Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th July, 1899-Accepted, 13th Aug., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and Tramway
Vehicles.
We, JAMES HASTIE, of 12, Lizard Street, Saint Lukes, London, E.C., Labourer,
and JOHN ROBINSON, of "The North Briton," 10, New North Road, London, N.,
Licensed Victualler, 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:.
Our invention relates to an automatic coupling for railway and tramway
vehicles, and consists of certain improvements upon, modifications of, and addi
tions to, the apparatus forming the subject matter of our previous Application
for a Patent No. 10038 dated May 12th /99, and has for its object to provide
greater accuracy of action in coupling and uncoupling, and a more reliable and
certain means of locking the apparatus in either of its two positions.
The apparatus according to our said previous application consisted of a draw-
bar composed of a pair of connected rods or frames 1, below which, and in
fixed connection with the buffer plate B is mounted a metallic frame H, while
above the drawbar we provided a frame or pair of connected arms J J J pivot-
ally connected to B, and which pivotally carry a block K, having a depending
coupling tongue L adapted to engage with the frame H, and be placed in and out
of action by the means of a rod V, arm 0, and link N connected to K. A dupli-
cate of the above device we arranged should be fixed upon both ends of all
vehicles, the automatic coupling of any two of the said vehicles being effected
by these being brought end to end, the face 12 of the drawbar D D of either
vehicle would (under ordinary conditions) collide with the coupling tongue L of
the other vehicle, when by deflecting the said tongues as illustrated by Fig. 7,
the two vehicles would be locked together and coupled as illustrated by Fig. 2, the
uncoupling of the vehicles being attained by the rotation of the rod V by
the means of lever arms V1 at either end, the ends of the said rod V with the
lever arms extending beyond the level of the width of the vehicle as shewn.
Now, we have found in practice that notwithstanding the ends or faces D² of
the draw-bar frames were tapered to a knife edge, as shewn in Fig. 6, that a
probability exists that under varying conditions of loads the ends 12 of a pair
of vehicles meeting for coupling might collide with and rupture each other, and
to obviate this one of the improvements constituting our present invention con-
sists in providing a coupling tongue and loop draw-bar side by side upon each
cud of the vehicle, thus providing a male and female coupling adapted to auto-
matically engage and lock with a like male and female coupling upon another
vehicle as hereinafter explained.
We have also found in practice that by reason of the ends of the rod V extend-
ing beyond the level of the side of the vehicle the said ends are liable to rupture
by colliding with other bodies passing by the said vehicle, and that the ratchet
and pawl arrangement upon the end of V (as in our said previous application)
while serving to lock the said rod in a position for uncoupling, does not operate
to retain the said rod in the position it takes when the vehicle is coupled with
another, and the third improvement according to our present invention consists
in providing locking levers upon the rod V within the limits of the width of

page_text: the vehicle, and which serve for locking the apparatus in both a coupled and
uncoupled position as hereinafter explained.
A further improvement forming part of our present invention is a device
for attachment to a guards van for operating the said locking levers of a pair of
coupled vehicles when one of the said vehicles has to be slipped from the other
while the train is in motion, and hereinafter explained.
In order that our present invention and the manner of its operation may be
fully understood we have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings of which
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a perspective view of so much of the connecting ends of a
pair of vehicles fitted with our improved couplings, as will serve to make the
application of our invention understood.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the locking levers according to our
invention.
Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating the manner in which the draw-bar of
one vehicle deflects and becomes coupled with the coupling tongue of another.
Figs. 5 and 6 Sheet 2 are plan and side elevation respectively of a pair of
vehicles to which our improved couplings have been connected, the coupling
mechanism of the latter view being a section upon the line A B of Fig. 5 in
order that the distant locking arms may be seen.
Figs. 7 and 8 are views illustrating the manner in which the guard of one
van, when slipping its connection with another vehicle, may by a device operated
by a single lever in his own van actuate the movements of all of the locking levers
of his own and the vehicle being slipped, as hereinafter explained.
Similar letters are used throughout the several views when referring to the
same or like parts, and as far as practicable we have used the same reference
letters as in our said previous patent when treating with the same parts.
In carrying our invention into effect we employ a draw-bar consisting of a
rectangular or other shaped frame 1), which we pass through the draw-bar
aperture A in the buffer plate B of the vehicle C, the said frame 1) after passing
through A converging into a single rod D¹ for attachment to any convenient
form of draw-bar spring in the usual or most approved way, such for instance as
that shewn by E and E or d and in our said previous patent.
For the purposes of our invention the position of the said draw-bar D is not
centrally of the width of the vehicle C as hitherto, but at any convenient dis-
tance to the lift thereof, and at a like distance at the other side of the said
centre we provide and rigidly fix to the buffer plate B, a metallic, rectangular
or other shaped frame H, and immediately above this we mount an arm J, the
inner end of which is pivotally connected to a bracket O fixed upon the buffer
plate B, the opposite or free end of J having pivotally connected thereto, and
depending therefrom a pin L, (hereinafter called the coupling tongue) and
which may be either circular, triangular or rectangular in cross section, and
normally engages within, and depends slightly below, the frame H as shewn in
Fig. 1.
Upon the outer face of the buffer plate B and level with the bracket Owe
fix any suitable number of brackets W, which serve as carriers for a rod V
extending entirely across the end of the vehicle C. A portion of the said rod
is cut away at the bracket 0, and to the ends provided by such cutting away is
brazed, welded, or otherwise connected a pair of arms E and E, bent to clear the
bracket O, each of the said arms being provided with a slot F which receive
pins G upon the sides of the arm J, from which it will be understood, that if
rotary motion be imparted to the rod V in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1,
from either end, the arm J would be raised and the coupling tongue L be
lifted out of the frame H, as indicated by dotted outline in Fig. 6.
The position of the locking tongue L and the draw-bar D at each end of each
vehicle being at equal distances from the centre of the vehicle, the former on
the right and the latter on the left (or vice versa if the whole system of vehicles
be so arranged) it follows, that when two vehicles meet end to end with some force

page_text: the outer end of the draw-bar D of each vehicle would collide with the coupling
tongue L of the other, as shewn by full lines in Fig. 3, and such impact would
cause the deflection of L as shewn by dotted outline in the same figure, and when
the front of D had passed the end of L the latter would fall, so that when the
force of the impact is spent and the vehicles recede from each other the draw-
bars of both would be locked with the tongues L of both in the manner illus-
trated by Fig. 4, from which they cannot be extricated until the rods V on both
vehicles has been rotated, and their respective tongues L raised thereby.
The position of the draw-bar 1) upon each vehicle is slightly above the level
of the frame H, which provides that if the vehicles be loaded equally the draw-
bar of one would collide with the coupling tongue L of the other about midway
of its length, or substantially as at Fig. 4, the distance between this point and
the frame H being more than sufficient to accomodate any possible variation in
the height of the draw-bar D, while the respective lengths of D and H is ample
to accomodate any possible variation in the positions of the vehicles through
oscillation or curves in the track.
In order that the arm J and coupling tongue L, when the vehicles are coupled
up, may remain locked in the position shewn in Fig. 4, and as a means by
which an attendant may uncouple a pair of vehicles from either side without
having to go between them, we mount upon each end of the rod V, a spring
lever M, each working upon a quadrant plate N, fixed upon the end of the
vehicle, and forming bearings for the ends of the rod V, the spring rod P of
the said lever engaging with a recess R in the plate N as at Fig. 2 when the
coupling is locked, and with a slot R¹ when the lever L is to be raised for un-
coupling, the said spring rod P being raised out of contact with N by a hand
hold P after the well known manner of such levers.
As previously stated the rod V is in two parts, connected to the arm J of the
tongue L; and in order that an attendant at either side of the vehicle may
operate both levers for simultaneously releasing both ends of the said rod V,
and
the pin upon which the hand-hold P is mounted is in the form of a rod a,
extends from the lever on one side of the vehicle to that upon the other, as
illustrated at Fig. 1, so that the manipulation of either hand hold P at either
side of the vehicle, would operate the one upon the other, and so actuate both
halves of the rod V simultaneously.
In order that one of two vehicles so coupled, may be slipped by the guard in
charge of one of them, we provide in connection with each end of the said
guards van any suitable form of lever capable of being operated from inside the
van and adapted to actuate the levers at the same side of both vehicles, a
convenient form of such a lever being shewn by S in Figs. 7 and 8, the said lever
being pivotally mounted at a point b, from which it passes through a slot e in
the end of the guards van, and has pivotally connected to its outer end a
depending rod or link d, to the lower, and preferably bifurcated end of which is
pivotally connected the junction pin of a pair of arms e and f, the free ends of
the said arms being normally held separated from each other by the tension of
any suitable form of spring or springs, which may conveniently be such a one
as that shewn by g, the ends of which engage with slots in the arms e and f,
the outer ends of the said arms' being forked so as to be capable of embracing
the levers M, and operate as follows.
At the last stopping station preceding the point at which the said vehicle or
vehicles is or are to be slipped, the guard in charge would adjust, or see that
the slipping device just described was placed in position for use, which would
be with the forked ends k of the arms e and f embracing the levers M of both
vehicles, a projection or swelling m being formed upon, or connected to, the
spring rods P, beneath which the said forked ends may engage, the position
of the device being substantially as shewn at Fig. 7. When the vehicle or
vehicles is or are to be slipped, the guard would depress the inner end of his
lever S, thus imparting an upward pull upon the rod or link d, and consequently

page_text: upon the junction ends of the arms h, thus forcing the forked ends k up to the
swellings m on the spring rods P, the upward push upon m serving to unlock the
rods P from the recesses R in their quadrants N, the continued upward pull
upon d causing the arms to force asunder the levers M into the positions
shewn in Fig. 8, thus imparting the necessary partial rotation to both rods V,
and consequently raising the locking tongues L of both vehicles out of connec-
tion with their opposing draw-bars D, when the vehicle to be slipped would be
free and would be left behind in the usual way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1st. The improved coupling for railway and tramway vehicles characterized
by the employment of a male coupling or tongue and a female coupling or looped
draw-bar upon each end of a vehicle, adapted to automatically engage with a like
male and female coupling upon another vehicle, with means for automatically
locking the said devices when so coupled, and unlocking and uncoupling the
same when at rest, without the operator having to get between the vehicles,
with means upon certain vehicles for effecting the slipping of another vehicle
when both are in motion, substantially as herein described and shewn by the
appended drawings.
2nd. The improved automatic coupling for railway and tramway vehicles con-
sisting of the combination of a drawbar such as D, transverse rod V, carrying
slotted arms E E engaging with an arm J, pivotally mounted upon the end B
of the vehicle C parallel with D, the said arm having attached thereto a depend-
ing coupling tongue L, within a fixed frame H, the said rod being capable of
rotation for uncoupling by the means of a pair of spring levers M, P, m, con-
nected by a rod a the said levers also serving to lock the apparatus in both a
coupled and uncoupled position, substantially as and for the purposes herein
described and shewn.
3rd. In combination with the automatic coupling device set forth in the
preceding claim, the device for effecting the slipping of a vehicle or vehicles
when a train is in motion, consisting of a lever such as S, fixed upon and operated
from inside the guards van, the said lever having a depending link d, connected
to a pair of pivotted spring arms such as e f, the ends of which are forked to
adapt them for connection with the levers M and the projections m upon the
spring rods P, of both vehicles, substantially as and for the purposes stated,
and as shewn in Figs. 7 and 8 of the appended drawings.
151
1033.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.