Improvements in Kailway Couplings.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 27th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 17th Mar., 1900
Improvements in Kailway Couplings.
I, THOMAS NORBURY, of 8, Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Pump Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention has for its object improved means by which railway waggons,
and other railway rolling stock, may be automatically coupled, and be readily
uncoupled without need for the shunter getting between any two of the
vehicles.
According to a simple form of the invention, a pair of couplings for coupling
together the adjacent ends of two waggons, or carriages, comprises a hook,
which is carried by one of the waggons and a link which is carried by the
other. The hook consists of a shank a portion of which projects forwards from
the framing of the waggon, and of a head which stands upwards therefrom.
The inner face of the head makes, preferably, a somewhat acute angle with
the shank, and the outer or forward face of the head is formed of a curved or
bevelled shape. The link is formed with a loop at its outer end, for engage-
ment with the hook, and as the waggons are brought together the outer end
of the link runs up the curved or bevelled outer face of the hook, and passing
over the top thereof falls behind the inclined face of the head. A piece, which
I term for convenience "the lifter," is carried in vertical guides at the end
of the waggon from which the hook projects, and when in its downward position.
as is normally the case, closes the hook. This lifter is formed with a bevelled
face, against which the outer end of the link presses when the waggons are
brought together, and thereby raises the lifter and allows the link to pass over
the top of the hook and fall down within the hook. The lifter falls again
as the link passes into the hook, and it may be either fastened down to prevent
the link from rising out of the hook, or it may be made sufficiently heavy to
prevent its being lifted by the shaking or jarring of the link. The lifter carries
a bracket which, when the link is in position within the hook, passes down-
wards in front of the link, and a portion of the bracket which is at right
angles to the downward portion passes underneath the front of the link. When
it is desired to uncoupled the waggons, the lifter is raised, and the bracket thereof
brings up the link out of the hook, thus leaving the waggons free to be moved
apart. The lifter may be readily raised, by means of a bar which is passed
over one of the buffers as a fulcrum, or in other convenient manner; and if
it is desired to hold the lifter up while the shunter moves away from the
train; in case such may be necessary to give a signal to the driver, or for other
purpose, a sliding bolt may be engaged with the lifter when in its upwar
position, or any convenient means may be used for the purpose.
desired to provide means for fastening down the lifter, such may consist, con-
veniently, of a bolt which passes through a vertically slotted hole through the
lifter and has a vertical projection thereon which, when brought by the endway
If it is

page_text: movement of the bolt into the slot of the lifter, prevents the lifter from rising,
but which, when moved out from such slot, allows it to rise. Any convenient
means, however, may be used for the purpose. In the case of waggons, each
link is capable of a considerable endway movement so that, in starting a train,
the waggons are set in motion one after another, as is usual and it is preferred,
more especially in the case of carriages, that the pull of each link and hook
shall be exerted through a spring attached to the frame of the vehicle.
The simple form of the invention, as above described, is adapted for use rather
when it can be ensured that the end of a waggon, or carriage, carrying a link,
will always be presented to the end of another waggon, or carriage, which
carries a hook; but to adapt the invention to waggons, and carriages, which
it is desired shall be self-coupling, whichever end of one waggon, or carriage, is
presented to an end of another waggon, or carriage, I have devised some
modification of the simpler form above described, which I will now proceed
to describe.
Each end of each waggon, or carriage, is provided with a hook of the character
above described, and with a lifter, and each hook carries a link. A link may
be allowed to hang down from its hook, and in such case be inoperative, or
it may be held up in position projecting forwards of its hook, so that, as two
waggons are brought together, the link will engage with the hook of the opposite
waggon in the manner of the engagement of a link with a hook as above
described. The link, however, of the hook with which a link engages in
coupling, should, of course, he hanging down in its inoperative position, other-
wise it would be liable to foul the opposite link. A link may be moved up
into its operative position, and held therein, by means of a slider which is
capable of being moved along the shank of the corresponding hook. This slider
may be provided with a rack, with which a pinion engages which is fixed upon
a spindle running transversely of the waggon, or carriage, frame; and the
spindle may be operated from either side of the waggon, for the purpose of
drawing back the slider and thus allowing the link to fall down into its in-
operative position, or of moving forwards the slider to raise the link into its
operative position. Any convenient means may be used, however, for raising
a link and holding it in its raised position. The pin or portion of each link,
by means of which its connection with a hook is effected. may pass through a
slotted hole of the shank of the hook, so as to allow of endway play of the
link, or the book itself may be capable of endway play, and in any case, and
especially in the case of a railway carriage, it is preferred that the pull of the
hook shall be exerted through a spring.
Dated this 27th day of it 1800
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicant.
I, THOMAS NORBURY, of 8, Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Pump Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention 4
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:- -
This invention has for its object improved means by which railway waggons,
and other railway rolling stock, may be automatically coupled, and be readily

page_text: uncoupled without need for the shunter getting between any two of the
vehicles.
According to a simple form of the invention, a pair of couplings for coupling
together the adjacent ends of two waggons, (or carriages) comprises a hook,
which is carried by one of the waggons, and a link which is carried by the
other. The hook consists of a shank a portion of which projects forwards from
the framing of the waggon, and of a head which stands upwards therefrom.
The inner face of the head makes, preferably, a somewhat acute angle with
the shank, and the outer or forward face of the head is formed of a curved or
bevelled shape. The link is formed as a loop at its outer end, for engage-
ment with the hook, and as the waggons are brought together the outer end
of the link runs up the curved or bevelled outer face of the hook, and passing
over the top thereof falls behind the inclined face of the head. A piece, which
I term for convenience the lifter" is carried in vertical guides at the end
of the waggon from which the hook projects, and when in its downward position.
as is normally the case, closes the hook. This lifter is formed with a bevelled
face, against which the outer end of the link presses when the waggons are
brought together, and thereby raises the lifter and allows the link to pass over
the top of the hook and fall down within the hook. The lifter falls again
as the link passes into the hook, and it may be either fastened down to prevent
the link from rising out of the hook, or it may be made sufficiently heavy to
prevent its being lifted by the shaking or jarring of the link. The lifter carries
à bracket which, when the link is in position within the hook, passes down-
wards in front of the link, and a portion of the bracket which is at right
When
angles to the downward portion passes underneath the front of the link.
it is desired to uncouple the waggons, the lifter is raised, and the bracket thereof
brings up the link out of the hook, thus leaving the waggons free to be moved
apart. The lifter may be readily raised, by means of a bar which is passed
over one of the buffers as a fulcrum, or, in other convenient manner; and if
it is desired to hold the lifter up while the shunter moves away from the
train in case such may be necessary to give a signal to the driver, or for other
purpose, a sliding bolt may be engaged with the lifter when in its upward
position, or any convenient means may be used for the purpose, such, for instance
as those presently described with reference to the drawings herewith. If it is
desired to provide means for fastening down the lifter, such may consist, con-
veniently, of a bolt which passes through a vertically slotted hole through the
lifter and has a vertical projection thereon which, when brought by the endway
movement of the bolt into the slot of the lifter, prevents the lifter from rising,
but which, when moved out from such slot, allows it to rise. Any convenient
means, however, may be used for the purpose. In the case of waggons, each
link is capable of a considerable endway movement so that, in starting a train,
the waggons are set in motion one after another, as is usual and it is preferred,
more especially in the case of carriages, that the pull of each link and hook
shall be exerted through a. spring attached to the frame of the vehicle.
The simple form of the invention, as above described, is adapted for use
when it can be ensured that the end of a waggon, or carriage, carrying a link,
will always be presented to the end of another waggon, or carriage, which
carries a hook but to adapt the invention to waggons, and carriages, which
it is desired shall be self-coupling, whichever end of one waggon, or carriage, is
presented to an end of another waggon, or carriage, I have devised some
modification of the simpler form above described, which I will now proceed
to describe; and in order that the invention may be clearly understood, I will
describe this modification with reference to the drawings herewith, which illustrate
the invention as applied, by way of example, to railway trucks.
Figure 1 is an elevation shewing the ends of two trucks to be coupled together
in the manner of this invention. The end of the right hand truck is shewn as
in longitudinal section taken on line of Figure 3 and the end of the left

page_text: hand truck is shewn as in side elevation.
Figure 2 is a corresponding view to
Figure 1, but shews the link of the left hand truck to have been just lifted
out of the hook of the right hand truck. Figure 3 is a plan of the end of the
right hand truck shewn by Figure 1. Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the
right hand truck shewn by Figure 1, taken on line y y of Figure 6, and shews
the forward end of the link of the left hand truck just about to strike on the
bevelled portion of the hook of the right hand truck. Figure 5 is an end view
of the right hand truck shewn by Figure 1 with the lifter in its downward
position, and locked in such position by means of the sliding bolt. Figure 6
is a corresponding view to Figure 5, but shews the lifter in its upward position;
and Figure 7 is a longitudinal section through the centre of a portion of the
end of the right hand truck shewn by Figure 1, for the purpose of shewing,
more especially, the connection of its own link with the truck.
To the end of each truck is fixed a hook A which is formed with a shank a
which extends some distance beyond the body of the truck and with a headb
which stands upwards from the end of the shank a. The inner face of each
head forms, preferably, an acute angle with the corresponding shank «, as
shewn, and the outer face of each head is formed of a curved or bevelled shape,
as shewn. To each truck, also, there is pivoted a link B. Of the two links
which are connected, respectively, with the opposing ends of two adjacent trucks,
one of the links is held with its outer end in a downwardly inclined position, and
the other link with its outer end in an upwardly inclined position, as shewn
by Figure 4, so that as the trucks are brought together the link of the one
truck will pass clear under the end of the other truck, while the link of the
other truck will come against the curved or bevelled surface of the hook of
the adjacent truck and will run up over the head of the hook and drop down
behind it into the position shewn by Figure 1. At the end of each truck there
is carried in suitable guides C, a vertically-sliding piece D, which term a
"lifter." Each lifter, when in its downward position, is upon the head of the
corresponding hook and closes the hook, and the lower forward corner c of
each lifter is bevelled or rounded, as shewn, so that as the link of the adjacent
truck runs up the curved or bevelled surface of the corresponding head bit will
come in contact, also, with such curved or bevelled surface of the lifter, and
will thereby raise up the lifter and allow the end of the link to pass over the
head of the hook and fall down behind it. The lifter falls again as the link
passes behind the head of the hook, and thus closes in the hook, and prevents
the link from jarring out therefrom. The lifter may be kept in its downward
position by gravity only, or for extra safety may be fastened in its downward
position. Each lifter carries a bracket which is formed with a downward
portion, and with a horizontal portion or shoe c from the bottom of the down-
ward portion. When the lifter is in its downward position, the bracket is within
the opening of the corresponding hook, and if the link is within such opening
it is over the horizontal portion e of the bracket while the downward portion d
of the bracket passes down in front of the forward end of the link. To uncouple
the trucks, the lifter D is raised up, whereby the projection e of the bracket
brings up the link out of the opening of the hook, that is to say, into the
position shewn by Figure 2, when the trucks may be readily drawn apart. The
lifter may be fastened in its upward position, in any convenient manner, if it
is desired that the trucks shall not be coupled as they are brought together,
or if it is required to leave them uncoupled while the shunter steps on one side
to signal to the driver.
Each hook A may be securely fixed to the framing of the truck, in which
case each link is connceted with the truck in a manner which allows of consider-
able endway play, and the pull of each link is transmitted to the truck, prefer-
ably, through the intervention of a spring. According to a convenient method
of connection, the inner end of each link is passed through a block of which is
capable of sliding endways within a tube or casing g which is fixed to the framing

page_text: of the truck and runs lengthways along the centre thereof. Longitudinal
slots are formed through opposite sides of the tube to allow of the endway
movement of the link, and between the forward face of each block f and the
outer end of the tube is placed a spiral spring h, or other elastic buffer, through
which the pull of the link is exerted. The link is kept in its normal position
endways by means of a spiral spring, or other elastic buffer, which is placed
behind the block f, and any inward movement of the link caused, for instance,
by the yielding of the buffers, is transmitted through this spring.
Each link is conveniently supported in its downward or upward position, as
required, by means of arms carried upon a transverse rocking bar F which is
Each arm E is
mounted in bearings fixed to the corresponding truck frame.
formed with a pair of fingers i which pass, respectively, across opposite sides
of the sides of the corresponding link and thus keep the link in position side-
ways. Each rocking bar may be turned axially by means of a short lever G,
and for convenience of manipulating from either side of a truck a lever G
may be fixed at each end of a bar. The arms may be stopped in their down-
word position by the lever G coming against the underside of a fixed stop k,
and may be held in their upward position by means of a pawl 1, pivoted at m
which automatically returns to a vertical position when moved therefrom, and
causes its lower end to come over a recess n in the outer end of the arm G,
and to engage therewith as the arm slightly rises. If an arm G is used at each
end of the bar F, two pawls should be used, one on each end of a transverse
spindle, so that they may be moved together to clear them from the ends of
the arms; or in lieu of one of such pawls any convenient handle may be used for
turning the bar from one side of the truck. If required, to allow sufficient
sideway play to a link, the arms E may be lowered clear of the link when the
same is coupled.
Each lifter 1 may be raised by means of a pinion H which gears with teeth
formed in the forward edge of the lifter. The pinion is fixed upon a spindle o
which is carried in bearings formed in the ends of brackets which are fixed
to the end of the truck. A handle is fixed on one end of the spindle o by
means of which it may be turned sufficiently to raise the lifter to draw a link
out of engagement with a hook. When the handle has been turned sufficiently
to raise the lifter into its upward position, the handle passes up between the two
The end of each side
sides of a fork q which is fixed to the end of the truck.
of the fork is formed as an eye r, and a pin s, which normally hangs, by means
of a chain, from the side of the truck, may be passed through the pair of eyes
to retain the handle within the fork, and thus retain the lifter in its upward
position. When the lifter is in this position, two trucks cannot, of course,
become coupled, as the portion e of a bracket will prevent a link from passing
down behind the head of the corresponding hook. A handle, such as p, may
be fixed on cach end of the spindle o, if desired, and provision be made for
holding each handle in position to retain the lifter in its upward position, whereby
the lifter can be raised from either side of a truck, and be secured in its raised
position.
To enable a lifter to be readily fastened in its downward position, it has a
vertically-slotted opening t formed therethrough from side to side, and a bar u,
which may be slid in an endway direction along a guider which is carried in
fixed brackets, passes through the slot. This bar has a downward projection u¹
which, when the bar is drawn in one direction while the lifter is down, is drawn
into the slot and securely holds the lifter in its downward position. The bar
may be moved endways, from either side of a truck, by means of one or other of
the lugs or handles which project therefrom, and is stopped in either direction
by its end coming against one or other of the brackets e The guide e consists
conveniently of a round bar carried in bearings formed in the brackets e¹, and
this bar is formed with a handle at each end by means of which it may be
partially turned in its bearings. When the bar has been moved to bring its

page_text: projection into the slot
of the lifter, it may be locked in such position by
turning the bar r to bring a lug thereof into a notch of the bar u.
There will now be no need to illustrate the simpler form of the invention
which may be used providing that one end of a truck will always be presented
to the proper end of any truck for coupling therewith, as this simpler form
will be readily understood from the description thereof taken in conjunction
with the drawings illustrating the more complex form which ensures that the
trucks will couple whichever end of one truck is presented to an end of another
truck.
The application of the invention, also, to railway carriages, will be readily
understood, without need for special illustration.
The engine, also, should be fitted with automatic coupling mechanism of
the character above described, and the term "vehicles as used in the claims
hereto is intended to cover engines, also..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is—
1. Couplings for coupling together railway vehicles, of which a pair of such
couplings comprise a hook which is carried by one of the vehicles, a link which
is carried by another of such vehicles, a head which stands upwards from the
outer end of the hook shank and is rounded or bevelled at its outer or forward
face, of which, as the two vehicles are brought together, the outer end of the
link runs up over the rounded or bevelled surface of the head of the hook and
falls behind such head, substantially as described.
2. Couplings for coupling together railway vehicles, of which a pair of such
couplings comprise a book which is carried by one of the vehicles, a link which
is connected with another of such vehicles in a manner which allows it a limited
endway movement in relation thereto, a head which stands upwards from the
outer end of the hook shank and is rounded or bevelled at its outer or forward
face, of which, as the two vehicles are brought together, the outer end of the
link runs up over the rounded or bevelled surface of the head of the hook and
falls behind such head, substantially as described.
3. Couplings for coupling together railway vehicles, of which a pair of such
couplings comprise a hook which is carried by one of the vehicles, a link which
is carried by another of such vehicles, in a manner which allows it a limited
endway movement in relation thereto and the pull of which is transmitted to
the vehicle through the medium of a spring, a head which stands upwards from
the outer end of the hook shank and is rounded or bevelled at its outer or forward
face, of which, as the two vehicles are brought together, the outer end of the
link runs up over the rounded or bevelled surface of the head of the hook and
falls behind such head, substantially as described.
4. Couplings for coupling together railway vehicles, of which a pair of such
couplings comprise a hook which is carried by one of the vehicles, and a link
which is carried by another of such vehicles, and which, as the two vehicles are
brought together, automatically engage with one another, and a part which
normally closes the opening of the hook but is moved upwards by the link as
the vehicles are brought together and allows the link to engage with the
hook and then itself automatically again closes the opening of the hook, sub-
stantially as described.
5. Couplings for coupling together railway vehicles, of which a pair of such
couplings comprise a hook which is carried by one of the vehicles, a link which
is carried by another of such vehicles, a head which stands upwards from the
outer end of the hook shank and is rounded or bevelled at its outer or forward
face, of which, as the two vehicles are brought together, the outer end of the
link runs up over the rounded or bevelled surface of the head of the hook and
falls behind such head, and a part which normally closes the opening of the hook

page_text: but is raised by the link as the vehicles are brought together and allows the
link to pass over and fall behind the head of the hook and then falls again and
closes the opening of the hook, substantially as described.
6. In a railway coupling, a lifter carried by the vehicle which carries the
hook, and by lifting which the link is raised up out of the hook, substantially as
described.
7. In a railway coupling, a part which is capable of sliding vertically and
when in its downward position closes the opening of the hook, substantially as
described.
8. In a railway coupling, a lifter which is capable of sliding vertically, and of
which a part passes beneath the end of the link when the same is within the
hook, and by means of which the link is lifted out of the hook, substantially as
described.
9. In a railway coupling, a part which normally closes the opening of the
hook, and is formed with a portion which passes beneath the end of the link when
the same is within the hook, and by means of which the link is lifted out of
the hook, substantially as described.
10. In a railway coupling, a part which is capable of sliding vertically and
when in its downward position closes the opening of the hook, and means by
which such part may be securely fastened in its downward position, substantially
as described.
11. In a
railway coupling, a part which is capable of sliding vertically and
when in its downward position closes the opening of the hook, and a bar which
may be moved endways from either side of the vehicle, and through the medium
of which such part may be fastened in its downward position, substantially as
described.
12. In a railway coupling, the combination with a part which normally closes
the opening of a hook and has a vertically slotted hole therethrough, of a bar
which passes through such hole and is provided with a projection which may
be drawn into the hole to fasten such part in its downward position, substantially
as described.
13. Couplings for coupling together railway vehicles, of which a pair of such
couplings comprise a hook which is carried by each of two vehicles, and also a
link which is carried by each of such vehicles, a head which stands upwards from
the outer end of each hook shank and is rounded or bevelled at its outer or
forward face, means by which one of the links is held in position so that, as
the vehicles are brought together, it passes clear of the hook of the other vehicle,
and means by which the other link is held in position which ensures that, as
the vehicles are brought together, the outer end thereof will run up over the
rounded or bevelled surface of the head of the hook of the other vehicle, and
fall behind such head, substantially as described.
14. The general combination and arrangement of railway couplings, sub-
stantially as described and shewn by the drawings herewith, and including also
the simpler combination above described which may be employed when it can
be ensured that the vehicles will always remain in the same endway position in
relation to one another.
Total this 06th dox of Tannoy 1000
STEPHEN WATKINS & GROVES,
Chartered Patent Agents,
Wolverhampton, Agents for the Applicant.