IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGONS, AND TRUCKS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. James Hill, senior, William Thomas Hill, Edwin Hill,
and James Hill, junior, all of Huntingdon, in the County of Huntingdon,
Machinists, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING
AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGONS, AND TRUCKS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Hill, senior, William
Thomas Hill, Edwin Hill, and James Hill, junior; at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd May 1880.
"
JAMES HILL, senior, WILLIAM THOMAS HILL, EDWIN HILL, and JAMES HILL,
junior, all of Huntingdon, in the County of Huntingdon, Machinists. IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
WAGONS, AND Trucks."
Our Invention relates particularly to improvements in apparatus for coupling
and uncoupling railway wagons and trucks or carriages employed for goods traffic
on railways.
The above combined apparatus consists of a universal crank lifter and lock
shackle link, cross bar with regulating springs if required, alternate centre guide,
and longitudinal side guides worked with jointed or fixed handles, as may be
required.
The above apparatus can be worked at either side or corner of a wagon or truck
where fixed, and if an apparatus be attached to each end of the wagon or truck
with single centre chain each apparatus will put its own chain on and effect a
double coupling; or one chain can be left off and work single coupling, as may be
required, without any person going between the wagons or trucks, and the
apparatus can be fixed without alteration of the wagons or trucks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Hill, senior, William Thomas Hill, Edwin Hill, and James
Hill, junior, in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 22nd November 1880.
JAMES HILL, senior, WILLIAM THOMAS HILL, EDWIN HILL, and JAMES HILL,
junior, all of Huntingdon, in the County of Huntingdon, Machinists. 'IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
WAGONS, AND TRUCKS."
Our Invention relates particularly to improvements in apparatus for coupling
and uncoupling railway wagons and trucks or carriages employed for goods traffic
OD railways.
The above combined apparatus consists of what we term an "universal crank
lifter"
and "lock shackle link," cross bar with regulating springs if required,
alternate centre guide, and longitudinal side guide worked with jointed or fixed
handle or handles, as may be required.
>
The above apparatus can be worked at either side or corner of a wagon or truck
where fixed, and if the apparatus is attached to each end of a wagon or truck with
single centre chain each apparatus will be able to have its own chain put on by a
crank handle, and thus effect a double coupling; or one chain can be left off and
work single coupling only, as may be required, without any person going between
the wagons or trucks, and the apparatus can be fixed without alteration of the
wagons or trucks.
And in order that our improvements may clearly be understood and readily
carried into practice, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 show a side view and plan of the end portions of two railway
trucks or wagons having our improved coupling and uncoupling apparatus applied
thereto, the apparatus being arranged and constructed to couple either with single
or double chains, in accordance with our Invention; Figure 3 is an end view, and
Figure 4 a plan of Figure 3.
In Figure 1 the double coupling apparatus is shown where both chains (one to
each carriage) are coupled up from one carriage to the other. Figure 2 shows the
single coupling apparatus coupling one of the two trucks or wagons to the other by
one chain only. The end view, Figure 3, shows the coupling apparatus hanging
down uncoupled; and Figure 4 shows a plan with the coupling lever and chain
extended as in the act of coupling.
In each Figure a, a, are parts of the end frames or bodies of two railway
carriages, trucks, or wagons; 6 is a cross bar supported in guides b¹, b₁ (Figure 5),
6' (Figure 6) being a guide or stop, which serves as a fulcrum for the bar b to act
against and cause it to assume the position shown in Figure 4, the object being to
move the coupling link c sideways, so as to effect the double coupling. c (Figure 7)
is a lock shackle link attached to the end of each coupling chain. The link c is
connected by a joint to the end of the universal crank lifter or lever e fixed on the
cross bar b, which lever lifts the link c and places it over the draw bar hook
on the opposite truck or wagon, when the cross bar bis partly turned by means of
the crank handle d, d¹, or d² (Figures 8, 9, and 10), which show different forms,
that at d being jointed so as to fold, d' having an ordinary square socket to slip on
to the end of the cross bar b, and d² is formed with a crank to hang on the bar,
and so as to be slipped on to the square part thereof when required. The crank
lifter e (Figure 11) is used either for single or double coupling. The crank lifter e
(Figure 12) is formed with a joint at e¹ employed either for double or single
coupling.

page_text: The coupling link c is of peculiar construction, being formed with a jointed loop,
which is connected by a joint to the end of the crank lever or lifter e.
Our improvements prevent all danger from porters or guards going between
the ends of the carriages, wagons, or trucks to couple or uncouple them.
The cross bar b with universal crank lifter e connected to lock shackle link c
works in like manner to an universal joint by reason of the play afforded it in the
longitudinal side guides b¹, and by taking its bearing against the alternate centre
guide 6, which allows double or single coupling to be effected where the buffers
are close, also to uncouple when required.
We find it advantageous to use the form of crank slip handle d² (Figure 10),
which is slipped on to the square part of the cross bar 6 when in use, and on to
the inner round part of the bar 6 when out of use, so that no part of the apparatus
projects outside the trucks when travelling. The latter advantage is obtained by
the folding crank (Figure 8).
The universal crank lifter e (Figure 12) formed with the joint e' opens and
closes when the buffer springs of hooks are weak, and the lifter e may be formed
at e¹ with a socket joint for use with folding doors on ends of trucks if required.
Longitudinal side guides b' (Figure 13) are employed when the apparatus is
applied underneath the carriages or trucks.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of performing
or carrying the same into practice, we would remark that we do not claim any of
the mechanical parts separately, which are well known and in common use, nor do
we confine ourselves to the exact details herein before described, so long as the
novel features of our Invention are retained, but what we claim is,―
First. The improved arrangement and combination of mechanical parts for
coupling and uncoupling railway carriages, wagons, and trucks, wherein a cross
bar, such as b, carrying a lifter, such as e, partially rotates and moves freely in
slotted guides 61, 61, and against a fixed stop or guide 62 to couple and uncouple
railway vehicles, substantially in the manner and for the purpose hereinbefore
described and illustrated in the Drawings annexed.
Second. We claim the improved form and construction of the coupling link c
connected to and acting in combination with the crank lifter e and e¹ for single or
double coupling, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before
described and represented in the Drawings annexed.
Third. We claim the improved general arrangement, construction, and com-
bination of apparatus for coupling and uncoupling railway carriages, wagons, and
trucks, acting substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein before described
and represented in the Drawings annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Thomas Hill, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
34, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.
WILLIAM THOMAS HILL. (L.S.)