Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Tramway or other Engines and Vehicles.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1887
Complete Left, 12th Jan., 1888
Complete Accepted, 17th Feb., 1888
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Tramway or other
Engines and Vehicles.
I, JOHN DARBYSHIRE, of the Tramway Depôt, Manchester Road, Bradford, in the
County of York Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in couplings, and has for its object
the arrangement and combination of the parts in such a manner that, when two portions
of the coupling are pressed together, they are connected by an automatic arrange-
ment, by which the two portions are effectually secured; also to minimise the liability
of straining draw bars when the engine and car attached thereto are running over
curves, and the prevention of back lash between the draw bar and coupling when
connected.
1 accomplish my object in the following manner. To the buffer plate or other
convenient part of an engine, I attach one or more couplings, the outer end of each
being bell mouthed, terminating with a long slot hole into an interior recess. which
for some distance from the buffer plate is parallel, and of a diameter larger than the
length of the slot hole. In this parallel recess I place a collar, having a slot hole at
one end corresponding to the one before mentioned, and to the said collar, I secure a
weighted arm which passes through a slit in the casing; and when the arm is raised,
the before mentioned slot holes are opposite for receiving the draw bar, which on
being pressed into the interior, the end comes in contact with a plate held tight
against the before mentioned collar by a spring or other flexible material, the end of
draw bar compressing the latter sufficiently to release the collar when the weighted
arm falls, thereby turning the collar so that the slot hole therein is at about right
angles to the one in the end of bell mouthed casing, thus securing the draw bar in the
collar and is kept tight therein by pressure of the spring or other material at the back
of the plate.

page_text: I, JOHN DARBYSHIRE, of the Tramway Depôt, Manchester Road, Bradford, in the
County of York 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 :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in couplings, and has for its object,
the arrangement and combination of the parts in such a manner that, when the draw
bar and coupling block are pressed together, they are connected by an automatic
arrangement and effectually secured: also to so construct the apparatus so as to
minimise the liability of straining the draw bar when the engine and car are running
over curves; and to prevent back lash between the draw bar and coupling when
connected.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 represents a front view of my improved
coupling. Fig. 2 a side view and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through the same.
The flange A of the coupling block B, may be secured to the buffer plate or other
convenient part of the engine or car, the block being bell mouthed at C.
The interior of the block for some distance from the base flange A is parallel, and
of a diameter larger than the termination or small diameter at the interior of the bell
mouthed opening C leading to the coupling collar D, placed in the parallel portion of
the coupling block.
The collar D is provided with an oblong hole E at the front end, which opens into
an enlarged recess for the reception of the coupling end of the draw bar; and behind
the said collar D, I place a piston plate F which is pressed towards the said collar
by a strong spiral or other suitable spring G, of such strength that, when the weighted
arm W secured to the collar D and working or passing through a slot hole in the
coupling block is raised about 90 degrees to a horizontal position, for bringing the
slot hole E to a vertical position for receiving the coupling end of the draw bar,
the collar D is held in that position by the compressed spring G forcing the collar
against the surface B' of the block B.
When two vehicles are brought together for coupling, the T ended portion of the
draw bar H, passes through the oblong opening E into the interior of the collar D
against the piston plate F, compressing the spring G to such an extent that, the
block D is released, thereby allowing the weighted arm W to fall and move the
collar D around so that the oblong hole or opening E is in a horizontal position, at
right angles to the projections at the end of the draw bar; thus securing the draw bar
within the coupling block D, and is kept tight therein by the compressed spring G,
forcing the piston plate F tight against the end of the draw bar; thereby preventing
J

page_text: back lash and by the oblong hole being in a horizontal position when the coupling
of the two is effected, the vehicles are enabled to run over curves without damage to
the draw bar.
my said
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
The combination of a block B with a coupling collar D and weighted lever or arm W
substantially in the manner and for the purpose as shown and described.
The combination of the coupling collar D, with the piston plate F and spring G
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.