IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
--
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES."-
A communication from abroad by George Collyer, of Philadelphia, United
States of America.
Sealed the 12th May 1863, and dated the 30th January 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1863.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improvements in the couplings for railway carriages has
for its object to construct couplings in such a manner that they may be readily
detached without the necessity of moving the train either backward or forward,
as is now the case. This object is effected by the employment of spring
catches placed within the coupling boxes, and which catches retain and hold
back the draw rod or bar, which is provided at each end with an inclined
projecting piece, so that when the end of the rod is inserted it will lift up the
spring catch and pass under. These spring catches work in vertical grooves,

page_text: and the stem of the catch passes through the top of the box, and is provided
with a ring or hook, whereby the catch may be drawn up when it is to release
the draw bar. Swells or protuberances are made on the sides of the draw bar
near its ends, so that should the carriage be thrown off the rails, the angle
that the draw bar will then be made to deviate from a straight line will cause
the swells or protuberances to lift up the catch and release the bar. The rear
of the coupling box is provided with a rod, which passes into another box, and
acts on a draw spring made of vulcanized india-rubber, which may be com-
pressed in either direction, that is, whether the carriage be drawn forward or
pushed backward.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 29th July 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I; WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-sixth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William Edward Newton, Her special license that I, the said William Edward
Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Edward Newton, 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 "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN THE COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," being a communication
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is

page_text: to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
-
This Invention of improvements in the couplings for railway carriages has
for its object to construct couplings in such a manner that they may be readily
detached without the necessity of moving the train either backward or forward,
as is now the case. This object is effected by the employment of spring
catches placed within the coupling boxes, and which catches retain and hold
back the draw rod or bar, which is provided at each end with an inclined
projecting piece, so that when the end of the rod is inserted it will lift up the
spring catch and pass under. These spring catches work in vertical grooves,
and the stem of the catch passes through the top of the box, and is provided
with a ring or hook, whereby the catch may be drawn up when it is to release
the draw bar. Swells or protuberances are made on the sides of the draw bar
near its ends, so that should the carriage be thrown off the rails, the angle
that the draw bar will then be made to deviate from a straight line will cause
the swells or protuberances to lift up the catch and release the bar. The rear
of the coupling box is provided with, a rod, which passes into another box and
acts on a draw spring made of vulcanized india-rubber, which may be com-
pressed in either direction, that is, whether the carriage be drawn forward or
pushed backward.
In the accompanying Drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 a vertical
longitudinal section of two coupling boxes, showing also the arrangement of
india-rubber springs (see Fig. 11), and the manner of their application to one
of the coupling boxes as in use, they are applied to each coupling box; Fig. 3,
a top view of a single coupling box, and the arrangement of springs aforesaid;
Fig. 4, a front end view of a coupling box; Fig. 5 represents a variation in
the shape of the front end; Fig. 6 is a side view, and Fig. 7 a front view of
the tumbler or latch detached; Fig. 8 is a side view, and Figs. 9 and 10 top
views of coupling bars; Fig. 11 is an isometrical perspective view of the
spring box detached, enclosing the india-rubber springs to receive the shock
and lessen its effect when the cars are suddenly started forward, or when the
coupling boxes of two contiguous cars bump together.
A, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, represents the coupling box; B, Fig. 2, the coupling
bar; C, Figs. 2, 6, and 7, the tumbler or latch; D, spiral springs; E, Figs.
1, 2, 3, and 4, the front or open end of the coupling box; F, Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6,
and 7, a box through which the rod of the tumbler. C slides, and into which
the springs D recede when the tumbler C is drawn up to permit the with-
drawing of the coupling bar B; G, Fig. 2, is the cavity of the coupling boxes;

page_text: H, Figs. 2 and 3, is a perforation made through each coupling box, in order
that the cars may be coupled by ordinary links and pins when desired; 0, Figs.
1, 2, and 3, is a strap, which is bolted to the under framework of the car, and
which supports the coupling box; I, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 11, is the spring box
enclosing the india-rubber spring K. The box I is secured to the under
framework of the car by bolts L, Fig. 3; a rod M, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 11, passes
through the india-rubber spring K, being attached to the rear end of the
coupling box by a bolt or pin N, Fig. 3; P, P, Fig. 11, are cross pieces
fastened to the rod M, and alternately press upon the india-rubber K as the
car is drawn forwards or pushed backwards.
The construction and mode of operation of the improvements is as follows:-
The coupling bar B and tumbler C are made of wrought iron (the rod M and
the cross plates P are also made of wrought iron), all other parts are of cast
iron. The coupling box A is in its transverse section about six inches square,
excepting the front end, Fig. 4, which is oblong, being about 10 inches by 11
inches. The tumbler C it will be seen moves in a vertical line, being pro-
vided with tongues C, Figs. 2 and 6, which slide in corresponding grooves a, a,
Fig. 3, in the sides of the coupling box. The side of the tumbler C which
faces and comes in contact with the detent d of the coupling bar is very
slightly bevilled from top to bottom. This arrangement and mode of con-
struction enable any operator to uncouple the cars at any time without starting
the train backwards or forwards, no matter how close may be the contact
between the tumbler and the coupling bar. The position of the tumbler C in
a state of rest is shown in Fig. 2. When two cars are to be coupled, the
coupling bar B having had one of its ends inserted into the coupling box of
either car, is kept in a position (about horizontal) by the tumbler and its
springs. On one car standing still and the other approaching it, the outer
end of the coupling bar comes in contact with the tumbler in the coupling
box of the approaching car, which tumbler being kept down by its springs
arrests the further entering of the bar until the latter having been pushed
back by the continued motion of the approaching car, the inserted end of the
bar strikes the rear wall of the cavity G, and the outer end of the bar at once
raises and passes under the tumbler with which it is in contact. The tumbler
immediately assumes the position shown in Fig. 2, and the cars will then be
coupled. The coupling bar B is made shorter than the combined length of
the two cavities G when the front ends E of the coupling boxes are in contact,
and therefore the bar cannot strike at the same time with both its ends the
rear walls of both the cavities. The coupling bars are constructed in two
forms, cach.having expansions b, b', Figs. 9 and 10. Each form is designed

page_text: for a particular office. The expansions 6 of the bar represented in Fig. 9
extend laterally outside of the detent d. A bar of this form is used to connect
the train to the engine, and whenever it happens that the engine is thrown
from the track it is very desirable that the connection between the engine
and the train should be speedily broken. This is especially desirable when an
accident happens near an embankment or side cut on a mountain, because the
engine being in most cases much heavier than the train, would draw the train
with it possibly down the embankment. Now, if a coupling bar, such as is
shown in Fig. 9, is used, then when the engine leaves the rails, as long as the
engine wheels remain on the cross ties, and the engine is so kept in about a
horizontal position, the couplings will not come undone; but as soon as the
wheels on one side of the engine leave the cross ties, the engine will be canted
over; the expansion 6 of itself will then raise the tumbler C and uncouple
the engine from the train, and the latter will be left on the track. In the bar
represented in Fig. 10 the expansions 6' have less prominence than those on
the bar represented in Fig. 9, the detent d extending outside of the expansions.
This form is used for connecting the cars which compose the train. Bars
thus constructed do not of themselves uncouple the cars, but it requires the
tumbler C to be drawn up before the uncoupling is effected. When a train
is moving rapidly, and one of the cars is thrown from the track, in most cases
its front trucks turn either to the right or to the left, its rear trucks taking
the opposite direction, which throws the cars across the track and the next
succeeding car runs into it, sometimes through it. It is therefore desirable
that we should connect the cars of the train by couplings, which, as well as
being self-coupling, shall be strong, and not self-uncoupling. The flat ends of
the bars obviate the tendency that a round bar has to turn over, a result
which might endanger the uncoupling of the cars when not desired. The
bars B might be made of a uniform width, as wide throughout as I have
represented the expansion 6 to be; but thus constructed they would not work
well, unless the proportions of the other parts were altered, since the bar
would have less lateral play in the coupling box, and could not so well adapt
itself to the varying motions of the cars, as, for instance, where the train is
turning a curve.
Having now described the Invention that has been communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent as aforesaid, what I claim and desire to secure
by Letters Patent is,―
1. The combination of the tumbler C, springs D, and grooves a, a, as
described, whereby operators are enabled to uncouple the cars without moving
the train backwards or forwards.

page_text: 2. The employment of coupling bars, such as those shown in Fig. 9, having
expansions 6 near the ends of the bars, which expansions of themselves
uncouple the cars in case the latter get off the track.
3. The employment of coupling bars such as those shown in Fig. 10, having
expansions 6¹ near the ends of the bars, which expansions have less prominence
than the detent, so that although one or more cars of the train may get off the
track the cars shall not be thereby uncoupled.
. In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.).