IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL- WAY COUPLINGS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Johann Heinricli Cohrs, of Steinstrasse, 38,
Hamburg, Merchant, for tho Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL-
WAY COUPLINGS."
Scaled the 26th January 1875, and dated the 31st July 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Johann Heinrich Cours
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 31st July 1874.
I, JOHANN HEINRICH COHRS, of Steinstrasse, 38, Hamburg, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in railway couplings, by
which a connection with and disconnection from an adjoining carriage
or vehicle can be effected from the side of a carriage, and without
necessitating a workman going between the ends.
•
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The Invention is the combination of a shiftable bar on the frame or
body of a carriage, the bar having a lever at each end and a lift catch or

page_text: claw frame at about the central part, such lift or claw being capable of
lifting a weighted coupling into position to engage into the hook of the
adjoining draw bar, and there to bo brought into a state of tension or
lock by the apparatus previously patented by mc, or by any other
convenient apparatus.
The present Invention will be best understood by reference to the
accompanying Diagrams, Figures 1 to 7.
The straps A of the coupling are attached to the draw bar B. The
link C is balanced, or nearly so, to the straps, so that its loop portion
can be swung into position to take over the hook of the adjoining
carriage, the swinging being effected even when the carriages are close
together by one of the outside levers D, D, which are attached to tho
bar E, this being capable of an end on motion for the coupling to bo
lifted at the side of the hook, and then to be slid along to arrange it over
the hook before being lowered into it.
The lifting frame F is of skeleton form, and is provided with a
couple of claws or projecting studs to bear against the straps, so that
the link can be lifted, the link weight G coming horizontal or nearly so
by the swing, enables it to become pinched between the straps by spring
plates H, H.
Instead of the spring plates, spring claws can be used, as in Figure
6 and 7.
Figures 8 to 11 show a modification in which the link C has two
weights G, G', one to bind the link and the other to act as a counterpoise
to the first and to the loop.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs in the Great Scal latent
Office on the 30th January 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHANN
HEINRICH COHRS, of Steinstrasse, 38, Hamburg, Merchant, send a
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her

page_text: 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 Johann Heinrich Cohrs, Her
special licence, that I, the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Johann
Heinrich Oohrs, 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 Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs, 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 Johann Heinrich Cohrs, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
The purpose of this Invention is to couple and uncouple railway
carriages from the sides of the waggons by a coupling apparatus
5 arranged in one or other of the modifications as shewn in the accom-'
panying two Sheets of Drawings.
:
Figures 1, 2, and 3, Sheet 1, represent respectively a front view, side
view, and a ground plan of my Invention. The apparatus consists of a
loop A furnished with a counterweight G. This loop turns freely on a
O bolt between arms a, a, attached to the drawhook B. The weight G
must be heavy enough to keep the loop A in the slanting position shown
in Figure 1 in full lines. By turning the shaft W through the levers h
from the sides of the waggon or other vehicle the lifting apparatus lifts
the loop A, and the latter clears the hook B' of a second or adjoining
5 carriage, even when both carriages are placed close together. After the
loop A is lifted above the hook B' the weight G can be brought between
the arms a, a, by means of a swing of the lever, and there it cramps

page_text: by the aid of the two springs c, c. In lowering the lifting apparatus
the coupling can be hooked to B', and is brought into the position shown
in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 3.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, are Drawings of my coupling on a larger scale,
the letters of reference being the same as those used in the before given
description.
Figures 7 and 8 show a modification of my Invention. Here the
manner of keeping the loop A between the arms a, a, is attained as
follows:-Between these arms a, a, the small iron bar r is fastened, and
within the weight G is the lever o turnable on the bolts. This lever has
on one side a short projection, on the other side a counterweight, which
causes a constant pressure of the lever against a spring h. As soon as
the weight G is swung through the arms a, a, as before explained, the
projection of the lever o rests on the bar r, and the spring / keeps the
coupling in the horizontal position, or until the latter is hooked to the
carriage to which it may be connected.
On Sheet 2 a further modification of my Invention is shown. In this
case the loop A, which is also furnished with a counterweight G, has a
second weight G', to balance the loop and the weight G to a position
very nearly horizontal. When this coupling is lifted the loop A simply.
turns downwards in case it should touch the hook of another carriago
until it can pass the same. As soon as it has passed this hook it will
come into the nearly horizontal position again, and can now, when
lowered, be coupled to the hook of the adjoining carriage, to which it
can be connected.
For coupling wagons on curves I arrange the axle W of the lifting
apparatus to be moveable sideways. This may be attained by placing the
lifting apparatus upon rollers Z.
As the coupling has ample space in the hook, the same can bo
sufficiently moved sideways in either direction by pushing or pulling the
axle W, either during or after lifting the coupling.
The screwing apparatus is attached to the connecting bar of the draw-
hooks of the carriage, and can be moved by handles from the sides of
the wagons.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,—
Firstly. The arrangement of the coupling loop A and arms a, a, in

page_text: combination with the weight G, and with either one or other of the
attaching apparatus, as shown on Sheet I. of the Drawings in connection
with a lifting apparatus, which is moveable sideways for coupling and
uncoupling carriages on straight and curved permanent ways of railways
as set forth.
Secondly. I claim the coupling loop A furnished with the two weights
G and G³, in combination with the above explained lifting apparatus,
moveable sideways, as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Johann Heinrich Cohrs, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Ninth day of January, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.