A New or Improved Coupling for Railway and Tramway Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1893-Accepted, 24th June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Coupling for Railway and Tramway Vehicles
and the like.
I, HENRY TYSON, of 1 Herbert Hill, Brackenthwaite, Whitehaven, in the
County of Cumberland, Slate and Cement Merchant, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an automatic spring coupling for railway and tramway
vehicles, and the like, by the use of which the said vehicles may be coupled by the
mere bringing of them in contact with one another, and uncoupled without the
necessity of any person going under the buffers of the truck to manipulate
the coupling.
In carrying my invention into practical effect I pivot to suitable eye bolts
attached to the end of the vehicle, a hook which instead of being bent in the usual
manner, is turned back at an acute angle on its under side. This hook is maintained
with its shank in a horizontal position by a spring or other suitable means.
pivot on which it is supported is extended so as to form a rod or rail across the end
of the vehicle. It is on to this rod or rail that the hook of the next adjacent vehicle
takes.
The
When two vehicles are brought together, the inclined end of the face of each
coupling hook comes against the horizontal bar or rod of the other vehicle and, by
reason of its inclined face, rides upon the said bar and becomes lifted. As soon aз
the extreme point of the hook reaches the top of the bar it drops over the same by
the action of the before mentioned spring or other device, thereby coupling the two
vehicles.
It will be readily understood that the hook of each vehicle acts in the same
manner.
The before mentioned bar or rod is keyed to the hook and pivoted thereon so
that when the bar is rotated in the proper direction the hook may be lifted out of
engagement with the rail of the adjacent vehicle. For the purpose of so lifting and
disengaging the hook, the said rod or rail is provided with a suitable handle or
lever at each end.
To adapt existing couplings to my invention I remove the chain links from the
draw-hook and utilize the latter as a support for two bars which I bolt or otherwise
secure one on each side of the same. To the outer end of these bars I pivot a
coupling hook of the kind, and in the manner, hereinbefore described. Across such
an arrangement the pivot cannot extend the whole width of the vehicle, but only
sufficiently to afford a hold for the coupling of the next adjacent vehicle. To lift
the couplings out of engagement I connect the hooks by means of a series of rods
and levers, or other suitable device with a rod or bar extending across the end of
the vehicle, so that the same may be turned to effect a disengagement of the
coupling.
Dated this with dox of Tul 1899
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C..
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Coupling for Railway and Tramway Vehicles
and the like.
1, HENRY TYSON, of 1 Herbert Hill, Brackenthwaite, Whitehaven, in the
County of Cumberland, Slate & Cement Merchant, 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 :-
This invention relates to an automatic spring coupling for railway and tramway
vehicles, and the like, by the use of which the said vehicles may be coupled by the
mere bringing of them in contact with one another, and uncoupled without the
necessity of any person going under the buffers of the truck to manipulate
the coupling.
In carrying my invention into practical effect pivot to suitable eye bolts
attached to the end of the vehicle a hook which instead of being bent in the usual
manner, is turned back at an acute angle on its under side. This hook is
maintained with its shank in a horizontal position by a spring or other suitable
means. The pivot on which it is supported is extended so as to form a rod or rail
across the end of the vehicle. It is on to this rod or rail that the hook of the next
adjacent vehicle takes.
When two vehicles are brought together, the inclined end of the face of each
coupling hook comes against the horizontal bar or rod of the other vehicle, and, by
reason of its inclined face, rides upon the said bar and becomes lifted. As soon as
the extreme point of the hook reaches the top of the bar it drops over the same by
the action of the before mentioned spring or other device, thereby coupling the two
vehicles.
It will be readily understood that the hook of each vehicle acts in the same
manner.
The before mentioned bar or rod is keyed to the hook and pivoted thereon so
that when the bar is rotated in the proper direction the hook may be lifted out of
engagement with the rail of the adjacent vehicle. For the purpose of so lifting and
disengaging the hook, the said rod or rail is provided with a suitable handle or
lever at each end.
To adapt existing couplings to my invention I remove the chain links from the
draw-hook and utilize the latter as a support for two bars which I bolt or otherwise
secure one on each side of the same. To the other end of these bars I pivot a
coupling hook of the kind, and in the manner herein before described. Across such
an arrangement the pivot cannot extend the whole width of the vehicle, but only
sufficiently to afford a hold for the coupling of the next adjacent vehicle. To lift
the coupling out of engagement I connect the hooks by means of a series of rods
and levers, or other suitable device with a rod or bar extending across the end of
the vehicle, so that the same may be turned to effect a disengagement of the
coupling.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood and carried into
practice I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying
sheet of drawings illustrative of my invention as applied to existing coupling, Fig. I
being an elevation and Fig. 2 a plan of the same. From the draw hook a I remove
the chain links and pivot to its sides two bars bone upon each of its sides. Between
the outer ends of these bars I support a rod or shaft e upon which is mounted a
coupling hook d which instead of being bent in the usual manner is turned back at
an acute angle on its under side. This hook is maintained with its shank in a
horizontal position by its own weight, a suitable stop being provided to prevent its
falling below that position. The bars are maintained in a horizontal position by
means of a pin e passed through openings in them and resting within the hollow of
the hook a. This pin is held in position by cottars or other suitable arrangements

page_text: which may be removed to allow of its withdrawal when it is desired that the parts
should assume the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 for the purpose of
coupling the vehicle to one not provided with a similar coupling but with an
ordinary coupling chain which may be passed over the hook a in the ordinary
manner. On two vehicles provided with couplings constructed according to my
invention being brought together the hook d of each vehicle will come in contact
with the rod or shaft c of the other, and by reason of their inclined under faces the
hooks will ride upon the bars c and become lifted so that their points will drop over
and engage with the rods c. It will thus be seen that the coupling of vehicles is
effected automatically.
C
In order that the coupling may be disengaged without the necessity of a shunter
going between the buffers I connect the hook d by means of suitable links f with a
crank arm g keyed to a spindle h extending transversely across the vehicle and
provided at each end with a hand lever j by which it may be rotated. On turning
either of these levers in the direction indicated by an arrow at Fig. 1 the hook d
will be turned upwards upon the rod c and the vehicle uncoupled. The links fare
made in two parts pivoted together in order to allow of their folding as shown in
dotted lines when dropped out of action for the purpose already described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
The hereinbefore described improved coupling for railway and tramway vehicles
substantially as and for the purpose set forth and described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
1000
CASTLE SMITH,
"Invention" Office, 54, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.