An Improved Combined Railway Buffer and Automatic Coupling.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Apr., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1888
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combined Railway Buffer and Automatic Coupling.
We JOHN BROWN of No. 42 Burnett Street Redfern near Sydney in the Colony of
New South Wales Carriage Builder, THOMAS HODGES JONES of Russell Street
Burwood near Sydney aforesaid Writing Clerk and JOSEPH CARTER OAKMAN of
No. 17 O'Connell Street Sydney aforesaid Merchant do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to a Buffer for Railway Vehicles which may be used as an
Automatic Coupling and it has been devised in order to produce a combined buffer
and automatic coupling cheap in construction and simple in operation.
This improved combined railway buffer and automatic coupling is so constructed
that when one of them approaches another, a pin or stud (on the one buffer head)
having a helical barb or lead is presented to a slot (in the other buffer head) and in
passing through said slot is partially revolved but recovers its normal position when
quite through and thus locks the coupling buffers together, until the pin or stud is
again partially revolved so that the helical barb or head may be drawn through the
slot.
We prefer to construct our improved combined railway buffer and automatic
coupling with a head or face vertically hinged to the drawbar of the vehicle. On one
side of the hinge we provide a vertical slot, and on the other side a stud or pin with a
helical barb or head which is free to partially revolve. The revolution is controlled
by a counter balance and stop or lever arm, the counter balance retaining the head or
barb in a position crosswise of the slot and the stop preventing more than one quarter
revolution.
The coupling takes place automatically by the opposing slot turning the helical
barb or head and said barb or head recovering its crosswise position by means of the
counter balance the said slot allowing free vertical movement of the opposing or

page_text: locking pin. The uncoupling is performed by means of a push or draw rod which
turns a lever and lifts the counter balance, moving the barb or head its one quarter
revolution so that it may be drawn through the slot.
When shunting is being done the barb or head may be fixed in the uncoupling
position.
Dated this First day of March One thousand eight hundred and eighty eight,
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combined Railway Buffer and Automatic Coupling.
We JOHN BROWN of No. 42 Burnett Street Redfern near Sydney in the Colony of
New South Wales Carriage Builder and THOMAS HODGES JONES of Russell Street
Burwood near Sydney aforesaid Writing Clerk and JOSEPH CARTER OAKMAN of
No. 17 O'Connell Street Sydney aforesaid 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 :-
This invention relates to a buffer for railway vehicles which may be used as an
automatic coupling and it has been devised in order to produce a combined buffer and.
automatic coupling cheap in construction and simple in operation.
This improved combined railway buffer and automatic coupling is so constructed
that when one them approaches another a pin or stud (on the one buffer head)
having a helical barb or head is presented to a slot (in the other buffer head) and in.
passing through said slot is partially revolved but recovers its normal position when
quite through and thus locks the coupling buffers together until the pin or stud is
again partially revolved so that the helical barb or head may be drawn through the
slot.
We prefer to construct our improved combined railway buffer and automatic
coupling with a head or face vertically, hinged to the draw-bar of the vehicle, on one
side of the hinge we provide a vertical slot and on the other side a stud or pin with a
helical barb or head which is free to partially revolve. The revolution is controlled

page_text: by a counter-balance and stop or lever-arm-the counter-balance retaining the head
in a position crosswise of the slot and the stop preventing more than one-quarter
revolution.
The coupling takes place automatically by the opposing slot turning the helical
barb or head and said barb or head recovering its crosswise position by means of the
counter-balance the said slot allowing free vertical movement of the opposing or
locking pin-The uncoupling is performed by means of a push or draw-rod which
turns a lever and lifts the counterbalance moving the barb or head its one-quarter
revolution so that it may be drawn through the slot-When shunting is being done
the barb or head may be fixed in the uncoupling position.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be
made to the drawings herewith in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of our improved
buffer coupling Figure 2 is a side view of same with counter-balance removed-
Figure 3 is a side view of counter-balance-Figure 4 is a sectional elevation looking
backwards from line a a Figure 2-Figure 5 is a plan of the helical head in its normal
position and Figure 6 is a plan and front view of a ▷ bar for converting the buffer
coupling into an ordinary link coupling head.
A is head or buffer proper-B helical head-C counterbalance-D is coupling
bar E draw-bar of vehicle-A is slot-A2 strengthening rib-A3 bosses or jaw or
joint pieces A jointing bolt-A5 hole for helical head-A recess A' countersunk
holes for D bar-B helical edge of head-B2 extension or pin of same screwed at
end-B3 flange or collar-13 key or cotter-screwed boss-C³ stop piece-0³ weight
lever C weight-D¹ bent end-D2 keyed end-D³ cotter or key.
The buffer coupling is attached to a draw-bar E of the vehicle by bolt A* through
joint pieces A3 with its front face A presented to the corresponding face of the
opposite buffer-When the buffers approach one another the helical head B comes in
contact with the chamfered edge of slot A' takes a quarter turn and passes through
the slot A¹ the stop piece C on counterbalance C in contact with lug or joint-pieces A³
as shown in dotted lines Figure 4 preventing the said head' turning further round-As
soon as the head B has passed through the slot A¹ the counterbalance by reason of
weight C causes it to return to its normal position and so lock the buffer couplings
together The pin B2 will now be the coupling pin of the two vehicles the draw being
taken by its helical end on the one end and its nut the boss (on the other.
Uncoupling is effected by lifting the counterbalance C so that the head is edgewise
vertically and may pass through slot A-this is preferably done by means of a chain
or cord and lever attached to extension C³ which, as well understood, would lift the
counterbalance upwards allowing the head B to be withdrawn from the slot, and the
counterbalance might be temporarily fixed in its uppermost position if so required for
shunting purposes.
We provide a D shaped coupling bar D one end D' of which may be hooked
through slot A' and the other end D inserted through one of the holes A7 (which are
countersunk to allow it to pass) and be finally fastened by a key or cotter D-This
D-shaped coupling bar D is not an essential part of our invention and is illustrated
only to show how our buffer coupling may be utilized in a mixed system of rolling
stock that is where some vehicles are fitted with the described buffer couplings and
others with a different one in which case the ordinary coupling hooks may be used the
bar D being slipped through one of the coupling links.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention
and in what manner the same is to be carried into effect what we desire to secure by
Letters Patent is :-
First A combined railway buffer and automatic coupling in which a helical barb
or head is presented to a slot in an approaching buffer or coupling is partially
revolved by said slot passes through said slot and recovers its normal position
substantially as herein described and explained.
Second A combined railway buffer and automatic coupling having a slot in its
head and a helical barb or head projecting from said face and free to revolve and both

page_text: adapted to engage with a barb or head and a slot respectively in another buffer
coupling of similar construction substantially as herein described and explained.
Third The combination and arrangement with a helical barb or head free and
adapted to partially revolve of a stop and counterbalance to regulate the extent of
motion substantially as herein described and explained.
Fourth A combined railway buffer and automatic coupling consisting essentially of
the head A having slots A¹ the barb B with helical head B' and the counterbalance C
with stop and weight C₁ substantially as herein described and explained and as
illustrated in the drawings.
Dated this Sixth day of September One thousand eight hundred and eighty eight.