MEANS OF COUPLING A CARRIAGE OR TRUCK TO A RUNNING TRAIN
Year: 1884

page_text: "
I, EUSTACE RUPERT PRENTICE of Stowmarket in the county of Suffolk,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my said invention for MEANS OF
COUPLING A CARRIAGE OR TRUCK TO A RUNNING TRAIN" to be as follows:-
My invention relates to means of coupling a carriage or truck to a railway train
while it is in motion. For this purpose, I provide on the vehicle that has to be
coupled to the train, a barrel on which is wound a considerable length of rope, the
barrel being provided with an adjustable brake or resistance. I place this vehicle
on a siding to the main line, leading the end of the rope, which is provided with a
ring or loop, to a suitable support by the main line. On the last carriage of the
running train I arrange a hook projecting so as to engage, in passing, with the
end of the rope. As the train proceeds, it draws the rope unwinding it from
the barrel in opposition to the brake or resistance, and thereby starting the
vehicle and gradually increasing its speed until it attains that of the train, where-
upon the rope is again wound on the barrel, so as to bring the vehicle up to the
end of the train. For the purpose of thus winding up the rope, the barrel may be
driven by frictional gearing from a running axle of the vehicle. The vehicle
coupled as above described may be used for taking up and setting down passengers,
in which case I prefer to make it with a longitudinal passage, corresponding with a
passage in the hinder part of the train, so that passengers occupying the vehicle
before it is started can, after it reaches the train, pass from it into the body thereof,
and passengers can enter it from the train to be set down on slipping the coupling
at an advanced station.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant,
28, Southampton Buildings,
London, W.C.

page_text: I, EUSTACE RUPERT PRENTICE of Stowmarket in the county of Suffolk,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "MEANS OF COUPLING
A CARRIAGE OR TRUCK TO A RUNNING TRAIN " and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
My invention relates to means of coupling a carriage or truck to a railway train
while it is in motion. For this purpose, I provide on the vehicle that has to be
coupled to the train a barrel on which is wound a considerable length of rope, the
barrel being provided with an adjustable brake or resistance. I place this vehicle
on a siding to the main line, lending the end of the rope which is provided with a
On the last carriage of the
ring or loop, to a suitable support by the main line.
running train, I arrange a hook projecting so as to engage, in passing, with the
end of the rope. As the train proceeds it draws the rope, unwinding it from
the barrel in opposition to the brake or resistance and thereby starting the
vehicle and gradually increasing its speed until it attains that of the train, where-
upon the rope is again wound on the barrel so as to bring the vehicle up to the
end of the train. For the purpose of thus winding up the rope, the barrel may be
driven by frictional gearing from a running axle of the vehicle. The vehicle
coupled as above described may be used for taking up and setting down passengers,
in which case I prefer to make it with a longitudinal passage corresponding with a
passage in the hinder part of the train so that passengers occupying the vehicle
before it is started can, after it reaches the train pass from it into the body thereof,
and passengers can enter it from the train to be set down on slipping the coupling
at an advanced station.
The accompanying drawing of the underframe of a vehicle illustrates diagram-
matically starting mechanism according to my invention. A is the rope which has
been attached to the running train and which is being unwound from the barrel B.
By the strain on the rope while the vehicle is acquiring velocity, the barrel B which
is capable of swinging a little, is pulled in opposition to a spring C, so that a
wheel on its axis is out of contact with the brako D and the barrel is therefore
free to revolve unwinding the rope, while the strain on the spring C continues to
accelerato the vehicle. When the vehicle attains the velocity of the train which is
dragging the rope, the strain on the spring ceases and the brake D-now acting on
the wheel b prevents further unwinding of the rope. On now withdrawing the
brake by means of the lever E, the spring O brings the wheel b into contact
with a smaller wheel F, and a wheel G (which is on the same swinging axis with F)
into contact with a smaller wheel fixed on one of the running axles of the
vehicle. By the frictional contact of EL with G and of F with the barrel Bis
now driven so as to again wind on the rope A and so to bring the vehicle up to
the train which started it, whereupon the vehicle can be coupled to the train.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is
1, The herein described method of coupling a vehicle to a running train, by
engaging with the train a rope wound on a barrel on the vehicle that is coupled
while this vehicle is in a siding, allowing the rope to be unwound from the
barrel against a regulated resistance and when the vehicle has attained sufficient
velocity, re-winding the rope by frictional gearing driven from a running axle of
the vehicle.
2. The arrangement of apparatus for coupling a vehicle to a running train
substantially as described and illustrated by the accompanying drawing.