Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Jan., 1891-Accepted, 16th May, 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Railway Vehicles.
I PIETRO PRADA, of 5 Piazza del Sempione, Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy,
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 coupling apparatus for railway vehicles.
The improved automatic coupling apparatus constructed according to the said
invention is represented in the accompanying drawing.
Figure 1 is a front elevation and
Figure 2 a rear elevation of the said apparatus ;
Figure 3 shows, partly in plan, and partly in section on the line X X and Y Y
of Figures 1 and 2 two apparatus which are coupled together;
Figure 4 is a side elevation and a front elevation of a toothed nut;
Figure 5 is a front and side elevation of the device for fixing the draw-rod;
Figure 6 shows a plan of two apparatus which are applied to two vehicles
supposed to approach each other for the coupling.
In all these figures similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts of
the apparatus.
P
This apparatus comprises a cross-piece which carries on the one hand a box
having a funnel-shaped cover g, and on the other hand a triple-thread screw a. In
the middle of the said cross piece are provided two buffers r and a collar
whereby the apparatus is attached to the draw-rod t. The above mentioned box
encloses a nut which is toothed on its outer periphery like a ratchet wheel so that
it can turn only in one direction, the movement in the opposite direction being
prevented by a pawl which engages with the teeth of the nut. This pawl e can
be operated through the medium of the hook d. Moreover the journals of the
toothed nut b, which slide in the circular box when the said nut turns are made in
the form of a curvilinear triangle so that the extremities of the three screw-threads
will always occupy the same position, when the nut is free to turn, in consequence
of the nut always remaining in a state of equilibrium, that is with one of its
angular points directly above its axis.
C
A steel spring m is placed between the collar of the draw rod and the vertical
web of the E-iron which constitutes the frame of the vehicle. After traversing
the frame the draw-rod is screwed into a rectangular link (Figure 5) which
enables the apparatus to be displaced in the vertical plane and in a horizontal
plane within the limits of the movements caused by the curves of the railway
tracks and by the loads of the vehicles.
For effecting the coupling it is sufficient to push the vehicles VV towards each
other. When the screw a of one of the apparatus presents itself before the
funnel of the other and sliding upon the sides of this funnel brings the two
apparatus to the same level until it enters the nut b. The screws aa of the two
apparatus move forward in their muts until the buffers touch each other
compressing the spring m proportionally to the shock. When the hook d is placed
in the position shown in Figures 1 and 2 it holds the pawl between the ratchet
teeth on the nut and prevents the latter from turning backwards and unscrewing.
For separating the two coupled vehicles the hook d is turned so as to put it in the
position shown in Figure 3 which enables the turning of the nut in both directions
and therefore the disengagement of the screw.
C
It is evident that the action of the coupling apparatus which forms the subject
of the present invention is quite automatic and that two neighbouring vehicles can
be coupled together even during their motion their buffers being then continually
held in contact with each other, and their spring kept in operation.

page_text: 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 what 1
claim is
First. An automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles comprising a triple-
thread nut and a box having a funnel-shaped cover which serves as a guide for the
screw of a similar apparatus secured to another vehicle to be coupled.
Second. An automatic coupling apparatus, comprising a screw and a box which
encloses a nut adapted to receive the triple thread screw of a similar apparatus
secured to another vehicle to be coupled.
Third. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the employment of
a nut placed in a box and having on its periphery ratchet teeth with which a pawl is
adapted to engage for the purpose of permitting the said nut to turn only in one
direction.
Fourth. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the employment of
a nut placed in a box and having journals made in the form of a curvilinear
triangle for causing the extremities of the three screw-threads to always occupy
the same position when the nut is free to turn.
Fifth. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the combination of
the toothed nut and the pawl with a hook which by displacing the pawl permits
the nut to turn in the two opposite directions.
Sixth. In automatic coupling apparatus the combination of a screw and a box
containing a toothed nut with two buffers, a draw-rod carrying the apparatus and
fixed to a rectangular link and a spring provided between the apparatus and the
frame of the vehicle substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in the
accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of January 1891
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.