Improvements in Couplings for Railway Carriages, Wagons, Trucks, and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application 2nd Aug 1800
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1900-Accepted, 2nd June, 1900
Complete Specification Left, 2nd May, 1900-Accepted, 2nd June, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Carriages, Wagons, Trucks,
and the like.
I, GEORGE FLEMONS HOPKINS, of Kensworth, Dunstable, in the County of
Bedford, Farmer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in couplings for railway carriages,
wagons, trucks and the like and has for its object to construct improved couplings
whereby wagons or the like can be coupled and uncoupled with facility from
either side thereof, that is to say, without the necessity for the attendant going
between or under the same.
According to my invention I construct my coupling of a chain attached to the
frame of the wagon or the like in the usual manner but having the outermost
link or shackle enlarged; in connection with the chain I provide a cross bar or
lever which works in bearings in the wagon frame and is provided with means
such as a handle or crank whereby it can be turned from either side of the wagon.
This lever is arranged behind the chain, that is to say, between it and the end of
the wagon and it is so formed at its centre that when it is turned upward it raises
the chain so that the shackle can be passed over the coupling hook attached to
the adjacent wagon.
Means are provided whereby the chain shackle is prevented from leaving the
transverse bar or lever such means consisting for example of pins upon the
shackle adapted to come into contact with a cradle on the said bar or lever within
which the shackle works. I also arrange a suitable catch for holding the lever
and thereby the coupling shackle in its uppermost position.
Dated the 2nd day of August 1899.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
CUALI LEIE DIBUITICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Carriages, Wagons, Trucks,
and the like.
.
I, GEORGE FLEMONS HOPKINS, of Kensworth, Dunstable, in the County of
Bedford, Farmer, 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 improvements in couplings for railway carriages,
wagons, trucks and the like and has for its object to construct improved couplings

page_text: whereby wagons or the like can be coupled and uncoupled with facility from
either side thereof, that is to say, without the necessity for the attendant going
. between or under the same.
According to my invention I construct my coupling of a chain attached to the
frame of the wagon or the like in the usual manner but having the outermost
link or shackle enlarged; in connection with the chain I provide a cross bar or
lever which works in bearings in the wagon frame and is provided with means
such as a handle or crank whereby it can be turned from either side of the wagon.
This lever is arranged behind the chain, that is to say, between it and the end of
the wagon and it is so formed at its centre that when it is turned upward it raises
the chain so that the shackle can be passed over the coupling hook attached to
the adjacent wagon.
Means are provided whereby the chain shackle is prevented from leaving the
transverse bar or lever such means consisting for example of pins upon the
shackle adapted to come into contact with a cradle on the said bar or lever within
which the shackle works. I also arrange a suitable catch for holding the lever
and thereby the coupling shackle in its uppermost position.
In the accompanying drawings:
Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the end of a truck having my improved
coupling applied thereto :.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same:,
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 but shewing two trucks coupled:
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the coupling device; and
Figure 5 is a sectional plan illustrating the lever catch.
a is the wagon or truck which is of ordinary construction and is the chain,
the said chain also being of ordinary construction. c is the enlarged outermost
link or shackle, the said link being provided with a cross piece which projects
on either side thereof and forms a lateral pin for the purpose hereinafter described.
f is the cross bar or lever which is mounted in bearings f¹, f¹ provided upon
the end of the truck at the sides thereof, the said bar or lever being curved or
cranked at its middle and being provided with the cradle g. This lever is
mounted so that it is situated between the chain and the end of the truck 80
that when it is operated by means of either of its handles h, h, the cranked or
middle portion thereof lifts the link as clearly shewn in Figures 1 and 4. i is
the catch which is provided upon each side of the truck to hold the lever and
thereby the link or shackle in its uppermost position by engaging a handle h
as clearly shewn in Figures 1 and 4.
The cradle is formed with two projecting horns j, j the said horns having for
their object to hold the end link or shackle c on the cradle, should the shackle be
turned back sufficiently to overbalance it, this being effected by the lateral pins
which work under the said horns.
With this arrangement to couple two trucks the end shackle is lifted into the
position shewn in Figure 1 and secured by engaging a handle with a catch i
and the two trucks to be coupled are then pushed towards one another until the
said shackle projects over the hook of the other truck when the handle is
released thereby allowing the shackle to drop on to the said hook as clearly shewn
in Figure 3. To uncouple the trucks, it is merely necessary to turn one of the
handles h in the other direction so as to raise the cnd shackle from the hook and
fix it in the raised position by means of one of the catches i.
With my improved coupling it will be obvious that the couplings on the adjacent
ends of two trucks can both be engaged with their respective hooks at the same
time thus providing a double coupling.
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. A coupling for railway carriages, wagons, trucks and the like comprising

page_text: a chain having an enlarged end coupling or shackle in combination with a trans-
verse lever which carries a cradle adapted to receive the enlarged link or shackle
and means such as a handle or handles upon the lever for lifting the said cradle
and thereby the link or shackle, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved coupling
for railway carriages, wagons, trucks and the like herein before described and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
1000
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London,
Agents for the Applicant.