RAILWAY COUPLINGS
Year: 1884

page_text: CALEB PERRY SHARPLEY (Inventor) Major J Smith's Brunswick House 22 Villa
Road Brixton Road Brixton in the County of Surrey (London) do hereby declare tho
nature of my invention for RAILWAY COUPLINGS 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 my invention is to provide an efficient, inexpensive, stronger, safer,
and quicker method of coupling Railway Carriages of every description, & primary
to save or prevent the alarming sacrifice of human life & limbs, by the present.
very dangerous method of Coupling Railway carriages of every description; & make
it easy & worthy of universal adoption to every description of Railway carriages
& wagons. This I have done in the simplest way possible, increasing the strength
to full double the strength of the coupling in' present use; & is applicable to every.
description of carriage. And in one method of application is full four times tho
strength of the coupling now in use, for very heavy traffic, or very long trains; as
well as being so much stronger, it will be lessening the liability of accidnots. It is
either self coupling or by hand, & is perfectly free from danger. It does not
destroy or alter the shape, nor disturb the position of the present hook or draw
head.
-
My hook or loop may be of any shape or form required, to suit the position or
manner in which they are designed or required, to work or act, either_single-or.
double in position, that is one, or two couplings for very heavy traffic. I use two
kinds of rods, one to lift in coupling & uncoupling, which I call the hand, or lifting
rod. The other is also a hand rod, but this is to turn instead of being lifted, in
coupling & uncoupling; this I call the turning rod, terminating at each end, with a
handle of any required form, to this rod I secure the loop, which loop I prefer to be
one in each case, but I do not confine myself to its being one only, I also secure
the hook to the turning rod, when required. By turning the handle of which, the
loop passes into the hook, & is coupled from either side without having to go:
under, or, between the carriages. The turning-rod of course is through the draw-.
head, in the place of the present shackle fastener, but I make the coupling also.
Prine G
•

page_text: double, in its present single position, (or may be a single coupling if preferred) & in
made doubly secure against accidents, being double the strength, by being double
looped, & double hooked, & is applicable to every description of Railway carringo,
as shown in the drawing. The handlo (or any other part) is made secure after
coupling to prevent the rod turning. I have done it in my models, by a bolt
sliding into a tube-handle, & by a tube bolt sliding on the handle, & by a pin or
slide to draw out; & by a slide loop or ring, to draw over the handle. If vertical,
a loop or eye to drop over it, on a rod passing accross the carriage end, & may be
turned from either side, or may be secured as preferred. These fastens to tho
bandlo allow it to slide as required with the drawbar. It requires no coupling
chains, to this secure double looped, & double hooked coupling, nor hook closer, to
prevent the loop rising out of the hook, as, securing the handle does all that is
required. But if preferred may have the hook-closer, as represented. in the
Drawings of (Fig 2 & 9) this I make without danger also, to close or open by the
hand lifting rod, to the back part, (but may be placed where preferred) of the hook
closer, it turning on a centre pin, is opened from the platform; but it may be secured
to a turning rod in the place of the centro pin, & (without the lifting rod) opened
by turning the handle from the platform.
I make the hook now in use, self-coupling, by securing the piece I call the lip-
piece, as shown in (Fig 8), to the front part of the hook as represented in (2 E.).
There is a catch which forms a rest for the loop when let down for self coupling,
which holds it the right height, when the lip on the other carriage presses against
it, it instantly passes into the bed of the hook, & the handle of the turning-rod
made secura.
If it is required very powerful for very heavy traffic, then it can
have double drawheads or hooks, that would be two distinct couplings at the end
of the Carriages, at the required distance from each other, this makes it run freer
from friction, being stondier, & if it is double looped & double hooked also, this
will make it four times the strength & security of the present method of coupling.
These loops (it requiring two for double coupling in position) are both secured to
the turning-rod, & can be connected to each other, by a rod as well, or may be
coupled by the hand lifting-rod, the hand rod connecting the two loops in the front
of the loops (or any part proferred) so that both act at one time as if but one. (And
is the same with the turning rod) the loop or loops for the hand lifting rod may be
attached to the draw-head, in the ordinary way, of the present shackle, & may not
require the turning hand-rod. The loop-rest I have made by turning the bottom
part of the lip up, hooked in form, but may be of any other form & in any place
preferred.
"
When I make my hook to turn in coupling, I secure it to the turning hand-rod,
& prefer it to turn upwards, as it takes hold of the loop in.coupling or lets it go in
the freest manner possible, (but may be turned any way preferred) & if preferred
the hook-point may be long enough to enter an aperture in a plate etc to receive
it; or the point of the hook to press against anything, this hook closing itself. The
lifting hand-rod is secured to the loop in front (or as proferred) by which to let it
down on the loop rest or catch, which holds it in its position.for the book to take
hold of or enter the loop; the rest may be by a projecting point continued beyond
the eye of the loop (F14 Z) to catch under any suited projection to hold it up in
the front the proper hoight, for the hook to couple with it, (or any other rest
preferred) or a tube may be on the turning rod the required length, & the loop
secured to the tube, & the loop turned by it, instead of the lifting.band rod, & the
same with the double hooks, & may be double hooked & double looped also.
In using the turning hook to meet the draw-bar or draw-head hook, as upper &
lower jaw, the upper hook or jaw is secured to the turning hand-rod for self
coupling, & is lip formed in the front part, as represented in drawing (Fig. 4); the
upper jaw secured to the hand turning rod (17 in Fig. 4) which is through the
draw-lead as above stated,.the upper hook working close to the lower ono.
bottom of the hook inside is straight or horizontal & rising at the back & also at
The

page_text: the front right-angled; the top of which sloping down to a point at the bottom in
front as (20, Fig. 4); the upper one is the same in form as the bottom one with the
exception of the tongue (115) (& may be without the tongue if preferred) which
tongue rises & delivers the loop out of the bed of the hook in uncoupling by
turning the handle of the turning rod; under the tongue is a projecting portion
(H. Fig 4); on which the bottom part of the tongue rests, & has the effect to keep
the lips of the upper & lower jaws or hooks sufficiently apart in the front, the loop
being let down on the rest to hold it in its position ready for self coupling, by
bringing the Carriages up together; the loop passes freely between the two lips
lifting the upper jaw, the loop dropping into the bed of the hook the upper jaw
instantly closing. The handle of the turning rod secured, (the lip form may be to
any if preferred). But some parties may adopt it without the lip formned front.as
drawing (Fig. 5), which is divested of that part, the upper hook being a little longer
& may be turned out a little at the point, to pass freely over the loop in coupling
as (K. Fig. 5) the handle or turning rod, secured, this form of the double working
hook, locks the loop or loops in the hook. The turning. rod in each form of my
hooks, works in slott or other bearers, to work freely with the draw head or draw
bar, and single, or double hooked, & double looped. The slide or lever bolt which
may be either horizontal or vertical coupling, & may have a spring pressing on the
head of the bolt to keep it in, as well as securing the lever, or may be on a turning
rod.
Coupling Chains are not required with the secured double looped & double
hooked coupling, but, if used I apply them so as to be looped without danger from
the Platform etc, the hook longer in the back part, & incline a little downwards at
the back part or shaft of the hook, & pass over pulleys with a weight between two
small rods or loops, or a spring to draw the hook back, a band rod to connect the
loops which are under the hooks, by which to lift the loop over the hook. I prefer
the improved hooks (Figs. 6 & 7) as new ones may be required, (& may have the
projecting part (L. Fig. 7.) at the back part of the hook if preferred, which will also
prevent the loop rising out of the hook) as better adapted, & will couple free with
the old ones, & also the self coupling with the hand coupling. The loops formed
so as to lie freely upon each other when coupled.
I The advantages of my Invention are very great being life & limb preserving,
as there cannot be any danger in coupling or uncoupling.
II Being double looped & double hooked is twice the strength & security & must
lesson the liability of accidents.
III It does not incur expense by destroying or disturbing the present form, or
position of the coupling hook, & is adapted to every description of Railway
Carriages.
IV So simple & inexpensive in the appliances, requiring no skill, & much
quicker done, & where double coupled in position, also double looped & double
hooked, is made four times the strength & safety.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING.
Fig. I The hook in present use is made double the strength & safety by
being double looped & double hooked, (A) (which may be applied in each mode
of using my hook, either single or double,) & is secured to the turning rod (B.).
(C) in dotted lines being the handle of turning rod. D's the drawbars or draw-
heads.
Fig. II Shows how the hook in present use can be made self-coupling, by
securing the lip-piece in (Fig 2 & Fig. 8) to the front of the hook, or, the hook
made similar in form. (q) the loop rest for self coupling. (G) the hook closer in
(Fig 2 & Fig 9). (R) hand rod. (F) Supporter.

page_text: Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is (to whatever applied in whole or any part thereof.)
1 Double looped & double hooked secure coupling for all kinds of Railway
Carriages etc.
2 The turning land rod to which the loop or loops, or hook or hooks are secured,
or to the hand lifting rod or tube to couplu by, & also to unite them, if for double
coupling in position so as to act at the same instant.
3 The turning hook coupling.
4 Making the hook in present use self coupling by the lip formed bit (& its loop
rest) either secured to it (in front of the hook) or the hook made similar in form.
5 The Hook closer opened or closed either by the hand lifting, or turning rod
from the Platform otc.
6 Double jawed or doublo hooks with the lip formed front for self coupling.
7 And without the lip formed front, this locks the loop in (as Fig 5).
8 Improved Hooks when new are required, one self coupling, the other not self
coupling, with or without the projection at the back of the hooks. (Fig 7. L.) also
(Fig 6 & 7).

page_text: 11 Fastens which allow the draw-bar to slide as required (with the turning
band-rod, & the lifting hand rod) as the tube or cylinder sliding bolt, Tube Handle
of turning rod. Sliding loop or ring, drawing out plate or pin, in the drawing U
VXY (Fig 12 & 13). With form of loops to lie on each other after Coupling, in
double looped & double hooked coupling.
Dated this 25th day of Santambes 100%