IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur William Lovell Reddie of the Office for Patents
66 Chancery Lane in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent for an
Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES" A communication to him from abroad by the Compagnie des
appareils automatiques pour accrocher et décrocher les wagons des chemins de
fer, of Paris in the Republic of France
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur William Lovell
Reddie at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd September
1882.
"
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent « IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING
APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY. CARRIAGES [A communication to him from abroad by
the Compagnie des appareils automatiques pour accrocher et décrocher les wagons
des chemins de fer, of Paris in the Republic of France].
This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for automatically coupling
up or uncoupling railway carriages or similar vehicles. It renders unnecessary the
entry of the railway servants between the carriages, either for coupling or screwing
them up; and it has the advantage of utilizing the existing plant, and permitting a
carriage fitted with the usual coupling gear to be connected with a carriage fitted
with this improved gear.
These results are obtained in the following manner: To the end frame of each
carriage is fixed a case or box of suitable form which carries the necessary coupling
gear. Each of these boxes has a spreading mouth and is divided into three com-
partments the central one of which allows for the passage through it of the ordinary
coupling hook which is retained.
In one of the side compartments (say the left) one end of a draw bar of peculiar
construction is secured by a bolt. The other, or right hand, side compartment is
fitted with the automatic coupling bolt which at the right moment drops through

page_text: the open loop of another parallel draw bar carried by the adjacent carriage. Thus
from the left side of each carriage a draw bar projects, and enters a corresponding
compartment when the carriages come together. The automatic coupling pin
consists of a bolt loosely connected to a pair of lever arms by depressing which the
said bolt may be raised and the carriages uncoupled. Within each of the right
hand or female compartments is a hinged flap kept by a weighted lever in a
position to cover the hole for the lower end of the coupling bolt. When the latter
is raised, before the coupling takes place, the flap falls forward and retains the bolt
in the raised-position. When the end of the draw bar enters the compartment it
pushes back the flap and allows the bolt to fall through its open end into the hole
in the bottom of the compartment. It will be understood that the carriages are
simultaneously and automatically connected by two parallel draw bars one on either
side of the central draw hooks. The draw bars are made of two links or pieces of
round iron placed one upon the other and so shaped as to present two loops or
eyes, the smaller one for the permanent connecting pin, and the larger one for
the automatic coupling bolt. A bolt firmly unites the two portions of each double
draw bar.
The length of these double draw bars is such that they will not quite touch the
buffers when moved round on their connecting pins-The tightening up apparatus
is arranged so as to act simultaneously upon the improved, as well as upon the
ordinary coupling gear, or only on the latter when the carriage is not fitted on the
improved system.
To this end the draw hooks and the boxes fitted with the improved arrangement
of apparatus, are firmly united by means of a stirrup or strap. By this arrange-
ment the tightening up regulator connected with the rod of the draw hook will act
as if it were attached directly to the box. The drawhook rod is contracted by
means of a right and left handed screw which is rotated by means of a pinion
keyed upon it, the said pinion being rotated by a rack rod worked from the side
of the carriage, and similarly the uncoupling of the carriages may be effected by
using a hooked lever of suitable form on either side of a carriage.
These improvements may be adapted without any difficulty to existing rolling
stock, as it allows of the usual coupling gear being provisionally retained.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd March 1883.
33.
ARTHUR WILLIAM LOVELL REDDIE of the Office for Patents 66 Chancery Lane
in the County of Middlesex Patent Agent "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING
APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES a communication to me from abroad
by the Compagnie des appareils automatiques pour accrocher et décrocher les
wagons des chemins de fer of Paris in the Republic of France
This Invention relates to Improvements in apparatus for automatically coupling
up or uncoupling railway carriages or similar vehicles. It renders unnecessary the
entry of the railway servants between the carriages either for coupling or screwing
them up, and it has the advantage of utilizing the existing plant, and permitting
a carriage fitted with the usual coupling gear to be connected with a carriage fitted
with this improved gear.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig: 1 shows in plan view partly in horizontal
section, the method of applying the improved apparatus to carriages fitted with the
ordinary coupling gear. Fig: 2 is a vertical section taken through the axis of the
apparatus. Fig: 3 shews the casing of the coupling gear in end view.
:
Finally Fig 4 represents the method of coupling a carriage fitted with the
ordinary gear, to a carriage fitted with the improved apparatus.
To the end frame of each carriage is fixed a casing or box of peculiar form A
which carries all the coupling gear.
The box or casing A (rectangular in end view Fig: 3 and splayed or bell mouthed
as seen from the side; Fig 2) is divided into three compartments a. b. c.-The male
compartment a. is fitted with a draw bar B, secured therein by the pin C, round
which the bar is free to turn its length being such that it will not quite reach the
buffers when brought into the dotted position of Fig: 1.
The female compartment b. is intended to receive the draw bar B¹ of the adjacent
carriage, and has adapted to it the automatic movable coupling pin H which is hung
from the hinged lever arms I and J (Fig 3).
Lastly the central or neutral compartment c. allows of the free passage of the
ordinary draw hook D. which is retained.
The draw bars B. B'. are made of two round iron bars or links e and f. placed one
upon the other and bent so as to form two eyelets or loops, the one for the retaining
pin C, the other for the automatic movable coupling pin H.
A bolt g, firmly binds together the two parts of each draw-bar.
The length of these duplex draw-bars is such that they cause the rocking pieces
or stays c. in each compartment b. 6¹ to rock and open the hole in the bottom of the
compartment for the admission of the automatic coupling pins H H¹.
The coupling is effected by the simple approximation of the carriages. The draw-
bar B projecting from each compartment a. enters the corresponding compartment b.
of the adjacent carriage.
The rocking piece or stay a. normally upright, is pushed over and the automatic
coupling pin H drops through the long loop or eye in the end of the draw bar.-The
carriages thereupon are coupled by two duplex draw-bars B and B'.
The uncoupling is effected by means of a lever of T shape which is applied to
either of the lever arms I and J or I' and J. which may be reached from the
platform from either side of the carriage indifferently. By pressing vertically on
the lever arms, the coupling pins H and H' are raised and the uncoupled carriages
may be separated.

page_text: All these manœuvres are performed from the side of the carriages, the “shunters”
being in no case required to enter between the buffers.
The tension regulator is so arranged as to operate simultaneously on the improved
coupling gear and on the ordinary drawhook, or only upon the latter in case the
carriages are not fitted with the improved gear.
To this end the draw hook D and the casing or box A are firmly connected by
the strap or stirrup h. From this arrangement it follows that the tension regulator
fixed on the end of the draw hook produces exactly the same effects as if it were
fixed directly to the box or casing.
The rod. of the ordinary draw hook whether alone or combined with the box, is
provided with two threaded sockets and a pinion P. keyed midway on a right and
left handed screw p. A rack K, operated from the side of the carriage engages
with the pinion P and allows of a regular tension being applied if (when the
carriages are approximated and coupled there should be a want or excess of play
between the buffers. The rack therefore causes the drawhooks and also the boxes A
to approach or recede as may be desired.
'
Having now described the nature of this Invention for "Improvements in
Coupling Apparatus for railway carriages" as communicated to me from Abroad and
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood
that I claim: The improvements in apparatus for the automatic coupling up of
railway carriages and similar vehicles substantially as above described and
represented in the accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Arthur William Lovell Reddie have hereunto
set my hand and seal the twentieth day of March in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty three.
ARTHUR W. L. REDDIE. (L.S.)