An Improved Coupling Hook, applicable for Coupling and Releasing Ships' Boats, Railway Vehicles, Towing Hooks, and other like or analogous Objects.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 10th Dec., 1894-Accepted, 16th Feb., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coupling Hook, applicable for Coupling and Releasing
Ships' Boats, Railway Vehicles, Towing Hooks, and other like or
analogous Objects.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, of 5 Ravensworth Terrace, Monkwearmouth,
Sunderland, in the County of Durham, Boiler Builder, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to an improved coupling hook applicable for coupling and
releasing ships' boats railway vehicles towing hooks and other like or analogous
objects.
The parts comprise a standard or bracket or box with suitable eyes or bearings
to take a slip or coupling hook and a locking and releasing lever or tumbler the
parts being mounted or enclosed in a box or casing of suitable form or size.
The hook and the end of the lever or tumbler are formed of a peculiar irregular
contour at the points where they are intended to gear with each other.
Normally when the hook has pressure on it due to the weight of a load or other-
wise its opposite end will coincide with the curvilinear formation on the end of
the lever which likewise is prevented from moving too far in either direction
by suitable stops or projecting pieces adapted to abut against convenient fixed
points.
When it is required to release the hook the lever is moved or vibrated to a
certain extent so that the end of the hook may drop into a recess in the lever end
or tumbler and when released the hook is prevented from falling over too far by a
suitable projection on the lever end.
The hook and the lever are thus formed so that their curvilinear parts may gear
together to perform the requisite synchronous or other motions on hooking or
releasing the parts.
As a coupling for railway carriages or rolling stock and the like the tumbler or
curved head or the equivalent thereof of the lever may be mounted as above
described in a box or casing on a pin on the ends of which there may be weighted
levers adapted to keep the tumbler part in gear with the trip hook so that the
raising of the lever or levers may free the tumbler to release the hook and the levers
may be held in the desired position by a catch hook or stop secured at or on the
sides of the casing or box on which the gear is mounted.
The box may be formed with fluted or other sides to facilitate the entry or
egress of the coupling link thereat and may be connected to or with the draw-bar
in any convenient manner.
Dated thin oth dow of March 1801
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Patent Agent.

page_text: An Improved Coupling Hook, applicable for Coupling and Releasing
Ships' Boats, Railway Vehicles, Towing Hooks, and other like or
analogous Objects.
I, ALEXANDER ANDERSON, of 5 Ravensworth Terrace, Monk wearmouth,
Sunderland in the County of Durham, Boiler Builder, 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 following statement :-
This invention relates to an improved coupling hook applicable for coupling and
releasing ships' boats railway vehicles towing hooks and other like or analogous
objects.
The parts comprise a standard or bracket or box with suitable eyes or bearings
to take a slip or coupling hook and a locking and releasing lever or tumbler
the parts being mounted or enclosed in a box or casing of suitable form or size.
The hook and the end of the lever or tumbler are formed of a peculiar irregular
contour at the points where they are intended to gear with each other.
Normally when the hook has pressure on it due to the weight of a load or
otherwise its opposite end will coincide with the curvilinear formation on the end
of the lever which likewise is prevented from moving too far in either direction
by suitable stops or projecting pieces adapted to abut against convenient fixed
points.
When it is required to release the hook the lever is moved or vibrated to a
certain extent so that the end of the hook may drop into a recess in the lever end
or tumbler and when released the hook is prevented from falling over too far by a
suitable projection on the lever end.
The hook and the lever are thus formed so that their curvilinear parts may gear
together to perform the requisite synchronous or other motions on hooking or
releasing the parts.
As a coupling for railway carriages or rolling stock and the like the tumbler or
curved head or the equivalent thereof of the lever may be mounted as above
described in a box or casing on a pin on the ends of which there may be weighted
levers adapted to keep the tumbler part in gear with the trip hook so that the
raising of the lever or levers may free the tumbler to release the hook and the
levers may be held in the desired position by a catch hook or stop secured at or on
the sides of the casing or box on which the gear is mounted.
The box may be formed with fluted or other sides to facilitate the entry or
egress of the coupling link thereat and may be connected to or with the draw-bar
in any convenient manner.
I will fully explain my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Figures 1, 2, and 3 show boat coupling and releasing gear in vertical sectional
elevational views (1) the block B in the act of being engaged with hook (2) the
block engaged with hook and (3) the block disengaged by pulling the lever and in
the following description like marks of reference designate like parts.
Referring to the drawings (Figures 1, 2 and 3) 1 is a box or casing which may
be of the shape shown. 2 is a standard the lower end of which may be secured to
the boat, the upper end terminating in a double eye 2ª within the casing. The
double eye carries the hook 3. At 4 a pin passes through lugs on the standard
and through the extended lower portion of the casing whereby the standard is
made secure. On the pin 4 a tumbler lever 5 of the shape shown is mounted.

page_text: Such an apparatus as is shown in these figs. is to be suitably fitted at each end
of a boat and the lower ends of the levers 5. are intended to be so connected
together by a chain or rope as that their motions may be synchronous.
The figures are self-explanatory but it will be observed that in Figure 1 the
part 6 of lever 5 prevents the hook being tripped by the block too far while in
Figure 2 the part 7 of lever 5 takes the pressure from the end 8 of the hook when
it is engaged and the said part 7 also (as shown in Figure 3) prevents the hook
being tripped or revolved too far in a backward direction.
It will be observed that in this gear it is impossible (in the case of a suspended
boat) to disengage until the boat is water-borne and the gear is released by the
man in charge pulling the chain connecting the lower ends of the releasing
levers.
Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 show the application of the same gear to railway
coupling purposes.
In this gear the hook is shown working in a vertical instead of in an horizontal
plane as above described.
On the tumbler pin 12 are mounted levers 9 the pins 10 on which engage with
the catch hooks 11 which are pivotted in the arms of the stirrup 13 which is
hinged to an extension 14 of the casing 15. 16 is the double eye on the end of the
drawbar 17. 18 is the hook pivotted in the double eye, the tumbler 19 being
keyed on pin 12 above referred to.
To uncouple the hook from the link 20 (see Figure 5) the levers 9 are pulled or
drawn up in any convenient manner by cords, levers, or otherwise; this raises the
tumbler and puts it out of gear.
The pins 10 raise the catch hooks and go past them (as shown in Figure 6) and
when the levers 9 fall, the pins 10 engage and rest on the catch hooks (as shown in
Figure 7) in which position the gear will not couple. By pulling back the
extension 21 of the stirrup by a cord or lever or any convenient means the catch
hooks are freed from the pins 10 which thus allows the levers 9 to drop down and
to bring the tumbler into gear with the hook as shown in Figure 5. In this position
the tumbler rests on the base of the casing 15.
In Figures 6 and 8 are shown the coupling link 20 and the box in which it
works.
The box may be formed as shown in two parts, whereof the upper one 22 forms
a cover and guide to the link, the pin 23 serving as the point against which the
pull will abut.
The sides of the box are sufficiently angled to permit of the vibration of the link
in going round curves.
It will be observed that in coupling up the long link can pass backwards on the
draw-bar and can come forward again when coupled up.
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
1 claim is :-
1. The improved apparatus forming coupling and releasing gear consisting in the
combination with the casing and standard of the hook and tumbler-lever the
several parts being arranged disposed and adapted to co-act substantially as and
for the purposes herein set forth with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the
drawings.
2. The improved apparatus forming coupling and releasing gear consisting in
the combination with a draw-bar having a hook and casing therewith of a pin
carrying a tumbler lever and side levers fitted with pins adapted to co-act with
catch-hooks pivotted on a movable stirrup on the casing the several parts being
arranged disposed and adapted to operate with regard to the coupling link substan-
tially as and for the purposes herein set forth with reference to Figures 4, 5, 6, 7
and 8 of the drawings.

page_text: 3. The combination of parts forming improved coupling and releasing gear
arranged disposed and adapted to work in the respective instances substantially as
and for the purposes herein described and illustrated.
Dated this 8th day of December 1894.
A. CRAWHALL CHAPMAN,
3, St. Nicholas Buildings, Newcastle-on-Tyne; Patent.Agent.