A New or Improved Automatic Coupling for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: vate of Application, 12th May, 1899-Accepted, 24th June, 1899
COMPLETE
SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Coupling for Railway and Tramway
Vehicles.
We, JAMES HASTIE, of 12, Lizard Street, Saint Lukes, London, E.C., Labourer,
and JOHN ROBINSON, of The North Briton, 10, New North Road, London, N.,
Licensed Victualler, 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:-
Our invention relates to an improved coupling for railway and tramway vehicles,
and has for its object to provide a safe and reliable means whereby such vehicles
may be automatically coupled up by mere impact only, and quickly and easily
uncoupled, whether upon level ground or a gradient, by the services of an
attendant, without the need of such attendant having, as at present, to go
the vehicles for that purpose, thus avoiding the danger to life and limb as obtains
between
with the systems of coupling and uncoupling in present use.
In order that our said invention and the manner of its operation may be fully
understood, we have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings, of which Fig. 1
Sheet 1 is a sectional plan of one end of a passenger coach, taken upon the line CD)
of Fig. 2 and to which our improved coupling has been applied, while Fig. 2 is a
sectional elevation of same taken upon the line A B of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation of so much of same as will serve to illustrate the
application of our invention thereto, Fig. 4 being a side elevation of the same
part of the coach as Fig. 2 but illustrating the position our apparatus takes when
operated for uncoupling as hereinafter explained.
Fig. 5 Sheet 2 is a sectional plan similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating the manner in
which we prefer to arrange our improved coupling when used upon luggage trucks
and vans.
Fig. 6 is a much enlarged perspective view of the said coupling as it would
appear before attachment to a vehicle, while Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the
manner in which the connecting or coupling pin is deflected by the drawbar of the
econd vehicle during the process of automatic coupling.
In carrying our invention into effect, in so far as relates to passenger vehicles
llustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, we arrange that the cavity A, in the buffer
late B, of the vehicle C (Fig. 3) is extended in height, as compared to those in
resent use, this being to permit a certain vertical play to the outer end of the
pecial drawbar forming part of our invention. The said draw-bar for the purposes
f our invention consists of two metallic bars or rods D D¹, connected at their
uter ends at D² to form an eye or loop as shewn, which are passed through the
perture A in the buffer plate B, and extend for a suitable distance inside the latter,
nd are thereat suitably connected to a pair of plate or coach-springs E and E¹,
laced in reverse order to each other, in any convenient way, so that the tension
one operates upon the drawbar in one direction, and the other opposite thereto,
at for preference, we arrange these as shewn in Fig. 1, divided by a plate F in
xed connection with the draw-bar, with the spring E abutting against the
ner face of the buffer plate B, while the spring E¹ abuts against a metallic

page_text: or other bar G in fixed or sliding connection with the side frames of the
vehicle C, and if the former, such bar G may be supported by stays G' and G².
Upon the outside of the buffer plate B and securely bolted thereto, and extending
horizontally therefrom, we provide a preferably, rectangular metallic frame H,
below and parallel with the draw-bar, and at a suitable distance above the draw-
bar we provide a pair of arms and the inner ends of which are in pivotal
connection with a pair of eye-bolts, J2 and 43, bolted upon the buffer plate B, or if
preferred the said arms may be connected at their outer ends to form a frame,
as suggested by dotted outline at J Fig. 6. The said arms or equivalent frame
carry pivotally a metallic block K, to whichris connected or formed integrally
therewith a strong metallic pin L, (hereinafter referred to as the coupling tongue)
which normally. depends from the arms J J¹ or the equivalent frame Jin a
perfectly vertical position, whatever may be the position of the said frame or arms.
To the said block K is pivotally connected the lower end or ends of a frame or other
suitably shaped link N, the upper part of which has pivotally connected- thereto
one end of a lever O, the opposite end of which said lever is firmly and immovably.
connected to a rod V, extending entirely across the end of the coach C, and
supported at suitable intervals of its length by any number of brackets W,
bolted to the vehicle, each end of the said rod being provided with a lever arm V¹,
by means of which this may he partially rotated as hereinafter explained.
The apparatus described would be provided at each end of every coach in the
system, and the manner of operation is as follows.
1
་
The arms J J or their equivalent frame J4 are or is normally in a horizontal
position, and may be provided with a foot or feet such as a (Fig. 6) adapted to abut
against the buffer plate B to support them or it in this position, and while so
placed the lower end of the coupling tongue I would be between the members D DI
of the draw-bar, and within and close up against the inner surface of the front
portion of the frame H, the lever arms V₁ at the same time being in a horizontal
position, as shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the apparatus being then in a position for
being coupled with a like equipped vehicle by mere impact only, which would be
effected in the following manner.
If two vehicles be pushed violently towards each other the draw-bar head D³.
Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the second vehicle would collide with the coupling tongue L
of the first vehicle, and deflect this and pass beneath it. the length of the arms J J
or frame J being such as to permit the deflection and clearance of this as illustrated
by Fig. 7. The said tongue would then fall back into its original vertical position
(shewn by dotted outline in the same figure) so that when the second vehicle is
forced away by the rebound of the buffers of the vehicles, the draw-bar of the said
second vehicle would be locked by the said tongue as shewn in Fig. 2, and
simultaneously with the locking of the drawbar 13 of the second vehicle, as stated,
the drawbar D2 of the first vehicle would operate in like manner upon the coupling
tongue L of the second vehicle, the two vehicles being thereby doubly locked
together, so that the coupling tongue of either vehicle become ruptured by any
unforeseen circumstance the vehicles would still remain in locked connection by
means of the coupling tongue of the other.
To uncouple the vehicles, an attendant would raise the lever V at either side of
the vehicles into a vertical position, which would impart a rotary motion to the
rods, thereby lifting the coupling tongues L of both vehicles out of connection
with the drawbars of the opposite vehicles, as illustrated by Fig. 4, when the
vehicles may be pushed apart in the usual way, and in order that the levers V1
may remain so raised so as to leave the hands of the attendant free to separate the
vehicles as stated, we arrange at either or both ends of the rod V a ratchet wheel b.:
provided with a gravity or other pawl c, adapted to automatically-hold the rod V-
and consequently tongue L so raised until the pawl has been released; when the.
apparatus would return to its normal position ready for coupling with 'another
vehicle in the manner described.
In order that rupture may not occur by the ends D² of the draw-bars abutting

page_text: against each other when coupling, we construct the said ends of tapered formation
as shewn, so that one may pass beneath or above the other, the abnormal height of
the aperture A in the respective buffer plates B being provided to accomodate
the resultant rise or fall of the said draw-bars.
In connection with luggage vans or trucks we may dispense with the plate
springs E and E shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, and arrange that the inner ends of the
members D D of the draw-bar may extend freely through holes in the plate G,
while in lieu of the said springs we provide a pair of heavy resilient blocks or
buffers d d preferably in the positions shewn in Fig. 5, the manner of coupling
and uncoupling two such trucks or vans being the same as that described.
In order to provide for the slipping of a vehicle or vehicles, while a train is in
motion, we may provide upon the rod V a lever such as V2, indicated by dotted
outline in Fig. 6, a cord or chain from which may pass through a hole in the
end of the vehicle last to remain on the train, after the vehicle or vehicles has or
have been slipped, so that the guard (always provided in such remaining vehicle)
would, by pulling such cord or chain rotate the rod V and raise the coupling-
tongue L of his vehicle, and so release the draw-bar of the slipped vehicle, the
coupling tongue of the vehicle to be slipped having been previously raised at the
last stopping station.
Should it ever be adopted in this country to provide only one central buffer
upon such vehicles, as obtains in certain foreign countries, our improved coupling
may be duplicated upon each end of the vehicle, so that one such coupling would
be at either side of the said central buffers, or otherwise.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
(1) The improved device or apparatus for automatically coupling, and manually
uncoupling railway and tramway vehicles, without the need of the attendant
getting between them for that purpose, substantially as herein described and
shewn,
(2) The improved coupling for railway and tramway vehicles, consisting of the
combination of a draw-bar such as 1 D1 and D2, provided with plate springs such
as E E or resilient blocks such as d., the said draw-bar being above a horizontal
fixed frame H, and below a pair of arms J J or equivalent frame J4, in pivotal
connection with the end of the vehicle, and carrying pivotally a depending
coupling-pin L, the said frame or equivalent arms being connected by a frame or
other link N with a lever in fixed connection with a transverse rod V, provided
with lever arms V, and ratchet and pawl such as b, c, and with or without a lever
rm such as V2 substantially as described and shewn.
Dated this 11th day of M 1800
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.