Im- PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Francis Fairlie, of 9, Victoria Chambers,
in the City of Westminster, Engineer, for the Invention of “Im-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS."
Sealed the 21st November 1871, and dated the 2nd August 1871.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Francis Fairlie
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd August 1871,
I, ROBERT FRANCIS FAIRLIE, of 9, Victoria Chambers, in the City
of Westminster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND
UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improved means or apparatus for coupling
and uncoupling railway carriages or waggons; my object being to
enable these operations to be effected without the attendant being
required to go between the rails.

page_text: My improvement mainly consists in the employment of a bolt or
slide which is actuated, as herein-after described, by means of a handle
at the side of the carriage, and which is (as required) shot into or
withdrawn from a bell-mouthed or conical receiver on the coupling bar
of one carriage, so as to lock or to release a slotted bar on the coupling
bar of the next adjoining carriage in order to couple or to uncouple
the two carriages.
The manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect is
as follows:-I provide the coupling bar at each end of every carriage
with a bell-mouthed or conical receiver, and with a slotted bar, which
may be lowered or moved aside when the bell-mouthed receiver con-
tiguous to it has to receive the slotted bar on the end of the coupling
bar of the next adjoining carriage. The receiver has a slot or aperture
formed transversely through it, and corresponding with this slot or
aperture is a bolt or slide. The bolt or slide is connected to one arm
of a bell crank the other arm of which is connected to one end of a rod.
This rod extends to about the centre of the frame of the carriage and
is connected at its other end to a pin. To this pin is connected one
end of a short lever which is connected at its other end to the frame,
and to the same pin is also connected one end of another rod which is
connected at its opposite end to a transverse lever, the inner end of
which has its fulcrum on the frame of the carriage while its outer
end extends to the side of the carriage and is fitted with a handle. The
frame of the carriage is provided with a guide for this lever and with
two catches to retain it in each of its two positions. To couple two
carriages together the slotted bar on the coupling bar of one carriage
is made to enter the bell-mouthed receiver on the coupling bar of the
other carriage. The lever is then moved from one end of its guide to
the other, so as through the intermediation of the rods and levers above
described, to shoot the bolt or slide through the aperture in the receiver
and through the slot of the bar therein. This bar is thus securely held
in the receiver and the carriages are coupled together. To uncouple
it is only necessary to return the lever and thereby withdraw the
bolt.
If the coupling bars have a radial movement when the train is
passing round curves, as is described in the Specification of my Patent
of 22nd April 1868, No. 1321, the coupling bar of the last carriage will
not return to the centre when the train reaches the straight, and should

page_text: it then be required to couple on another carriage the couplings, viz., the
bell-mouthed receiver and the slotted bar, would not meet, therefore in
order to apply my couplings to coupling bars which have a radial move-
ment it is necessary to add a spring at each side of every coupling bar
to ensure its return to the centre, thus when the coupling bars approach
one side of the carriage in going round a curve the springs on that side
are compressed and the springs on the other side are expanded, and
when the carriage reaches the straight the springs will resume their
normal position and return the coupling bars to the centre. This com-
pression of the springs at one side of the coupling bars and expansion
of those at the other side gives an additional advantage, because as they
tend to push the carriage against or towards the inner rail and to draw
it from the outer, they lessen the friction usually produced by the wheel
flanges in going round curves.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Robert Francis Fairlie in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 1st February 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
FRANCIS FAIRLIE, of 9, Victoria Chambers, in the City of Westminster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of August, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the thirty-
fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Francis Fairlie, Her special licence
that I, the said Robert Francis Fairlie, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert Francis Fairlie, 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 “Iм-
PROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Robert Francis Fairlie, my executors or administrators,

page_text: 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 Robert Francis Fairlie, 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 thereof, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, that is to say :—
My Invention relates to improved means or apparatus for coupling
and uncoupling railway carriages or wagons, my object being to enable
these operations to be effected without the attendant being required to
go between the rails.
My improvement mainly consists in the employment of a bolt or slide
which is actuated, as herein-after described, by means of a handle at the
side of the carriage, and which is (as required) shot into or withdrawn
from a bell-mouthed or conical receiver on the draw bar or coupling bar
of one carriage so as to lock or to release a slotted bar on the draw or
coupling bar of the next adjoining carriage in order to couple or to
uncouple the two carriages.
-
The manner in which my Invention may be carried into effect is as
follows I provide the draw bar at each end of every carriage with a
bell-mouthed or conical receiver, and with a slotted bar which may be
lowered or moved aside when the bell-mouthed receiver contiguous to it
has to receive the slotted bar on the end of the draw bar of the next
adjoining carriage. The receiver has a slot or aperture formed trans-
versely through it, and corresponding with this slot or aperture is a bolt
or slide. The bolt or slide is connected to one arm of a bell crank, the
other arm of which is connected to one end of a rod. This rod extends
towards the centre of the frame of the carriage, and is connected at its
other end to a transverse lever, the inner end of which has its fulcrum
on the frame of the carriage, while its outer end extends to the side of
the carriage, and is fitted with a handle. The frame of the carriage is
provided with a guide for this lever, and with two catches to retain it in
each of its two positions. To couple two carriages together the slotted

page_text: bar on the draw bar of one carriage is made to enter the bell-mouthed
receiver on the draw bar of the other carriage. The lever is then moved
from one end of its guide to the other, so as through the intermediation
of the rods and levers above described to shoot the bolt or slide through
the aperture in the receiver and through the slot of the bar therein.
This bar is thus securely held in the receiver, and the carriages are
coupled together. To uncouple it is only necessary to return the lever
and thereby withdraw the bolt.
When the draw bars have a radial movement when the train is
passing round curves, as is described in the Specification of my Patent
of 22nd April 1868, No. 1321, I fit a spring at each side of every draw
bar, so that when the train is passing round a curve and the draw bars
consequently approach one side of the carriage the springs on that side
are compressed, and the springs on the other side are expanded, and
when the carriage reaches the straight the springs will resume their
normal position, thus ensuring that the draw bars are in the centre of
the carriages when they have to be coupled together, as before described.
By this compression of the springs at one side of the draw bars and
expansion of those at the other side I obtain a great advantage, because
as they tend to push the carriage against or towards the inner rail, and
to draw it from the outer they lessen the friction usually produced by
the wheel flange rubbing hard against the outer rail in going round
curves; and as the draw bars on curves form the chord of an are the
springs acting at the centres of the chord press each end of the carriage
towards the inner rail to the exact proportion of the versed sine of
the chord.
The Invention will be fully understood by reference to the annexed
Drawings, which shew the frame of a truck or carriage provided with my
improvements, Figure 1 being a half elevation, Figure 2 a half sectional
elevation, and Figure 3 a half plan.
a, a, are the draw bars having a radial movement on the centres
at b, b, as described in the Specification of my former Patent herein-
before mentioned; c, c, are the bell-mouthed receivers carried on the
ends of the draw bars a, a; d, d, are the slotted bars also carried on the
ends of the draw bars; e is a bolt or slide to lock the slotted bar d in
the bell-mouthed receiver c when the coupling has to be effected. This
bolt e is actuated through the bell crank f, rod g, and lever k, which has
a handle, all as herein-before explained. m, m, are springs fitted at cach

page_text: side of the draw bars and attached to brackets n, n. These springs not
only ensure the return of the draw bars to the centre of the carriage
when the train reaches the straight, but will also as before mentioned
tend to push the carriage against or towards the inner rail, and to draw
it from the outer when the train is going round curves, and therefore
lessen the usual flange friction. These springs apply to the radial draw
bars whether provided with the bell-mouthed coupling described or with
other forms of coupling.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in
what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
-
First. The improved coupling and uncoupling apparatus consisting of
the bell-mouthed receiver, slotted bar, bolt or slide (or their equivalents)
and gearing for enabling the coupling and uncoupling to be effected
without the attendant being required to go between the rails, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
Second. I claim the springs (m, m,) at the sides of the draw bars, as
and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Francis Fairlic, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this First day of February Onc
thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.