IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Alexander Melville Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th May 1883. Com-
municated to him from abroad by Wheeler Willard Fitch and Elias Dorsey
Griffin both of West Bloomfield in the county of Ontario and State of New
York, United States of America
"
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK of the firm of A. M. and W. Clark of 53 Chancery
Lane in the County of Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents
* IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES [Communicated to him
from abroad by Wheeler Willard Fitch and Elias Dorsey Griffin both of West
Bloomfield in the county of Ontario and State of New York, United States of
America]
The
This Invention relates to an automatic coupling for railway vehicles and it
consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter
described. The couplings are composed of a pair of hollow castings placed one
above the other and secured together by bolts to constitute the drawheads.
outer ends of these castings are cut away to form throats through which the con-
necting link passes in coupling the cars. The connecting link is retained in the
drawheads by jaws which are formed upon or secured to vertical shafts or studs
journalled in the castings and provided with springs which normally hold them so
that the jaws face each other in the centre of the castings and so that they will
engage with the head of the connecting link when forced between them and thus
retain it and connect the cars. Arms formed upon the studs above and a little in
front of the jaws enable the studs to be turned against the tension of the springs
for opening the jaws or bringing them to the position for releasing the head of the
connecting link for uncoupling the cars. These arms also serve as stops coming
against projections formed in the drawheads for limiting the distance of revolution
of the studs and for taking part of the strain that comes upon the studs in the
draft of the car thus relieving the jaws. The means which it is preferred to
employ for turning the studs backward for opening the jaws for uncoupling the
cars consists of a horizontal lever to which the arms are connected by rods or links
said lever being pivoted at one side of the drawhead and projecting through a slot
at the opposite side. By forcing the outer end of the lever backward it will turn

page_text: the studs backward and open the jaws and thus release the head of the connecting
link. When forced forward the lever may be held in that position if desired by a
notched lever. A winding shaft may be used instead of this lever for uncoupling
the cars. This shaft would be journalled in the sides of the drawhead and attached
by chains to the arms being retained for holding the jaws open by means of a
ratchet and pawl.
A block of soft rubber is secured in the lower hollow casting back of the vertical
studs in which is placed a metal tube into which the inner end of the connecting
link passes so that the link will be held steady while the cars are in motion and
so that the link may work sidewise or up and down without injurious strain upon
the coupling or danger of bending the link.
In case both cars to be coupled are provided with the improved coupling a
connecting link having both ends spear headed will be used but in case one of
the cars has the old link and pin drawhead a connecting link having one end only
spear shaped and the other formed with a loop or ring will be used.