IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY TRUCKS AND CARRIAGES.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Parker, of Wakefield Road, Bradford, in
the County of York, Foreman, and John Murgatroyd, of the same,
Place, Fitter, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING AND
UNCOUPLING RAILWAY TRUCKS AND CARRIAGES.
Sealed the 19th November 1875, and dated the 4th August 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Parker and John
Murgatroyd at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 4th August 1875.
We, JOHN PARKER, of Wakefield Road, Bradford, in the County of
York, Foreman, and JOHN Murgatroyd, of the same Place, Fitter, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY TRUCKS AND CARRIAGES," to be as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to effect in a simple and efficient
manner the coupling or uncoupling of railway trucks and carriages
without the danger to life or limb incidental to the methods hitherto in
ordinary use.

page_text: of the railway companies to pass under or between the buffers of the
rolling stock in order to uncouple or couple the same. The coupling and
uncoupling can also be effected with much greater speed without in the
least affecting the control.
The coupling or uncoupling can be done at any angle and under any
of the same varying conditions as hitherto accomplished by hand, such
as when the buffers are closely pressed together, or when the draw bars
and coupling chains are at full stretch.
Our improvements can be applied to all existing trucks and carriages
without the rejection of any of the parts now used in the ordinary mode
of coupling or uncoupling.
We accomplish these advantages in the following manner:-To the
ends of trucks or carriages we secure a strong bracket with open jaw,
from which we carry radial arm by means of pin passing vertically
through the sides of jaw and one end of the radial arm, to the other end
of which is secured a universal stud forming the fulcrum, with jaw
prepared to carry lever by means of open jaw and pin passing horizontally
through the stud, jaw, and lever. By means of this lever the attendant
is enabled to deal with the coupling chains with greater ease and facility
than by lifting the same direct, standing between the carriages or trucks
in the ordinary way. To the end of lever over the coupling chain is
attached an ordinary shackle, from which by means of two light chains
the coupling link is suspended. The other end of the lever is handle
shaped. By this arrangement both chains can be coupled at the same
time if necessary.
In coupling passenger carriages, after the link is placed over the hook,
the buffers are drawn together in the following manner :—To the draw
bar behind the springs is attached a screwed wheel, into which wheel a
pinion is worked by means of shaft passing to the buffer plank, secured
to which are a pair of bevel wheels, one attached to shaft parallel to the
draw bar, the other is fixed on shaft at right angles; to the other end of
which and outside buffer is placed the hand wheel by which attendant
can accomplish the screwing up of carriages without having to pass
under or between the buffers. This latter arrangement is not required
for trucks.

page_text: The whole arrangement is inexpensive in the first cost, simple in its
parts, without the liability to get out of order, very effective, and can be
worked by ordinary labourers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Parker and John Murgatroyd in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 18th January 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
PARKER, of Wakefield Road, Bradford, in the County of York, Foreman,
and JOHN MURGATROYD, of the same Place, Fitter, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of August, in the year of
our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said John Parker and John Murgatroyd,
Her special licence that we, the said Jolin Parker and John Murgatroyd,
our executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the
said John Parker and John Murgatroyd, our 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 " IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING AND UN-
COUPLING RAILWAY TRUCKS AND CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that we, the said John Parker and John Murgatroyd, our
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under our,
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 we, the said John Parker and John Murga-
troyd, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-

page_text: The object of this Invention is to effect in a simple and efficient
manner the coupling or uncoupling of railway trucks and carriages
without the danger to life or limb incidental to the methods hitherto in
ordinary use.
By means of our improvement it will not be necessary for the servants
of the railway companies to pass under or between the buffers of the
rolling stock in order to couple or uncouple the same. The coupling
and uncoupling can also be effected with much greater speed without in
the least affecting the control.
The coupling or uncoupling can be done at any angle and under any
of the same varying conditions as hitherto accomplished by hand, such
as when the buffers are closely pressed together, or when the draw bars
and coupling chains are at full stretch.
Our improvements can be applied to all existing trucks and carriages
without the rejection of any of the parts now used in the ordinary mode
of coupling or uncoupling.
We accomplish these advantages in the following manner :-To the
ends of trucks or carriages we secure a strong bracket with open jaw,
from which we carry radial arm by means of pin passing vertically
through the sides of jaw and one end of the radial arm, to the other end
of which is secured an universal stud forming the fulcrum, with jaw
prepared to carry lever by means of open jaw and pin passing hori-
zontally through the stud, jaws, and lever. By means of this lever the
attendant is enabled to deal with the coupling chains with greater ease
and facility than by lifting the same direct, standing between the trucks
or carriages in the ordinary way. To the end of lever over the coupling
chains is attached an ordinary shackle, from which by means of two light
chains the coupling link is suspended. The other end of the lever is
handle shaped. By this arrangement both chains can be coupled at the
same time, if necessary.
In coupling passenger carriages, after the link is placed over the
coupling hook, the buffers can be drawn together by various methods.
We do not confine ourselves to any particular method; the one we prefer
is as follows:-The draw bar is cut in any convenient place into two
parts, on one part of which is chased a right-hand screwed thread, and
on the other a left-hand screwed thread; these ends of the draw bar are

page_text: secured together by means of a coupling having corresponding threads
chased to fit the ends of the bars; the outside of this coupling is made
square, on which is fitted a bevel wheel having a collared bearing, and
supported by a suitable bracket secured to any convenient part of frame-
work. Into this is geared another bevel wheel secured on a shaft which
passes to outside of framework of carriage, on which is secured a hand
wheel. When it is desired to tighten or loose the tension of the draw
bar by turning the hand wheel the gearing will revolve the coupling, and
lengthen or shorten the draw bar, as the case may be.
y wywvvy w спорт
secured together by means of a coupling having corresponding threads
chased to fit the ends of the bars; the outside of this coupling is made
square, on which is fitted a bevel wheel having a collared bearing, and
supported by a suitable bracket secured to any convenient part of frame-
work. Into this is geared another bevel wheel secured on a shaft which
passes to outside of framework of carriage, on which is secured a hand
wheel. When it is desired to tighten or loose the tension of the draw
bar by turning the hand wheel the gearing will revolve the coupling, and
lengthen or shorten the draw bar, as the case may be.
The whole arrangement is inexpensive in the first cost, simple in its
parts, without the liability to get out of order, very effective, and can be
worked by ordinary laborers.
I will now proceed to describe the accompanying Drawings, in which
like parts are indicated by like letters and figures.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is an end clevation of a railway waggon.
Fig. 2 is a plan, showing the ends of two waggons, with our apparatus
attached; Fig. 3 is a side view of the same.
Fig. 4 is a plan shewing mode of regulating draw bar; Fig. 5 is an
clevation of the same.
A, A, is the common framework or body of a railway waggon; B, B,
are the buffers; C, the coupling hook; and D, the coupling links secured
in the ordinary manner by means of pin E and cotter e; to the buffer
plank secured by bolts F, F, is bracket G, having an open jaw for the
reception of the radial lever H, which revolves on pin h; at one end of
lever H marked J is an universal joint K, with the lever K' secured
therein by an ordinary pin; to one end of lever K¹ marked K is
attached shackle L and chains L', that are secured to coupling links D
by clips M.
In Fig. 4 N is the bracket fixed to carriage framework. In the said
bracket is secured bevel wheel O so arranged that the coupling P will
slide through the said wheel, which coupling is screwed at each end, one
a right hand and the other a left hand thread, to fit the draw bar C¹, C¹.
One end of draw bar at Q is prepared to clasp spring R, and slide in
grooves R' cut in stays S. Geared in bevel wheel O is another wheel O¹

page_text: secured on shaft T, which passes to the outside of framework, and a hand
wheel U secured on the end of the said shaft.
ACTION OF APPARATUS.
When it is desired to couple or uncouple the waggons or carriages,
and the same are sufficiently near together, it will be readily understood
that on the attendant moving one end of the handled lever K¹ up or
down the coupling links D will be lifted or lowered, as the case may be,
and by means of radial lever H and universal joint K the coupling
links D can be placed in any position at the will of the attendant with
ease.
When the coupling link is placed on the hook C, and it is required to
tighten the same, by turning the hand wheel U the gearing will revolve
and turn coupling P, and screw the same on to draw bar C¹, C¹, thus
shorten or lengthen the same, as the case may be.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Parker and John Murgatroyd,
have hercunto set our hands and seals, this Thirteenth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
seventy-six.
JOHN PARKER.
(L.S.)
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the above-named John Parker
and John Murgatroyd, in the
presence of
JOHN WAUGH,
JOHN MURGATROYD. (L.S.)
Engineer & Patent Agent,
Bradford,
Yorks.