Year: 1897

page_text: I, JOHN GOWLAND, Engineman, High Durham Street, Middlestone Moor, vid
Spennymoor, County Durham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My improvements in couplers when used for locomotives have for some of its
objects to expedite fly shunting at colliery and other sidings; to prevent uncoupling
without danger to the person who attends to it; to save the permanent way and
rolling stock when a train leaves the way, the engineman having simply to pull a cord
or chain to immediately detach the train from the engine. The coupling consists of
two blades and jaws, the former having a shackle or hook for attaching to the draw-
bar. One of the blades is hinged so that it can be turned up, and between the blades
is a spring tending to keep open the hinged blade, and its jaw. Near the jaw end of
the coupling and attached to the fixed blade are two lugs, one on each side of the
blade, the upper ends standing some distance above the hinged blade. Above the
hinged blade is a lever working on a bolt passed through the upper ends of the lugs.
This lever is somewhat beak-shaped at the lug end, and the point of the beak rests on
the top of the hinged blade. The other end of the lever extends to the joint on which
the blade hinges, and also rests on top of the hinged blade. On the bolt of the
hinge works a shackle which is prolonged above the end of the lever already
mentioned. This shackle has a square headed arch between its two opposite sides and
through this arch passes the draw bar end of the lever. In order to keep the shackle
arch over the end of the lever, the upper end of the shackle is connected with the lug
or lugs by a spiral spring or by spiral springs. To the upper end of the shackle is
also attached one end of a cord, chain or equivalent under control of the engine driver or
fireman. Assuming the shackle to be holding down the end of the lever, the beak at
the other end will be pressing down the hinged blade and keeping closed the movable
jaw. When the jaws are to be opened for coupling or detaching purposes, the cord,
chain or equivalent is pulled, and thus the tension of the spiral spring overcome and
the shackle arch removed from the end of the lever, whereupon the spring between
the blades will force up the hinged one, and thus open the jaws. On releasing the
pull on the cord or equivalent, the shackle again passes over the end of the lever,
forces the beak against the hinged blade and so closes the jaws.
Dated this 23rd day of February 1897
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Couplers for Locomotives and the like.
I, JOHN GOWLAND, Engineman, High Durham Street, Middlestone Moor, vid
Spennymoor, County Durham, 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 improvements in couplers in more especially intended for use on locomotives,
but is applicable under any similar circumstances. Some of its objects when applied
to locomotives are to expedite fly shunting at colliery and other sidings, to permit
uncoupling without danger to the person who attends to it, and to save the permanent
way and rolling stock when a train leaves the way, the engineman having simply to
pull a cord or chain to immediately detach the train from the engine.
In order to more clearly explain my invention, I make reference to the accompany-
ing drawing,
Fig. 1. of which is a side view and represents in full lines the coupling closed and
in dotted lines the coupling open.
Fig. 2. is an end view of the shackle arch to be hereafter referred to.
The coupling consists of two blades a a', and two jaws bb, the former having a
shackle or hook c for attaching to the draw-bar. One of the blades (a) is hinged at d
so that it can be turned up, and between the blades is a spring e tending to keep open
the hinged blade a and its jaw. Near the jaw end of the coupling and attached to
the rigid blade are two lugs f, one on each side of the blades, the upper ends standing
some distance above the hinged jaw, and the lower ends being attached to opposite
sides of a¹. Above the hinged blade is a lever g working on a bolt / passed through
the upper ends of the lugs f. This lever is somewhat beak shaped at the lug end
and the point of the beak i rosts on the top of the hinged blade a. The other end of
the lever extends to the joint on which the blade hinges and also rests on top of the
hinged blade. On the bolt of the hinged works a shackle j which is prolonged above the
end of the lever already mentioned. This shackle is formed into a square headed arch
or loop k, and through this arch passes the draw bar end of the lever g. In order to
keep the shackle arch k over the end of 9, the upper end of the shackle is connected
with the lug or lugs by a spiral or by spiral springs l. To the upper end of
this shackle is also attached one end of a cord, chain, or equivalent m under control
of the engine driver or fire-man. Assuming the shackle j to be holding down the end
of the lever g, the beak at the other end will be pressing down the binged blade a,
and keeping closed the movable jaw b. When the jaws are to be opened for coupling
or detaching purposes, the cord, chain or equivalent m is pulled and thus the tension
of the spring overcome, and the shackle arch k removed from the end of lever g,
whereupon the spring e between the blades a a¹ will force up the hinged one a and
thus open the jaws bb. On turning down g and releasing the pull on the cord or
equivalent m, the shackle arch again passes over the end of the lever g, forces the
beak against the hinged blade a and so closes the jaws bb'.
I do not restrict myself to the precise shapes, disposition or relative proportions of
the various parts described in the above specification, or exemplified in the
accompanying drawings, as any or all of them can be considerably varied without
departing from the spirit of my invention.
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 :-
1. An improved coupler for locomotives and the like, the said coupler consisting
essentially of two arms or blades having jaws at one end one of the blades being

page_text: hinged and the other rigid, two lugs being attached to opposite sides of the latter,
between the upper ends of which lugs may move the hinged blade, when allowed to
do so, by pressure from a spring provided for the purpose between the blades, the jaws
of the blades being kept closed by pressure from a beaked lever pivotted to the upper
ends of the aforesaid lugs, the extended end of the said lever being held down by a
spring shackle arch or loop which can be removed from the end of the lever as and
when required by drawing on a chain or equivalent attached to the shackle arch,
the whole substantially as described in the above specification and exemplified in
the accompanying drawings.
2. A coupler for locomotives and the like, the said coupler being constructed and
operating substantially as described in the above specification, and exemplified in the
accompanying drawings.
...
ليوم
1
A 1
1007
HUGHES & YOUNG,
23, Coleman Street, London, E.C., Agents for Applicant.