Year: 1887

page_text: We RICHARD CLAASSEN 38 Lübecker Strasse, and PAUL KOENECKE, 171 Friedrich
Strasse, of Berlin, Empire of Germany, Merchants, 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:-
The object of this invention is to arrange horizontally movable hooks on the ends of
draw bars of Railway Carriages and Wagons so that the hooks may be operated from
the sides of the vehicle by screw appliances for locking and unlocking the hooks and
other screw gear for moving the hooks sideways when desired, said hooks having an
independent side motion while in contact for connection purposes a spring also
connected to the hooks being put in tension for a rebound when the hooks pass one
another for an automatic engagement.
The invention will be particularly understood by referring to the annexed drawings
in which we show the side action coupling in plan at Figures 1 and 2 and in side
elevation at Figure 3.
The invention consists substantially of two lateral or side action draw-bar-hooks,
attached to the ends of the drawbars which hooks are caused to clutch each other by
the operation of springs when two wagons are brought together and connected by
means of gear operated from the side of the wagons. The hooks can be loosened or
unhooked by means of an arrangement of mechanism also actuated from the side.
Both halves of the coupling are exactly alike. At the end of the drawbar a the
drawhook is attached and is moveable in a horizontal direction, it is arranged on a
vertical bolt the fork of the drawbar a clasping the stem of the hook. The bolt b is
fixed immoveably in the drawbar a and is square in shape above where it passes
through the stem of the drawhook its square head carrying a strong spring e, the
other end of which is rigidly fixed to the drawhook. This spring e holds the drawhook
always in a line with the drawbar, so that when two wagons are brought towards each
other the noses of the hooks d slide against each other and strain the springs so that
when the noses pass their respective points they snap together by the springs and
occupy the position shown at Fig. 2. When the hooks d are snapped together it is
necessary to secure them fast in position. For this purpose, the bolt b is lengthened

page_text: and connected to a bar flying under the draw bar a, said bar being in connection
with an elbow lever fixed on the under carriage or frame of the wagon or carriage.
This last is provided with a rod or bar having in connection with it a block i, so that
it may be moved to and fro by means of the fixed screw spindle k. In order that it
may be more easily operated it carries at its fore part, which projects from the side of
the vehicle a hand lever or hand wheel k¹.
According as the spindle is turned in one or the other direction the block i with its
attachments will move backwards or forwards and thus lock or unlock the hooks d, d..
In order to ensure the proper thrust of the moving parts of the draw bar and draw
hook, the connection of g and his made by means of a bolt and slot.
To unlock the draw hooks d the following mechanism is arranged The forepart of
the hook is provided with a collar m through which a loosely fitting rod n having a
head n is passed. The rod n is connected to an arm of the ebow lever 0, the fulcrum
of which is in a bracket p fixed to the part of the under carriage which carries the
buffers. The other arni of the elbow lever o is connected by means of a link to a
block with female screw to work backwards and forwards by turning the screw
spindle s.
The said screw spindle is supported by two bearings t, t, fixed to the buffer-beam
and provided at its outer end with a winch handle u. For the purpose of unlocking
the draw hooks d it is only necessary to turn round the spindle s so as to draw
forward the block with the female screw by means of the winch handle u, whereby
the draw hook d will be drawn on one side and thus unclasp from the drawhook d of
the other wagon or carriage.
The hooks must be moved quite independent of each other before they can be
loosened, by drawing the screw block i along the spindle k.
The collar of the draw bar hook is sufficiently loose round the rod n, that the
automatic snapping of the hook on being drawn sideways may take place without
being in any way interfered with by the rod n.
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 we claim is :-
A side action railway carriage and wagon coupling, wherein horizontally moveable
drawbar hooks d (automatically clasping each other by the operation of a spring e)
attached to the end of the drawbars may be locked and unlocked by means of screw
spindle and block with female screw in connection for the purpose of extending it,
with lever mechanism f, g, h, and the screw spindle s and female screw ? operating
lever mechanism n, o, g, all as set forth.