IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING TOGETHER OR COUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Wiglesworth, of Newbury, in the
County of Berks, Bachelor of Medicine, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING TOGETHER OR COUPLING RAILWAY
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 5th May 1854, and dated the 7th November 1853.**
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Wiglesworth
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 7th November 1853...
I, HENRY WIGLESWORTH, of Newbury, in the County of Berks,
Bachelor of Medicine, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING TOGETHER. OR COUPLING RAILWAY
CARRIAGES" to be as follows,
The improvements relate to the application of cross connections
between the adjoining ends of a train of carriages in order to diminish
oscillation or undue sideway motion; such connections between the
carriages are in pairs, each of a pair passing from the side of one car-
riage to its attachment at the opposite side of the adjoining and

page_text: connected carriage, & each crossing the other in passing to such
attachment, & each pair of connections is so connected to a central
draught rod that the pull upon, such draught rod will at all times tend
to tighten the cross connections, & the amount of oscillation is lessened
by one carriage being prevented moving sideways without its next
adjoining carriage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Wiglesworth in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
HENRY WIGLESWORTHI, of Newbury, in the-County of Berks, Bachelor
of Medicine, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Henry Wiglesworth, Her special
licence that I, the said Henry Wiglesworth, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Wiglesworth,
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
IMPROVEMENTS IN CONNECTING TOGETHER OR COUPLING RAILWAY CAR-
RIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Henry
Wiglesworth, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Henry Wiglesworth, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 (that is to say):
The improvements relate to the application of cross connections
between the adjoining ends of the carriages of a train of carriages in
order to diminish oscillation or undue sideway motion; such connec
tions between the carriages being in pairs, each of a pair passing from
the side of one carriage to its attachment at the opposite side of the
adjoining and connected carriage, and each crossing the other in pass-
ing to such attachment, and each pair of connections is so connected
to a central draught rod that the pull upon sucli draught rod will at all
times tend to tighten the cross connections, whereby the amount of
oscillation will be lessened by one carriage being prevented moving
sideways without its adjoining carriage.
But that the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe
the Drawing annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, shows in plan, and Figure 2, in side section, portions of one
end of each of two adjoining carriages, supposed to be part of a train
of railway carriages, each end of each of which carriages may be simi-
larly arranged. a, a, are the draught hooks, the connection (or "draw
link between which is shewn to be of the ordinary kind used to
connect the draught rods of railway carriages; but this may be varied.
The hooks a are each connected to a rod a', which in the arrangenient
of these parts ordinarily adopted, is connected directly to a spring b¹, by
which a certain amount of elasticity is obtained in the draught, but
according to my improvements there is a separate rod to the tension
spring b', (which also acts, as is well understood, as a buffer spring,)
and to the rod a¹ is connected one end of a chain c, which passing
partly around the pulley 62, carried by the rod b, is connected to the
rod d' of the sliding frame d, which is capable of sliding freely in the
guides e, e. And according to my Invention, to complete the coupling

page_text: of adjoining carriages, the sliding frames d are connected by means of
cross connections f, f, as shewn, there being suitable hooks applied to
facilitate the attachment and removal of the connections, as required.
And in order to prevent as much as possible the parts of the connec
tionis rubbing together where they cross each other, I form one of
them with a long open link f¹, and the. other with a rod fat that
part to pass through it; but this may be varied. And in completing
the connections between two carriages care should be taken that the
parts & are free to slide either way in their guides. Hooks or other
suspending means may be applied to sustain the connections f, when
the carriages are disconnected. If from any injury to the cross con
nections or otherwise it may be desirable to use simply the ordinary
draw link between the draught hooks, then I connect the frame d
to the framing of the carriage at g by a short chain or other attach-
ment to prevent the frame & sliding in the guides e, c.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, I would
have it understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details
shewn and described, so long as the peculiar character of the Invention
be retained; but what I claim is, the mode of arranging and com-
bining the parts a, b, c, d, and f, forming the connecting or coupling
means between railway carriages, as herein explained.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Wiglesworth, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
HENRY WIGLESWORTH. (L.S.)
Witness,
WILLIAM BROOKES,
Patent Agent,
73, Chancery Lane.