Improvements in and connected with Couplings for Railway or similar Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1899
Complete Specification Left. 9th Aug. 1900-Accepted. 6th Oct.. 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Couplings for Railway or
similar Vehicles.
We, CHARLES HENRY BAGOT, of 78, Clarendon Road, Egremont, in the County
of Chester, Miller, and DAVID DISHART, of 11. Pemberton Street, Sunderland,
in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows: -
This invention has for its object to provide simple and efficacious means of
coupling railway and similar wagons, carriages and vehicles, whereby the same
may be coupled or uncoupled from the side of the vehicles without the risk of
accident or danger to life incurred by the existing method which necessitates
men getting between the vehicles.
The invention consists essentially in mounting on each end of the vehicles
to be coupled, a combined hook and link, consisting of a coupling pièce having
one half formed as a hook and the other half as a link. and in so mounting
this piece on a cross bar or shaft passing through the piece between the hook and
link that such coupling piece may be turned or rotated to bring either the hook
or the link to the outward or operating position. The shaft is mounted on the
vehicle end in a bracket or brackets or in any convenient manner so as to extend
to each side of the vehicle and is provided with hand wheel, or lever or other
means of rotating or turning it, and with suitable means for locking it in the
position into which it may be turned. The means for turning and locking the
shaft may be arranged at either or both of its ends, as desired. In order to
couple together two vehicles fitted with the above coupling pieces, it is only
necessary to see that one vehicle has the shaft turned and locked in the position
in which either the hook or the link projects horizontally outward. and that
the other vehicle has its corresponding shaft turned with the coupling piece
vertical or not projecting horizontally, and not locked but held in this position
by the railway or other employee who stands at the side of the vehicle with his
hand on the hand wheel or lever. Upon the two vehicles meeting they are at
once coupled by the employee simply turning the shaft to bring the coupling
horizontal with either its hook or its link end outward according as to whether
the other vehicle has the link or the hook end of its coupling piece outward,
thus turning the hook of one coupling into the link of the other or vice versa.
The employee then locks the shaft and the coupling is secured. To uncouple,
it is of course sufficient to unlock one shaft and turn it to disengage the link
and hook of the respective coupling pieces.
The shafts of the coupling pieces are preferably arranged transversely across
the vehicle ends, but it is obvious that this is not essential, as they could be
arranged at an angle or even vertically when it is desired to work the coupling
from the interior of the vehicle as in the case of a wagon or tramcar for instance
where the employee would ride on the vehicle. This vertical arrangement may
also be adapted to be operated from the side of the yehicle. In this case the
vertical shaft may be only of short length and any suitable gear he provided
to connect it to a lever or other operating part at the side of the vehicle.

page_text: In order to render the actual coupling automatic we may provide any suitable
arrangement of spring or springs tending to hold the coupling pieces normally
in the horizontal or projecting position and form the engaging ends of the hooks
and links with bevelled or inclined taces so as to ride up one on the other upon
the vehicles meeting so that the hook and link of the respective couplings will
snap into engagement, one or both of the shafts having of course been first
unlocked. All that the employee has to do in this case is to lock the shaft or shafts
to secure the coupling after the automatic engagement. The spring or springs
must be arranged to allow of the shaft being fully rotated so that either the
hook or link end of the coupling piece may be turned outward as before described
according as the other vehicle is approaching with its link or hook end ready
for engagement.
A simple form of lock for the coupling consists of a disc fixed on the end
of the shaft and provided with notches, slots or recesses into any one of which
a bolt mounted on the vehicle may be shot, but any other suitable means may
be employed.
The coupling may be applied to any vehicle without interfering with existing
construction and may be mounted in or secured to the usual spring draw-bar.
In order however to reduce vibration or oscillation and thus render the coupling
secure in action we prefer to interpose between the ordinary drawbar spring
of each end of the vehicle, or otherwise arrange, an auxiliary or intermediary
spring or springs so arranged with reference to the others as not to come into
action until one or other of the end springs has been first compressed to some
extent on the first impact or pull, the other or intermediary spring or springs
then assisting said springs in taking up any increased pull or shock. This pro-
gressive spring action forms an essential feature of the present invention and
may be also applied to other forms of coupling. The springs may be connected
in any suitable way and we may use either coiled springs or plate springs.
A convenient arrangement is to place the auxiliary spring or springs cen-
trally between the end springs in line therewith and to couple together the parts
which take the pull by means of gland plates and pins in such a way that the
pins have a short play in slots of suitable length so that on the first shock or
only a slight pull, only the end spring is compressed until said pins reach the
end of their slots, after which the central spring also is compressed. When
the pull on the two ends of the vehicle is equalised, the pins lie in the centre
of their slots and no pull comes on the central spring or springs.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to any particular details
of construction, as such may be modified as desired or to suit requirements
without departing from the spirit of the invention, the essential feature of which
is the coupling piece formed as a combined hook and link adapted to be turned
as described.
Datad 1 1
1000
Improvements in and connected with Couplings for Railway or
similar Vehicles.
We, CHARLES HENRY BAGOT, of 78, Clarendon Road, Egremont, in the County
of Chester, Miller, and DAVID DISHART, of 11, Pemberton Street, Sunderland,
in the County of Durham, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-

page_text: tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This invention has for its object to provide a simple and efficacious coupling
for railway and similar wagons, carriages, and vehicles.
The invention consists essentially in mounting on each end of the vehicles
to be coupled, a combined hook and link, consisting of a coupling piece having
one half formed as a hook and the other half as a link, which coupling piece
is revolubly mounted at the vehicle ends in such a way that it may be turned
to bring either the hook or the link into the outward or operative position as
required for effecting the coupling, or to uncouple the vehicles.
The invention also comprises means for rendering the coupling automatic in
its action and an arrangement of drawbar springs adapted to reduce vibration
or oscillation and thus render the coupling secure in action, and means for
locking the coupling in its several positions.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation and Figure 2 a plan of the improved coupling
as connected to the drawbar of a vehicle and showing the means for preventing
vibration or oscillation.
Figure 3 is an elevation of the locking means.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation and Figure 5 a plan of the coupling piece
mounted on a vertical shaft.
Referring to the drawings, A, B, (Figures 1 and 2) is the coupling piece or
combined hook and link of which on half is formed as a hook A and the other
half as a link B, a similar coupling piece being mounted at each end of the
vehicle on a cross bar or shaft C passing through the coupling piece AB between
the hook and link. The shaft is revolubly mounted in a convenient manner
according to the kind of vehicle, such as in brackets I) which may be formed
on or attached to the drawbar of the vehicle, and is provided at either or both
ends extended to the side of the vehicle with a hand wheel E or a lever or other
means of rotating or turning it to bring the coupling piece into the required
position for coupling or uncoupling. Suitable means may be provided for locking
the coupling such as a disc F (Figure 3) which may be fixed on either or both
ends of the shaft C and is provided with notches, slots, or recesses into any one
of which a bolt G may be shot. This bolt may be conveniently mounted on
the end of an arm H carried by the bracket D which supports the shaft C.
In order to render the actual coupling automatic, any suitable arrangement
of springs such as I (Figures 1 and 2) is provided to hold the coupling pieces
in the operative position with sufficient yield to allow the hooks and links of
the respective couplings to snap into engagement upon the vehicles meeting,
the engaging ends of the coupling pieces being provided with bevelled or
inclined faces so as to ride up one on the other until they snap into engagement.
These springs I must be arranged to allow of the shaft C being fully rotated
when required so that either the hook A or link B. of the coupling piece may
be turned into the operative position according as to whether the other vehicle
is approaching with its link or its hook ready for engagement. For this purpose,
the springs I which are shown fixed on arms on the brackets D, may be
arranged to bear on intermediate pieces K pivoting on studs and which bear.
against cam pieces L fixed on the shaft C. The cam pieces L are formed for
instance with four corners as shown, and the intermediate pieces K are suitably
shaped or recessed to receive said corners in succession as the shaft and cam
pieces are turned whereby owing to the pressure of the springs I tending to
return the piece K always to the vertical or normal position, the cam pieces L
and therewith the shaft Care always compelled to take up a position in which
the coupling piece A B lies either vertically or horizontally. By this means
whilst the coupling piece A B can always be turned completely by the hand
wheel E, it is held with sufficient spring action when in the operative position

page_text: to allow of the coupling piece yielding and snapping automatically into engage-
ment with its corresponding coupling piece upon two vehicles meeting.
The shafts C are preferably arranged transversely across the vehicle ends,
as shown in Figures 1 and 2, but it is obvious that this is not essential as they
could be otherwise arranged, for instance at an angle or even vertically as shown
in Figures 4 and 5 which enables the coupling to be operated from the interior
of the vehicle as in the case of a wagon or a street car for instance where the
employee could ride on the vehicle, or it could be operated from the side of the
vehicle by a horizontal shaft gearing with the vertical shaft or any suitable
gear connecting the vertical shaft to a lever or other operating part at the side
of the vehicle. The springs I which in this case are arranged to act directly
on the ends of the coupling piece tend to maintain the coupling AB in the
outward or operative position whilst allowing it to be turned completely when
required and allowing it to yield and snap into engagement with its corre-
sponding coupling piece on the adjacent vehicle as before described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2.
It will be seen that by the present invention the coupling can be operated
entirely without necessitating the employees getting between the vehicles, as
in order to couple or uncouple vehicles which have been brought together it
is only necessary to turn the coupling pieces A B by means of the handwheel E
to cause the hook of one vehicle to be coupled with, or uncoupled from, the
link of the adjacent vehicle as required, whilst when it is desired to effect the
coupling automatically upon two vehicles meeting, it is only necessary to see
that the relative couplings are turned horizontally with the hook on one vehicle
and the link on the other in the outward or operative position ready to snap
into engagement one with the other. After the coupling has been effected it
may be rendered secure by shooting the bolt G into the notched disc F as before
described. Only one of the shafts C need be operated to work the coupling between
each two vehicles.
Owing to the reversible character of the coupling piece A. B, no delay need
occur in the event of a hook or link breaking as the parts need only be reversed
to bring the other ends of the coupling pieces into engagement until it is con-
venient to make the necessary repairs.
The coupling may be applied to any vehicle without interfering with existing
construction, and may be mounted in or secured to the usual spring drawbar.
As a means however of reducing vibration or oscillation and thus rendering
the coupling secure in action, the drawbar is preferably provided with the
arrangement of springs shown, in which one or more auxiliary or intermediary
springs are interposed between the draw springs S and coupled by suitable
means such as gland plates or draw bars N. The gland plates or draw-bars
which slide through the cross piece P¹ of the frame are connected with the
couplings by means of the shanks or drawbars of the brackets D, said shanks
sliding through the crosspiece P and being secured to the gland plate or
drawbar N by a pin Q, this part of the gland plate or drawbar being strengthened
to form an abutment R for the end spring S which abuts with its other end
against the crosspiece P. The intermediate springs M may be connected to the
gland plate N by a cross plate T and an intermediary plate spring or laminated
spring U may also be provided for the plate T to bear against.
By this arrangement of springs with intermediary or auxiliary springs a more
or less progressive spring action may be attained by arranging the parts so that
the springs M and only come fully into action after the end springs S have
taken up the first pull, the intermediary springs then taking up any increased
pull or shock.
The pins Q may have a short play in slots in the gland plates N in which
case the abutments R must be fixed rigidly to the shanks so that the end
springs S are first compressed by the abutments until the pins reach the end of

page_text: their slots and the central springs then come into play as the pull comes on the
gland plates N.
The springs may however be connected in any suitable way and we may use
either coiled springs or plate-springs. This progressive spring action may also
be applied to other forms of coupling.
It will be understood that the details of construction may be modified as
desired or to suit requirements without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:
1. The improvement in couplings for railway and similar vehicles, which
consists in forming each coupling piece as a combined hook and link, one half
being formed as a hook and the other half as a link, and in so mounting this
piece on the vehicle that it may be rotated to bring either its hook or its link
into or out of the operative position, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
2. In couplings for railway and similar vehicles a coupling piece having
the form of a combined hook and link adapted to be rotated to bring either
its hook or its link into or out of the operative position and spring devices
adapted to hold it in the required normal positions but with sufficient vield
that, on two vehicles meeting, the adjacent coupling pieces may automatically
snap into engagement by riding up bevelled faces formed on them, or that each
piece may be rotated to bring either its hook or its link into or out of the
operative position, substantially as described.
.
3. In a railway or similar vehicle coupling having a coupling piece adapted
to be rotated in the manner described, the means for locking the coupling in
the required positions, substantially as described with reference to Figure 3 of
the accompanying drawings.
4. In a railway or similar vehicle coupling, the combined arrangement with
drawbar springs such as S, of auxiliary or intermediate springs such as M, U,
coupled together in substantially the manner set forth for the purpose of reducing
vibration or oscillation and rendering the coupling more secure.
5. The improved railway or similar vehicle coupling, constructed and operating
as a whole, substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, or
Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.
ليف
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Patent Agents, of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London.