AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK."
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Bauer, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, trading under the Firm of Bauer and Company, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER
ROLLING STOCK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Bauer at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
22nd June 1874.
I, JAMES BAUER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, trading
under the Firm of Bauer and Company, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists firstly according to one arrangement in the
employment and use of a draw link, which is securely fastened in a
horizontal or nearly horizontal position to either the draw hook as used
at present or to any other suitably shaped end of the draw bar. On one
side of this link a draw hook is attached by a stud or bolt, round which

page_text: it turns when lifted by means of a short connecting rod, one end of
which is joined to the draw hook about between the hook and the point
of connection to the link, and the other end is attached to a lever fixed
to a shaft, which is placed in suitable bearings close to the end of the
carriage or wagon and across the same. This shaft is provided with a
hand lever hanging in about vertical position on each end. By means
of this connection the draw hook is held in about horizontal position
when disengaged. This arrangement of parts is provided on each end
of the carriage or wagon, and if seen from above as in plan the hooks
will appear placed on opposite side of the centre of the carriage. If
two carriages are to be connected, they are brought up to each other
until the draw hooks of their respective facing ends are lifted over the
ends of their opposite links, into which links they then drop, and thereby
establish the connection between the two carriages or wagons. When
they have to be disconnected an attendant on the outside of the carriages
draws the two hand levers keyed to the ends of the shaft on his side
towards each other, and so lifts, by means of the levers and connecting
rods, the draw hooks out of their respective draw links, thus allowing the
carriages to part. The draw links are made of sufficient length to allow
the draw hooks to slide, in them when the buffers are compressed and
the carriages approach each other.
_To
The Invention consists secondly in the following modification:-'
the end of the draw bar on each end of a carriage or wagon a draw link
of peculiar shape is hinged. This link is held in about. horizontal
position, being only at liberty to lift in turning round its hinged end.
On the other free end of the same two hooks, one above and one below,
are formed, and in the broader part of the link between the hooks and
the hinge joint a slot is provided. This draw link is lifted when
necessary by means of a short connecting rod, one end of which is
attached to one side of the link, and the other end to a lever
keyed to a shaft placed across the end of the carriage in suitable
bearings, and provided with a hand lever on each end.
When two
carriages or wagons have to be connected, they are brought up to each
other until the lower hook of, say, the draw link 1 passes over the top
hook of the draw link 2, then falling, the lower hook of draw link 1 enters
the slot of draw link 2, and the top hook of draw link 2 enters from
below the slot of draw link 1, thus forming a secure connection between
the carriages. When they have to be disconnected the attendant draws

page_text: that hand lever which is in connection with the draw link which happens
to be on the top towards the other carriage, and thereby lifting the draw
link out of connection with the other allows the carriages to part.
The Invention consists thirdly in the following modification:-To the
suitably formed end of the draw bar on each end of a carriage or waggon
a hooked draw link, of a shape similar to that described in the second
modification, is hinged in such a position that only a horizontal move-
ment round the centre of the joint can be imparted to it. Behind the
hook, which is formed on the free and moveable end, the metal of the
link is continued above and below, so as to form a slot backwards to the
joint or hinged part. To this hooked link and near to the hinged part
a short arm is forged or otherwise attached, so as to appear in plan at
about right angles with the link. The end of this arm is direct, or by
means of a short link is connected with the end of a lever keyed upon a
shaft placed in bearings across the end of the carriage above the draw
link, and also provided with hand levers on its two ends. If the
carriage is seen in plan the hooks on the ends of the slotted links will
point to opposite sides of the centre line. When two carriages or
waggons for the purpose of connection are brought up to each other the
hooks on the ends of their connecting links pass each other in pressing
the links outward on each side, and then enter their respective slots in
the opposite link, the links now moving together. In this close con-
nection they are held securely by the weight of the hand levers secured
to the ends of the shafts so as to hang about vertically, and acting by
means of the. shafts, centre levers, short links, and arms on main
connecting links. The ends of the hand levers may also be weighted.
if desired to increase their action. When the carriages or waggons
require to be disconnected an attendant on the outside of the carriages
draws the ends of the hand levers towards each other, whereby the
hooked connecting links are disengaged, and thus allow the carriages to
separate. The slots formed in the connecting links are considerably
wider than the hooks, so as to accommodate the coupling to different
heights of the carriages, dependent on their being loaded or otherwise,
or one or both of them being so.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Bauer in the Great Seal Patent Office on
.
the 21st December 1874.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
BAUER, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, trading under the
-Firm of Bauer and Company, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
.Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said James Bauer, Her
special license that I, the said James Bauer, my executors, ad-
ministrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Bauer,
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 "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER ROLLING
STOCK," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Bauer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, 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 James Bauer, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to
say :-
The Invention consists firstly in the following arrangement:-To the
suitably formed end of the draw bar on each end of a carriage or wagon
a draw link of peculiar shape is hinged in such a position that only a
horizontal movement round the centre of the joint can be imparted to a
it. Behind the hook, which is formed on the free and moveable end, the

page_text: metal of the link is continued above and below, so as to form a slot
backwards to the joint or hinged part. To this hooked link and near to
the hinged part a short arm is forged or otherwise attached, so as to
appear in plan at about right angles with the link. The end of this arm
is connected by means of a short link or connecting rod with the end of
a lever keyed upon a shaft placed in bearings across the end of the
carriage above the draw link, and also provided with hand levers on its
two ends. If the carriage is seen in plan the hooks on the ends of the
slotted connecting links will point to opposite sides of the centre line.
When two carriages or wagons for the purpose of connection are brought
up to each other the hooks on the ends of their connecting links pass
each other in pressing the links outward on each side, and then enter
their respective slots in the opposite links, the links thus closing
together. In this close connection they are held securely by the weight
of the hand levers on each side of the carriage or wagon, secured to the
ends of the shafts so as to hang about vertically, and acting by means of
the shaft centre levers, short links, and arms on main connecting links.
The ends of the hand levers may also be weighted if desired to increase
their action. When the carriages or wagons require to be disconnected,
an attendant on the outside of the carriages draws the ends of the hand
levers towards each other, whereby the hooked connecting links are
disengaged, and thus allow the carriages to separate. The slots formed
in the connecting links are considerably wider than the hooks, so as
to accommodate the coupling to different heights of the carriages,
dependent on their being loaded or otherwise, or one or both of them
being so.
end.
The Invention consists secondly in the following modification:-To
the end of the draw bar on each end of a carriage or wagon a draw link
of peculiar shape is hinged. This link is held in about horizontal
position, being only at liberty to lift vertically in turning on its hinged
On the other free end of the said hooks one above and one below
are formed, and in the broader part of the link between the hooks and
the hinge joint a slot is provided. This draw link is lifted when
necessary by means of a short connecting rod, one end of which is
attached to the upper side of the link, and the other end to a lever keyed
to a shaft placed across the end of the carriage in suitable bearings, and
provided with a hand lever on each end. When two carriages or wagons
have to be connected they are brought up to each other until the lower

page_text: hook of, say, the draw link 1 passes over the top hook of the draw link 2,
then falling the lower hook of draw link 1 enters the slot of draw
link 2, and the top hook of draw link 2 enters from below the slot of
draw link 1, or vice versa, thus forming a secure connection between the
carriages. When they have to be disconnected the attendant draws
that hand lever which is in connection with the draw link which
happens to be uppermost towards the other carriage, and thereby
lifting the draw link out of connection with the other allows the
carriages to part.
Such being the nature and object of the said Invention I will now
proceed more particularly to describe and ascertain the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect by the aid of the accompanying
Drawings hereunto annexed, and the figures and letters of reference
marked thereon, similar letters of reference indicating corresponding
parts of the mechanism in the several Figures.
Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the ends of two railway wagons or
trucks, shown as being connected together by the improved coupling;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views of
the connection in different positions.
In Fig. 1a represents the end portion of a luggage wagon; b, the
draw bar, the protruding end part of which is formed so as to fit
between corresponding lugs or cheeks on one end of the connecting
link c, thus forming a joint round which the link may turn in a
horizontal plan. This link is formed with a slot, and is provided on its
outer and free end with a hook c'. Near the joint a short arm dis
forged or otherwise fastened at about right angles to the link c. The
end of this arm & is attached to a short link e, which is connected on
its other end to a lever f. This lever is fixed to a shaft g, carried in
suitable bearings so as to lie across the end part of the wagon. This
shaft is provided on its two ends with two hand levers h, h. The
wagon or truck a. is shown connected to another truck i, which is
provided with the same parts as the truck a, viz., the draw bar / formed
at its end so as to fit between the lugs or cheeks on one end of the con-
necting link, thus forming a joint round which the link may movė in
a horizontal direction. This link is also formed with a slot, and is
provided on its outer and free end with a hook '. Near the joint a
short arm m is here also forged or otherwise fastened to the link. The

page_text: Bauer & improvea Coupling for wauway Carriages,
end of this arm m is attached to a short link n, which is connected on
the other end to a lever o, which is fixed to a shaft p carried in bearings
across the end of the truck i, and also provided with a hand lever q on
cach end.
The two trucks a and i are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as securely con-
nected by the hooked links c and 7.
Figs. 3 and 4 show the coupling in detail and enlarged. The trucks
are here brought sufficiently near cach ot herto allow the coupling links
c and to be turned outwards, and their hooked ends c¹ and I to pass each
other, and thus the trucks to be disconnected.
Fig. 5 shows the hooks c¹ and of the draw links c and passing
cach other in connecting the trucks: When the trucks have to be
separated they are brought up to cach other until the attendant by
drawing the lower free ends of the hand levers h and q towards cach
other can separate the connecting links c and 1.
2'
Figs. 6 and 7 show in elevation and plan a modification. The con-
necting links and s are connected by pins to the draw bars in such
manner that they are held in an about horizontal position, but are free
to move upwards vertically on their other free ends. They are also
provided with a double hook r², ¹, and s¹, s¹, on their free end, and with
a slot between the hook and their turning point. Near the joint they
are connected by a link to an about horizontal lever keyed to a shaft p,
like those described under q and p in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. To the end of
this shaft there are also hand levers attached. When the trucks have
to be connected they are brought towards each other until the lower
hook of one connecting link passing over the top hook of the other
connecting link the top hook of the one link and the bottom hook of the
other link enter their respective opposite slots, and thus a safe connection
is formed, as seen in Fig. 6. When they have to be disconnected, the
trucks are brought near to each other until the attendant can by means
of the hand lever turn one of the shafts and lift the draw or connecting
link then being on the top until its lower hook leaves the slot of the
then lower link, thus allowing the trucks to separate. As this moving
of the hand levers and thereby the connecting and disconnecting of the
draw links can be effected from the sides of the trucks without the
necessity for an attendant going between the buffers, it will be obvious

page_text: that the connection of railway trucks, wagons, and carriages protected
herein will be a potent means of saving life and preventing accidents.
Having now described the nature and object of the said Invention
of improvements in railway couplings, together with the manner of
carrying the same into practical effect, I hereby declare that what I
claim as my Invention is, the general arrangement and construction of
the apparatus as above described and shown in the Drawings annexed,
whereby the connecting and disconnecting of railway carriages, wagons,
and trucks can be effected from outside the buffers of the carriages,
wagons, and trucks, or any slight modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Bauer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
four.
Witness,
W. HRY. DAWSON,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JAMES BAUER. (L.S.)