IMPROVE- MENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Dover Chatterton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 8th
September 1864.
I, RICHARD DOVER CHATTERTON, of Highbury, in the County of Middlesex,
Esquire, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is particularly intended for use in coupling railway carriages
and wagons, but is applicable for other purposes where couplings are required.
I will first describe my coupling apparatus as applied to railway carriages.
I form the outer end of the draw bar at each end of the carriage with a
bell or open mouth. At the back of the upper side of the bell or open
mouth I mount excentrically a semi-cylindrical or other shaped block, which,
in its normal position, partially closes the mouth at back, but when
pushed from the outer end rises by turning on its axis and leaves the
mouth clear, it falls again of its own weight when the pressure is removed.
A cord, chain, or other contrivance leading to the side or other part of the
carriage is attached to the back of the semi-cylindrical block for the purpose
herein-after mentioned.
To connect together two carriages fitted with draw bars as before described,
I use a detached coupling bar with enlarged ends; this bar is, by preference,
attached by a short chain to the draw bar, it is in practice thrust into the bell
mouth of the draw bar at one end of each carriage, when the semi-cylindrical
block will be raised to allow the enlarged end of the bar to pass and will

page_text: again fall upon the bar in front of it, whereby the bar will be safely held.
When the end of a carriage in which a coupling bar, placed as just mentioned,
comes against the end of another carriage with a bell-mouthed draw bar, the
outer end of the coupling bar on the first carriago enters the bell mouth of
the draw bar of the second carriage and becomes secured therein by the semi-
cylindrical block, as just explained, and the coupling of the two carriages is
thereby effected. To uncouple the carriages the cord, chain, or other con-
trivance before referred to is acted upon to raise the semi-cylindrical block,
when the coupling bar will be set free and the two carriages may be drawn
apart. Carriages and wagons fitted with my coupling apparatus may also
conveniently have an ordinary coupling hook fixed to the draw bar, in order
that other carriages or wagons not fitted with my coupling apparatus may be
connected thereto, if required, in the usual manner. My coupling apparatus
is also applicable for securing the pole or shafts to the body of a common
road carriage. I form the back end of the pole with a projection which
enters an aperture in the front of a box attached to the axletree or other
convenient part. A semi-cylindrical or other shaped block similar to that
before described is fitted excentrically in the box, and holds the pole in
position by coming down in front of the projection in the manner described
with reference to railway carriages. For vehicles with shafts thero may be a
.coupling for each shaft, or a longitudinal bar may be carried back from the
splinter bar and secured to a single coupling. A cord or other contrivanco
within reach of the driver leads to the semi-cylindrical block, in order that the
pole or shafts may be immediately released if required.