An Automatic Duplicate Coupling for Railway Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Feb., 1899-Accepted, 15th July, 1899
An Automatic Duplicate Coupling for Railway Vehicles and the like.
I, FRANK CARTWRIGHT GUEST HALE, of Much Wenlock, in the County of Salop,
Auctioneer's Managing Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
-
An automatic coupling acting in duplicate. Fig. 1 shows two vehicles A in
position to be shunted together, with coupling as viewed from above. B is a bar
to which the whole of the working parts are attached, made to fit, and slide up
and down slotted support or holder C which is strongly fitted to end of vehicle.
D spear headed plunger attached to B provided with back catches. E hinged
grips attached to B with wide opening and provided with springs and back catches.
The hinged parts are made square inside so as to prevent closing too closely to-
gether. The springs allow jaws of grip to open and receive plunger, instantly
closing upon and retaining a firm hold thereof. The springs also allow free play
upon rounding curves and thus prevent straining the parts. F bars running
parallel each side of grip E, and acting in connection with springs keep the grip
always in proper position. G levers in connection with bars B. By depressing
one or other of the levers G the bar B in connection with it is raised to such a
height as to lift the engaging parts of the coupling carried by it out of, or dis-
engage them from, the engaging parts of the coupling in connection with the
other or adjacent carriage.
Upon the vehicles being shunted together the plungers are forced into the grips
and the coupling is effected as in Fig. 2.
Dated this 12th dox of Wahm 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Automatic Duplicate Coupling for Railway Vehicles and the like.
I, FRANK CARTWRIGHT GUEST HALE, of Much Wenlock, in the County of Salop,
Auctioneer's Managing Clerk, 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: -
An automatic coupling for railway vehicles and the like, acting instantaneously
and in duplicate.
(1) Fig. 1 in drawing herewith shows 2 vehicles A in position to be shunted
together with coupling as viewed from above.

page_text: (2) B is a bar to which the whole of the working parts are attached made to
fit and slide up and down.
(3) C support or holder which is strongly fitted to end of vehicle.
(4) 1) spear headed plunger attached to B provided with back catches.
(5) E hinged grips attached to B with wide opening provided with springs and
back catches. The hinged parts are made square inside so as to prevent closing
too closely to-gether. The springs allow jaws of grip to open and receive plunger,
instantly closing upon and retaining a firm hold thereof. The springs also allow
free play upon rounding curves and thus prevent straining the parts.
(6) F, bars running parallel each side of grip and acting in connection with
the springs keep the grip always in proper position.
(7) G lever with connections to bar B for raising the whole working parts on
one vehicle above and free of the opposite parts thus effectually un-coupling.
(8) Upon the vehicles being shunted to-gether the plungers are forced into the
grips and the coupling is effected as in Fig. 2 in drawing herewith.
(9) The un-coupling can be effected by lever as explained (in par. 7) or can
be lowered (instead of raised) with slight alteration in arrangement of support
or holder C, or
(10) Parts D, E, F, may be turned quarter round on the bar B when the support
or holder C would be made as a slide, and the whole disconnected or un-coupled
by either pushing or pulling the working parts on one vehicle free from those
opposite: or
(11) Another method for uncoupling would be effectual by fitting parts DE
& F so as to revolve a quarter round (by doing away with the bar B, as in Fig. 3
in drawing herewith) and thus withdrawing from the opposite fittings. This would
reduce the weight and bulk of the whole.
(12) Parts DE and F may be provided with extra back catches, thus providing
for closer coupling when necessary.
(13) When un-coupled the parts may be fixed for free shunting operations
through the medium of the lever.
(14) When in use with solid or block buffers springs may be added where the
coupling is attached to truck so as to prevent breakage from snatching.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is: -
First: The construction and arrangement or combination of parts herein-
before described and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing
constituting an automatic duplicate coupling for railway vehicles and the like
the said construction and arrangement of parts consisting in adapting to the ends
of each carriage or vehicle a vertical sliding bar carrying near one side a spear
headed plunger and near the other side a pair of spring closing hinged grips the
spear headed plunger on one carriage being presented to the spring closing hinged
grips on the opposed end of the adjacent carriage the disengagement or release
of the parts of the coupling being effected by raising one of the sliding bars by
means of a lever or its equivalent substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated.
Secondly The modified arrangement of my invention in which the spear
headed plunger and spring closing grips instead of being arranged on a vertical
sliding bar are made capable of rotation through a quadrant to disengage the parts
of the coupling carried by one carriage from the parts of the coupling on the
opposed end of the adjacent carriage substantially as hereinbefore described and
illustrated in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1899.