Improvements in or Additions to Couplings for Railway Waggong and other similar Vehicles.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in or Additions to Couplings for Railway Waggong
and other similar Vehicles.
We, THOMAS WASS, of 60, Telford Road, Langley Green, Worcestershire, Fitter,
and PERCY WHEELER, of 12, Rotten Park Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Clerk,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
Our Invention has reference more particularly to the ordinary chain coupling
now in use on railway waggons and other similar vehicles but it is applicable also
to certain other couplings for such vehicles and the objects of our Invention are to
provide improvements in or additions to such couplings whereby the railway
waggons or other similar vehicles with which they are used can readily be coupled
or uncoupled without the necessity of passing between the vehicles.
By the ordinary chain coupling we mean a coupling consisting of two chain
links connected together, one of such links being connected to a shackle which is
connected to the draw-hook of the vehicle to which the coupling is attached by a
pin passing therethrough. In coupling a second vehicle to this vehicle the outer
link of the coupling is slipped over the draw-hook of such second vehicle.
We will describe our Invention as applied to an ordinary chain coupling for
such vehicles.
For the purposes of our Invention we provide below the draw-hook of the
railway waggon or other vehicle to which the coupling is attached a horizontal
shaft which reaches from side to side of such waggon or other vehicle. We will
call this shaft the primary shaft. The said primary shaft occupies preferably a
position underneath the buffer beam of the waggon or other vehicle from which it
may be carried by bearings attached thereto. At one or both ends of the said
primary shaft we provide a hand lever by means of which the shaft can be turned
partly around or moved endways in its bearings. To the said primary shaft we
affix two pairs of levers of similar lengths which we will call the primary levers
one pair of such levers being placed on one side of the coupling and the other pair
on the other side thereof. The outer lever of each pair is near the side of the
waggon or other vehicle and the inner lever of each pair near the coupling. Each
pair of levers carries at its outer end a shaft parallel to the primary shaft which
two shafts we will call the secondary shafts. When the said primary shaft is
turned in one direction the said secondary shafts are brought somewhere about on
Pine 71

page_text: the same level as the primary shaft and in front of the buffer beam and when
turned in the opposite direction the secondary shafts will fall under the buffer
beam. The outer ends of the primary levers form bearings in which the secondary
shafts can be turned. To the inner end of each of the said secondary shafts that is
the ends which are opposite each other and near the coupling we affix a lever
which two levers we will call the secondary levers. The said secondary levers
carry between them at their outer ends the outer link of the coupling at each side
of which we provide a pin which pins passing through the said secondary levers
form a horizontal axis on which the said outer link of the coupling can turn. The
said pins may either be formed in a piece with the said outer link or made forked
and closed thereon or attached thereto in any other suitable manner.
To the outer
end of one or outer ends of both of the said secondary shafts we provide a hand
lever by means of which the said shafts can be rocked in their, bearings.
The operation of the parts as above described for coupling or uncoupling is as
follows: By turning the primary shaft or moving it endways by its hand lever or
levers attached thereto, the secondary shaft can be raised or lowered or moved
end ways and by turning the secondary shafts by their hand lever or levers the
outer link of the coupling can be raised or lowered, thus by the combined action of
the primary and secondary shafts and levers the outer link of the coupling can be
raised, lowered or moved sideways in any desired direction to couple it on to the
draw-hook of another vehicle and this by means of the handles at the side or sides
of the vehicle.
•
Instead of making the said secondary shafts as two separate and distinct shafts
a single shaft may be substituted for them and used for the same purposes.
Dated this obth daw of Ontabou 100K

page_text: and other similar Vehicles.
We, THOMAS WASS, of 60, Telford Road, Langley Green, Worcestershire, Fitter,
and PERCY WHEELER, of 12, Rotton Park Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire, Clerk,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
Our Invention has reference more particularly to the ordinary chain coupling
now in use on railway waggons and other similar vehicles but it is applicable also
to certain other couplings for such vehicles and the objects of our Invention are to
provide improvements in or additions to such couplings whereby the railway
waggons or other similar vehicles with which they are used can readily be coupled
or uncoupled without the necessity of passing between the vehicles.
By the ordinary chain coupling we mean a coupling consisting of two chain
links connected together, one of such links being connected to a shackle which is
connected to the draw-hook of the vehicle to which the coupling is attached by a
pin passing therethrough. In coupling a second vehicle to this vehicle the outer
link of the coupling is slipped over the draw-hook of such second vehicle.
We will describe our Invention as applied to an ordinary chain coupling for such
vehicles.
For the purposes of our Invention we provide below the draw-hook of the
railway waggon or other vehicle to which the coupling is attached a horizontal
shaft which reaches from side to side of such waggon or other vehicle. We will
call this shaft the primary shaft. The said primary shaft occupies preferably a
position underneath the buffer beam of the waggon or other vehicle from which it.
may be carried by bearings attached thereto. At one or both ends of the said
primary shaft we provide a hand lever by means of which the shaft can be turned
partly around or moved endways in its bearings. To the said primary shaft we
affix two pairs of levers of similar lengths which we will call the primary levers
one pair of such levers being placed on one side of the coupling and the other pair
on the other side thereof. The outer lever of each pair is near the side of the.
waggon or other vehicle and the inner lever of each pair near the coupling. Each
pair of levers carries at its outer end a shaft parallel to the primary shaft which
two shafts we will call the secondary shafts. When the said primary shaft is
turned in one direction the said secondary shafts are brought somewhere about on
the same level as the primary shaft and in front of the buffer beam and when
turned in the opposite direction the secondary shafts will fall under the buffer
beam. The outer ends of the primary levers form bearings in which the secondary
shafts can be turned. To the inner end of each of the said secondary shafts that is
the ends which are opposite each other and near the coupling we affix a lever
which two levers we will call the secondary levers. The said secondary levers
carry between them at their outer ends the outer link of the coupling at each side
of which we provide a pin which pins passing through the said secondary levers
form a horizontal axis-on which the said outer link of the coupling can turn. The
said pins may either be formed in a piece with the said outer link or made forked
and closed thereon or attached thereto in any other suitable manner. To the outer

page_text: end of one or outer ends of both of the said secondary shafts we provide a hand
lever by means of which the said shafts can be rocked in their bearings.
The operation of the parts as above described for coupling or uncoupling is as
follows: By turning the primary shaft or moving it endways by its hand lever or
levers attached thereto, the secondary shaft can be. raised or lowered or moved
end ways and by turning the secondary shafts by their hand lever or levers the
outer link of the coupling can be raised or lowered, thus by the combined action of
the primary and secondary shafts and levers the outer link of the coupling can be
raised, lowered or moved sideways in any desired direction to couple it on to the
draw-hook of another vehicle and this by means of the handles at the side or sides
of the vehicle.
Instead of making the said secondary shafts as two separate and distinct shafts a
single shaft may be substituted for them and used for the same purposes.
On the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents in sectional side elevation the
end parts of two waggons coupled together with a coupling constructed according
to our Invention; Fig. 2 is a part plan of the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of
the right hand waggon of Fig. 1 and Figs. 4 and 5 represent in part sectional end
elevation and in side elevation on an enlarged scale one of the pins which are fixed
to the outer link of the coupling; Figs. 6, 7 and 8 illustrate in sectional side
elevation, plan and end elevation respectively a modified form of the coupling
illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3; Fig. 9 is an elevation and Fig. 10 a plan on an
enlarged scale of the swivel joint which connects the secondary levers of the
modified coupling illustrated by Figs. 6, 7 and 8 to the secondary shaft.
The same letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the Figures. We will
first refer more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. a is the primary shaft
carried by bearings b¹, b³, fixed preferably to the underside of the buffer beam c;
d, d, are two hand levers fixed to the ends of the shaft a by means of which it
can be turned partly around or moved endways in its bearings 61, 62. Two pairs
of levers e¹, e, are fixed to the shaft a, the pair e¹ being at one side of the
coupling fand the pair e being at the opposite side. g¹, g₁, are the two secondary
shafts carried loosely by the levers e¹, e². When the shaft a is turned in one
direction (see the left hand waggon in Fig. 1) the secondary shafts g¹, g³, are
brought somewhere about on the same level as the primary shaft a and in front of
the buffer beam ċ and when turned in the opposite direction (see the right hand
waggon in Fig. 1) the secondary shafts g¹, g, will fall under the buffer beam.
h', h³, are the secondary levers fixed respectively to the inner ends of the shafts g³, g².
Horizontal pins i¹, i, fixed to or formed with the outer link of the coupling f pass
through the levers h², h³, and form a horizontal axis on which the said outer link
can turn. We prefer to make each of the pins ¹³, divided longitudinally in
halves (see enlarged views Figs. 4 and 5) each half having at one end an enlarge-
ment with an internal semi-circular recess to fit the link of the coupling f;
a nut having a slightly taper hole is screwed on to the two halves of the pin u
to secure them together and to the link. ',, are handles fixed to the shafts g¹, g³,
by means of which they can be rocked in the ends of the levers e¹, 6².
The operation of the parts above described for coupling for instance the left
hand waggon of Fig. 1 on to the draw-hook k of the right hand waggon or for
uncoupling it is as follows:-By means of either of the side levers d, d³, 1, 2, the
shaft a can be turned in its bearings so as to raise the shafts g¹, g³, the levers h¹, h³,
and the coupling f (as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 1) so that the outer link of
the coupling can either be hooked onto the draw-hook k or unhooked therefrom.
By allowing the shaft a some end play as described the coupling can be moved
sideways if required to bring it over the draw-hook k. We sometines dispense
with the hand levers d', d', on the primary shaft a as we find the coupling cau
be effectually manipulated by the hand levers j',, on the secondary shafts g², g'.
In the modified form of coupling illustrated by Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 the
secondary shaft is a single shaft g instead of being made in two separate and
distinct shafts g', g³, and the secondary levers which carry the outer link of the

page_text: coupling fare connected to the shaft by a swivel joint which allows of the
coupling swinging sideways as shewn by dotted lines in Fig. 7, as is required when
the waggon is being drawn by a horse at the side of the rails. This swivel joint is
shewn on an enlarged scale by Figs. 9 and 10 by which it will be seen that the
inner ends of the levers h¹, h, fit into a socket which has a round shank ¹ passing
loosely through a hole in the swell g³ on the secondary shaft g and in which it is
capable of being turned as may be required. Two double inclined projections l
are formed on the underside of the socket which fit into corresponding inclined
recesses in the upper side of the swell g³ when the levers h¹, h³, and the coupling
are in their normal position as shewn in full in Fig. 7. A spiral spring m presses
the inclined projections into their recesses so as to bring tlie levers h1, h2, and the
coupling back to their normal position after they have been moved therefrom.
The ends of the levers h¹, h³, are held in the socket by the set screw n so that if
the coupling or the draw-hook k should break the levers h¹, h³, will be drawn
therefrom and maintained uninjured..
Our Invention can be applied to chain couplings having more than two links
and to other couplings which have a terminal link for dropping over the draw-hook
of the vehicle to be coupled similarly as herein described with reference to a two
link coupling.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1st The improvements in or additions to couplings of railway waggons and other
similar vehicles, by means of which such couplings can be manipulated from either
side of the vehicle, hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the
accompanying drawings, that is to say, the combination and arrangement of the
primary shaft a, the secondary shaft g¹, g³, carried from the shaft a, and the side
levers h¹, h², connected to the shafts g¹, g³, and to the outer link of the coupling,
the several parts being arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2nd A joint pin for fixing to the outer link of a railway waggon or other
vehicle. coupling divided longitudinally into two parts connected together by a
screwed nut and formed so as to clip the link of the coupling substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Figa. 4 and 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
-
3rd The modified form of apparatus for manipulating a coupling for a railway
waggon or other similar vehicle from either side of such vehicle hereinbefore
described and illustrated by Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the accompanying drawings,
that is to say, the combination and arrangement of the primary shaft a, the
secondary shaft g carried from the shaft a, and the side levers h¹, h³, connected to
the shaft g by the swivel socket 1, and to the outer link of the coupling the several
parts being arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicants.