Improvements in or relating to Couplings for Railway Waggons, Carriages, and the like.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Couplings for Railway Waggons,
Carriages, and the like.
We, CHARLES LIGGETT of Leen Side, Nottingham, Machinery Agent, and JOHN
TAYLOR of No. 7" Waverley Street, Nottingham, Engineer, 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 :-
The object of our invention is to dispense with the use of a pole or other
appliance when coupling or uncoupling railway waggons or carriages; and to
obviate the necessity of the operator going between the waggons or carriages for
this purpose, we have invented the improved coupling described below.
And in order that our invention may be more fully understood and more easily
carried out and into effect; we have annexed hereunto the accompanying sheet of
drawings to the several figures on which we shall refer; the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts of the several figures.
Figure 1 is an elevation showing the arrangement of our improved coupling as
applied to railway waggons & the like.
Figure 2 is a plan of the above arrangement.
Figure 3 is an elevation showing the arrangement of our improved coupling
applied in duplicate, as intended for railway carriages and the like.
Figure 4 is a plan of the above arrangement.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, C. C represents the waggon ends. B. B the
buffers. D. D' the drag hooks attached to the waggons-as now made, and
Frepresents our improved coupling, which we prefer to make in the form shown,
hinged at one end from the drag hook D', and formed with a slot E in the opposite
end for the reception of the drag hook D of another waggon. To the coupling F
we attach a suitable tee headed handle H, with the cross
arms Hand "H*
sufficiently long that the operator can reach either end without going between the
waggons.
The handle H is either screwed to the coupling F in any suitable manner or it
may be rivetted thereto, so as to be rigid, or to swivel in the same.
The operator, engaged in either coupling or uncoupling the waggons, takes hold
of one of the arins for H2 of handle H, and raises it from the position-shewn in
full lines (Fig. 1) as being coupled-to that shewn in dotted lines, when the two
waggons are uncoupled. The coupling F is retained in the position shewn by the
dotted lines, by the handle H being placed in a slot in a suitably formed bracket K
attached to the waggon end. The bracket K is formed with the projections K', so
as to retain the handle H until it is lifted out of the slot in the bracket for coupling
to another waggon, when the coupling F is passed downwards by the handle H,
so that the slot E falls over the drag hook D-as shewn by the full lines (Fig. 1).
To enable our improved coupling links to be attached to the existing drag hooks
of waggons, we form them in two halves suitably fitted one to the other and securely
fastened together.
Referring to Figures 3 and 4-which represent the arrangement of our improved
couplings as applied in duplicate to railway carriages and the like-C C represent
the carriage ends. B B the buffers. DD' are suitably formed jaws attached to
the draw bar of each carriage. Jaws D. D' are fitted with pulling pins N. N
one to each-and to which is hinged one end of our improved coupling F, which we
prefer to make in the form shown on Figures 3 and 4 jointed or hinged in the centre
at L; the object of so jointing the couplings is that they may be rendered flexible
to a certain extent when buffers B. B are compressed.
In some cases we fit the joints L with a swivelling locking plate or cap M, so as

page_text: to render the couplings F rigid-or nearly so—when M is turned so as to cover the
joint L-as shewn on Fig. 3.
For railway carriages, we prefer to have our improved couplings fitted in
duplicate, so that the coupling attached to the right hand carriage engages with
the pulling pin of the left hand carriage, and the coupling attached to the left hand
carriage engages with the pulling pin of the right hand carriage-as shewn in
Figure 4.
Each coupling F. F' is fitted with a handle H, fitted at its upper end with a
loose handle bar H' H2 capable of sliding in a hole formed at the upper end of H.
The cross handle H H is fitted at each end with a ball or ring, so as to prevent
it being drawn out from H. The cross handle H H is made to slide in H, so that
one coupling may be raised without coming into contact with H H².
When the operator requires to uncouple one carriage from another, he takes hold
of one end of H' H2, and raises it from the horizontal position to a nearly vertical
position; the handle H H being placed in a slot in a suitably forined bracket K
with retaining projections K-attached to the carriage end- -as shewn at the left
hand of Figs. 3 and 4.
We prefer to place the couplings F. F¹ a certain distance from one another, so
that they may slide along the pulling pins and accomodate themselves radially as
the carriages pass round curves in the railway.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. Railway couplings hinged at one end from a waggon and the like, and formed
with a slot E in the opposite end, in combination with the handle H. H H for
hanging on a bracket K; substantially as, and for the purpose hereinbefore
described.
2. Forming railway couplings with a hook at one end, a joint L in the centre, a
handle H H H attached thereto, and hinged at the opposite end, in combination
with the bracket K; substantially arranged as, and for the purpose hereinbefore
set forth.
3. Railway couplings formed with the joint L in combination with the locking
cap M, as and for the purpose set forth herein.
4. The combination of railway couplings of the forms shewn in Figs. 1—2—3
and 4 with the brackets K and handles H, H H all substantially as set forth.
5. In railway couplings the arrangement and combination of parts F-H, H H²
and K in Figs. 1 and 2; and of the parts F-L-M-H H H and K in Figs. 3
and 4 substantially as herein described and shewn in the drawings, and for the
purpose specified.
Dated this 24th day of November 1891.
H. WALKER HILL,
47, Hampden Street, Nottingham, Agent for the Applicants.