Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
:
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons and like Vehicles.
I, HORACE FREDERICK FLUX, of Clevelands, Wroxall, in the Isle of Wight, Manu-
facturer, 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 invention has for its object to provide couplings for railway wagons and
like vehicles which couplings will automatically engage and accommodate them-
selves to vehicles having long or short buffers, and which can be released and be
retained in position to prevent re-engagement without the necessity for the operator
to go between the vehicles. I will describe my invention with reference to the
accompanying drawings premising however that I do not restrict myself to the
details of construction described and illustrated.
Figures 1 and 2 represent in elevation and plan respectively the contiguous ends
of two railway wagons provided with simple couplings constructed according to my
invention Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figures 1 and 2 of a modification
in which means are provided to prevent the automatic re-engagement of the coup-
ling. Figure 5 is view shewing the said coupling in the position it occupies when
disengaged. Figures 6 and 7 represent in elevation and plan respectively another
arrangement by which the coupling can automatically adjust itself to suit vehicles
with either short or long buffers. Figure 8 shews the coupling about to be engaged
Figures 9 and 10 illustrate in elevation and plan respectively another form of
coupling which is self adjusting to suit vehicles with buffers of different length
and Figures 11 and 12 illustrate in side elevation and plan respectively an ordinary
coupling hook provided with a sheath according to my invention suitable for use
with automatic coupling devices.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A A¹ represent the adjacent ends of two railway
wagons in position to be coupled each being provided with a coupling link or loop B
and hook C the link or loop on the vehicle A being shewn in position to engage
the hook C on the vehicle A when the vehicles A A' approach each other. The
link B turns on a pin b passing through a hole in the body of the hook C and is
raised into the position shewn, by bent arms c projecting from a rod or spindle D
which extends across the end of the vehicle A and is mounted in bearings d bolted
to the said vehicle. Pivoted to one or both ends of the spindle D, outside the frame
of the vehicle is a lever E. by means of which the spindle D can he turned in its
hearings to raise the link B. Fixed to the frame is a bar or rack E2 in which are
two notches with either of which the lever E can be caused to engage so as
to retain the link or loop B in its elevated position. When the lever is engaged
in the upper notch as shewn the link is in position to engage with the hook C
of the vehicle A¹. As the vehicles approach each other the forward end of the link
or loon B will ride up and over the nose of the hook C on the vehicle A and then
fall into engagement with the said hook and so connect together the two vehicles.
To uncouple the vehicles the lever E is first disengaged from the notch ein the
rack E and moved in the direction to turn the spindle D in its bearings so that the

page_text: arms c will raise the link B out of engagement with the hook C and then, to pre-
vent the loop from re-engaging with the said hook, the lever is caused to engage
with the lower notch in the rack e thereby retaining the link in the position
shewn by dotted lines in Figure 1 in which position it may be retained or if
desired after the vehicles are separated sufficiently the lever E may be disengaged
from the notch e³ in the rack and the link be allowed to fall into the position shewn
on the left hand side of Figure 1.
In the modification shewn in Figures 3, 4 and 5 the rack 12 herein before described
is dispensed with and in place thereof there is provided on the spindle D a pro-
jection d, which by moving the spindle longitudinally in its bearings d, can be
caused to engage in a notch or recess d² in one of the said bearings so as to retain
the loop B in position to engage with the hook C of an adjacent vehicle. The
loop Bis provided with two arms 13 between which is pivoted a plate 12 which
plate in the act of disengaging the loop B from the hook of the adjacent vehicle,
is caused to bear on the top of the nose of the said hook as shewn in Figure 5 and
so prevent the loop B from re-engaging the said hook. To enable the plate B2 to
take the position shewn in Figure 5 it is free to turn on its pivots so as to yield
when coming into contact with the hook C, when raising the loop B and permit
of the front end of the said plate rising above the hook and then, when above the
hook, to fall onto the nose of the hook as shewn in Figure 5. 133 is an arm on
the plate B2 which comes into contact with one of the arms 13' to prevent the plate
from turning too far on its pivots when striking the hook C.
When the vehicles A. A separate the loop B together with the plate B2 may be
allowed to fall into the position shewn on the right hand side of Figures 3 and 5
or the said loop and parts connected therewith may, by sliding the spindle D longi-
tudinally in its bearings so as to cause the projection d' to engage in the notch ²,
be retained in the position shewn on the left hand side of Figures 3 and 4 ready for
automatically coupling with an adjacent vehicle as hereinbefore described.
To render the coupling suitable for vehicles having either long or short buffers
the loop C may be made in two parts B B hinged together as shewn at 2 in
Figures 6, 7 and 8 one limb of the loop being provided with a sleeve 3 which can
slide along the limb over the hinge joint so as to hold the two parts B B of the
loop rigidly in line one with the other as shewn on the right hand side of Figures 6
and 7. When the front end of the part B comes into contact with the hook C of
the vehicle to be coupled therewith the said part B is caused to turn upwards, as
shewn in Figure 8, whereby the sleeve is forced along the part B from over the
hinge joint. The sleeve is connected by a link to one of the armis e pro-
jecting from the spindle D by which the loop B B is raised into position for auto-
matically coupling. The lever E by which the spindle D is turned in its bearings
carries at its upper end a weight E which weight tends to elevate the loop B B*.
E is a rack, having notches with which the lever E is caused to engage to
retain the loop in the position to which it is moved. When the loop is in the
inoperative position shewn on the left hand side of Figures 6 and 8 the lever E
is engaged in the notch el in the rack E2; when the loop is in the position shewn
on the right hand side of Figures 6 and 7 for engaging with the hook C, of the
adjacent vehicle, the lever E is engaged in the notch e2 of the rack E2 the said
notch e being in the form of a bayonet slot so as to prevent the said lever from
leaving the notch when the sleeve is forced along the part 1 of the loop by the
part B when rising on the nose of the hook C in the act of coupling. When the
loop is disengaged from the hook C to uncouple the vehicles the lever E is placed
in the notch e thereby maintaining the loop B B* above the hook C of the adjacent
vehicle (as shewn by dotted lines in Figure 1) to prevent them from automatically
recoupling.
The compound loop B B* should be sufficiently long when the parts are in their
normal position to engage the hook C of an adjacent vehicle having buffers of the
maximum length, whilst by making the said loop in parts hinged together so
as to fold up as described it will be equally applicable for connecting with the

page_text: hooks of vehicles having shorter -buffers, -without-the-risk-of-the loop-or the end
of the adjacent vehicle being damaged by the end of the loop coming into contact
with the said end.
Figures 9 and 10 illustrate another form of coupling which is self adjustable to
suit vehicles with buffers of different lengths. In this modification the connect-
ing link or loop comprises two levers B B pivoted together at C₁ after the manner
of lazy-tongs, the outer ends of the levers having eyes through which pass a bar B
upon which the ends of the levers slide. The inner ends of the levers B are also
provided with eyes through which pass the pin on which the said levers turn,
and on which they can also slide. Each lever B is connected by a chain c to one
of the arms c projecting from the spindle D the said chains crossing each other
as shewn in Figure 10.so that when the spindle D is turned by the lever E to raise
the link or loop B, B, into the engaging position shewn, the chains tend to draw
the ends of the two levers towards each other. Should the buffers on the vehicles
to be coupled together be so short that the ends of the levers B will come into con-
tact with the end of the adjacent vehicle before the buffers on the contiguous
vehicles meet, the levers B will be caused to turn on the pivot c and draw the
bar 13 towards the pin and the ends of the said levers to slide along the bar B
and the pin into the position shewn by dotted lines in Figure 10 and thereby
prevent the end of the vehicle or the coupling device from being damaged.
In Figures 11 and 12, C represents an ordinary coupling hook of a railway
vehicle. the said hook having a bowed front or nose which is unsuitable for use
with automatic coupling devices. To render the hook C suitable for automatic
couplings I fit on the said hook a sheath C² of hard metal having an extended
inclined front or nose up which the coupling loop on an adjacent vehicle can slide
and drop into engagement with the hook. The sheath may be fixed to the hook
in any suitable manner, as shewn in the drawing it is secured to the hook by the
pin which connects the coupling link or loop to the neck of the hook.
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:
1. A coupling for railway wagons and like vehicles, comprising a link or loop
pivoted on the end of the vehicle to engage with the coupling hook on an adjacent
vehicle, a rod or spindle mounted horizontally in bearings on the end of the vehicle
and extending to the sides or to one of the sides of the vehicle, means for turning
the rod or spindle in its bearings, arms projecting from the rod or spindle and
engaging with the link or loop to raise the said link or loop into position to auto-
matically engage the coupling hook on an adjacent vehicle and means for retain-
ing the loop in its raised position substantially as hereinbefore described.
2nd. A coupling, for railway wagons and like vehicles, comprising a link or
loop pivoted on the end of the vehicle to engage with the coupling hook of an
adjacent vehicle, a rod or spindle mounted in bearings and extending horizontally
across the end of the vehicle to one or both sides of the vehicle, arms projecting
from the rod or spindle to engage with and raise the link or loop, a lever handle
on the rod or spindle by which to turn the said rod or spindle in its bearings and
a notched bar or rack with which the lever handle can be caused to engage to retain
the link or loop in its raised position substantially as herein before described.
3rd. A coupling for railway wagons and like vehicles comprising a link or loop.
pivoted on the end of the vehicle, to engage with a coupling hook on an adjacent
vehicle, a rod or spindle mounted in bearings on the end of the vehicle, means for
turning the rod or spindle in its bearings from one or both sides of the vehicle, arms
projecting from the rod or spindle to engage with the link or loop to raise the said
link or loop, a plate pivoted to the link or loop to rest on the coupling hook of an
adjacent vehicle, to prevent the loop or link from accidentally re-engaging the
said hook when uncoupled substantially as hereinbefore described.
4th. A coupling, for railway wagons and like vehicles, comprising a link or

page_text: loop, pivoted on the end of the vehicle to engage with a coupling hook on an
adjacent vehicle the said link or loop being made in parts and hinged together so
as to accommodate itself to vehicles, having either long or short buffers, a rod or
spindle mounted in bearings on the end of the vehicle, arms projecting from the
rod or spindle to engage with and raise the link or loop into position for engaging
with the coupling hook of an adjacent vehicle, means for turning the rod or spindle
in its bearings from one or both sides of the vehicle and means for retaining the
link or loop in its raised position substantially as hereinbefore described.
5th. A coupling for railway wagons and like vehicles comprising two levers
crossing each other and pivoted together at or near their centres, a rod fixed to the
end of the vehicle, on which rod the inner ends of the crossed levers can slide, eyes
formed on the outer ends of the said crossed levers, a rod passing through the eyes,
and on which the eyes can slide, a rod or spindle mounted in bearings on the end
of the vehicle and means for turning the said rod or spindle in its bearings; arms
projecting from the rod or spindle, chains connecting the crossed levers to the pro-
jecting arms on the rod or spindle so as to raise the crossed levers and the rod on
which the eyes slide into position for engaging with the coupling hook on an
adjacent vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described.
6th. A coupling hook for railway wagons and like vehicles formed as a sheath
which can be applied and fixed to another hook substantially as and for the pur-
pose hereinbefore described.
7th. The several couplings for railway wagons and like vehicles constructed sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of January 1899.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.