Improvements in Couplings for Rods.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Mar., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 25th Jan., 1894-Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Rods.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE EVANS, of 116 Palace Chambers, Bridge Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to a simple form of coupling rods, specially
applicable to rods used in connection with railway signalling.
My invention may be used for several purposes, but I will give two illustrations
of the particular advantages of my invention.
In the upright.rods of signals at the present time the general form of adjustment
for the rod, in order to get the accurate working of the arm and its correct position
in both attitudes, is by means of a screw coupling inserted either at the connection
of the rod to the balance lever or at any convenient position in the rod. This
form consists in a case or joint with round holes at each end, with a thread_cut
for receiving the two ends of the rod, upon which also threads are cut.
disadvantage of this form is that the threads strip, completely lose their hold,
and consequently fail to operate correctly.
The
A second application of my invention would be in the joints of rods used to
operate switches or ground gear upon railways. Rod is used on some railways,
of a channel section, and fish plates and bolts are inserted as the means of
coupling them together. This is an expensive method and allows of no variation
after the holes are cut in the rods to receive the bolts, and does not in any
way allow for adjustment.
My invention is as follows:-
arrange that the end of each rod, either the upright rod on the signal post
or the point rod upon the ground, is flattened out to a suitable length and in
this flattened end holes are made at convenient distances apart. The guiding
principle of my invention consists in spacing the holes in the two ends of the
rod which are to be coupled together, different distances apart, according to the
degree of adjustment desired, for example, the holes in one rod may be pitched
one inch apart centre to centre, and in the other, intended to be joined to it,
three quarters of an inch; the degree of adjustment in which case would be one
quarter of an inch. This variation in pitch may be modified to any extent
required by the nature of the case. Bolts are inserted through those holes which
are opposite each other, and it is understood that preferably at least two bolts
are inserted. These are fastened by means of a cotter pin, a nut, or any other
suitable means of holding the bolt firmly in position.
Although I have described my invention with reference to railways yet it is
obvious, as I have previously mentioned, that it may be used for joining rods for
any purposes.
Dated this 30th day of March 1893.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Couplings for Rods.
I, ARTHUR GEORGE EVANS, of 116 Palace Chambers, Bridge Street,
Westminster, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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 :-
My invention has reference to a simple form of coupling rods, specially
applicable to rods used in connection with railway signalling.
My invention may be used for several purposes, but I will give two illustrations
of the particular advantages of my invention.
In the upright rods of signals at the present time the general form of adjustment
for the rod, in order to get the accurate working of the arm and its correct position
in both attitudes, is by means of a screw coupling inserted either at the connection
of the rod to the balance lever or at any convenient position in the rod. This
form consists in a case or joint with round holes at each end, with a thread cut for
receiving the two ends of the rod, upon which also threads are cut. The
disadvantage of this form is that the threads strip, completely lose their hold,
and consequently the arm fails to operate correctly.
A second application of my invention would be in the joints of rods used to
operate switches or ground gear upon railways. Rod is used on some railways, of
a channel section, and fish plates and bolts are inserted as the means of coupling
them together. This is an expensive method and allows of no variation after the
holes are cut in the rods to receive the bolts, and does not in any way allow for
adjustment.
My invention is as follows:-
I arrange that the end of each rod, either the upright rod on the signal post or
the point rod upon the ground, is flattened out to a suitable length and in this
flattened end holes are made at convenient distances apart. The guiding principle
of my invention consists in spacing the holes in the two ends of the rod which are
to be coupled together different distances apart, according to the degree of adjust-
ment desired, for example, the holes in one rod may be pitched one inch apart
centre to centre, and in the other, intended to be joined to it, three quarters of an
inch; the degree of adjustment in which case would be one quarter of an inch.
This variation in pitch may be modified to any extent required by the nature of
the case.
Bolts are inserted through those holes which are opposite each other,
and it is understood that preferably at least two bolts are inserted. These are
fastened by means of a cotter pin, a nut, or any other suitable means of holding the
bolt firmly in position.
.
In order that my invention may be better understood and more readily carried
into effect I will proceed to describe the drawing hereunto annexed. The same
letters refer to the same parts in the several figures.
Figure 1 illustrates my invention, the ends being coupled together and forming
a rigid rod for the operation of, say a signal arm, or in the case of ground
connections, a switch or facing point lock, or plunger, or any ground connection.
Figure 2 is a front view of one half of the joint, say for example the one
connected to the rod from the operating lever, and in which the pitch of the holes
is one inch.
Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a front view of the other half of the joint which is connected, say for
example, to the object to be operated, the signal arm or any of the ground
connections. This is the end of the joint in which the holes are pitched at a lesser
distance apart, say for example three quarters of an inch.
Figure 5 is a side view of Figure 4.

page_text: In the illustration shown there would be two holes in each half of the joint which
would come opposite each other and through these the connecting bolts would be
inserted for holding them together. Assuming the joints to be connected and it is
required to expand to get a longer rod, the bolts are withdrawn, the rods separated
to whatever the distance may be, and according as the adjustment is arranged for
in the holes (in this case a quarter of an inch) so the two bolts are reinserted in the
two holes in both ends of the joints which come opposite each other, and cotter
pins are inserted.
It is obvious that the adjustment can be increased or decreased as is desired,
such adjustment being accomplished by the difference between the pitch of the
holes in one half of the joint and the holes in the other, for instance, if a degree of
adjustment of only half an inch at a time is needed, the holes would be pitched in
one half of the joint at an inch apart and in the other half at an inch and a half
apart, or again, at half an inch and an inch, the difference being, as before
described, the amount of adjustment allowed.
Although I have described my invention with reference to railways yet it is
obvious, as I have previously mentioned, that it may be used for joining rods for
any purposes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
An improved form of coupling for railway signal rods, in which the minimum
amount of adjustment allowed is dependent upon the difference between the pitches
of the centres of the holes in the joints, substantially as described and illustrated
and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 25th day of January 1894.
JOHN P. O'DONNELL,
70 & 71, Palace Chambers, Westminster, London, S.W.,
Agent for the said Applicant.