An Improved Coupling for Railway Rolling-stock.
Year: 1899

page_text: An Improved Coupling for Railway Rolling-stock.
I, WILLIAM JOHN RILEY, of Holker Street Mill, Colne, Lancashire, Manu-
facturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The improvements relate to means for connecting together and for disconnect-
ing railway trucks and the like, and have for object to provide a coupling which
is capable of being automatic in its action at that moment when the coupling
operation is desired to take place, and in manner to be hereinafter described.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I provide a support for the
ordinary chain which is used for connecting one truck to another, and upon
which support the chain rests when not in use. This support may be in the form
of a pair of curved arms projecting beyond the end of the truck, so that alternate
links of the chain may rest Hatwise thereon, while the remaining links may pass
edgewise between such arms, and one of the links of the chain, preferably the last
one, is so arranged as to allow the same, when raised in position, to readily pass
over the hook of the truck with which connection is to be made.
The chain support is pivotted or hinged to a bar or carrier capable of sliding
in suitable bearings under the truck body, which bar is in connection with a
secondary bar projecting towards the side of the truck, and this secondary bar is
capable of operating a retaining device, such as an arm pivotted at one end thereof
and supported at the other end by a catch, which device is in connection with the
chain support by lever arrangement or by tensional means.
The pivotted arm-and-catch or other device enables the end of the chain support.
to be retained in an elevated position previous to the coupling action taking
place.
The connection between the sliding bar and the secondary bar is such fhat
when the first of these, carrying the chain support, is pushed backwards, the
consequent movement of the secondary bar has the effect of rendering the retain-
ing device inoperative, thus enabling the end of such chain support to drop to a
lower position.
The sliding bar is capable of being moved backwards and forwards by moving
the secondary bar in connection therewith, and this secondary bar, together with
the means for raising and lowering the end of the chain support are under the
control of the operator standing at the side of the truck.
The operation is as follows:-Before contact between two trucks takes place,.
the operator moves forward the sliding bar together with the chain support on
one of the trucks by actuating the secondary bar, and he also raises the chain
support end by placing the lever arrangement or other connection under the
control of the retaining device.
On the trucks approaching sufficiently near to each other, the sliding bar is pushed
inwards by the opposing truck, thereby moving the secondary bar and rendering the
retaining device inoperative, thus allowing the end of the chain support to fall,
and the desired chain link to drop into position over the hook of the opposing
truck by which means an automatic coupling up of the two trucks is effected.

page_text: The particular chain link by which connection between the two trucks is
established may be suitably formed to enable it to pass with ease over the hook,
or the end portion of the chain support may be adapted for this purpose; and in
the case of a railway carriage, where more than one chain is used at each end
thereof, the chain supports may be operated separately, or a compound mechanism
may be used to operate two or more chain supports, without departing from the
peculiar character of the invention.
Dated this 18th der of A. 1900
I, WILLIAM JOHN RILEY, of Holker Street Mill, Colne, Lancashire, Manu-
facturer, 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 improvements relate to means for connecting together and for disconnect-
ing railway trucks and the like, and have for object to provide a coupling which
is capable of being automatic in its action at that moment when the coupling
operation is desired to take place, and in manner to be hereinafter described.
To accomplish this and to effect my improvements, I provide a support for the
ordinary chain which is used for connecting one truck to another, and upon
which support the chain rests when not in use.
This support may be in the form of a pair of curved arms projecting beyond
the end of the truck, so that alternate links of the chain may, if desired, rest
flat-wise thereon, while the remaining links may pass edge-wise between such
arms, and one of the links of the chain, preferably the last one, is so arranged as
to allow the same, when raised in position, to readily pass over the hook of the
truck with which connection is to be made.
The chain support may be pivotted, hinged or suitably attached to a bar or
carrier capable of sliding or moving in suitable bearings under the truck body,
which bar is preferably in connection with a secondary bar projecting towards the
side of the truck, and this secondary bar is capable of operating a retaining
device, such as an arm pivoted at one end thereof, and supported at the other end
by a catch, which device is in connection with the chain support by lever arrange-
ment, or by tensional means, or by both.
The pivoted arm-and-catch or other device enables the end of the chain support
to be retained in an elevated position previous to the coupling action taking
place.
The connection between the sliding bar or carrier and the secondary bar is such
that when the first of these, carrying the chain support, is pushed backwards, the
consequent movement of the secondary bar has the effect of rendering the retain-
ing device inoperative, thus enabling the end of such chain support to drop to a
lower position.
The sliding bar or carrier is capable of being moved backwards and forwards
by moving the secondary bar in connection therewith, and this secondary bar,
together with the means for raising and lowering the end of the chain support,
are under the control of the operator standing at the side of the truck.
The operation is as follows:-Before contact between two trucks takes place,
the operator moves forward the sliding bar together with the chain support on

page_text: one of the trucks by actuating the secondary bar, and he also raises the chain.
support end by placing the lever arrangement or other connection under the
control of the retaining device.
On the trucks approaching sufficiently near to each other, the sliding bar is pushed
inwards by the opposing truck, thereby moving the secondary bar and rendering the
retaining device inoperative, thus allowing the end of the chain support to fall,
and the desired chain link to drop into position over the hook of the opposing
truck; by which means an automatic coupling up of the two trucks is effected.
The particular chain link by which connection between the two trucks is
established may be suitably formed to enable it to pass with ease over the hook,
or the end portion of the chain support may be adapted for this purpose.
But that the improvements may be better understood, I will, with the aid of the
accompanying drawings, proceed more fully to describe means employed by me.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus arranged in accordance with my improve-
ments when attached to the under side of a truck or waggon body, and with a
portion of the said underside broken away. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, with a
small portion of the apparatus broken away, for the sake of clearness; and Fig. 3
is an end view. The apparatus is shown in the position necessary to enable the
automatic coupling operation to take place.
The same letters indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.
u, is the support for the chain, which is used for connecting one waggon to
another, the end link of which chain is shown provided with side pins c', passing
through slots in the head portion, of the said chain support. The end link
referred to may be otherwise formed, if desired, for enabling it when raised in
position to readily pass over the hook of the waggon with which connection is to
be made. The chain support a, is securely held by the piece a², which latter is
pivoted at a, below a central piece, the lower portion of which is attached by
bracket to the forked bar or carrier 6 capable of sliding in suitable bearings
under the waggon body, which carrier is in connection, by means of the piece b',
and the pin 6, with a secondary bar d, projecting towards the side of the waggon,
and capable of turning in a horizontal plane on the pin d. This secondary bar
is also capable of operating a retaining device consisting of a lever handle d²,
pivoted at the nose end d, of such handle engaging, when so desired, with
the catch-piece. This retaining device is in connection with the chain support
by means of the small chain el, attached to the outer end of the lever e, which is
pivoted at e, on the piece e, which piece may be capable of turning in a hori-
zontal plane on the pin d. The piece and the lever e are removed from Fig. 2
for the sake of clearness. The other end of the lever e, is connected by the small
chain g, to the forked lever h. This latter lever is pivoted at h¹, on the arm k,
(attached to the upper part of the piece b¹) and slotted at its other and forked
end to engage with the pins at on the chain support a.
The operation is as follows:-
Before contact between two waggons or the like takes place, the operator, by
turning the secondary bar d, in a horizontal plane on the pin ', moves forward
the piece b, and with it the bar b, and the chain support a, and he also, at or
about the same time, raises the end of the handle 2, and with it the outer end of
the lever e, which has the effect of pulling down the forked lever h, or turning
it upon its pivot h¹.
The end of the forked lever h, acting upon the pins a turns the 'chain support a,
upon its pivot a³, and thus causes the end a of such support to lift to the position
shown in the drawings.
This compound lateral and vertical movement of the handle
enables the nose
end d thereof to engage with the catch piece d³, when the ends 64, of the forked
carrier b, project to the desired extent in front of the waggon..
As the opposing waggon approaches, it first comes in contact with the project-

page_text: ing ends b, of the carrier b, and then pushes such bar inwards, thus turning the
secondary bar d, in a horizontal plane, and causing the nose end d of the handle d²,
to come out of gear with the catch piece . On this taking place, the other end
of the handle & falls by its own weight and therefore ceases to control the
levers o, and h, and allows the weighted end a¹, of the chain support to fall to a
lower level. But in the act of thus falling, the end link of the chain engages
"with the hook of the opposing waggon, and the coupling effect is automatically
established. It will be readily seen that the compound movement of which the
handle, is capable, enables the operator standing at the side of the wagons to
uncouple the same whenever desired.
To allow the chain support to be slightly turned with the pin b in a horizontal
plane at an angle with the centre line of the waggon, when two waggons are to
be coupled up on a curve or at a railway junction, the upper portion of the
piece, may be free to turn upon the lower portion thereof by being pivoted
upon a continuation of the pin b, and the curved line of division of the two
portions of the piece b¹, or cam formation thereof (Fig. 2) will tend to cause the
chain support to regain its normal or central situation when the same is released
from it oblique position referred to. The bearings in which the bar & slides may
be suitably arranged to allow of the oblique movement referred to.
In the case of a railway carriage, where more than one chain is used at each
end thereof, the chain supports may be operated separately, or a compound
mechanism may be used to operate two or more chain supports, without departing
from the peculiar character of the invention.
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. In couplings for railway rolling stock, a chain support which is capable of an
up and down as well as a to and fro motion, whether in combination or not with
means for automatically allowing the chain support to fall to a lower level at or
about the moment of contact betwen the opposing waggons or the like, for the
purpose and in manner substantially as herein set forth.
2. In couplings for railway rolling stock, a chain support which is capable of
an up and down as well as a to and fro motion, mounted on a moveable carrier,
having a connection therewith to the side of the waggon or the like, in combina-
tion, with a retaining device capable of being automatically put out of operation
at or about the moment of contact between the two opposing waggons, for the
purpose and in manner substantially as herein shown and described.
Dated this 18th day of January 1900.
WILLIAM GADD, C.E.,
64, Barton Arcade, Manchester, Agent for Applicant.