IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1885

page_text: allway у отетов.
We THOMAS FOWLER BARLOW, Cotton Weaver, of Underbank, Rising Bridge,
Baxenden, WILLIAM SCHOFIELD, Engineer, of 31 Pleasant Street, Haslingden
and JOHN ROYSTON, Woollen Merchant, of 5 Blackburn Road, Accrington, all
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY VEHICLES,
to be as follows:-
The object of our Invention is to construct an improved apparatus by means
of which railway vehicles may be coupled or uncoupled without the porter or
shunter having to go between them thus avoiding risk of accident and loss
of life.
To effect this we employ a transverse shaft at each end of the vehicle fitted in
suitable bearings preferably placed below the cross piece; at each end of the shaft
we fit or fix a lever or handle or both by which the shaft may be moved longi-
tudinally and turned partly round; to the shaft near the middle we connect
a lever by a swivel joint or otherwise and to this lever which may be either
straight or bowed we joint a second lever or levers preferably a bowed or curved
double lever connected to the end link,
We couple two vehicles together by moving either of the levers at the ends
of the shaft and so turning the shaft partly round which raises the levers and so
brings the end link on one vehicle above the hook on the other vehicle but a little
to one side of it; by then moving the shaft longitudinally the swivel lever causes
the end link to move sideways over the hook and by releasing the handle the
shaft turns back and the end link drops on to the hook thus completing the
coupling.
If desirable we may connect the first lever by a light link or otherwise to the
shackle or other link so that in cases where the ends of the vehicles are very close
to one another the end link may be raised without the chain being extended to
its full length, until the end link is above the level of the hook, when the extra
ID 1

page_text: link slips along the bowed lever and allows the chain to extend to its full length
and the end link to be dropped on to the hook in the manner previously described.
The vehicles may be uncoupled when the chain is slack by moving either of the
levers or handles, raising the end link clear of the hook, then moving it sideways
releasing the handle and allowing the chain to drop.
Either or both of the levers may be spring or rigid and either straight or bowed
and the second lever may be a forked or double lever to clear the draw bar. The
first lever is connected to the double lever by a spring catch or otherwise in such
manner that in case of accident the catch or its equivalent will open to release the
double lever and links which will be carried away suspended from the draw hook
of the next vehicle.
Various forms of links and levers may be used but for the sake of economy
we prefer to apply our improvements to existing vehicles and links by connecting
the second or double lever to studs or trunnions on the end link.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Coupung and Uncoupling
Railway Vehicles.
We THOMAS FOWLER BARLOW, Cotton Weaver, of Underbank, Rising Bridge,
Baxenden, WILLIAM SCHOFIELD, Engineer, of 31 Pleasant Street, Haslingden,
and JOHN ROYSTON, Woollen Merchant, of 5 Blackburn Road, Accrington, all
in the County of Lancaster, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for
IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY VEHICLES,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The object of our Invention is to construct an improved apparatus by means
of which railway vehicles may be coupled or uncoupled without the porter or
shunter having to go between them thus avoiding risk of accident and loss
of life.
To effect this we employ a transverse shaft at each end of the vehicle fitted in
suitable bearings preferably placed below the cross piece; at each end of the
shaft we fit or fix a lever or handle or both by which the shaft may be moved
longitudinally and turned partly round; to the shaft near the middle we connect
a lever by a swivel joint or otherwise and to this lever which may be either
straight or bowed we joint a second lever or levers preferably a bowed or curved
double lever connected to the end link.
We couple two vehicles together by moving either of the levers at the ends
of the shaft and so turning the shaft partly round, which raises the levers and so
brings the end link on one vehicle above the hook on the other vehicle but a little
to one side of it; by then moving the shaft longitudinally the swivel lever causes
the end link to move sideways over the hook and by releasing the handle the
shaft turns back and the end link drops on to the hook thus completing the
coupling.
The vehicles may be uncoupled when the chain is slack by moving either of the
levers or handles, raising the end link clear of the hook, then moving it sideways
releasing the handle, and allowing the chain to drop.
Either or both of the levers may be spring or rigid and either straight or bowed
and the second lever may be a forked or double lever to clear the drawbar. The
first lever is connected to the double lever by a spring catch or otherwise in such
manner that in case of accident the catch or its equivalent will open to release the
double lever and links which will be carried away suspended from the drawhook
of the next vehicle.
Various forms of links and levers may be used, but for the sake of economy
we prefer to apply our improvements to existing vehicles and links by connecting
the second or double lever to studs or trunnions on the end link.
And in order that our Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect we will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being
had to the figures and letters marked thereon,

page_text: .
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the end of a railway truck or wagon to which
our improved coupling apparatus is applied. Fig. 2 is a side view of the adjacent
ends of two trucks or wagons fitted with our improved coupling apparatus, one
set of links and levers being shown in full lines raised ready for coupling and in
dotted lines coupled. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the adjacent ends of two trucks
or wagons illustrating the method of double coupling with our improved apparatus.
Figs. 4 and 5 are detailed views illustrating an arrangement of spring catch which
we employ to permit the release of the bowed or curved lever and links in case
of accident to the coupling chain and Figs. 6 and 7 show an alternative arrange-
ment for connecting the actuating lever to the end link.
Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. .
In these views. a designates the cross piece at each end of each truck or wagon
below which is fitted in suitable bearings or hangers b and b¹ the transverse shaft c
provided at each end with a lever or handle c¹ which may either be made in one
piece with the shaft as shown in Fig. 1, or be separately attached as shown in
Figs. 2 and 3. The shaft c is free to be moved a certain distance longitudinally
and also to be turned partly round in its bearings b b¹ and near the centre of the
shaft between the two middle bearings b is fixed a plate c* near the front of which
is pivoted at a lever d. The back end of this lever d is enlarged at d¹ so that
when the shaft c is moved longitudinally in its bearings the plate c³ moving with
it presses one side of the enlarged end d' against one of the bearings b thereby
causing the pivoted lever d to swivel on its fulcrum c. The front end of the
lever d is split at das best shown in Fig. 5 and is connected by a stud e to the
forked end of a bowed or curved lever f which is connected at the other end to
the end link g either by a nut or rivet head h on a trunnion in the manner illus-
trated by Figs. 1 to 3, or as represented in Figs. 6 and 7 by connecting the lever
to the centre of a curved or cranked piece i the ends of which pass through two
Cyes gl formed on the end link g. The middle link j is preferably made shorter
than the end link g and the links g and j may be connected to the draw hook k
by means of a shackle and a pin m in the ordinary manner as shown in Fig. 1,
or by substituting for the shackle and pin ma link n, see Figs. 2 and 3, one side
of which link is flattened to permit it to pass into an open slot k¹ formed in the
drawhook k as is well understood.
To couple two wagons or other vehicles together the adjacent ends are brought
near one another and the shaft c on one wagon moved axially by means of one
of the handles c to raise the levers d and f and the coupling chain so as to bring
the end link g above the level and slightly to one side of the drawhook k as shown
in Figs. 2 and 3, the shaft c during this operation having been, if required moved
longitudinally to cause the end link g to clear the drawhook. The shaft c is now
moved back longitudinally so as to bring the end link g directly over the draw-
hook k and the coupling completed by releasing the handle c' and allowing the
shaft c to turn back and the end link to fall into the drawhook.
When a double coupling is required the end link g on the other wagon may be
raised in the manner already described and dropped on to the other drawhook k
as illustrated by Fig. 3. The method of connecting the lever f to the end link ġ
represented in Figs. 6 and 7 is particularly adapted for double coupling as by it
the danger of the said lever being strained or broken when double coupled is
avoided.
To uncouple, the two wagons are brought near each other, if the coupling chain
is tight, and then by moving either of the handles c¹ the shaft c is turned to raiso
the end link g above the drawhook k and then by moving the shaft c longitudinally
the end link g is moved sideways clear of the drawhook and then allowed to drop
into the position shown in Fig. 1. If the wagons are double coupled this operation
is then repeated to release the coupling chain on the other wagon.
In the event of any accident occurring through the breakage of a coupling chain
or a drawhook on one wagon when the train is in motion the stud e on the lever f

page_text: will be drawn out of the spring clip & on the lever d and the links and lever f
carried away suspended from the drawhook on the next wagon.
Our improved coupling apparatus is equally applicable to either spring or dead
buffered wagons or other vehicles.
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. In a railway coupling, the combination with a shaft placed preferably below
the cross piece of the wagon or other vehicle and provided with levers or handles
by which it may be actuated, of a swivel lever at one end pivoted to a plate fixed
centrally on said shaft between two of its bearings and at the other end connected
either by a spring clip or equivalent device or otherwise to one end of a second
lever connected at the other end to the end link of the coupling chain which
chain is suspended from the drawhook of the vehicle, substantially in the manner
and for the purposes herein described and as illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
2.-The several constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts forming
our improved single or double coupling apparatus for railway vehicles, all sub-
stantially as herein set forth for the purposes specified.
8. In a railway coupling apparatus the combination with the lever connected
to the coupling chain, of the spring clip or releasing device on the lever connected
to the actuating shaft, substantially as and for the purposes described and as
shown.