AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Andrew Gray, of Mochrum, in the County of Wigtown,
Scotland, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES." A communication from abroad by John Lonsberry Harkinson
and Vandon B. Pool, both of Embro, Ontario, Canada.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Andrew Gray at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1879.
"
AN
ANDREW GRAY, of Mochrum, in the County of Wigtown, Scotland.
IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES.” [A communication from abrond
by John Lonsberry Harkinson and Vandon B. Pool, both of Embro, Ontario,
Canada.]
The object of this Invention is to provido a means for automatically coupling up
railway carriages and waggons.
In carrying out the Invention the outer end of the draw bar at each end of the
carriage is formed with a bell shaped or open mouth to receive the coupling link
and guide it into its proper position for coupling up.
In rear of the throat of the bell shaped or open mouth is formed a recess to
receive one arm of a bell crank lover, which has its fulcrum in a projection on the
under side of the draw bar.
The outer arm of this lever is weighted, so that when the coupling link is with-
drawn the inner arm of the lever shall be caused to fall partly across the throat of
the bell shaped mouth, in which position it will act as a stop to prevent the dropping
down of a vertical rod or pin, which may be termed the coupling pin, until the
lever is pushed on one side by the entrance of the coupling link into the throat of
the open mouth, when the coupling pin will be allowed to drop through the coupling
link, and will hold it firmly in position. In order to keep the coupling pin always
in a vertical position, a guide or sleeve in which the coupling pin works is cast or
otherwise secured onto the upper side of the draw bar.

page_text: When it is desired to uncouple two carriages it will be only necessary for the
attendant to raise the coupling pin of one carriage by means of a chain or cord
attached thereto, or by a hand lever, and hold the pin in such raised position until
the carriages are parted and the coupling link is withdrawn, when the inner arm of
the bell crank lever will fall into its position, where it will act as a stop to prevent
the falling of the pin until the lever is again pushed aside by the entrance of
another coupling link.
The coupling link consists of one long single link, and one such link may be
secured by a short chain to each draw bar.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Andrew Gray in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
October 1879.
ANDREW GRAY, of Mochrum, in the County of Wigtown, Scotland.
"AN
IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES." A communication from abroad
by John Lonsberry Harkinson and Vandon B. Pool, both of Embro, Ontario,
Canada.
The object of this Invention is to provide a means for automatically coupling up
railway carriages and waggons to form a train.
The manner of carrying out this Invention is clearly shewn in the accompanying
Drawing, where Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of the coupling apparatus
attached to the frames of two adjacent carriages; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly
in section, of one portion of this coupling apparatus; and Figures 3 and 4 are end
elevations of the apparatus for one carriage in the unlocked and locked positions.
A, A, Fig. 1, shew the end bars of the under frames of two railway carriages,
through which the draw bars B, B, pass as usual. Fitted to or forming part of the
draw bars (at the opposite ends of each carriage) is a bell-shaped or open mouth B¹.
These open extensions of the draw bars are intended to receive the coupling link C
(which is temporarily attached to one or other of the adjacent draw bars) and guide
it into its proper position for coupling up.
In rear of the throat of the bell-shaped or open mouth B¹ is formed a recess to
receive the nose of a bell crank lever D, which has its fulcrum in a projection on
the under side of the draw bar, and is free to rock in a vertical plane. The outer
arm of this lever is weighted, so that when the coupling link C is withdrawn, as
shown at Fig. 3, the nose of the lever will fall partly across the throat of the bell-
shaped mouth, in which position it will act as a stop to prevent the dropping down
of a vertical rod or pin E, which may be termed the coupling pin. This coupling
pin (which is intended to enter the link C, connected, as shewn in Fig. 1, by a
Bimilar coupling pin E' to the draw bar of the adjacent carriage) is free to slide in a
vertical socket formed for it in the mouth piece of the draw bar, and it is provided
with an eye for attaching it to a chain or lever for raising it out of action.
the link is thrust into the throat of the open mouth of the draw bar, the lever D
will be pushed on one side, and the coupling pin will drop through the coupling
link, and passing through the underside of the draw bar, will hold the link firmly
in position, as shewn at Fig. 4.
When
When it is desired to uncouple two carriages it will be only necessary for the
attendant to raise the coupling pin E or E¹ of one or other of the carriages by
means of a chain or cord attached thereto, or by a hand lever, and hold the pin in
such raised position until the carriages are parted and the coupling link is with-
drawn. The nose of the bell crank lever will then fall back into the position of
Fig. 3, and acting as a stop, as before explained, it will prevent the falling of the
coupling pin until the lever is again pushed aside by the entrance of another
coupling link.
To prevent the withdrawal of the coupling pin from its socket, it is furnished
with a stop pin, shewn best in Fig. 4.
The coupling link, it will be seen, consists of one long single link, and it is so
held by connection with one or other of the draw bars of the carriages to be con-
nected that it will always be in a position to enter the open mouth of the draw bar
to which it is presented when the carriages are brought up into contact with each
other. When the draw bars are of unequal height a gradually curved link may be
employed.
It will now be understood that by the simple act of bringing up the carriages
into position to form a train, their coupling up will be effected without the assistance
of the attendants, all that is necessary on their part being to see that a coupling

page_text: link is provided and connected with one or other of the draw bars which are to be
coupled up. For convenience spare links may be attached by chains to the ends of
the carriages.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Coupling
for Railway Carriages," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters Patent-
1 claim, the construction of coupling above described, whereby carriages may be
coupled up automatically as they are brought into position to form a train.
In witness whereof, I, the said Andrew Gray, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, the Sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy nine.