IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING VEHICLES ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Graham at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 24th September 1880.
JOHN GRAHAM, of the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPLIANCES AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR COUPLING AND
UNCOUPLING VEHICLES ON RAILWAYS."
This Invention, which relates to improvements in coupling or uncoupling vehicles
on railways, has for its object to enable these operations to be effected without the
necessity of porters or attendants going in between the vehicles to be coupled or
uncoupled.
Under one modification the Invention consists in placing the buffers nearer the
centre of the vehicles than at present, and in fastening their rods clastically to the
transverse framing of the vehicles so that they act both as buffer rods and draw rods.
Between the outer ends of these rods, that is to say, behind the buffer heads, a
transverse bar capable of rotating on its axis is carried. Each such bar is provided
with a loop on one side and a coupling hook on the side at right angles thereto,
whilst the side opposite the coupling hook is provided with a counterweight which
always tends to keep the coupling hook in an upright position. To the counter-
weight are attached wire ropes or chains, one leading to each side of the ends of the
vehicles. These ropes or chains pass over pulleys or hooks, and are provided at
their extremities with a ring or other suitable handle for the attendant to take
hold of. As from the relative positions of the coupling hooks and loops being at
right angles to each other, it follows that when the coupling hooks are vertical, the
coupling loops project out horizontally; therefore when two vehicles approach each
other on a line of railway, whichever coupling has its counterweight raised and the
coupling hook therefore depressed, that coupling hook passes under the loop of the
coupling of the vehicle with which it has coine in contact; and the counterweight
being released, the coupling hook immediately rises into the said loop, so that the
vehicles are effectually coupled together and are prevented from being uncoupled
until the counterweight is again raised.
To enable the engineman to couple or uncouple his engine from a vehicle
whenever desired, as for shunting and other purposes, it is also provided at the
back and front ends with a coupling hook and loop of the kind hereinbefore
described, and to the counterweight of which a wire rope or chain is attached,

page_text: passing in over the front of the engine, or over the tender to any suitable place
thereon conveniently situated for being operated by the engineman or fireman.
Under another modification the buffers and buffer rods may remain in the
positions they at present ordinarily occupy in railway vehicles, namely, at or
towards the sides thereof, and in this case the coupling arrangements herein-
before described are attached to a pair of draw bars at or near the centre of the
vehicles.
Under another modification, in lieu of placing the coupling loops and coupling
hooks so that in their normal position the coupling hooks stand vertical and the
loops horizontal, this order may be reversed, so that the normal position of the
coupling hooks is horizontal and that of the coupling loops vertical.