Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 12th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted; 21st Dec., 1888
I, PHILIP CHARLES LAWLESS, of 7 Montpelier Parade, Monkstown, in the County
of Dublin, Ireland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows, that is to say :-
My said Invention has for its object to improve and simplify the construction of
couplings and connections for flexible piping such as is or may be used for pneumatic
brakes and other apparatus.
My improved couplings and connections are designed to be used with flexible
piping of the kind described in the Specification of my Patent No. 2661.of 1886;
but they are also equally applicable with other kinds of flexible piping.
The parts of the improved coupling for the two ends of the piping which are to
be connected are each exactly alike, and each part is made with a right-hand side
and with a left-hand side, and with two passages one of which terminates in a
faucet or flared mouth and the other in a spigot or nozzle. When the two coupling
parts are brought together the two spigots or nozzles enter each the faucet or
mouth of the other part. The joints are made tight by rings of vulcanised rubber
which are placed in internal grooves formed for them in the inner parts of the
faucets or mouths, and which are compressed by conical or curved surfaces on the
ends of the spigots. Wire gauze is placed between each rubber ring and the surface.
of the groove in which the rubber ring is placed, and allows the pressure to act
on the ring in a manner to tend to tighten the joint. If the piping is for trans-
mitting air or other fluid greater than atmospheric pressure the wire gauze should
be placed more to the inner side of the rubber ring; but when the internal pressure
is less than that of the atmosphere the wire gauze should be placed more to the
outer side of the ring.
In order to hold the coupling parts together, each part is made with a hook on
the faucet side which hook extends over and beyond the faucet; and a projection
is formed on the other part for the hook to engage upon, each coupling part thus

page_text: having a hook on one side of it and a projection on the other side. When the
improved couplings are fitted in the usual position to railway brake apparatus, the
coupling parts can be engaged by bringing them together in positions reversely
inclined to each other so that the spigot of each can be entered under the hook
and into the faucet of the other; and then when the coupling parts are turned
down so as to become in line with each other the hooks engage on the projections.
The engaging surfaces are shaped so as to cause the coupling parts to be drawn
together whilst being engaged and thereby insure the tightness of the joints. The
coupling parts are disengaged by giving a suitable inclination to each part, but
unless the parts are thus brought by hand into the uncoupling positions they cannot
become disconnected.
For the purpose of connecting the flexible piping to the nozzle of the pipe fixed
to the railway carriage or other apparatus, I provide a faucet piece for the end of
the flexible piping to be passed, over the nozzle of the fixed pipe and to be fixed
by screws screwed through lugs or its rim so as to engage behind a bead on the
nozzle of the fixed pipe. An internal groove formed inside of the faucet and in
this groove a rubber ring of suitable shape is placed to make a tight joint with
the end of the nozzle of the fixed pipe; and wire gauze is inserted between the
rubbber ring and the surface of the groove to allow the pressure to act in a manner
to tighten the ring.
Dated this Thirteenth day of February 1888.
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.

page_text: Improvements in Couplings and Connections for Flexible Piping of
Pneumatic Brakes and other Apparatus.
I, PHILIP CHARLES LAWLESS, of 7 Montpelier Parado, Monkstown, in the County
of Dublin, Ireland, 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, that is to say:
My said Invention bas for its object to improve and. simplify the construction of
couplings and connections for flexible piping such as is or may be used for pneumatic
brakes and other apparatus.
-
My improved couplings and connections are designed to be used with flexible piping
of the kind described in the Specification of my Patent No. 2661 of 1886; but they
are also equally applicable with other kinds of flexible piping.
The parts of the improved coupling for the two ends of the piping which are to be
connected are each exactly alike, and each part is made with a right-hand side and
with a left-hand side, and with two passages one of which terminates with a faucet or
flared mouth and the other in a spigot or nozzle. When the two coupling parts are
brought together the two spigots or nozzles enter each the faucet or mouth of the
other part. In order to hold the coupling parts together each part is made with a
hook on the faucet side, which hook extends over and beyond the faucet; and a
projection is formed on the other part for the hook to engage upon, each coupling part
thus having a hook on one side of it and a projection on the other side.
For the purpose of connecting the flexible piping to the nozzle of the pipe fixed to
the railway carriage or other apparatus, I provide a faucet piece for the end of
the flexible piping to be passed over the nozzle of the fixed pipe and to be fixed by
screws, screwed through lugs or its rim so as to engage behind a bead on the nozzle of
the fixed pipe. The connection is made airtight by means of a rubber ring placed in
an internal groove in the faucet piece.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same may
be properly understood I hereunto append a sheet of explanatory drawings to be
hereinafter referred to and representing couplings and connections.
Figure, 1, on the sheet of drawings is a plan and figure, 2, is a sectional side
elevation of one modification of the couplings; and figures, 3, and 4, are similar
views of another modification. Figure, 5, is a section of my improved parts for
connecting flexible piping to a fixed pipe nozzle. In these drawings the same
reference numerals are used to mark the same or like parts wherever they are
repeated.
In figures, 1, and 2, each coupling piece, 6, is shown as having jointed to it a
tubular link or element, 7, of flexible piping of the kind described in my earlier
Specification hereinbefore referred to. Each coupling piece, 6, is made with a passage
through it of a forked shape, the passage which in each communicates with the next
link, 7, of the flexible piping diverging into two branches one of which terminates in
a spigot, 8, the other terminating in a faucet, 9; and when the parts, are coupled as
The
shown the spigot, 8, of each piece enters into the faucet, 9, of the other piece.
junctions of the spigots and faucets, 8, 9, are made tight by rings, 10, of vulcanised
rubber which are placed in internal grooves formed for them in the inner parts of the

page_text: faucets, 9, and which are compressed by conical or curved surfaces on the ends of the
spigots, 8.
Wire gauze, 11, is placed between each rubber ring, 10, and the surface of
the groove
in which the rubber ring is placed and allows the pressure to act on the
ring in a manner to tend to tighten the joint. If the piping is for transmitting air
or other fluid of greater than atmospheric pressure the wire gauze, 11, should be
placed more to the inner side of the rubber ring, 10, as shown; but when the internal
pressure is less than that of the atmosphere the wire gauze should be placed more to
the outer side of the ring.
Each coupling piece, 6, is made with a hook, 12, and with a projection, 13, and the
hook of one piece engages with the projection of the other piece when the parts are
coupled. When the pieces, 6, are about to be coupled they are moved towards each
other in reversely inclined positions with the hooks, 12, turned up sufficiently to pass
over the tops of the projections, 13; the pieces are then turned into the horizontal
position or into line with each other with sufficient force to make the hooks, 12,
engage with the projections, 13. The surfaces of the projections, 13, over which the
points of the hooks; 12, move in the act of engaging are shaped with a kind of
eccentric curvature such as to draw the parts together and thereby force each spigot, 8,
sufficiently into the faucet, 9, of the other coupling piece. The coupling pieces, 6,
are disengaged by giving suitable inclinations to them, but unless the parts are thus
brought by hand or otherwise into the uncoupling positions they cannot become
disconnected. With the coupling pieces shaped as shown in figures, 1, and 2, no force
applied in line to the coupling pieces will separate them unless some part becomes
ruptured or broken. It is however sometimes considered desirable for such a coupling
to be capable of separating without rupture when the piping or carriages or parts to
which they are connected are moved asunder with considerable force. To meet such
requirements the coupling pieces may be modified as shown in figures, 3, and 4, by
having the end parts, 14, inclined upwards where they are connected to the next links
or sections, 7, of the flexible piping. With this modified construction a strain
tending to draw the parts, 14, asunder will if strong enough cause the coupling
pieces, 6, to become inclined to each other and unhooked.
My improved connecting device shown in figure, 5, compreses a faucet piece, 15,
which is placed over the nozzle, 16, of the fixed pipe and is fixed by screws, 17,
screwed through lugs formed on the piece, 15, so as to engage behind a bead, 18, on
the nozzle, 16. An internal groove is formed inside the faucet and in this groove a
rubber ring, 19, of suitable shape is placed to make a tight joint with the nozzle, 16,
of the fixed pipe; and wire gauze, 20, is inserted between the rubber ring, 19,
and the surface of the groove to allow the pressure to act in a manner to tighten
the ring.
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
I claim is
1-The improved construction and combination of parts forming the improved
couplings for flexible piping of pneumatic brakes and other apparatus substantially as
hereinbefore described.
2-The connecting of flexible piping to fixed pipe nozzles in the improved manner
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to figure, 5, of the accompanying
drawings.
17
EDMUND HUNT,
Applicant's Agent.