Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1887
Complete Left, 27th Oct., 1887
Complete Accepted, 29th Nov.,
1887
I EDWARD JACOB HILL of 6 Westminster Chambers in the City of Westminster,
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improved means of coupling and uncoupling railway
wagons.
The apparatus consists of an arm pivoted to the head stock of the wagon, at one
side of the draw bar hook and at an angle from the vertical. Over a sheave at the
end of this arm runs a cord or chain which is attached by a claw or other suitable
means to the end link of the coupling, the cord passing from the end of the lever arm
to an eye or sheave at the side of the wagon towards which the arm is pivoted, and
thence across to the opposite side.
The motion of the arm is limited by a stop, and being pivoted on an inclined axis
its free end and consequently the link suspended therefrom rises in the act of swing-
ing it out from the head stock, the rises movement of the link being completed by
pulling on the cord or chain until the link is raised sufficiently high to be dropped
over the draw hook of the adjacent wagon.
The arm being pivoted on an inclined axis the weight of the coupling when
uncoupled causes it to swing back against the head stock, and carry the coupling
with it.
The stop limits the outward swing of the arm so that its extremity will be directly
in the centre line of the wagon in position to drop the link on the draw hook of the
adjacent wagon.
E. J. HILL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway
Waggons.
I, EDWARD JACOB HILL of 6 Westminster Chambers in the City of Westminster
Engineer 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 :-
My Invention relates to means of coupling up and uncoupling railway wagons.
The Invention has for its object to enable the operation of hooking on and
unhooking the ordinary loose couplings employed on railway goods wagons to be
performed with certainty and ease from either side of the train without the necessity
of a a man going between the wagons.
The Invention consists in the employment of a sort of crane jib or arm pivoted to
the head stock of the wagon and in suspending the end link of the coupling from a
chain or other connection passing over a sheave at the end of the jib and thence to
the side of the wagon; the crane jib or arm being preferably mounted on an inclined
axis, so that its free end will rise as it slews outwards and will naturally tend to
swing back against the head stock and carry the coupling with it when the latter is
uncoupled. The outward slewing motion of the crane jib or arm is limited, so that
it will be arrested when its free end is in the centre line of the wagon in which
position it will be directly over the draw-book of an adjacent wagon on to which the
end link of the coupling suspended from the crane may then be readily deposited.
In practice, the chain would generally pass from the jib, first to one side of the wagon
and then across to the opposite side, as will be hereinafter described.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica-
tion, wherein figure 1 is an end elevation of an uncoupled wagon. Figure 2 is a plan
shewing two wagon ends at the moment of being coupled together. Figure 3 is a
sectional elevation on line 1-1 figure 2. Figure 4 is an elevation similar to figure 1,
shewing a slightly modified form of coupler. Figures 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 are views of
. details. The saune letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.
A is the crane arm or jib whose pivotal axis a is mounted in bracket bearings fixed
to the wagon headstock B at one side of the draw-hook C, the pivotal axis a being
preferably inclined from the vertical either outwards from the headstock at its lower
end (as shewn in figures 1, 2, and 3) or obliquely across the head stock (as in
figure 4) so that as the jib A slows outwards for the purpose of coupling up, its
outer end will rise to a sufficient height above the draw hook of the adjacent wagon,
and, after uncoupling, the jib will swing back against the head stock to which it is
pivoted. This rising motion is also desirable, as it is preferred that the jib A should
be kept as low as possible.
At the end of the jib is mounted a
detail on a larger scale in figure 8.
a sling F from the end of a chain or
sheave D within a strap or casing d, shewn in
The end link E of the coupling is suspended by
wire rope G which passes over the sheave D,

page_text: thence round a sheave H hung on an eye-bolt at that side of the wagon towards which
the jib is pivoted, thence across the end of the wagon through eyes I I' at the latter
of which it terminates in a hand ring G. The outward slewing motion of the jib is
limited by a chain K attached to its extremity or other point and to the headstock B
or by any other suitable means-the radius of the jib, its pivotal distance from the
draw hook C, and the length of chain K, being such that when the jib is slewed
outwards, the sheave D will be arrested in a position immediately over the draw hook
of the adjacent wagon when the letter is in position for coupling up. In this position
of the jib, the pivot on which the sheave D runs should be horizontal and the plane of
the sheave should be as nearly as possible at right angles to the centre line of the
wagon.
At a point g in the chain or rope is a large link or other stop which cannot pass
thrrugh the strap d of the jib sheave, so that when, in uncoupling, the running out of
the chain over the sheave is arrested by stop g the weight of the end link of the
coupling C which is not pendent at full length will be partly borne by the jib head
and will tend to cause the latter to swing back against the headstock. In this
position, the plane of the sheave is at a considerable angle to the direction of the
part of the chain or rope passing from it to sheave H (as shewn at the upper part of
figure 2) so that the chain or rope will not at first run freely over the sheave but will
catch against the sheave strap d, when that part of the chain or rope is pulled, and
will cause the jib to swing outwards a certain distance before the coupling begins
to be raised. When the jib approaches more or less nearly the outward limit of its
motion, the chain or rope runs quite freely over the sheave and begins to raise the
coupling, the exact point at which this happens depending on the distance of the
operators' hand from the end of the wagon. The coupling link having been raised to
the jib head so as to be directly over the draw hook on to which it is to be coupled,
it may be lowered with certainty over the point of the draw-hook and be coupled
thereto.
When uncoupling (as shewn by the hand in figure 2) by pulling on that part of
the chain which is between sheaves D) and H (and for which purpose the handle G²
figure 1 is provided) the uncoupling may be facilitated by moving that part of the
chain more or less towards its own wagon after the coupling link has been raised out
of the draw hook so as to allow the jib to swing a little to one side before slacking
out the chain and lowering the coupling which is thus prevented from falling back on
to the draw-book; but when uncoupling from the opposite side of the wagon by
pulling on the band link G¹ the same facility is not available and it is necessary to
suddenly jerk the coupling link out of the draw-hook so that it will fall over to one
side thereof, which may be done with certainty after slight practice.
The sling or clip F is of arched form as shewn in figures 5 and 6 and embraces the
two side members of the link at a point behind the middle so that the weight of the
intermediate links will be partially balanced and the end link when raised will be nearly
horizontal. The sling is made preferably of sheet metal lapped round, and rivetted
or bolted so as to clip tightly the side members of the coupling link as shewn in
figures 5, 6, and 7. It may either be made in halves each of double thickness and
bolted together at the top at the point of attachment of the chain, as in figure 5, or
may be made as shewn in figures 6 and 7, the arched portion forming a knuckle at
top for engagement with a shackle on the end of the chain.
it
If the jib be mounted on a vertical instead of an inclined axis it will be drawn back
against the end of the wagon by a weight attached to the chain K which in this case
instead of being made fast to the wagon would run over a sheave on the wagon.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. A means for coupling up and uncoupling loose railway wagon couplings, consisting
of a swinging crane-jib or arm pivoted on the wagon end, and of a chain or rope
attached to the end link of the coupling and passing over a sheave at the end of the
jib or arm, to one side of the wagon, as specified.

page_text: 2. A means for coupling up and uncoupling railway wagon couplings, consisting
of a crane-jib or arm pivoted on an inclined axis so as to rise when swung outwards
and tend naturally to swing back against the wagon end, and of a chain or rope
attached to the end link of the coupling and passing over a sheave at the end of the
jib or arm to one side of the wagon.
3. A means for coupling up and uncoupling railway wagon couplings, consisting
of a crane-jib or arm pivoted on an inclined axis so as to rise when swung outwards
and tend naturally to swing back against the wagon end, and of a chain or rope
attached to the end link of the coupling and passing over a sheave at the end of the
jib or arm to a sheave at one side of the wagon and thence across towards the opposite
side substantially as shewn and described.
E. J. HILL.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London.
Patent Agents.