An Improved Automatic Coupling for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1899-Accepted, 22nd Apr., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Coupling for Railway Vehicles.
We, SIEGMUND FRAENKEL, of 49, Weinstrasse, and JOHANN KONRAD HELD, of
4, Birkenstrasse, both in Fürth, in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Empire of Germany,
Manufacturer and Engineer respectively, 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:—
A number of couplings for railway carriages and vehicles have been invented,
the working of which were based on the fact that two adjacent vehicles are kept
together by coupling heads attached to the frames of same, and engaging with
one another by various means. For maintaining the connecting position of such
coupling of two vehicles elastic catches, pawls, or other locking devices have
generally been employed, such couplings being caused to engage with each other
when the carriages were pushed together, but such couplings had to be actuated
by suitable devices to disengage them from each other when it became necessary
to uncouple the carriages, such devices usually requiring the presence of an
attendant between the vehicles.
As a constrast to these now well known couplings, and to obviate the necessity
of such attendant endangering his life by so entering between the vehicles, my
invention discloses an easy and simple method of disengaging such couplings,.
and at the same time dispensing with such catches or the like, this object being
attained by the feature, that each of the two couplings, according to this inven-
tion, is constructed in such a manner, that it is capable of rotating round two
axles, one placed at right angles to the other, whilst the mutual displacement
of the coupling, heads which first takes place, and the subsequent mutual engage-
ment of the two heads in assuming the coupling position, is performed by causing
the heads to partially rotate round the vertical axle, while the disengaging of the
two coupling heads is attained by causing either of them to partially rotate round
the horizontal axle, during which latter operation the tooth-like contact surfaces
of the two heads slide over one another, and thus become disengaged.
The most approved method of constructing and arranging my said invention
is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which.
Fig. 1 is a section upon the line A B of the partly sectional plan view Fig. 4,
Fig. 2 being a section upon the line C D of 'the same figure.
Fig. 3 is a section, like Fig. 1, but showing the second position of the
uncoupling wedge hereinafter explained.
There are two coupling heads A A each being shaped in the form of a claw,
(see Figs. 2 and 4) and are each arranged at the end of a drawbar B upon each
vehicle D, in such a manner that they are each capable of partially rotating
around their respective vertical axles CC, and when the carriages D D are
pushed together, the graduated contact surfaces E E of the said coupling-heads
slide upon each other, by turning round upon the said vertical axles C C,
simultaneously, compressing the springs E until they finally assume the
locking position shewn in Fig. 4.

page_text: Each drawbar B is capable of rotating round a horizontal axle G placed in
bearings in a frame H, this latter finding a longitudinal guidance in horizontally
arranged rails 1, and suspended upon the frame of the carriage at J, by means
of a bolt K and a suitable spring such as L, the tension which the coupling is
to resist, while the train is in motion, being therefore, taken up by the frame H
and the spring L, which elastically transmits such tension to the carriages 1 D.
For disengaging the coupling heads A. A from each other, they are so arranged,
that either may partially rotate with its drawbar B round its horizontal axle G,
into the position A, B shewn by dotted outlines in Fig. 2, by turning it down-
wards. in order to render such a turning possible, the following arrangement
may be considered as an example.
The inner end of each drawbar B is connected to a guiding piece O by
means of a link N (see Figs. 1 and 2) and a wedge Q is made capable of moving
along the inclined surface of the piece O, in a dovetailed groove or recess P.
The said wedge Q can be adjusted by means of the bar or shaft R, which is
horizontally borne on the frame H, the said bar or shaft R being connected, by
means of a link S, with one end of a lever V which is mounted upon an axle T
If therefore either of the cranks or hand levers V, placed at the side of each
carriage D, and fixed upon the axle T, is moved in the direction of the arrow,
into the position V, marked by dotted lines in Fig. 4, the wedge Q of the
carriage so operated upon would be caused to take the position shewn by Q,
(which is shewn in full lines in Fig. and in dotted outline in Fig. 3) whereby
the inclined surfaces of Q and would slide upon each other along the dove-
tailed groove P in 0. By reason of this movement the said piece O, and there-
fore, also the inner end M of the drawbar B is caused to rise in such a manner,
that the latter and the coupling head A take the position 13' A' which is shewn
in dotted lines in Fig. 2.
The claw or tooth-like contact surfaces W (Fig. 4) of both the coupling
heads A A, which had previously engaged in one another, are now caused: to
separate, to facilitate which the said surfaces are provided with sloping or curved
edges W (see Fig. 2).
In order to bring back the coupling head A into its original position, it is only
necessary to turn back the crank or hand lever V₁ into its former position V,
whereby the wedge Q is pushed back again, and the coupling head A therefore
caused to rise, and in effecting this the lever V (see Fig. 4) having passed its
dead point, the same is caused to press against the projecting or abutment piece Y
(Fig. 4) of the carriage frame by the tension of a spring X, mounted upon
the bar or shaft R, so that the whole uncoupling arrangement falls into this
position, and is maintained in the same when the hand lever is turned back
ready for recoupling again with the same or another carriage.
Instead of causing the rotation of the coupling head round its horizontal axle G,
as a result of the adjustment of the wedge 0 in P, this movement of rotation may,
of course, also be produced by other transmitting devices, such as suitably
arranged screw-shafts, bracket-levers or the like.
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:-
(1) The herein described automatic coupling for railway vehicles, substantially
as set forth and shewn by the appended drawings.
(2) In an improved automatic coupling for railway vehicles, the combination
of a claw-like coupling head A, having a curved surface E, and an inclined
surface WI, and pivotally connected by a vertical bolt C to the drawbar Bof
the vehicle, the said drawbar being pivotally mounted, by the means of a
horizontal axle G, upon a frame H, sliding horizontally on rails I of the vehicle D,
the said frame being further and elastically connected to D by the means of a
bolt K and spring L, the said coupling head A being capable of lateral displace-

page_text: ment, for automatically engaging with a like coupling A of a second vehicle D,
by the compression and expansion of a spring F, and of vertical displacement
for the purpose of disconnection with the said second vehicle, by the means of
a sliding wedge Q, in dovetail connection with a guiding piece O; connected by
a link N with the back end M of the drawbar B, the said wedge being mounted
upon a shaft R, carried by the frame H, and actuated by a compound lever V
connected by a link S with the said shaft R, the latter provided with a spring X,
and the link S with an abutment piece Y, the whole connected, combined and
operating substantially as and for the purposes hercin set forth and shewn by
the accompanying drawings.
(3) The improved automatic coupling, characterized by the preceding claim,
and the use and application of same at each end of a railway vehicle, in order
that the coupling head A of one vehicle may automatically engage with the
coupling head A of another vehicle, by reason of the sliding surfaces E of each
coupling passing over each other until their respective parts W1 lock with each
other, substantially as herein described and shewn by Fig. 4 of the appended
drawings.
(4) The improved coupling device herein described, in combination with means
for effecting the uncoupling of any two vehicles so coupled thereby, by the mere
actuation of the compound lever V by an attendant situated at the side of and
not between the said vehicles substantially as herein set forth.
Dated his on ay
1000.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C..
Agent for the Applicants.