IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR BAILWAY 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR BAILWAY CARRIAGES."
-A communication from abroad by Carl Ludwig Horack, of
Winona, Minnesota, United States of America, Civil Engineer.
Sealed the 5th November 1872, and dated the 23rd May 1872.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd May 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," a communication, to be as follows :-
This Invention has relation to means for coupling railway carriages,
and it consists in the arrangement of the drawhead and weighted catch
bar, by means of which the link is held firmly against the pin and the
operator enabled to adjust the link at any angle required.

page_text: The drawhead in its general construction is of the ordinary form, the
front end being provided with a recess or cavity to receive the link.
The top and bottom of this hollowed front or bell-mouth are perforated
for the passage of the pin or locking bolt. An elbow lever has a vertical
arm which works through an opening in the bottom of the drawhead
and a horizontal arm which extends forward. The face of the upright
arm is notched, the notches being concave or corresponding in form to
the convex end of the link. In the upper end of the said arm a rounded
cavity is made to receive and steady the end of the pin when it is set,
and also to give the upright arm a firm position. For the purpose of
still further steadying the pin a tubular addition is cast on the drawhead.
The aforesaid elbow lever is hinged to the standards or lugs by means of
a pivot bolt or axle. The said lugs are rigidly secured to or cast on the
under side of the drawhead.
The aforesaid upright arm actuated by the weighted horizontal arm,
when the pin is withdrawn from the cavity, falls forward and assumes a
position somewhat inclined, the cavity in its end falling just under the
opening through which the pin is inserted, and serving as a rest for the
pin. When the link enters the cavity it pushes the arm from under the
pin, which consequently falls through the link and the coupling is
effected. As the carriages come close together the arms in the draw-
heads will be forced back between the cheeks in the throat of the
drawhead, the said cheeks serving to protect the arm from injury by
concussion. The entrance of the link into the cavity of the opposite
drawhead is insured by the notches in the face of the upright arm above
mentioned. These notches, when the arm is brought forward by the
weight of the horizontal arm, press the link against the piece and retain
it in the position in which it may be placed, its middle portion resting
on the lower edge of the mouth, which is provided with a projection or
centreing lip preventing lateral displacement of the link; therefore the
link can be placed at different inclinations corresponding to the varying
heights of carriages, and will be retained in such position until it enters
the opposite drawhead, and the coupling is effected.
In uncoupling it is only necessary to withdraw the bolt far enough to
clear the cavity of the drawhead. The elbow lever will at once swing
forward, throwing the recessed end of the arm under the aforesaid
opening to receive the end of the pin.

page_text: 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 21st November 1872.
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.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, in the
thirty-fifth 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, adminis-
trators, and 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 there-
after 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," a communication
to me from abroad by Carl Ludwig Horack, of Winona, Minnesota,
United States of America, Civil Engineer, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands 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
This Invention has relation to means for coupling railway carriages,
and it consists in the arrangement of the drawhead and weighted catch

page_text: DESCRIPTION
THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the said improved
coupling, Figure 2 is a bottom view, and Figure 3 a front view of the
same.
A designates a drawhead, which in its general construction is of the
ordinary form, the front end being provided with a recess n or cavity to
receive the link. The top and bottom of this hollowed front or bell-
mouth are perforated at a, a¹, for the passage of the pin. C represents
the pin or locking bolt; D is an elbow lever whose vertical arm C¹
works through an opening c in the bottom of the drawhead, and whose
horizontal arm E extends forward. The face of the upright arm C¹ is
notched at z, z¹, 211, the notches being concave, or corresponding in form
to the convex end of the link. In the upper end of the arm C¹ a
rounded cavity v is made to receive and steady the end of the pin C
when it is set, giving also the upright arm a firm position. For the
purpose of still further steadying the pin a tubular addition v¹ is cast on
the drawhead.
The elbow lever D is hinged to the standards or lugs d, d, by means
of a pivot, bolt, or axle w. The lugs d, d, are rigidly secured to or cast
on the under side of the drawhead. In some cases the weight E¹ may be
dispensed with, the lever D being made heavy enough, and the carrying
point placed far enough back to serve the same purpose.
The operation of this coupling is as follows:-The upright arm C₁
actuated by the weighted horizontal arm E, when the pin is withdrawn
from the cavity v, falls forward and assumes a position somewhat
inclined, as shown at Figure 1 of the Drawing, the cavity in its end
falling just under the opening a, through which the pin is inserted, and
serving as a rest for the pin. When the link L enters the cavity it
pushes the arm C₁ from under the pin, which consequently falls through
the link, and the coupling is effected. As the carriages come close
together the arms C¹ in the drawheads will be forced back between the
cheeks M in the throat of the drawhead, the said cheeks serving to protect
the arm from injury by concussion. The entrance of the link into the
cavity of the opposite drawhead is insured by the notches in the face of

page_text: the upright arm above mentioned. These notches, when the arm is
brought forward by the weight of the horizontal arm, press the link
against the pin and retain it in the position in which it may be placed,
its middle portion resting on the lower edge of the mouth, which is
provided with a projection or centering lip f, preventing lateral dis-
placement of the link. Therefore the link can be placed at different
inclinations, corresponding to the varying heights of carriages, and will
be retained in such position until it enters the opposite drawhead, and
the coupling is effected.
In uncoupling it is only necessary to withdraw the bolt C far enough
to clear the cavity of the drawhead. The elbow lever will at once
swing forward, throwing the recessed end of the arm C¹ under the
opening a to receive the end of the pin.
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 I am aware that a pivoted catch bar within
a drawhead is not new, therefore I do not claim broadly such a
contrivance, but I claim, the improved coupling with its parts con-
structed, combined, and operating as herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twentieth day of November, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
Απο
Witness,
W. J. LOWE.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)