IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING-APPARATUS For RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake,
& Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for an Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING-APPARATUS For RAILWAY VEHICLES."
A communication from abroad by George Wellington Bolton, Niel Munro,
and Duncan McLeod, all of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th October 1880.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. " IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING-APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES." [A communication from abroad by George Wellington
Bolton, Niel Munro, and Duncan McLeod, all of Detroit, Michigan, United States
of America.]
This Invention relates to coupling apparatus for railway vehicles, and is carried
into practice as follows, that is to say:-
I provide a draw-head, which has a vertically-elongated flaring opening at its
front for the introduction of the link. The link is of the class denominated
"arrow head" links, but its heads are bounded by curved instead of angular
lines, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. The draw-head has side
openings, in which work pivotted jaws. These jaws have their bearings in the
upper and lower sides of the draw-head, and at their outer edges have vertical
arms which enter eyes in the outer ends of a toggle-lever, and are held in place
therein by pins. The inner faces of the jaws have indentations to direct the link
to one of a series of shelves or receptacles in the seat when the vehicles are being
coupled. These indentations and shelves are provided in order that the link may
be employed to couple vehicles of different heights.
Springs are interposed between the outer faces of the jaws and the walls of the
draw-head for returning the jaws to position at the proper time, and springs are
secured to the toggle-lever near the centres of its arms, and are also secured to the
top of the draw-head for the purpose of causing the said toggle lever to move

page_text: forward both after the introduction of the link to and its withdrawal from the
jaws.
A curved stop is provided on the face of the draw-head to prevent the toggle-
lever from being thrown toward the body of the vehicle during the operation of
coupling or uncoupling. A chain connected to the joint of the toggle-lever passes
under the curve of the said stop, and up through a guard, where it joins two short
chains connected to the ends of levers fulcrummed to the body, and extending
to the sides of the latter, so that the levers may be operated to open the jaws
without the attendant having to pass between the vehicles for the purpose of
uncoupling them.
The link is provided with slots in order that it may be coupled to any ordinary
draw-head by a coupling pin.
The heads of the link are made curved instead of being made angular, as is
customary, in order that when being withdrawn from the draw-head they will
impinge against the faces of the jaws, and force them outward to set them and yet
pass between them. If these heads were angular the jaws would need to be opened
to permit the heads to clear the said jaws. Moreover, with the curved head, the
link is permitted to sway within the draw-head to accommodate the link to the
curves of the road. The pivotted jaws yield to this swaying, and yet do not permit
the link to be withdrawn from between them.
The
When it is desired to uncouple a vehicle from the train the switchman as the
train passes grasps one or the other of the levers, and opens the jaws by pulling down
upon the lever. The link however still remains between the jaws, as a binding
force is still exerted upon the head of the link even when the jaws are open.
train is run down to the point where it is desired to uncouple the vehicle, and
stopped. As soon as the engine starts the weight of the vehicle to be uncoupled is
exerted upon the link, and it slips between the jaws, and in passing impinges upon
the surfaces with sufficient force to close them in its escape therefrom, so that they
are set for the next vehicle.
In order to couple the vehicles it is only necessary to set the link in its appro-
priate indentation and shelf, which can be done by drawing one of the levers to
open the jaw and turning the link edgewise, when it may be raised or lowered to the
centre shelf, and again close the jaws, after which, when the head of the link
strikes the jaws, it will open them, pass between them, and again close them.
This dispenses with the trouble of sending a man with each vehicle to be uncoupled,
as the switchman or any other employé may, when the train is passing, grasp one
of the levers and open the jaws, and the vehicle will be uncoupled, as before
described. When the levers are operated the toggle-lever passes beyond a straight
line, and is stopped by the stop. The springs operate to bring the jaws back to
their normal position after they have been struck by the link. The jaws after
having been opened will stand open until the link is withdrawn. If desired, for
their effectual protection from the weather, all the operative parts of the device
may be enclosed within the head, except the levers and their connecting chains.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th
April 1881.
"
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS FOR
RAILWAY VEHICLES.' A communication from abroad by George Wellington
Bolton, Niel Munro, and Duncan McLeod, all of Detroit, Michigan, United States
of America..
This Invention relates to coupling apparatus for railway vehicles, and comprises
various improvements in the construction of the same, as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing,―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved apparatus; and
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of the same, shewing the position of the link
when coupled.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the said apparatus.
A designates the draw-head, which has a vertically elongated flaring opening A¹
at its front end for the introduction of the link B. This link B is of the class
denominated "arrow-head " links, but its heads are bounded by curved instead of
angular lines, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.
The said draw-head A has side openings I, in which work pivoted jaws C,
L-shaped in cross section, as shewn in Figure 2. These jaws C have their bearings
in the upper and lower sides of the draw-head A, and at their outer edges have
vertical arms i, which enter eyes in the outer ends of the toggle-lever H, and are
held in place therein by pins h. The inner faces b of the jaws C have indentations c
to direct the link B to one of the shelves or receptacles d in the seat O when the
vehicles are being coupled. These indentations and shelves are provided in order
that the link may be retained at any desired height from the road-bed to enable
the said link to be employed to couple vehicles of different altitudes, and to draw
upon a level instead of upon a diagonal plane.
Springs a are interposed between the outer faces of the jaws C and the walls e
of the draw-head A for returning the said jaws C to their normal position at the
proper time. Springs D are secured to the toggle-lever H near the centres of its
arms, and are also secured to the top of the draw-head A for causing the said
toggle-lever H to move forward to the position shewn in Figure 1, both after the
introduction of the link B to and its withdrawal from the jaws C.
A curved stop N is provided on the top of the draw-head A to prevent the
toggle-lever H from being thrown toward the body of the vehicle during the
operation of coupling or uncoupling. A chain P, connected to the joint of the said
toggle-lever H, passes under the curve of the stop N, and up through a guard S,
where it joins two short chains connected, as shewn, to the levers F, F, fulcrummed
to the body of the vehicle, and extending to the sides of the latter, so that they
may be operated to open the jaws C without the attendant having to pass between
the vehicles for the purpose of uncoupling them.
The link B is provided with slots x, in order that it may be coupled to any
ordinary draw head by a coupling pin.
The heads of the link B are made curved or rounding, as shewn, instead of being
made angular, as is customary, in order that when being withdrawn from the draw-
head they will impinge against the faces b of the jaws C, and force them outward
to set them and yet pass between them. If these heads were angular the jaws C
would need to be opened to permit the heads to clear the said jaws. Moreover,
with the curved head, the link is permitted to sway within the draw-head to
accomodate the link to the curves of the road. The pivoted jaws C yield to this
swaying, and yet do not permit the link to be withdrawn from between them.
When it is desired to uncouple a vehicle from the train the switchman, as the
train passes, grasps one or the other of the levers F, and opens the jaws C by
pulling down upon the lever. The link B however still remains between the jaws,

page_text: as a binding force is still exerted upon the head of the link, even when the jaws C
are open. The train is run down to the point where it is desired to uncouple the
vehicle, and stopped. As soon as the engine starts the weight of the vehicle to be
uncoupled is exerted upon the link, and it slips between the jaws C, and in passing
impinges upon the surfaces b with sufficient force to close them in its escape there-
from, so that they are set for the next vehicle.
In order to couple the vehicles it is only necessary to place the link in its appro-
priate indentation and shelf, which can be done by depressing one of the levers F
to open the jaws C, and turning the link B edgewise, when it may be raised or
lowered to the centre shelf, and again close the jaws C, after which, when the head
of the link B strikes the jaws C, it will open them, pass between them, and again
close them. This dispenses with the trouble of sending a man with each vehicle
to be uncoupled, as the switchman or any other employé may, when the train is
passing, grasp one of the levers F and open the jaws C, and the vehicle will be
uncoupled, as before described. When the levers Fare operated the toggle lever H
passes beyond a straight line, and is stopped by the stop N. The springs D operate
to bring the jaws C back to their normal position after they have been struck by
the link B.
The jaws C, after having been opened, will remain open until the link B is
withdrawn.
If desired, for their effectual protection from the weather, all the operative parts
of the device may be enclosed within the head, except the levers F and their
connecting chains.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it understood
that I claim,
First. A coupling-apparatus for railway vehicles so arranged that the vehicles
may be uncoupled by a person standing by the side of a passing train, substantially
as above set forth.
Second. A recessed draw-head provided with two or more indentations and
shelves or ledges to guide and retain the connecting link at any desired height,
substantially as above set forth and shewn in the accompanying Drawing.
Third. In a coupling-apparatus for railway vehicles the draw-head provided with
the pivoted L-shaped jaws, having arms i in combination with the toggle-lever, the
springs a, and the springs D, the stop N, and the chain P connected to the levers
F, F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
Fourth. In a coupling for railway vehicles the L-shaped jaws C having indenta-
tions c in their faces b in combination with the toggle-lever, the stop N, the spring D,
and the chain P connected with the levers F, F, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
Fifth. In a coupling-apparatus for railway vehicles the link B, having its heads
bounded by curved lines, as shewn, in combination with a draw-head having
pivoted jaws C provided with indentations in their curved face b, and operated by
springs a and a toggle-lever connected to a hand lever or levers, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
Sixth. A coupling for railway vehicles adapted to couple vehicles which are of
different heights, so constructed that the link can under such varying conditions of
height draw upon a level instead of upon a diagonal plane.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have hereunto set my
hand and sea!, this Twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. ROB LAKE. (L.S.)