Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1900-Accepted, 21st July, 1900
I, EDWARD JACOB HILL, of 11, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved system of coupling and uncoupling rail-
way waggons by means of a manually operated pole in which the pole is adapted
to engage with the end link of the coupling chain so that the said link may,
by turning the pole about its axis, be, with comparative ease, lified from its
hanging position into a position whence it can be dropped over and into engage-
ment with the hook and conversely when uncoupling may be raised and dis-
engaged from the hook by a similar angular movement in the opposite direction.
In the improved system referred to the extremity of the pole is flattened and
a special coupling chain is provided in which the end of one of the links is twisted
so as to form a loop lying in a plane at right angles to the general plane of the
link and presenting its open sides to the sides of the track for the insertion of
the pole.
The object of my present invention is to obviate the necessity of providing
vehicles with new chains for use in connection with this improved poling system
and it consists in converting the triple link chain with which the vehicles are
now provided into a double link chain in which the intermediate link is utilized
to form the loop for the pole.
In carrying out my invention the opposite faces of the inner bight of the end
or coupler link are recessed to receive the limbs of the intermediate link, which
Jatter is heated and its limbs forced inwards so as to bring the link to the
requisite flattened form adapted to receive the extremity of the pole, the limbs of
the intermediate link being brought together until they contact with one
another and are closed securely upon the coupler link, so that the two links
virtually form a single link with a loop extending therefrom in a plane at right
angles to the plane of the link.
111 1
Ը
1000
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Waggon Couplings.
I, EDWARD JACOB HILL, of 11, Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster,
Civil 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:-
My invention relates to railway waggon chain couplings which are specially
adapted to be operated by means of a pole having a flattened end engaging with

page_text: the middle link of the coupling in such way that by twisting the pole about its
longitudinal axis, the end link of the coupling may be raised to an upwardly
inclined position such that when the coupling has been extended the end link
will drop into engagement with the draw-hook of the waggon to which it is to
be coupled.
The object of the present invention is to adapt the existing couplings to be
operated in this manner and obviate the necessity of providing new couplings.
With this object the existing three link coupling is virtually converted into a
two link coupling by making the end or coupler link rigid with the middle link
in order that the middle link may be used as the means of raising the end or
coupler link into the required upwardly inclined position by means of a pole
lever inserted in the said middle link.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings
forming part of this specification wherein Figure 1 is a side view of a coupling
in the pendent position. Figure 2 is a side view of the same as raised and ex-
tended for coupling up. Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the opera-
tion of raising and extending the coupling for the purpose of connecting it to
the draw-hook of another waggon.
A is the end or coupler link, B the middle link and C the link by which the
coupling is connected to the draw head of its own waggon.
The object of the invention being to rigidly connect the links A and B of
an ordinary three link coupling so that when the link B receives angular motion
about the end c of the link C as a centre, the link A will move as one therewith
(as shown in Figures 2 and 3) I flatten the opposite faces of the rear bow of
the link A so as to bring the metal to an oval section as shown at a and then
pinch inwards the side members of the middle link B as shown at b until the
flattened end of the link A is so tightly embraced by the front end of link B
as to render the connection of the two links A, B, rigid. The said two links
then virtually form a single link whereof the loop A is in a plane at right angles
to that of the loop B, so that the two will move as one about the end c of link C
and when raised by a pole lever I inserted in link B the link A will always
retain the transversely horizontal position necessary to ensure that when dropped
it will engage with certainty over the point of the draw hook of the adjacent
waggon to which it is to be coupled.
The flattening and pinching in of the links A B respectively may be quickly
performed by heating and forging, the link B being preferably slightly contracted
in width throughout its length as shown (whilst preserving a loose connection
with link C) to facilitate the operation of coupling-up and uncoupling by means
of a pole having a flattened end applied within the opening of link B.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The herein described mode of adapting an ordinary railway waggon coupling
chain for operation by a pole having a flattened end engaged in the middle link
of the coupling chain, which consists in making a rigid connection between the
end and middle links of the coupling chain by flattening the bow of the one and
pinching in the sides of the other tightly about the flattened end or bow, sub-
stantially as specified.
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.