An Improved Railway Brake-pipe Coupling, applicable also for other Coupling Purposes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1840
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Railway Brake-pipe Coupling, applicable also for
other Coupling Purposes.
I JOSEPH JAMES SWITHIN LIST of Rockdale near Sydney in the Colony of
New South Wales, Joiner do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a pipe coupling especially useful for coupling up the
brake pipes of the contiguous vehicles of a railway train although it may be used for
coupling up any pipes and particularly those carrying fluids under pressure. It has
been specially devised in order to provide a reliable and easily manipulated coupling
cheap in construction and durable in operation.
An improved railway brake pipe coupling applicablo also for other coupling
purposes, is constructed in two halves which gear one into the other when each is in
such position that is, its pipe is closed or has no exit and having been so geared
are capable of each being revolved an eighth turn in order to open a through passage
between the pipes. Each of these half couplings is made with a hollow conical
plug tap set at right angles to the line of pipes the outer and smaller end of which
plug is provided with a handle and the inner or larger end of which terminates in
two quadrants set opposite one another and protruding slightly beyond the face of
the coupling.
In the barrel of the plugs or taps are stops so that the plugs may
only have an eighth revolution. In the face of the coupling which is at right angles
with the axis of the plugs or taps is a seating of india rubber. Above the face are
quadrant keeps and on the edge of the coupling are quadrant wards adapted to take
inder the keeps such wards being also provided with stop pins. The ends of the
couplings on which the through pipes take are in parallel planes to the face of the
coupling and are connected with the barrel so that when the plugs are set at one end,
of their quarter revolution there is no exit through the end from said pipe. When
a half coupling is so closed it may be opened if desired by turning the outside
handle but when in such position it cannot be joined to another coupling without
closing it again. When two closed half couplings are placed face to face the inner
quadrant ends of each gear one with the other and a quarter turn being given to
the half couplings turns both plugs one eighth of revolution each to open position.
and puts the wards of each under the respective keeps of the other making a firm
joint between the faces on the india rubber seating opening the plugs or taps and.
locking the coupling and when in this position it is impossible to move or tamper;
with the outside handle of the plugs.
Dated this First day of July One thousand eight hundred and ninety.
>
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Railway Brake-pipe Coupling, applicable 'also for
other Coupling Purposes.
I JOSEPH JAMES SWITHIN LIST of Rockdale near Sydney in the Colony of
New South Wales Joiner do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performned to be particularly described and ascertained in.
and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to a pipe coupling specially useful for coupling up the brake..
pipes of adjoining vehicles of a railway train although it may be used for coupling -
.

page_text: up any pipes and particularly those carrying fluids under pressure. It has been
specially devised in order to provide a reliable and easily manipulated coupling cheap
in construction and durable in operation..
An improved railway brake pipe coupling applicable also for other coupling
purposes according to this invention is constructed in two halves which will gear one
into the other when each bas its outlet closed and having been so geared are capable
of each being revolved an eighth turn in order to open the exits to forin a through-
passage between the pipes. Each of these half couplings is made with a hollow
frusto-conical plug tap set at right angles to the line of pipes the outer and smaller
end of which plug is provided with a handle and the inner or larger end of which
terminates in two quadrants diametrically opposite one another and protruding slightly
beyond the face of the coupling. In the barrel of the plugs or taps are stops so that
the plugs may only be revolved an eighth of a turn. In the face of the coupling
which is at right angles to the axis of the plugs or taps is a seating of india rubber
at the back of the face are quadrant keeps and on the edge of the coupling are
quadrant wards adapted to take under the keeps such wards being also provided with
stop pins. The centre line of the half coupling end pipe on which the through pipe
takes is in a plane parallel with the face of the coupling and its port or passage is
connected with the barrel of the tap so that when the plugs are set at one end of
their eighth revolution there is no exit through the half coupling from said pipe but
when at the other end of its revolution the plug or tap and the port or passage is
open to the atmosphere. The plugs the stops and the quadrants are so arranged
that when the half couplings are free their exits may be opened and closed by
the outside handles and when the exits are " open "the half-couplings cannot be
geared.
But in order that this invention may he clearly understood reference will now be
made to the drawings herewith in which
Figure is a section of a brake pipe coupling constructed according to this
invention and
Figure 2 a face view of a "half" of the same constructed according to these
improvements.
Aa are barrels or casings. Bb conical plag. Ce are through pipes and junctions.
A a coupling faces. A a quadrant keeps. A³ a³ quadrant wards. A' a' stop pins.
A a rubber seatings. A a packing nuts. A a fixed washer. As a lugs or stops.
Bare quadrant ends. B² recesses formed thereby. B³ ³ are hollows of plugs.
B' ' nuts. BB 68 square
B openings or ports. B 6 handles. B washers.
ends. B screw. Ce ports or passages to plug taps.
To "couple up" pipes on which these half couplings are fixed said halves are
placed face to face with the seatings As a meeting and the barrels or casings A a
in juxta-position when the quadrants B' will gear in the recesses and the
quadrants b' in the recesses B². A quarter turn is then given to the half-couplings
each of them taking half of it or an eighth turn. By this means the quadrant
wards: A and a are brought under their respective keeps A and a and the "turn "
is stopped by pins A' a'. The said wards and keeps press the seatings: tightly
together and lock the coupling. The quarter turn given to the half-couplings A and a
causes, the geared quadrants B' 6' to turn their respective plugs B and b until the
quadrants are arrested by the stops A8 and a when the ports B 64 are opposite to
the respective passages Cc and through communication is opened from one pipe
to the other. To uncouple the brake pipe the operation is reversed the casings being
moved so that the wards are moved out from under the keeps and at the same time
moving the plugs B and by the quadrants B' so that the ports B* 6 are closed
against the passage of air when the seatings A° as are drawn asunder. The port B
may be opened with the passage C when uncoupled by turning handle B which
fits on the end of the plug but it is not possible to couple up if both or one of the
half-couplings has its port B open to passage and thus open to air for if the
quadrants B be in other than the position due to the closed plug or cock B they
cannot gear with the quadrant recesses of another half-coupling.

page_text: Having now particularly described and explained the nature of this said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
-
First An improved pipe coupling of the class set forth constructed in two halves
each having a plug cock or valve whose plug or stems when in "shut off" position
are adapted to gear one with the other across a meeting face and upon movement
of the respective faces or casings to turn the plug or tap to open communication
through each and their attached pipes substantially as herein described and
explained.
Second An improved pipe coupling of the class set forth constructed in two
halves each having wards and keeps to gear into the other and whose partial
revolution will open and close plug taps and valves in each half coupling respectively
and lock and free said coupling substantially as herein described and explained.
Third-In an improved pipe coupling of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with a meeting face such as A' a casing such as A and through passage
such as C of a hollow conical plug such as B having port such as B and handle such
as B and adapted to be partly revolved upon the circular movement of adjacent
half-couplings substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in
the drawing.
Fourth In an improved pipe coupling of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with a plug tap or cock such as B its barrel or casing snch as A and
the meeting face such as A' of extensions such as B₁ of plug B adapted to take into
recesses such as B' of a similar plug and with or without stop lugs such as A8
substantially as herein described and explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Fifth The combination and arrangement of mechanical parts altogether forming
an improved railway brake pipe coupling substantially as herein described and
explained and as illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this Nineteenth day of August One thousand eight hundred and ninety.