opening or cyc E is cut in the lower plate H to receive the hook of the
coupling of the adjacent carriage. The object of arranging the plates S
and H in different planes is to make the normal position of the hook
horizontal. The V form is given to the eye or opening E in order that
the hook C may be free to move obliquely therein while the train is
passing round a curve. The coupling hook which is pivotted near its
centre as at A to the upper plate S is rounded or chamfered at its
head like a snap bolt, and at its rear end it is furnished with a tail or 1
hook G.
When drawing together the carriages or wagons for coupling them up,
the chamfered heads of the hooks C strike against their respectivo
plates H, and are thrown up as shewn in red at Fig. 1. When the
carriages or wagons are in their proper position, the hooks are caused to 2
drop into the eyes or openings E by means of springs R fixed to the
plates S, and pressing upon the back of their respective hooks.
The uncoupling is performed by means of levers T, T', projecting one
from either side of the carriage or wagon. These levers are pivotted
respectively at a and b, and are intended to bear against the rear end G 2
of the coupling hook C, and trip the hooks and lift them clear of the
plates H.
The object of employing two lovers T, T', to effect this operation upon
each hook is to enable the attendant to disengage the couplings from
either side of the train. This he will do by depressing the lever T or 3
raising the lever T¹ as the case may be. Rests s, s¹, Figures 3 and 4, are
provided for these levers so that they may not by their weight cause the
hooks to uncouple while the train is in motion.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention for "Improved
Apparatus for Coupling Railway Carriages and Wagons," as com- 3
municated to me by my foreign correspondents, and having explained

page_text: the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First. The construction and arrangement of automatic hook couplings
as above described.
Second. The means above described for disengaging the hook
couplings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, the Seventeenth day of De-
cember in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-three.