IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Mackenzie, of Grange Place, Edinburgh,
North Britain, Accountant, for the Invention of "IMPROVED APPARATUS
FOR COUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 5th July 1870, and dated the 18th January 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Mackenzie at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 18th January 1870.
I, JAMES MACKENZIE, of Grange Place, Edinburgh, North Britain,
Accountant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IM-
PROVED APPARATUS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is to render it practicable to couple or
connect and to disconnect or uncouple railway carriages by means of an
apparatus which will render it unnecessary for the men employed to go
between the carriages for such purpose as is now usually the case. To
this end I adapt to any part of each end of the carriage or directly to
the coupling chains or apparatus a horizontal rod or lever bent at each
end to any required angle. To the end of each of the bent portions of

page_text: this rod or lever is hinged a second rod or pair of rods or levers, which
running from each side parallel to the horizontal portion of the first rod
or lever and towards the centre is or are in the middle bent into a crank
form. The crank shaped portion is connected to the coupling chains or
apparatus, the outer link of which runs in eyes at the end of the crank
so that the lower end of this cranked portion is joined permanently to
the coupling chains or apparatus itself. From the second rod or lever
and forming part of the junction with the upper one projects laterally
(at each end if required) a length of rod, and this part of the rod is bent
to any required angle so as to give the necessary "purchase" upon the
apparatus. This extended rod or lever may either be kept within the
framing of the carriage or brought to the outside as may be preferred..
The man in charge without necessarily going into any position of danger
such as between the carriages may therefore by means of the rod or
lever last mentioned effect the connection of the couplings of the vehicle
with or its disconnection from any other vehicle which at cither end it
may adjoin.
•
In applying the apparatus to screw couplings the latter are tightened
by means of an endless chain or other appliance worked from outside the
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SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Mackenzie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th July 1870.
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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES.
MACKENZIE, of Grange Place, Edinburgh, North Britain, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent,, bearing date the Eighteenth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-third
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and
grant unto me, the said James Mackenzie, Her special licence that I,
the said James Mackenzie, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
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such others as I, the said James Mackenzie, 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
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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man,, an Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR COUPLING
RAILWAY, CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said James Mackenzie, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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.
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NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Mackenzie, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
5 annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
The object of this Invention is to render it practicable to couple or
connect and to disconnect or uncouple railway carriages by means of
an apparatus which will render it unnecessary for the men employed
).to go between the carriages for such purpose as is now usually the case.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn various views of my
improved coupling apparatus.
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Fig. 1 is an end elevation, A, A, being part of the end framing of
the carriage or waggon; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same..
Fig. 3 is another side elevation representing the apparatus in the
position the parts would assume when the coupling is in the act of
being lifted on to the draw hook of another carriage.
...
In carrying out my Invention I adapt to any part of each end of the
framing A, A, of the carriage, or directly to the coupling chains F, F,
a horizontal rod or lever B, B, which is bent at each end to any required
angle, and is supported in slotted: bearings C,,C, secured to the end
framing A, A. To the end of each of the bent portions B' of the rod
or lever is hinged or otherwise connected a second rod or pair of rods
or levers E, E. In the Drawing this rod. E is connected to the rod B
by loops or eyes D. The rod E extends from side to side of the carriage
parallel to the horizontal portion of the first rod or lever B. At the
centre the rod Eis bent into a crank form as at E', E'. The crank
L..
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page_text: shaped portion is connected to the coupling chains or apparatus F by
means of eyes at the parts E¹, E¹, which embrace the outer link of the
coupling chain, so, that the lower end of the cranked portion of the
rod E is joined permanently to the coupling chains F. Each end of
the rod E is cranked as shewn at G, Fig. 4, which represents the rod E
in plan view. By means of either of these cranks G the rod E may
be turned in the loops or eyes D, D, at the ends B³ of the bar B. The
extended parts G, G, of the rod F may either be kept within the line
of the framing of the carriage as shewn in the Drawing or they may be
brought to the outside as may be preferred.
It will be evident that (without necessarily going into any position
of danger, such as between the carriages) the man in charge may (by
means of the cranked rod or lever E, G,) effect the connection of the
couplings of the vehicle with or its disconnection from any other
vehicle which at either end it may adjoin.
The mode of operating with the apparatus from either side of the
carriage is as follows:-The rod E is turned round in the loops or
eyes D at the outer end of the bar B by means of one of the cranked
ends G of the rod E. This motion will bring the parts into the position
shewn at Fig. 3, so that the link F of the coupling chain may be lifted
on to the draw hook of the carriage that is to be coupled. As the
coupling apparatus is capable of being extended outwards, as indicated
by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, it will be seen that provided the carriage
to be coupled is within reach of the chain there will be no difficulty in
coupling it. There is, therefore, no absolute necessity to bring the
carriages to precise points or distances from each other, as the combined
rods B and E with their connections act very much in the manner of
the hand, arm, elbow, and shoulder joints of a man, as will be clearly
understood by referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the Drawing.
To disconnect the coupling the attendant has only to lift the handle
or crank G so as to cause the link F to clear the lip of the draw hook,
the chain will then fall of its own weight and the disconnection will
have been effected. It may be mentioned that in the event of the draw
bar or coupling chain breaking the claws or loops E¹, E', will release
the chain, as these claws are only made of strength sufficient to lift the
end of the chain and are not intended to resist any undue strain. The
coupling apparatus will not therefore be liable to serious injury.
.

page_text: Having now described my Invention of improved apparatus for
coupling railway carriages, and having explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I claim as the Invention secured to me
by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, constructing
coupling apparatus of a combination of cranked rods which are capable,
as herein set forth, of lifting up the coupling chain and placing the
end link thereof over the draw hook of the carriage to be coupled,
provided such draw hook be within reach of the coupling chain.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Mackenzie, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.