AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1872

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine,
Lake, & Co., Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES."--A
communication from abroad by Henry Clay Kibbe, of San Francisco,
California, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th December 1872.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
Patent Agents, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," a communication, to be as follows:-
--
The said Invention relates to an improved coupling, and consists in
constructing the buffer with a vertically moving slide which carries the
coupling pin in its front end. This slide is morticed to receive the forked
ends of a triangular piece of metal which is pivoted in the buffer so as
to be operated from the side. Wherever this operating pièce is turned.

page_text: up it retains the slide locked in that position, to be released only by the
entering of the link which unlocks it by striking against a peculiarly
curved face on the lower part.
When the slide is down and the pin is through the link the lower part
of the angular piece locks it in that position. The pin is made of an
elongated section to give it great strength.
The buffer is made with the usual flaring mouth. From the rear end
of the opening a narrow passage extends back to receive the link, and
the coupling pin passes down through the front of this narrow opening.
The slide moves up and down in a vertical slot in the buffer in the rear
of the coupling pin, and at the top it is extended forward to receive and
hold the head of the pin which thus moves with it.
A slot is made through the slide, and within this slot the ends of a
triangular piece of metal move up and down, turning about the shaft,
which extends through the sides of the buffer and is turned up at one
end to form an operating arm or handle. The slide is recessed so that
the link can enter the recess when it passes into the opening in coupling
the carriages.
By this construction I am enabled to make a simple, compact, and
convenient coupling, not easy to get out of order, and always operative.
I am also enabled to connect or disconnect a train of carriages without
liability to accident; as when the buffers are on a plane or nearly so
the coupling will work automatically and without the necessity of going
between the carriages; and in uncoupling a cord or chain may be con-
nected to the aforesaid operating arm, and the carriages disconnected
from the platform or top.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent;
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th June 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London, send greeting.

page_text: of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special licence
that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, administrators, and
5 assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during
the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use,
exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," a communication to me from
abroad by Henry Clay Kibbe, of San Francisco, California, United
States of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Robert Lake, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification:―
The said Invention relates to an improved coupling, and consists in
constructing the buffer with a vertically moving slide which carries the
coupling pin in its front end. This slide is mortised to receive the
forked ends of a triangular lever or piece of metal which is pivotted in
the buffer so as to be operated from the side. Wherever this operating
piece is turned up it retains the slide locked in that position, to be
released only by the entering of the link which unlocks it by striking
against a peculiarly curved face on the lower part.
When the slide is down and the pin is through the link the lower part
of the angular piece locks it in that position, the pin is made of an
elongated section so as to have greater strength. I modify the said In-
vention by placing a plate in the top of the pin holder, the said plato

page_text: being so balanced that when the link enters the opening in the buffer
head it will slightly raise the head of the pin, and this will act upon the
plate and depress the rear end of it. A short pin moves vertically
beneath the rear end of the said plate, and this pin is depressed by the
action of the plate. The lower end of the said pin is bevelled, so
that the angular part will act upon the upper end of the forked lever
which serves to operate the pin holder and the pin, and thus insures the
coupling of the carriages under any circumstances, whether they are
close together or not.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the said Invention, shewing the link
in place and the slide locked down; Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical
section of the buffer with the aforesaid slide up; Figure 3 is a per-
spective view illustrating the aforesaid modifications in the coupling;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the same; Figure 5 is an enlarged
view of the aforesaid plate and the opening in the head of the pin holder
in which it lies.
In Figures 1 and 2, A. is a carriage buffer with the usual flaring
mouth B. From the rear end of this mouth or opening a narrow passage
extends back to receive the link, and the coupling pin C passes down
through the front of this narrow opening. The slide D moves up and
down in a vertical slot in the buffer in the rear of the coupling pin, and
at the top D' it is extended forward to receive and hold the head of the
pin, which thus moves with it.
.
A slot is made through the slide D as shewn, and within this slot the
ends E, F, of a triangular piece or forked lever G move up and down,
turning about the shaft H, which extends through the sides of the
buffer, and is turned up at one end to form an operating arm or handle
J. The slide D is recessed at I, so that the link can enter the recess
when it passes into the opening in coupling the carriages.
The slide D is raised by turning the arm J, and the arm E elevates
the slide carrying the pin C up clear of the link opening. The peculiar
form of the piece G, and the relation of the arms to their operating
arm cause the arm E to stand with its end squarely under the upper
part of the slot in the slide, and thus prevent its dropping, as in Figure 1.
At the same time the arm F is brought up to stand with its curved facc

page_text: K just opposite the link opening, and when the link enters it strikes
this curved face, depressing the arms F and E, thus releasing the slide
and allowing it to fall. The pin is carried through the link and the
coupling is complete. At the same time the arm F has assumed a
position against the lower face similar to that before occupied by the
arm E on the upper face of the slot, and it is thus locked down so that
the pin cannot be withdrawn without turning the arm J. The pin C has
an oval or elongated section as shewn, to give it greater strength
edgewise, and prevent bending easily as it would if constructed of round
metal.
By this construction I am enabled to make a simple compact and
convenient coupling, not easy to put out of order, and always operative.
I am also enabled to connect or disconnect a train of carriages without
danger, as when the buffers are on a plane or nearly so the coupling will
work automatically and without the necessity of going between the
carriages; and in uncoupling a cord or chain may be connected to the
arm J, and the carriages disconnected from the platform or top.
In Figures 3, 4, and 5, A is the buffer head slotted vertically to admit
the sliding bar D, which is provided with a horizontal head or pro-
jection D¹ to serve as a holder for the pin C, as above described. The
bar D is elevated and held in place with the pin ready for coupling by
the arm E of the forked lever G, and this lever is moved by the crank
shaft or arm J.
In the apparatus first described the entering link was caused to strike
the rounded end of the arm F of the lever G, and thus disengage the
arm E and allow the bar and pin to fall, but I prefer to employ an
oscillating plate I' for this purpose. This plate is placed in a depression.
K' in the top of the horizontal arm D', as shown, and has its centre so
balanced by being curved upward or made thicker in the centre than at
the ends that it can tip in either direction in the cavity. One end of
this plate lies over the head of the pin C, while the rear end is just
above a small pin M. This small pin extends downward into the
cavity in which the fork arm E moves, and when the bar and pin are
raised the said arm E stands just under the pin M.
When the link has entered the buffer head for the purpose of coupling
the carriages it will pass under the rounded end of the coupling pin C,
and thus raise it slightly. This action tilts the moveable plate I' in its

page_text: cavity, and the rear end of the plate is pressed down upon the small pin
M and forces it down against the end of the arm E of the aforesaid
forked lever. The lower end of the pin M is bevelled as shown, so that
when pressed down it acts to throw the arm E forward, and thus release
the bar D and allow it to fall and carry the coupling pin through the
link. This device ensures the coupling of the carriages under all
circumstances. A plate N is secured over the opening K', and serves to
protect and retain in place the pins O and M, and also the plate I'.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the
same, I wish it understood that I claim,
First. The buffer slotted as shown, and having the slide with its pro-
jection carrying. the pin and moving in unison with it as and for the
purpose herein specified. .
Second. The triangular piece or forked lever mounted as shown, and
having the peculiarly shaped arms for operating and locking the slide
and pin, as herein described.
Third. The pin elongated in section as and for the purpose herein
described.
Fourth. The pin with a bevelled lower end constructed to operate
upon the arm of the lever substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
Fifth. The oscillating plate and the bevil ended pin in combination
with the oval pin when constructed to operate, as herein set forth, and
for the purpose described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
Witness,
HENRY J. NOONE.
W ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)