Year: 1886

page_text: I WILLIAM DRYDEN, of Barrows, Lochmaben, Dumfrieshire, Joiner, do hereby
declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings,
and to the reference letters and figures marked thereon that is to say :-
My said invention has reference to new or improved automatically acting couplings
or coupling mechanism, or arrangement and combination of the parts thereof, for
railway wagons; which improved coupling mechanism can be applied at a moderate
expense to railway wagons framed and fitted with the coupling books and links or
chains at present in use, or to new wagons at little more expense than the couplings
in present use. My improved couplings can be set by a very simple arrangement
in a few seconds by a person at the side of the wagons to be either coupled or
uncoupled automatically by the motion of the wagons to-and-fro, controlled by the
driver on the platform of the locomotive engine in full view of the man setting
the engaging and disengaging mechanism at the side of the train; all without the
possibility of accident to the persons attending to the coupling and uncoupling of
the wagons, who do not require, according to my method, to go in between the
wagons, as is generally the case with the couplings at present in use.
And in order that the full nature and novelty of my said invention may be
properly understood, and the mode and means of putting the same into effect or
practice, I will now proceed to describe the several figures on the Sheet of Drawings
which I have hereunto appended for that purpose; the same reference letters
indicating the same parts in the several figures where shown.
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section, and Figure 2 is a corresponding
inverted plan or under horizontal view, both of the strong main under bound
framing of a railway goods wagon or truck W, and part of the end of a second
wagon W, all sufficient to illustrate the nature and one modification of my
improved coupling mechanism which I show applied thereto. Figure 3 is a
transverse section of the end frame and coupling parts on the line 1---- 1 on and

page_text: corresponding to Figure 1. Figures 4 to 6 are detailed views of some of the
important parts to show their construction and action more clearly than can be
seen in the general views.
Referring to these Figures, the nature and novelty of my invention consist all as
follows: First and mainly, in mounting through the end frames W11 of each wagon,
a strong round and swivelling draw bar A, with a T hooking or coupling drawing
head A on it, projecting out far enough to enter and couple into a deep coupling
box B, B¹, preferably made in two parts, the inner part being made of strong sheet
iron bent in the form of an open rectangular box B, having a strong outer steel
end B', bolted to it by strong bolts B", all as particularly seen in Figure 2, and in
the sectional views Figures 5 and 6 of this box to a large scale. Each box B, B¹,
is secured by its bolts B to the outer end and cross frames W₁, w, w, of the
wagons, one on each end opposite the draw bar A, A, in the end adjacent wagon
as W₁, and on the different side of the centre line to the draw bar in each end of
the wagon, all clear of the ordinary coupling hooks and chains X. Both the
coupling box and the draw bar are preferably placed as near as possible to the
sides W2 of the wagon frame, all so that which ever ends of the wagons_come
together a draw bar A, A¹, will come exactly opposite a coupling box B, B¹, as
seen in Figure 2; and in being brought together the coupling bar will enter the
box and be automatically coupled or withdrawn by the bringing together of the
wagons or removing them from each other respectively by the action of the engine,
(as will be hereinafter more particularly described), by the setting mechanism from
the side of the wagon.
Each coupling bar A, A¹ would pass through round holes
in the cross beams W, w, w,, and their plates w³, so as to oscillate and bring its
coupling drawing head A¹ either to the vertical position; as shown in the detailed
side and end elevations Figure 4, to a large scale; or be brought to the angular
normal position, shown in all the other Figures (and particularly in the large scale
views in elevation and plan in Figures 5 and 6) by a weighted lever A keyed or
otherwise secured on it inside the end frame W", when hanging plumb, as shown
in Figure 3, so as to be always ready for coupling when the wagons are separated,
or always coupled within their coupling boxes B, B¹, when the wagons are brought
together. The coupling drawing bars A, A', are also made to move on end
through their carrying beams, and have nuts and washers secured on their inner
ends As, which come up against the inner cross frames w, when drawing the
wagon; and they are always pushed out to this extreme drawing position by helical
springs a mounted on them, with cottered washers a', and acting between these and
plates w, secured on the cross beam w. These springs a are made of sufficient
strength to force the coupling heads A' on the draw bar A, through vertical slots b,
in the outer strong end plates B¹, on the coupling boxes B, B' automatically by the
forcing of the wagons together by the locomotive or otherwise, and by the curved or
bevelled outer edges b' of 'these slots, and the rounded curved form of the ends of
the coupling heads A¹ of the draw bars, which glide round from their normal
angular position by this inclined surface action against the power of the weighted
lever A. This weighted lever A* turns the bar A and brings the coupling head A¹
back to its angular drawing position when it has passed through the slot 6 into the
coupling box B, B', the construction and action of which is best seen in the
sectional elevation and plan in Figures 5 and 6. The springs a on the draw
bars A A¹, allow the bars always to yield when the coupling heads A¹ come up
against the back ends of their coupling boxes, as when two short-ended or spring-
buffer wagons come together, and yield to lessen the concussion in coupling when
the curved drawing head A¹ comes up against the bevelled edges b¹ of the coupling
end B¹ of the box B, B'. The fittings for uncoupling the wagons, (or rather
setting the draw bars A A¹ that they can either be coupled or uncoupled otherwise
automatically), consist of a transverse drawing bar C, mounted to reciprocate and
oscillate on the inner under edge of each end cross frame W₁, in end buckle slide
guides C, C, secured to the under side of the side frames W2, and on an oscillating

page_text: centre stud C³ within a slotted stop guide C in its centre. Each bar has secured
and stayed on it, just over the top block or bar D, for stopping and keeping the
weighted lever A' in its lowest vertical position, a strong pushing or pressing
plate C, projecting back parallel to the draw bar A, and bearing and acting on the
arm of the weighted lever A², and supported on a guide D at its extreme end.
Short handles carè secured on each extreme end for this oscillating and reciprocating
bar C, projecting down for the convenience of the railway attendants to actuate
it at either side of the line of wagons, in full signal sight of the driver on the
locomotive, who by working his engine has the real coupling or uncoupling of the
wagons to do with this new construction of coupling mechanism. This bar C,-
which is for setting its draw bar A A¹, into its two positions, with the locking
head A¹ vertical for being uncoupled, or into the angular position ready for being
coupled; has at one end, where it works in its guide C³, a retaining gab c¹ formed
on the side next a rolling stop c³, mounted in the guide C³, for entering the retaining
gab c¹, when the bar C is pushed or pulled by its handles c from either side of the
wagons to do so.
This action of the bar C at the same time and by the pressing
arm C raises the weighted lever A³ of the drawing bar A, A¹ to the angled
position, which brings the locking head A¹ to the vertical position, so as to be
withdrawn out of the locking slot b, of the coupling box B, B¹, and uncouple the
wagons all as herein before described. To uncouple two wagons as W, W¹, the two
bars C, C, at their coupled ends are drawn or pushed as stated and the wagons
drawn separate; then to leave the coupling drawing bars A, A¹ all ready for
re-coupling, the draw bars C, C, are again released, by pushing or drawing their
gabs c¹ off the retaining stops c³, when the weighted levers A2 bring the drawing
bars A, A, and their shifting bars C, C, also back to their normal position all
ready for being coupled automatically by the driver of the train on the locomotive
all as stated.
Although I have described and shown the coupling box B, B¹, as made in an open
rectangular form in two parts it might be made of a close rectangular, round, or
other shape, and either made of strong sheet iron or steel or of cast iron or of
steel, preferably having the wearing coupling ends of the rods A, A', and the outer
and inner faces b, b¹, of the coupling boxes B, B¹, of steel or case hardened iron;
and that the width. between the couplings on each side of the centre line of the
framing may be varied, to suit the size and construction of wagons of different
railways. And although I have only shown my new or improved construction and
arrangements of couplings as applied to one shape of railway wagon framing W,
it will be evident that the position, sizes, and lengths of the parts may be modified
to suit other constructions of framing; and that many of the parts might be
otherwise shaped without departing from the main or essential features of my new
or improved general construction or arrangement of couplings as herein described
and shown.
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 I do
not claim the use of a swivelling T headed coupling bar A a coupling box B or or
a weighted lever A³ for turning the said bar except when combined and operating
as described with the other parts or improvements necessary for making them
successful in coupling and uncoupling railway waggons, but what I claim is :-
First. The general arrangement and combination of the parts of couplings for
railway wagons in which they are automatically coupled or uncoupled by the
motion of the wagons to or from each other, substantially as herein described, and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In railway wagons, the arrangement for setting swivelling draw
bars A, A', to their two positions for being automatically coupled or uncoupled
by the motion of the wagons to or from each other, by a simple sliding oscillating
bar C, from both sides of the wagon, substantially as herein described and shown
in the accompanying Drawings.

page_text: Third. In railway wagons coupled and uncoupled by their motion to and from
each other, the making of the coupling boxes B, B¹, and their draw bars A, A¹, to
project so long with a spring a on the bar, that they will suit and couple long and
short ended or spring-buffer wagons, and allow slackness between the wagons for
starting the train, substantially as described, and shown in the Drawings.
Th
1000