The Automatic Coupling of Railway Carriages or Trucks of Every Description.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Dec., 1887
Complete Specification Left, 14th Sept.. 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 19th Oct., 1888.
RESERVE
RVE COP
[Communicated from abroad by GEORGE DECARIE PEARSON, Engine Fitter, Montreal,
Canada.]
The Automatic Coupling of Railway Carriages or Trucks of Every
Description.
THOMAS REEVES Gun Maker Rose Villa Washwood Heath Road Saltley do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :--
The automatic coupling of Railway Carriages or trucks, thereby preventing
accidents which now arise by men getting between the said carriages or trucks to
couple them. My Invention consists of two large hooks which is attached one to each
end of the carriage or truck and are so shaped to engage themselves by the carriages
or trucks being pushed together and uncoupled by a crank lever at the side of the
carriage or truck which is explained by the drawings herewith they are also arranged
that if one breaks the other takes its place.
Fig. 1. Top view of Recess Bar for the reception of Hooks.
Fig. 2 Side view of Recess Bar.
Fig. 3 Side view of Hook.
Fig. 4 Top view of Hook.
Fig. 5 Top view of my Invention showing one Hook engaged in the Recess Bar in
position of working.
Fig. 6 Side view of my Invention showing one hook engaged in Recess Bar &
the other suspended by the Crank Lever at the end of Car which is also used for
uncoupling.
Dated this Thirteenth day of December One thousand eight hundred and eighty
Sowon

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
The Automatic Coupling of Railway Carriages or Trucks of Every
Description.
I, THOMAS REEVES of Rose Villa, Washwood Heath Road, Saltley in the County
of Warwick, Manager a communication from G. D. Pearson of Montreal, Quebec,
Canada do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
ollowing statement :-
This invention as communicated to me from abroad by my correspondent has for its
object the automatic coupling of railway carriages or trucks of every description for
the purpose of affording much greater facility for connecting various carriages
together without the necessity for the operators going between the said trucks which
often results in serious injury and loss of life to the men concerned. My invention
consists of two large hooks which are attached one to each side of the carriage, truck
or other vehicle and are so shaped and arranged as to engage themselves when the
carriages are pushed together by a shunting engine or other force, and in such a
manner that they may be uncoupled by a crank lever at each side of the said carriage
or truck, the details of which will hereafter be more fully explained. One important
feature however is that when one hook gives way the other takes effect upon the solid
part of the draw-bar rod E.
In order that my invention may be fully understood and more easily carried into
practical effect I have appended hereunto one double sized sheet of drawings and
one single sized sheet of drawings upon which a number of figures are shewn illustrating
the details and the mode of carrying the same into effect so that the invention may be
adapted to the various classes of rolling stock of which there are a great variety but
the principle would be the same in all cases for instance, sometimes the draw-bar
would constitute also a buffer and at other times side buffers may be used in which
case the draw-bar and couplers would merely act as such.
:
Figure 1 is a side elevation shewing the ends of two railway carriages broken off
and the two couplers engaged with each other, that is, the carriages are coupled
together.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same but with the left hand hook K taken away so that
the engaged hook may be more clearly seen. The carriages in this plan are not shewn
the full width but are broken in two places as the invention is explained irrespective
of the guage of the line.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the couplings in a similar position to
those shewn by Figure 1. In these three figures the carriages A. A. are shown
sufficiently far apart to give a clear view of the coupling but it will be readily seen
that they may be arranged so as to couple much closer.
Figure 4 is a side elevation shewing the coupler brought in contact with the end of
a car such as are used in some foreign countries.

page_text: Figure 5 is an elevation of a hook specially formed so as to be used in conjunction
with the present coupling attached to the vehicles in this country.
Figure 6 is a diagram shewing the position of the two hooks when they are both
down, and as they would meet when two vehicles are brought together.
Figure 7 illustrates how the said hooks would meet and act when pushed together
previously to the one falling into position as seen by Figures 1 and 3.
The draw-bar E may be shaped at its back end and provided with springs as is
the custom at the present time or in any desired way to give the requisite elasticity to
for
the said draw-bars but the front end is made from a solid piece with the recess
receiving the nose of the hook and the narrowed recess into which the hook is
hinged and the back end e³ may be reduced as shewn or otherwise formed as may be
desired. The front end of the draw-bars et may be formed to act as a central buffer
when side buffers are not used or in conjunction with side buffers. I have shewn upon
the drawings the usual buffer blocks P so as to recognise the vehicles as those used
upon English lines but these may be dispensed with or retained as desired. In the
end of each draw-bar i mount a hook K which is pivoited at 2 in the said slot e² of
the draw-bar E but the front end is curved as shewn and extends downwards to
form the square-shouldered hook k¹. This square part of the hook when engaged as
is the case at Figures 1 and 2 holds behind the solid bars e and which constitute
the solid end e of the draw-bar E and this is an important feature of my invention as
giving great strength to the same. It will be noticed in both Figures 1 and 3 that
there is a space e left in the end e¹ of E in which a plain link R. (see Figure 3) may
be inserted when the pins es are dropped through the bars e and e thus securing the
link in position and locking the vehicles together but generally speaking no such
arrangement would be required but this provision may be made in case of emergency
as all that is necessary is to carry a loose link with the vehicles.
In the case of Figure 4 the end has two spaces e and e¹ left in which a link R
may be inserted. These two spaces are for the purpose of compensating for any
irregularity in the levels of the vehicles such for instance as would take place if one
vehicle were loaded and the other empty as the link R might be in the bottom slot el
on one side and in the top slot e on the other side, i.e. supposing two couplings of the
same kind brought together as in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The action of these uplings
is as follows: Supposing hoth hooks to be down as seen by the diag Figure 6
and the two vehicles shunted together both hooks will rise as seen at figure 7 when
one of the hooks will be liberated and fall first into the position as seen at Figure 1
the other hook resting upon the point as there seen thus having a constant tendency
to hold the engaged book down.
For the purpose of disengaging these hooks I mount a bar M in the sockets N
finishing with the handles m² so that the bar turns easily in the said sockets. Upon
the said bar M I form two arms which project sufficiently to pass under the cross-
bars which are secured to the hooks K. The action is very simple. When the
handle M is moved downwards the hook is lifted with the utmost case. The bar M
may be divided in the centre so that the arms m³ could act separately and independent
of each other. Instead however of the arms m¹ I may substitute chain links m³ as
seen at Figure 3 in which case a hole is made in the hook to receive the said link.
Supposing a railway carriage to be standing with both its hooks up and that it is
desired to couple the said carriage to an engine it would then be necessary for the
He could
engine-driver to see that the hook at the back of his engine was down.
then shunt up to the railway carriage which would be automatically coupled to his
engine without any further trouble and this would be the case with any number of
vehicles situated one after the other. It will be obvious that in case one hook broke
the other hook could be brought into requisition so that while both hooks work
beautifully in conjunction the one with the other the coupling action takes place when
one book is broken. Where it is desired to use my new coupling in connection with
the present rolling stock and the ordinary screw couplings or chain couplings I form
the heel of the hook K with a supplemental hook as seen at Figure 5 this hook

page_text: being carried down sufficiently far or otherwise the end of the draw-bar E modified
in shape so as to allow the chain or other coupling to be applied.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
The improved device for coupling railway carriages together consisting of two
hooks mounted one at each end of the vehicle and engaging with the solid barse and ef
of the draw-bar E with the arrangement for uncoupling the same, substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth and shewn upon the drawings.