Improved Automatic and Non-automatic Couplings for Railway Carriages, Trucks, and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 6th July, 1900-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Automatic and Non-automatic Couplings for Railway
Carriages, Trucks, and like Vehicles.
as
I, THOMAS CLOKE, of No. 144, Pomeroy Street, New Cross, London, S.E., Cork
Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in automatic and non-automatic
couplings for railway carriages trucks and the like and is constructed
follows: I have the ordinary chain of i.e. three links to which is added a pin
on each side of the first and third links. A pair of shackles on each side are
secured to these pins and united together thus forming an elbow joint and thereby
supporting the links as on a cradle. The first link is attached to the draw hook
in the ordinary way. The draw hook has a bevelled tooth quadrant at the back
beyond the pin which secures the hook to the draw bar. The draw bar is formed
to receive a bevelled rack admitting of its coming into contact with and holding
in position the toothed quadrant of the draw hook. The ends of the rack are
slightly raised with a handle formed at each end and may be of sufficient length
to reach the sides of the truck or shorter as may be required and may be placed
above or below the buffer block but preferably above and secured to the truck
by keeps. I have also a lever bar with handles at both sides of the truck bent
in such a manner in the centre as to enable me to lift the shackles with the link
held in position so as to drop into the draw hook of the opposite truck and
thereby couple the trucks together. I may also have an additional bar corre-
sponding to the ends of the rack supported by upright standards of any required
length and attached to the rack by any suitable method of fastening such as bolt
rivet or pin. This bar may also operate the rack by the shunter using it from off
the truck. In order that the foregoing apparatus may be rendered automatic or
non-automatic in its action I have an automatic bar or set secured to each side
of the truck by keeps. On these bars I have one or two studs formed on one side
and at the extreme end of the bars I have a tongue projecting behind the buffer
head in the case of spring buffers and in front of the buffer in the case of wood
buffers and which is pressed forward when required to be in motion by pressure
on the lever bar which is so constructed as to come into contact with the front
stud formed on the automatic bars and beneath the rear stud formed on the
same bars. I may dispense with the rack and quadrant before mentioned and
attach the links and cradle before described to the ordinary draw bar and hook
and have small chains or other gear connected with each shackle of the first link
of the main chain. The small chains or like gear are passed through pulley blocks
and secured to a shifting lever bar operated from either side of the truck to which
it is secured by keeps. By these means the main chain can be set in any required
position to connect with the opposite draw hook. Immediately the truck to be
coupled is brought into contact the buffer operates on the tongue of the automatic
bars and releases the lever thereby releasing also the shackle and link which drop
immediately into the opposite draw bar hook.
This 10th J
Dom 1900

page_text: Improved Automatic and Non-automatic Couplings for Railway
Carriages, Trucks, and like Vehicles.
I, THOMAS CLOKE, of No. 144, Pomeroy Street, New Cross, London, S.E., Cork
Manufacturer, 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 certain improvements in automatic and non-automatic
couplings for railway carriages trucks and the like.
And in order that my said invention may be better understood, I will now
proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which Figs. 1, 2, and 3 shew end views of three methods of arranging and con-
structing my coupling mechanism. Figs. 4 5 and 6 shew corresponding side
views.
The same letters of reference denote the same parts in all the views.
With reference to Figs. 1 and 4, a shews the ordinary chain of three links.
shews pins on each side of the first and third link. e shews shackles (a pair
on each side) secured by the pins and joined together to form an elbow joint
thereby supporting the links as on a cradle. The first link is attached to the
draw-hook in the ordinary way. In Figs. 1 and + the draw-hook d is shewn
with a bevelled toothed pinion e formed at the back. The draw bar f is formed
to receive a bevelled rack g admitting of its engaging with and holding in position
the toothed pinion e of the draw hook d. The rack is pivotted as shewn in order
to admit of free play of the spring at the back of the draw bar. The ends h of the
rack are slightly raised with a handle i formed at each end and may be of
sufficient length to reach the sides of the truck or shorter as may be required.
The extensions h are supported and guided by hasps or keeps j. shews a lever
bar with handles at both sides of the truck. The lever bar k is shewn at Fig. 1
so bent or cranked as not to interfere with the fixing of the hose of the pneumatic
brake. The lever bar k is bent in the centre as shewn to enable the shackles e
with the links to be lifted and held in position, so as to drop into the draw
hook of the opposite truck and thus couple the trucks together.
11
I may dispense with the rack and pinion before-mentioned and attach
the links a and cradle to the ordinary draw bar and hook, as shewn at Figs. 2
and 5. In this case I have small chains, cords or wires m connected with each
shackle of the first link a. These chains or the like are passed through pulley
blocks and secured to a shifting lever bar o operated from either side of the truck
to which it is secured by keeps r. At Figs. 3 and 6 is shewn a modified form of
link mechanism. shews a link secured by a pin to two arms r r which are
pivotted at s to the draw hook d. shews eccentric projections or shoulders at
the ends of the arms r r. shews a cross piece on the link : thus when the
arms and link are turned in an upward direction, the cross piece is in
contact with the shoulders u. The end of the draw bar is forked and the hook d
is pivotted in the forked end. The chains m m in this case are attached at one
end to the back of the hook d as shewn, whence they pass through pulley blocks n
and to a lever bar o as previously described with reference to Figs. 2 and .
In order to render the foregoing apparatus automatic or non-automatic in its
action, I employ the mechanism shewn at Figs. 2 and 5, in which views 1 shews a
bar secured to the side of the truck by keeps 2. 3 shews a stud formed on the
har 14 shews a tongue formed on the end of the bar 1 and projecting behind
the buffer head in the case of spring buffers and beyond the buffer head in the
case of wood buffers. The bar is pressed forward when required to be in

page_text: action by pressure on the handle 6 of the lever bark which is so constructed as
to come into contact with the stud 5 formed on the bar 1 and to engage beneath
the rear stud 3. This automatic mechanism is provided on both sides of the
truck.
The action of the coupling mechanism shewn at Figs. 1 and 4 is as follows:
In order to couple two trucks together, the lever k is raised, thus swinging the
coupling chain upwards. Should it be found necessary to turn the link to one
side or the other, one or other of the handles is pulled or pushed so that the
rack g engaging with the pinion e shall turn the draw hook aside and with it
the coupling link.
With reference to Figs. 2 and 5 the action is as follows:-
The coupling ink can be turned aside when required by pulling or pushing
the lever bar o, which pulling on the chains m turns the coupling link. The
coupling link is raised by turning the handle of the lever bar k downwards.
This handle when turned downwards presses against the stud 5 on the bar 1 as
before described and the end of the said handle engages with the stud 3. The
automatic mechanism is thus set, the tongue 4 having been pushed forward
until close behind the buffer head. When the buffers of the other truck to be
coupled come in contact with the buffers of the truck under consideration, the
force of the impact drives the tongues 4 backwards, consequently releasing the
ends of the handles 6 of the lever bar k from beneath the studs 3, thus allowing
the lever bar k to fall. The coupling link being no longer supported, then falls
into the draw-hook of the opposite truck.
With reference to Figs. 3 and 6, the coupling link is raised in the same way
by means of the lever bar k, and the chains m for turning the link aside are
actuated by means of the bar o as previously described with reference to Figs 2
and 5.
Tncoupling is as readily effected as coupling: the link being raised from the
draw hook of the truck by means of the lever k as before described.
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 I
am aware that levers have previously been employed for raising the links or
shackles for coupling purposes and therefore I do not make any claim to the
exclusive use of such levers, but what I claim is:-
1. The combination with an ordinary coupling chain of shackles substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
2. The combination of a pivotted draw-hook formed with toothed pinion
engaging with rack pivotted to admit of free play of the spring at the back of the
draw bar substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a pivotted draw-hook of chains, cords or the like,
arranged and operated substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with an ordinary draw-bar, hook and link, of chains, cords
or the like arranged and operated substantially as set forth.
5. The automatic mechanism substantially as set forth.
CAL
1000
BROWNE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.
9, Warwick Court, Gray's Inn, London, W.C.