IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joel Wood, of Sheffield, in the County of York, for the
. Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joel Wood at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd March 1876.
65
JOEL WOOD, of Sheffield, in the County of York. IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
COUPLINGS."
The object of this Invention is to enable the carriages and wagons to be coupled
and uncoupled without the necessity for the attendant getting between the carriages,
and to provide an automatic coupling which will be put into operation on the ends
of the carriages coming together.
To the centre of the beam at each end of the carriage is bolted a cylindrical box,
and an iron collar is fitted over the box and also bolted to the beam. Within the
box are two volute springs, one "draw spring" and one "buffer spring," placed
with the conical or small ends towards each other centrally in the box, and a
pierced plate or disc (herein-after called a "catch plate"), with a projection or arm
upon the upper and lower edges thereof, is arranged between the two volute
springs.
"
In the upper and under side of the shell of the box is a slotted hole through
which slotted holes the upper and lower arms respectively of the catch plate pass,
the lower arm having a weight or spring attached, and the upper arm being con-
nected with a set screw and hand wheel mounted in bearings. The "draw spring
has a hole through the small end, and the "buffer spring has a cup or head fitted
into the hole at the small end thereof, two plates being arranged in the box to hold
the springs in their places, and the head of the box is pierced or provided with a
hole.
"
The draw bar consists of a detachable bar of steel or wrought metal about a foot
and a half long, more or less, and carries conical plugs or enlargements on the ends,
thus forming shoulders. On the lower edge of the bar is a vee-edge, which extends
to the full thickness of the plug shoulder at this part. One end of the draw bar
is passed through the pierced head of the box, and thence through the head of the
first volute spring, that is the "draw spring," then the nose of the conical plug on
the draw bar meets the hole in the catch plate, and on being pushed in the conical
[Price Gd.]

page_text: head raises the catch plate and passes through the same, and is now pressed against
the cup or head of the second or "buffer spring." The catch plate now falls by
reason of the weight or spring on the lower arm, and a square hole in said catch
plate fits over the draw bar and "collars" against the plug shoulders of said draw bar.
The draw bar will be placed in the boxing at one end of a carriage, and on the
contact of the two carriages to be coupled will pass into the boxing thereon and
be secured by the action of the catch plate therein. To uncouple the carriages
the hand wheel is turned to raise the catch plate when the draw bar end can be
withdrawn.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Joel Wood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd September 1876.
JOEL WOOD, of Sheffield, in the County of York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
COUPLINGS."
The object of this Invention is to enable the carriages and wagons to be coupled
and uncoupled without the necessity for the attendant getting between the carriages,
and to provide an automatic coupling which will be put into operation on the ends
of the carriages coming together.
"
To the centre of the beain at each end of the carriage is bolted a cylindrical box,
and an iron collar is fitted over the box and also bolted to the beam. Within the
box are two volute springs, one "draw spring" and one buffer spring," placed with
the conical or small ends towards each other centrally in the box, and a pierced
plate or disc (herein-after called a "catch plate"), with a projection or arm upon
the upper and lower edges thereof, is arranged between the two volute springs.
In the upper and under side of the shell of the box is a slotted hole, through
which slotted holes the upper and lower arms respectively of the catch plate pass,
the lower arm has a weight or spring attached, and the upper arm may be connected
with a set screw and hand wheel mounted in bearings, by which it may be operated
or it may be operated in other suitable manner. The "draw spring" has a hole
through the small end, and the. "buffer spring" has a cup or head fitted into the
hole at the small end thereof, and if desired two plates inay be arranged in the box
to hold the springs in their places, or these two plates may be dispensed with, and
the head or end of the box is pierced or provided with a hole.
The draw bar consists of a detachable bar of steel or wrought metal about a foot
and a half long, more or less, and carries conical plugs or enlargements on the ends,
thus forming shoulders. On the lower edge of the bar is a vec or other edge,
which extends to the full thickness of the plug shoulder at this part to prevent the
plugs catching in the act of uncoupling. One end of the draw bar is passed through
the pierced head or end of the box, and thence through the head of the first volute
spring, that is the "draw spring," then the nose of the conical plug on the draw
bar meets the hole in the catch plate, and on being pushed in the conical head
raises the catch plate and passes through the same, and is now pressed against the
cup or head of the second or "buffer spring." The catch plate now falls by reason
of the weight or spring on the lower arm, and a square hole in said catch plate fits
over the draw bar and "collars" against the plug shoulders of said draw bar. The
draw bar will be placed with one end thereof in the boxing at one end of a carriage,
and on the contact of the two carriages to be coupled will pass into the boxing on
the other carriage and be secured by the action of the catch plate therein.
To uncouple the carriages the hand wheel is turned to raise the catch plate when
the draw bar end can be withdrawn.
And in order that my said Invention may be more clearly understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying Drawings, more fully
to describe the same.

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a sectional side view, and Figure 2 is an end view partly in section
of a railway coupling constructed according to iny Invention.
a represents part of a beam at the end of a railway carriage, to the centre of each of
these beams is bolted a cylindrical box b, and if desired an iron collar may be fitted
over the flange b₁ of the box b and also bolted to the beam a for the purpose of obtain-
ing increased strength. Within the box bare two volute springs c, d, (one "draw
spring" and one "buffer spring") placed with the conical or small ends towards each
other centrally in the box, and between the two volute springs is arranged a pierced
plate or disc e (herein-after called a "catch plate") with a projection or arm c¹ upon the
upper edge, and another e on the lower edge thereof. In the upper side of the
shell of the box b is a slotted hole b, and in the under side thereof is a slotted hole
b3through which holes the upper and lower arms e¹, c², respectively of the catch
plate e pass, the lower arm has a weight e³ attached thereto, or in lieu of a
weight a spring may be employed, and the upper arm may be supported, as shown
at Figure 3, with capability of travelling on a rod f', carried by a frame f, operated
by a screw fand hand wheel f³, to raise and lower the catch plate or disc e as may
be required, or it may be connected, as shown at Figures 1 and 2, to a chain g
connected to a wheel g, on the axis g of which is a lever handle by which the
catch plate or disc e may be raised or lowered. The axis g extends right across the
end of the carriage and has a lever handle g³ at each end thereof. The draw spring
c has a hole through the small end, and the buffer spring & has a cup or hollow head
fitted into the hole at the small end thereof and held in position as shown or in
other suitable manner, and if desired two plates may be arranged in the box b to
fit the small ends of the springs c, d, and hold them in their proper central positions,
but I prefer to dispense with the same as I find them unnecessary. The head or
end of the box 6 is pierced or provided with a hole through which the draw
bar is passed. The draw bar h consists of a detachable bar of steel or wrought
metal about a foot and a half long, more or less, and carries conical plugs or enlarge-
ments on the ends, thus forming shoulders to act in connection with the catch
plate c. The lower edge of the bar h is formed with a V or other edge which
extends to the full thickness of the plug shoulders at that part to prevent the plugs
h catching in the act of uncoupling. One end of the draw bar his passed through
the pierced head or end of the box b and then through the head of the draw spring
c, then the nose of the conical plug h¹ on the draw bar meets the hole in the catch
plate e, and on being pushed in (when employing the arrangement shown at Figures
1 and 2) the conical head raises the catch plate e and passes through the same and
presses against the cup or head of the second or buffer spring d. The catch plate
e now falls by reason of the weight or spring on the lower arm c, and a square
hole or recess in said catch plate fits over the draw bar and "collars" against
the plug shoulders of said draw bar. The draw bar h will be placed with one end
thereof in the boxing at one end of a carriage, and on the contact of the two
carriages to be coupled together the other end of the draw bar will pass into the boxing
bon the other carriage and be secured by the action of the catch plate e therein.
To uncouple the carriages, the wheel g is turned by means of the lever handle g³ to
raise the catch plate e when the draw bar end can be withdrawn. In cases where it
is desired to couple a carriage having a different form of coupling to a carriage
provided with a coupling constructed according to my Invention, or when it is
desired to employ coupling chains in addition to my improved coupling, I form the
draw bar h, as shown at Figure 4, with two hooks over which the eye or loop of
the ordinary coupling or the link of a chain may be passed.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the mode in which I
propose to carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim
is the improved construction of railway coupling in which a detachable draw bar h,
provided with a plug or enlargement hat each end thereof, is employed in com-
bination with a catch plate e, cup or hollow head d', and draw and buffer springs

page_text: c, d, enclosed in a cylindrical box b, and operating in manner substantially as herein
shown and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joel Wood, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
JOEL WOOD. (L.S.)