Swaying or (Oscillation of Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 15th May, 1888
Specification Accepted, 22nd June, 1888
Swaying or (Oscillation of Railway Vehicles.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lako & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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
The object of this invention is to neutralize, prevent or control the oscillation of car-
bodies by uniting the top adjacent ends of cars in travel by means of powerful springs,
having such strength and tension as will permit the necessary movement of individual
cars, but of such power as will prevent the swaying or oscillating movement, usual
with car-boilies when in travel and sustain alignment of the cars and steadiness of
movement under high rates of speed, and the usual road inequalities; such springs not
only preventing unpleasant-oscillation of the cars, but acting and securing at once an
For my present
alignment of car-bodies when oscillation or displacement occurs.
invention T utilize the recovering strength or tendency of the springs under tension or
flexion.
In the accompanying drawing,
Figure 1 is a plan, showing the ends of adjacent cars with spring .appliances, in
which the roof covering of one car is removed to expose braces for strengthening the
car roof.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical section on line x, x, Figure 1, in which is shown an end
elevation of one car portion, embracing portions of the spring appliances belonging to
the adjacent cars.
Figures 4 and 5 are detailed views.
"In the present example, is shown springs in two forms of application, which may
be used conjointly or either form may be used independently of the other. One plan
‚of applying springs is shown in the spiral springs c and c¹ and brackets a and a'

page_text: and and ¹. On each end of a car, and to one side of a longitudinal central line
thereof, is secured to one end of the car roof, a bracket a. On the opposite side
of the central line is a bracket ', but at less distance from said line. As shown
by the adjacent car, the brackets on the opposite end of a car are changed in their
positions with relation to the central line, so that an interior bracket of one car
will occupy an intermediate position between two brackets of the car adjacent.
This arrangement locates the brackets in positions for coupling, irrespective of the
ends of the cars that may be brought together. The springs cand e¹ are respectively
provided with caps i, into which the ends of the springs are secured, a cap at one
end of each spring being provided with a shank, which the brackets and are
respectively adapted to receive pivotally, thus hinging the spring to said brackets.
Spring c, as in the present example, is hinged to the bracket, and spring dis
hinged to the bracket 1. The free or unhinged end of spring c has a bearing,
when the cars are coupled, against bracket 1 of the adjacent car, and the unhinged
or free end of spring c¹ has a bearing against bracket a of the other car, caps
being secured to the ends of the springs that give proper bearing surfaces against
said brackets. It is obvious that the positions of the springs may be reversed and
the free end of spring e, by changing the position of the latter, as permitted by
its hinged connection, may be brought to hear against bracket a of the opposite
car, and the end of spring brought to bear against bracket b. As indicated by
dotted lines, Figure 1, in coupling cars, the springs may, as a preparatory measure,
be placed in such positions that when the cars are brought together, the free ends
of the springs are forced into positions against the brackets, and thus automatically
effect the coupling. It is apparent that when springs and care in coupled
positions, any tendency of deviation of the cars from alignment with each other,
causes flexion of said springs and the resistance of the latter thereto counteracts the
oscillation or swaying of the cars.
The other form of springs is shown in Figure 1 and illustrated in detail in Figures 4
and 5. The springs are located at the ends of the car roof near the sides of the car,
in which connection spiral springs are respectively provided at their ends with
suitable coupling attachments. One end of a spring is hinged to a bracket e,
in which the end coil of the spring is provided with a cap firmly secured by any
convenient means to said coil, which cap is provided with a shank and otherwise
suitably constructed to adapt it to be hinged to the bracket. The other end of the
spring is provided with a cap having the coupling shanks terminated by a spear-shaped
head adapted to couple with a clutch on the adjacent car. The jaws of clutch j
are hinged within the car-roof within an aperture, through which they are inserted,
sufficient to permit of their movements in opening and closing. The jaws are held
movably together by means of spiral springs t, the ends of which are held in lugs
on said jaws. To open the jaws of clutch j, preparatory to coupling cars, cam u is
provided, which is connected with a rod v extending downwardly, that may be operated
by a crank, hand-wheel or in any suitable manner. The clutches and brackets e
are reversed at opposite ends of the car, as to the sides of the car, to provide a counter-
part at one end to that of the other. As shown in Figure 5, clutches are given
depth sufficient to provide against the spring portions of the coupling being disengaged
by oscillation of the cars.
While in this example I have shown the springs having hinged connection with
brackets e', this is not essential, as the flexion of the springs may admit of sufficient
lateral play of the car. In this form of applying the springs, however, I depend
largely upon the tensile resistance of said springs to effect the desired result. The
braces e and f and plate d, shown in Figure 1, serve in suitably strengthening the
car-roof to withstand extra strain incident to the use of the top-connecting springs.
In the description of the springs c and c', said springs and the parts belonging thereto,
are lettered to distinguish those of one car from those of the other car, for convenience,
the parts, in fact, being the same.
It will be noticed that, in the various forms or modifications, the connection between
the adjacent ends of the superstructures of cars of a train is essentially a spring

page_text: coupler, whatever may be the particular form of the device. I do not confine myself
to the specific forms shown in the drawing, but mean to include all coupling or con-
necting devices uniting the ends of adjacent superstructures of the car-bodies
which admit of the swaying or oscillation of such bodies, while, at the same time, the
tendency of such movements is resisted and which also exert a constant tendency in
the direction of restoring the car-bodies, if oscillation has been set up, into correct
alignment.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by
my foreign correspondent, I declare that what 1 claim is :-
First. The combination, substantially as herein-before set forth, of the adjacent end
of the superstructures of two cars of a train, with a spring coupler substantially as set
forth, whereby the tendency of such superstructures to oscillate is checked, and a
constant force to restore proper alignment of the car bodies is obtained.
Second. In the construction of railway cars, springs connecting the adjacent ends
of the cars of a train, that are located at or near the tops thereof and secured by
mechanism that will admit of coupling the parts belonging to one car with, or
uncoupling from, the parts belonging to another car, which springs yield to flexion as
a result of oscillation or swaying of the cars, whereby the resistance of said springs to
such flexion operates to retain the oscillatory or swaying motion of the cars; sub-
stantially as set forth.
Third. The combination with a train of cars of springs connecting adjacent ends of
cars, located at or near the roof or top thereof and secured by mechanism that will
admit of coupling the parts belonging to one car with, or uncoupling from, the parts
belonging to another car, which yields under tensile strain as a result of oscillation or
swaying of the cars, whereby the resistance of said springs to such tensile strain
operates to restrain the oscillatory or swaying motion of said cars, substantially as set
forth.
Fourth. In the construction of railway passenger cars, brackets band 61, secured to
the car-roof on opposite sides of a central longitudinal line from that of the opposite
end of the car, brackets a also secured on opposite sides of a central line at the respective
ends of a car, in combination with spiral springs c and c¹, which latter are respectively
hinged to the brackets and 6, and their opposite ends adapted to bear against
brackets a and a', substantially as described.
Fifth. In the construction of railway coaches, springs h, one of which is provided
on each end of a car at or near the top thereof and on opposite sides of a central
longitudinal line of said car, said springs being provided with a coupling shank and
head s, in combination with clutches likewise located, at each end of the car in
positions to couple with said springs when the cars are brought together, substantially
as set forth.
Sixth. In the construction of railway cars, springs attached to the several cars of
a train at the roofs or ends of said cars that are provided with suitable shanks and
coupling heads, in combination with clutches upon adjacent cars, which latter are
provided with cams for opening the jaws of said clutches, preparatory to coupling,
substantially as described.
Dated this 15th day of N 1888
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.