IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1879

page_text: "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Lorenzo John Lloyd at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th March 1879.
LORENZO JOHN LLOYD, of Minchinhampton, in the County of Gloucester, Machinist.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR APPLIANCES FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
The object of my Invention is to couple up and uncouple by simple and effective
means railway waggons and coaches without having to go between the same to
accomplish the object in view.
According to one arrangement I provide each carriage with a cross shaft sup-
ported in a slotted bearing, and at or about midway across the width of the carriage
by another bearing, and this shaft may if desired extend wholly across the end of
the carriage, but preferably only extending one side; the said shaft is rotated from
one end outside the carriage frame by a lever thereon which can be secured in any
desired position by pin passing through slot in lever, and into holes in a quadrant
shaped guide.
The central bearing of the shaft is made in the draw bar or passes through same,
and the slotted bearing or bearings consequently allow the shaft a certain amount
of play when in operation during coupling or uncoupling. There is keyed to the
shaft where the coupling is to be effected a collar with slotted projecting arm or
arms, one such arm being preferably on each side of the draw bar, and between this
collar and the draw bar there is the coupling link loose on the cross shaft studs, or
pins on the coupling link take into and are free to work in the slots in the arms
projecting from the collars. The coupling link can be raised or lowered at pleasure
by turning the cross shaft through the medium of the outside lever in one or the
other direction. To couple up a carriage it is only necessary to back the carriage
up to the carriage to be connected, for as soon as the coupling link comes in contact
with the hook of the draw bar (which latter is preferably made at an angle to form
a species of inclined plane for the bar to act against) it, the draw bar, rises over the
hook and by its own weight when clear of the point becomes engaged therein; then
by raising the outside lever and securing the same, the arms on the collars are
pressed on the studs or pins, and the coupling link cannot rise from its hook until
the outside lever is released, or vice versa. To uncouple, release this lever by with-
drawing the pin, turn the shaft, the coupling then rises clear of its hook and may
°

page_text: then be allowed to fall and hang if desired like any other coupling; or on the other
hand, may be retained in any desired position, as required.
According to another arrangement I cause the arms projecting from the collars
on the cross shaft to act on the tail of the coupling links, which latter are for this
purpose jointed by bolts to the draw bar, springs abut against the underside of the
short arms of these draw bars, so that when the arms press on the upper part of the
tails of the links, these springs act on the lower part or underside thereof, and con-
sequently have a continual tendency to keep the coupling links down and from
rising from the hooks when once coupled up, except when released by the side lever.
The operation of coupling and uncoupling is in this case the same as in the other.
The coupling links may be double or single and worked from the same shaft. The
outside lever may, if desired, be fitted with lock arrangement to prevent same being
operated except by an authorized attendant. The lock is preferably such as is
opened by an ordinary railway key.