Improvements in Apparatus for Coupling Railway Rolling Stock.
Year: 1885

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Coupling Railway Rolling Stock.
We, TOM LATHAM, of Wellington Street, Mechanic, WALTER LATHAM, of
Robertshaw Street, Silversmith, and JAMES LATHAM, of Eldon Street, Grinder,
all of Sheffield in the County of York, do hereby declare the nature of our said
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY ROLLING
STOCK to be as follows:-
**
Our invention relates to apparatus for coupling (which term includes also
uncoupling) Railway Carriages, Wagons, trucks and any other vehicles constituting
rolling stock"-the object being to enable the vehicles to be coupled or
uncoupled from either side of the said vehicles, instead of a man being required to
go between the carriages.
Our invention consists (briefly described) in the arrangement of a hook carried
between the two sides of a drawbar head, preferably projecting from the centre of
the carriage frame between the buffers. The hook can turn upon a strong pin,
which is passed through the sides of the drawbar and the hook, towards the front
end, and is prevented from so turning by a crosspin passing through the same
parts at the rear end. This crosspin is connected at one end to a lever and a short
arm upon a rocking shaft extending across the carriage frame, and which may be
turned from either side by suitable handles.
One short movement of the handle withdraws the crosspin from the hook, the
opposite movement replaces it.
Upon the projecting ends of the pin upon which the hook turns, the coupling
link is secured, but it is prevented from hanging down vertically, by projections or
studs upon the sides of the drawbar, which support it at an angle, and so that it
forms an incline leading up to the curved front of the hook.
When two carriages so provided are forced together, the point of the highest
link travels up the other link and over the curved head of the hook, until it drops
over the point thus coupling the two carriages together. To uncouple, it is only
necessary to turn the handle of the rocking shaft, which draws out the crosspin,
and at once releases the hook, so that it can turn up and set free the link of the
next carriage.
To tighten up carriages so coupled, the drawbar is extended beyond the usual
conical or volute spring inside the framework of the carriage, and a second rocking
shaft is so placed that when turned by handles on either side of the carriage, a
cam will act against the end of the drawbar and force it forward, into a suitable
position for coupling. When coupled the pressure of the cam is withdrawn, and
the action of the conical or volute spring draws the carriages tightly together.
Dated the 24th January 1885.
ROBT F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Coupling Railway Rolling Stock.
We, TOM LATHAM, of Wellington Street, Mechanic WALTER LATHAM, of
Robertshaw Street, Silversmith and JAMES LATHAM of Eldon Street, Grinder
all of Sheffield in the County of York do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING RAILWAY ROLLING
STOCK and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement, that is to say :-
Our invention relates to Apparatus for Coupling and uncoupling Railway
Carriages, Wagons, or Trucks, or other vehicles which are known under the term
"rolling stock," the object being to dispense with the necessity for men to go
between the Carriages or wagons to accomplish the said operations.
Our invention consists in the arrangement of a hook carried between the two
sides of the drawbar head, and capable of turning upon a pin or axis, but is
prevented doing so by a crosspin passing through it, and which is operated by a
rocking shaft and suitable handles which withdraw or replace it as desired. The
coupling link which is attached to the head of the drawbar is arranged not to hang
vertically, but in an inclined position leading up to the curved front of the hook.
Thus when two carriages are forced together, one or other of the links travels up
the incline of the opposite link until it drops over the point of the hook.
And in order that our invention may be clearly described and fully understood,
we have annexed a sheet of Drawings of the apparatus.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of apparatus as applied to Railway Carriages.
Fig. 2, Front elevation of same.
Fig. 3, Plan of same.
Fig. 4, Plan on smaller scale.
In carrying out our invention in the construction of a coupling apparatus for
Carriages as shown in the drawings, A is a hook fitting between the two sides of
the drawbar head C, and working upon a strong pin B; the front of the hook is
inclined, and at the back is a projecting bit D, to prevent the tail of the hock
passing through the drawbar head, the pin F in the lower part of look acts in a
similar manner, as well as limiting the movement of the hook in the opposite
direction as shown by the dotted outline. G is the link or shackle which also
works upon the pin B, and in its normal position is held or supported by a
projecting stud H formed on each side of the head C, so as to form an incline
leading up to the hook A. In the tail of the hook and through the two sides of C,
a hole is inade, to receive the retaining pin E; this retaining pin is connected to a
lever I, which passes through an eye in the joint piece J, attached to a short
arm K upon the rocking shaft L, which is provided with suitable handles M, to
turn it by, on each side of the carriage.
To draw the carriages tightly together when coupled, we arrange for the draw-
bar to have a short horizontal movement as shown at O, the bar being held back
in the position shown by the action of a powerful spring P, against the nut Q
which is screwed upon the bar. The rocking shaft L2 which has also hand-
levers M² is provided with a cam R to act upon the end N of the bar C.

page_text: The operation is as follows, when two Carriages are to be coupled, the handle M²
on either side of the Carriage is turned so that the cam R, acting on N, forces the
drawbar and hook forward, at the same time compressing the spring P. When
the carriages meet, the shackles or links come into contact and the one that is
highest travels up the incline of the other, then over the hook until it drops over
the point and couples the carriages; The handle M2 is now turned so as to allow
the spring P come into action, and tighten the couplings, at the same time
drawing the carriages firmly together.
This part of the apparatus for tightening or holding the carriages firmly together,
may be dispensed with, when our invention is applied to wagons or trucks.
To uncouple the carriages the shaft L is turned by means of its handles, this
operation through the action of the parts K, J, and I withdraws the pin or
retainer E, setting the hook A at liberty, when the pull of the shackle on the
opposite carriage instantly tips up the hook to the position shown by the dotted
lines or thereabouts allowing the link to escape, or uncouple.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is
In Apparatus for Coupling "rolling stock" the arrangement and use of an
inclined Shackle (G) in combination with a tipping hook (A) and a retaining
pin (E) or its equivalent, for the purpose specified, and substantially as described
and illustrated.
The Apparatus for coupling rolling stock, as hereinbefore described and
illustrated, with or without the shaft L2 and other parts for drawing the carriages
tightly together when coupled.