Improvements in Couplings for Railway Carriages and Wagons.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Carriages and Wagons.
I, JAMES EASTWood, Junior, of 97, Almack Road, Lower Clapton, in the County of.
Middlesex, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this invention.
to be as follows:-
This invention relates to couplings for railway cars and consists in simple devices
by the use of which two cars moving endways towards each other automatically.
couple themselves together. They can be easily disconnected by the vertical
movement of a sliding catch which can be operated either by a lever or other
convenient device; and it possesses the advantage that should it be necessary to
couple a wagon fitted with my improved coupling to a wagon fitted with the
ordinary chain or link coupling, this can be done with facility and despatch.
To one end of a wagon is attached a casing which partly encloses, and protects the.
working mechanisın; this is preferably attached to the vehicle in such manner that
(a spring being interposed) jerks upon the coupling on starting are not communicated
to the body of the vehicle. To the projecting end of this casing is pivoted (on a
vertical pin) a movable jaw which is capable of being rocked in a horizontal plane
through about a quadrant of a circle when in the normal or closed position, the jaw
is nearly parallel with the front of the wagon, the casing immediately behind it being
cut away so as to form a recess in which a similar jaw fixed to the next adjacent
wagon can enter..
Formed integrally with and at right angles to this jaw is an arm which in the
closed position is hidden by the casing, and to the back of this is attached a catch
which in the same position enters a slot or notch in a plate sliding in the casing
being thus retained in the closed or draught position. The sliding plate when raised
allows the catch to disengage itself and enables the jaw to be moved to the open
position.
A similar casing and jaw is attached to the other end of the wagon the position
being reversed that is to say one jaw opens to the right, and the other to the left hand
side. It is obvious then that when two wagons possessing these fittings are moved
together endways two oppositely arranged jaws are presented to each other.
When two such wagons are uncoupled, the sliding plates being first lifted, both
jaws are drawn open being then almost parallel to the rails, and each presenting a.
recess into which the other jaw can enter. The two arms attached one to each of
the jaws then project across the openings of the recesses in such manner that upon
the two wagons being run endways each of the jaws pushes the opposite arm and
forces it to assume the longitudinal position while the jaws are simultaneously passed
to the transverse position the two being locked together so as to form a coupling to
the wagon. Each of the catches at the same time enters its sliding plate, and its
upper surfaces being inclined lifts it until the barb is passed through the plate. when
these automatically drop and lock the catches and jaws in the closed or draught
position.
To uncouple all that is necessary is to lift one or both sliding plates when the wagons
can be drawn apart automatically disconnecting themselves.

page_text: A chain or link coupling can also he attached to the same wagons, notches being
ent in the jaws for that purpose.
Dated this 28th day of July 1898.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Carriages and Wagons.
I, JAMES EASTWOOD, Junior, of 97, Almack Road, Lower Clapton, in the County of
Middlesex, Commercial Traveller, 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 :—
This invention relates to couplings for railway cars and consists in simple devices
by the use of which two cars moving end-ways towards each other, automatically
couple themselves together.
They can be easily disconnected by the vertical movement of a sliding catch which
can be operated either by a lever or other convenient device; and it possesses the
advantage that should it be necessary to couple a wagon fitted with my improved
coupling to a wagon fitted with the ordinary chain or link coupling, this can be done
with facility and despatch.
To one end of a wagon is attached a casing which partly encloses, and protects the
working mechanism; this is preferably attached to the vehicle in such manner that
(a spring being interposed) jerks upon the coupling on starting are not communicated
to the body of the vehicle. To the projecting end of this casing is pivoted (on a
vertical pin) a movable jaw which is capable of being rocked in a horizontal plane
through about a quadrant of a circle. When in the normal or closed position the
jaw nearly parallel with the front of the wagon, the casing immediately behind it
being cut away so as to form a recess in which a similar jaw fixed to the next adjacent
wagon can enter.
с
Formed integrally with, and at right angles to this jaw is an arm which in the
closed position is hidden by the casing, and to the back of this is attached a catch
which in the same position enters a slot or notch in a plate sliding in the casing
being thus retained in the closed or draught position. The sliding plate when
raised allows the catch to disengage itself and enables the jaw to be moved to the
open position.
A similar casing and jaw is attached to the other end of the wagon the position
being reversed, that is to say one jaw opens to the right and the other to the left
hand side. It is obvious then that when two wagons possessing these fittings
are moved together end ways two oppositely arranged jaws are presented to each
other.
When two such wagons are uncoupled, the sliding plates being first lifted, both
jaws are drawn open being then almost parallel to the rails, and each presenting a
recess into which the other jaw can enter. The two arms attached one to each of the
jaws then project across the openings of the recesses in such manner that upon the
two wagons being run endways each of the jaws pushes the opposite arm and forces
it to assume the longitudinal position while the jaws are simultaneously passed to the
transverse position the two being locked together so as to form a coupling to the
wagon. Each of the catches at the same time enters its sliding plate, and its upper
surfaces being inclined lifts it until the barb is passed through the plate when these.
automatically drop and look the catches and jaws in the closed or draught
position.

page_text: out in the jaws for that purpose.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and ascertained I append
drawings in which :—
Fig. 1 is a plan or part of two wagons shewing a pair of couplings just previous to
closing.
Fig. 2 is a plan of same closed, no buffer being shown in this case.
Fig. 3 is a plan (on an enlarged scale) of a coupling.
Fig. 4 is an elevation of same.
Fig. 5 is a plan of a movable jaw, and
Fig. 6 an elevation of a sliding plate.
Fig. 7 is a plan of a spring connected coupling.
Modifications in the mode of attachment of these couplings may be adopted with-
out departing from my invention, but in Figs. 1 and 2 a simple form is shewn in
which A designates the body or bed of one wagon or carriage and A¹ the body or hed
of the next adjoining carriage or wagon, while a represents the axles upon which the
wheels a¹ are mounted. In each case a bolt B is rigidly fixed to the bed in such
manner that one end b projects from the end of the carriage and to this is fixed the
casing C which encloses the coupling mechanism.
a² are buffers which are dispensed with in Fig. 2 as in some cases the couplings are
attached to the wagon or carriage beds by springs as shewn in Fig. 7. It will be
understood that each of the casings C contains mechanism such as is shewn on a larger
scale in Figs. 3 and 4, one end of each carriage or wagon having a right hand coupling
and the other a left hand coupling, so that when one carriage is being moved towards
another the couplings are presented to each other to the position shewn in Fig. 1.
To the casing C is pivoted on a vertical pin c, a movable jaw D which is capable of
being rocked on the pin in a horizontal plane through about a quarter, of a circle so
as to occupy either the position shewn in Fig. 1 when open, or the position shewn in
Fig. 2 when closed. The movable jaw consists of the jaw proper d an arm d¹ and a
catch ² these three parts being formed integrally with each other and rocking on.
the same pin c. A sliding plate E'is attached to the casing C in such manner as to
be capable of sliding freely therein in a vertical direction to an extent which is
limited by a pin or bolt e, this plate has a slot which is of greater width at the lower
parte than at the upper part e the catch d³ of the movable jaw D) has its end pointed
and barbed leaving shoulders at the point d and the lower part e¹ of the slot E¹ is of
such width as to allow this barb to pass freely through it while the upper part of
the slot is of less width being equal only to the diameter of the stem d' of the catch d².
The upper edge of this catch has an inclined surface d' which when it comes into
contact with one of the shoulders of the slot in the sliding plate, pushes up the
sliding plate until the whole of the barb of the catch d² passes through the broader
part e¹ of the slot; as soon as this occurs and the neck d' of the catch enters the slot
the plate E, drops by gravity and the narrow part of the slot engaging the
shoulders ds of the catch lock the movable jaw as shewn in Figs. 3 and 4. This
occurs when one wagon runs against another as when the points of the jaws proper d
present themselves to the arms d' as shown in Fig. 1 each jaw d pushes round the
inovable jaw until the catches d2 engage with the sliding plates E and lock the wagons
together as shewn in Fig. 2.
In order to enable the wagons to be drawn apart all that is necessary is to lift one
or both of the sliding plates E when the movable jaws are opened by the drawing
apart of the wagon occupying once more the positions shewn in Fig. 1. This is
assisted in some cases by the use of a spring G of any suitable description which is so
disposed that whenever the sliding plate is raised the movable jaw D) is rocked to
the open position.
The sliding plates E may be lifted by any convenient means but in general I
attach a light spindle H to the wagon by means of brackets h; this spindle has a

page_text: projecting arm h¹ which is attached to the sliding plate by a chain h³ in such manner
that when the spindle H is rocked by means of the handles the arm h¹ is likewise.
rocked and the plate E lifted..
As before stated the coupling may be attached to the wagon in any convenient
manner but in some cases especially where buffers are dispensed with it is attached
to the wagon by a spring connection. One description is shewn in Fig. 7 in which
the bolt B is capable of sliding in a tube I formed in the wagon bed and is surrounded
by a helical spring K a pin 6 being formed integrally with the bolt B and forming a
guide. The mechanism otherwise is exactly similar to that already described.
In order to connect wagons fitted with my improved couplings with others which
possess only ordinary chain couplings I affix a link X capable of adjustment by means
of a screw and lever ¹ to eacli wagon the chain which connects this to the bolt B
passes through the interior of the casing C as shewn in Fig. 3. If necessary the
point of the jaw d may be notched at a to enable this chain to pass.
Having now particularly described and ascertained, the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim. is:―
1. Improved coupling for railway carriages and wagons in which when one carriage
or wagon is moved endwise towards another the point of movable jaws connected one
to each wagon press upon corresponding arms in the opposite couplings and rock them.
till the two are locked together thus automatically coupling the wagons together
substantially as shewn and described.
2. In couplings for railway carriages and wagons the combination of the casing C
the movable jaw D the catch de having an inclined face the sliding plate E having
a compound slot e and e¹ and shoulders e substantially as described and shewn.
3. In couplings for railway carriages and wagons the combination of the casing C,
the movable jaw.D the catch de having an inclined face do the sliding plate E having
a compound alot e and e¹ and shoulders es and a spring & substantially as described
and. shewn.
"
4. In couplings for railway carriages and wagons the combination of the casing C
the movable jaw D the catch d having an inclined face do the sliding plate E having
a compound slot e and e¹ and shoulders the sliding pin B and the spring. K.
substantially as shewn and described with reference to Fig. 7.
5. Couplings for railway carriages and wagons constructed and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
Tad in 07th day of January 1800