Improved Coupling-devices for Railway and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 13th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Communicated from abroad by JOHN JANSSON, of Liljeholmen, in the Kingdom
of Sweden, Engineer.]
Improved Coupling-devices for Railway and similar Vehicles.
I, CHARLES WERN, of 73* Queen Victoria Street, in the County of London,
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved coupling-devices for railway and similar
vehicles.
The object of my invention is to construct, for railway carriages and other
vehicles, improved coupling-devices of a strong and simple character, adapted to
operate automatically or non-automatically to couple vehicles together. One of
the important features of my invention is the provision of means whereby variation
of the height of the carriage-frame from the rails is compensated automatically or
otherwise, so that the claws of the coupling can be maintained always at a uniform
height above rail level.
Another important feature of my invention is the arrangement of the coupling-
mechanism in such a manner that vehicles can be coupled together with ease, and
without movement of the vehicles, even when they are held close together and the
coupling-claws are in contact but not in engagement.
A further important feature of my invention is the construction of the coupling
in such a manner that in the act of coupling or uncoupling a duplicate connection
is made or unmade between each pair of vehicles, that is to say a safety or reserve
device forms part of the coupling and is arranged to be operated simultaneously
therewith.
EL
The said safety device, moreover, can serve also as means for coupling
vehicles fitted with my improved coupling to other vehicles fitted with the ordinary
coupling-devices.
I will now describe by way of example, one form of coupling constructed
according to my invention:-I connect to one end of the draw-bar, a frame adapted
to oscillate in the vertical plane, in guides formed in or upon the under-frame or
the buffer-beam of the vehicle, and, in guides formed upon the oscillatory frame
I place one end of a jointed arm, the other end of which is formed as a main coupling-
claw, which latter has a second or safety coupling-claw suspended therefrom so as,
normally, to lie parallel therewith. The parts of the jointed arm are kept in line
by a spring carried thereon, which permits the arm to be bent but restores the parts
to line when the bending force ceases to act. The ends of the claws are so shaped
and so placed at an angle with the axial line of the claw that when opposing claws
engage, tension in the claws tends to place and to keep both sets of claws in
3 line with each other. The safety coupling-claw is also connected, loosely, to the
A chain or link is
buffer-beam or frame of the carriage by safety-chains.
connected to the main coupling-claw and to the vehicle, for a purpose hereinafter
specified.
Levers are pivoted to the frame of the vehicle to bear upon the axles or axle-
boxes and upon the oscillatory frame aforesaid so that movement of the carriage-
frame relatively to any of the axles or axle-boxes imparts a compensatory movement
to the levers, in such a manner that the levers in turn act upon the oscillatory frame
and move it so that the height above rail level of the coupling carried thereby is
maintained constant. The jointed arm aforesaid is connected by a suitable
5 connecting-rod to a crank pivoted upon the oscillatory frame, and provided with a

page_text: crank-pin, which, preferably, is extended so that when the coupling is in its normal
position the pin is received in a recess formed in an overhanging portion of the
oscillatory frame. The said overhanging portion is provided in order that the
crank-pin may bear thereon to transmit to the oscillatory frame and thence to
the draw-bar a portion of the stress which comes through the coupling and the
connecting-rod on its way to the crank pivot and which might otherwise set up
injurious bending stresses in the crank aad connecting-rod.
Lugs are provided upon the connecting-rod and hand-levers are pivoted to
the underside of the carriage-frame or carriage, to bear against the side of the
connecting-rod and to engage, when operated, with the lugs aforesaid, to actuate the
coupling by moving the said connecting-rod. The said levers are made slightly
elastic so that they may be engaged at either extreme of their movement, with
notches or other retaining-devices upon the frame.
The levers aforesaid are placed so that when in their normal positions they are
clear of the lugs but bear against opposite sides of the crank and connecting-rod so
so as to prevent the accidental movement of either.
When the connecting-rod is moved from its normal position to operate the
coupling, it first moves the jointed arm outward from the buffer beam; the parts
of the arm remain in line until the chain or link aforesaid connecting it with
the carriage, is tightened, whereupon the outer end of the arm is bent to move the
coupling claws laterally so that they take up a position to lie at one side of the
coupling claws of a vehicle opposed to them. Next the connecting-rod is returned
to its normal position, and during its return movement first straightens the jointed
arm, causing the coupling claws to engage with the claws opposed to them, and
then draws the claws back towards the buffer-beam to tighten the coupling.
Movement of the coupling claws by the movement of the coupled vehicles,
relatively to each other may produce lateral deflection of the claws but the springs
on the jointed arms aforesaid act to keep the claws always bearing against each
other so that they cannot become accidentally disengaged.
Further, the said springs allow the coupling claws to be deflected when they are
brought against opposed claws by the movement of the vehicle, and they cause the
claws to couple automatically by straightening the jointed arm automatically after
the claws are thus deflected.
In an alternative construction according to this invention the crank by which
the connecting-rod is operated is carried upon a rotating crank-shaft which turns
in bearings in the end of the draw-bar and is so supported in the under-frame
of the vehicle that it is adapted to slide therein when the draw-bar moves
end wise.
The jointed ur is pivoted in the end of the connecting-rod in such a manner
that it can oscillate in a vertical plane. Upon one end of the jointed arm the
compensating levers aforesaid operate to keep the coupling claws at a constant
height above rail-level. The end of the connecting-rod to which the jointed arm is
pivoted is arranged so as to be guided by horizontal guides during its movement
with or independently of the draw-bar.
Upon the end of the crank-shaft a jaw is provided. On the under-frame of the
carriage is journalled a shaft with levers or hand-wheels thereon whereby the said
shaft is operated; a suitable cross-head carrying a pin is arranged to be operated
by the said shaft and to operate in turn, upon the sides of the jaw aforesaid. The
said jaw is so shaped and arranged that it can move with the draw-bar relatively to
the pin of the cross-head without affecting the pin, but so that the pin, if moved
will operate the jaw.
Instead of, or in addition to, the automatic compensating-devices hereinbefore
referred to I can employ manually-operative adjusting-devices of any suitable kind
to raise or lower the coupling.
The operating-levers or other manually-operated parts of the mechanism of my
improved couplings can all be properly operated from either. side of the vehicles
without the necessity of going between them.

page_text: I do not limit my invention to the apparatus herein before described, which are
referred to by way of example, for it is obvious that the same may be varied
without departure from the nature of my invention.
Dated this 13th day of December 1893.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Coupling-devices for Railway and similar Vehicles.
I, CHARLES WERN, of No. 7 Vasagatan, Stockholm, in the Kingdom of Sweden,
Merchant, 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 :-
My invention relates to improved couplings for railway and similar vehicles.
The improved coupling is characterized by the fact that the rising or lowering
of the car body in consequence of an increase or reduction in the load does not
exercise any influence on the height of the coupling hooks above the rail level;
the said hooks always maintaining the same position in the vertical plane.
By this means the drawing of the hooks in an oblique direction which may
cause the breaking or injury of the coupling is prevented.
The coupling hooks are arranged centrally on the car; the uncoupling, however,
is effected from the side of the car by means of a lever accessible at that
place. The coupling is effected automatically on the cars coming in contact
with each other.
In the accompanying drawing
Figure 1 shows a side view of the coupling.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same and
Figures 3 and 4 is a side view and a plan showing details of construction.
The coupling consists of a bar a which is firmly connected with the car and
to which, by means of an horizontal pin b, is pivotally fixed a socket c, from which
extends a prolongation, forming a bottom d, on which some of the parts, serving
for advancing the hook along the car, are arranged. This bottom d, which is thus
able to turn in the vertical plane about the piu b, rests on a support, consisting of
a bent bar journalled in bearings 99 on the car frame, and resting at one of its
ends on the spring or the wheel bearing at h, Figure 1 while the other end of the
said bar extends below the bottom d and supports the same.
On the bottom rests, and is connected by means of the pin i, a link k to which
another link m is connected by the pin l. This latter link is in its turn connected
with the bar o, by means of the pin n the inner end of which bar extends into and
may slide in the socket c, while the outer end passes through a vertical aperture in
the car frame, outside which it forms the fixing point of the coupling hook 8 which
is movable about the vertical pin r, and adapted to turn sideways.
The links k and m may be turned in the horizontal plane. The outer one k of
these links is provided with a bent arm or hook on each side. Moreover a
lever is pivoted to the traverse u on each side of said coupling parts, the inner
end of this lever forming an upwardly directed pin which corresponds to the
hook t, so that it can engage therewith, while the other end extends beyond the
side of the car in such a position that it can be operated. When the lever vis
turned to the position, indicated by dotted lines, its pin x acts upon the arm t,
thereby bringing the links to the position, indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.
The bar o, and with it the hooks, is thereby advanced, so that the hooks are
disengaged.
The advanced hook is brought sideways to the position, indicated by dotted
lines, the link a' during the advancing of the hook, acting upon the arm 6' of the

page_text: hook, with which it is connected at one end, while its other end is fixed to the car
frame by means of the loop c', having a sufficient width for permitting the link to
move as required. When the lever vis brought back to its original position (shown
by full lines in Figure 2), it presses upon the side of the link k, whereby this link
and the link m are brought back to the position, parallel with the bottom d. The
links thus act as a toggle lever on the bar o which is, thereby pushed inward,
drawing back the hooks which takes up the position, shown by full lines in
Figure 2, as its inner oblique end abuts against the shoulder d', which is held in an
advanced position by the spring g', coiled about its stem f¹. In this manner the
hook is kept in position for automatic coupling when two cars are brought together,
the hooks pushing each other sideways, their oblique outer ends sliding on each
other, until the hooks engage.
The
It is preferable to provide a yielding hook under the car frame for holding the
lever v, in position and if desired a lock may be applied for preventing unauthorized
persons from operating the lever. According to the drawing, a lever is shown at
each end of the car on each side thereof. One lever on each side will, however,
be sufficient, one at the one end of the car and the other at the other end.
lever omitted is replaced by a fixed support, corresponding to the pin a, and
preferably having such a position that the links, brought towards the support,
somewhat surpass the central position, that is to say, the links with the pin lare
somewhat on the side of the centre line in the direction towards the support.
The bar may turn like a crank in the bearings g and has a fixed bearing point
at h. If the vertical position of the car body or car bottom, to which the bearings g
are attached, is changed, in consequence of a variation of the load, the bar / will
turn so that its end, extending below the bottom d, and supporting the coupling,
is raised or lowered. The pin is raised and lowered as much as the bearings g,
but this is not the case with the above mentioned end of the bar f. The
consequence of this will be that the vertical position of the coupling hooks will
remain constant, either when the car body is raised or lowered, up to the limit of
load the car is intended to carry.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The carrying or supporting portion for the coupling as the bar f which,
resting on some part with a fixed vertical position as for instance the wheel bearing
and pivotally connected to the part of the car which is raised or lowered by the
changes in the load, is regulated by this latter part, and holds the coupling,
pivotally connected to the draw bar (a), at the same height above the rails.
2. The arrangement for the longitudinal sliding of the coupling hooks, consisting of
the sliding bar (o) and the links (k and m), acting as a toggle lever upon said bar, and
the lever (v) which when turned acts upon the one link (k), provided with a lateral
shoulder (t) or groove, corresponding to the bent end of the lever.
3. The bottom piece (d), pivotally connected to the draw bar (a) and forming
the support of the links (and m), and the socket (c), connected to the bottom
piece, and forming the guide of the sliding bar (o), resting upon the links, and
upon which is fixed the coupling hook.
4. The shoulder (d¹), movable like a piston and pressed outwards by a spring,
and pressing on the inner transverse end of the coupling hook, thereby holding
this hook directed straight outwards without preventing the hook from being
turned laterally.
حمد
1
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HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, Loudon, W.C., Agents for the Applicant