Improvements in Supporting Connections for Railway and like Rolling Stock.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1894--Accepted, 3rd Mar., 1894
Improvements in Supporting Connections for Railway and like
Rolling Stock.
1, HERMANN FIEDELEK, of Dohren, near Hanover, in the Empire of Germany,
Engineer, 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 means for connecting together railway carriages and
like rolling stock and has for its object, making the said carriages or rolling stock
reciprocally support each other, should a wheel or wheels leave the metals, or
should a tyre or tyres of the said wheel or wheels become split, hence the prevention
of accidents on the permanent way.
Thus by my invention the breaking of a tyre will not effect or imperil the safety
of a train, as the ends of the carriages supported by the defected or broken wheel
or wheels are supported or upheld by adjacent carriages.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing, represents a diagrammatic view of
ordinary rolling stock and provided with ordinary couplings.
Figure 2 represents an end view of the same.
In Figures 1 and 2 g, represents the general framing, p the wheels, p¹ the tyres
of them, o the ordinary couplings, s represents in dotted lines the position which a
wheel assumes after having left the metals, whilst the dotted lines t, represents the
position of the framing when off the metals.
Thus the dotted lines in Figure 1 represent the position which a wheel would
take assuming the same had left the metals, so that the general framings of the
rolling stock would follow the wheel, as also represented in dotted lines.
In such a case where the rolling stock is only connected by ordinary couplings,
then disastrous accidents must inevitably ensue by the wheels leaving the metals,
consequent upon the same breaking up, or the tyre of the same splitting.
Figure 3 represents in elevation the ends of two adjacent carriages, trucks or
the like, fitted or provided with slung coupling means arranged according to my
invention.
Figure 4 represents a section of the same on the dotted lines A B Figure 3 and
shows the two pairs of couplings of both carriages and how they are arranged in
double order so as to be reciprocal in their duties.
Figure 5 represents a plan of the same showing the disposition of the parts.
In Figures 3 to 5, a is the right hand carriage and the left-hand carriage.
The former carries supporting brackets c and d, and supported brackets e and f,
whilst the latter carries supporting brackets g and h, and supported brackets i and j.
The brackets g and e, which are respectively connected to the carriages a and b are
connected by a coupling chain k, whilst c and are also connected by a coupling
chain k, and h and fare connected by a chain k², and d and i by a chain k³.
Each coupling consists of a chain drawn taut by the screw ends k, taking through
screwed holes in the brackets, and the necessary drawing up being performed by
the nuts k³.
It will thus be seen that if the right hand side wheel of the carriage u, should
loose its tyre or break down, then the said right hand side is upheld by the
supporting bracket c, through the coupling, connected with the bracket j.
Should a right hand wheel of the left hand carriage b, break down, then the said
carriage b, is supported by the bracket g, through the coupling k, linked to the
supported bracket and the same would take place if the other side broke down.
In the modification shown in elevation in Figure 6, I substitute for the coupling

page_text: chain, an adjustable rod with hemispherical ends taking within hemispherical
seatings in the supporting and supported brackets.
Thus a and are the carriage ends, k is a rod with hemispherical ends 48, taking
into and seating themselves within hemispherical seatings k³, in the supporting and
supported brackets g and e.
Figure 7 represents an elevation of a supporting arm according to a modification
of my invention. Instead of employing brackets as in Figures 3 to 7 I may employ
these arms Figure 7, in which g is a supporting arm and is a link.
Figure 8 represents in elevation a still further form of coupling constructed,
arranged and provided with improvements according to another form of my
invention.
In this
Figure 9 represents a topside plan with some of the parts in section.
form of coupling the connection is semi-automatic. In Figure 8, a is the end of
the right hand carriage, and is the end of the left hand carriage. The former
carries a supporting bracket g, whilst the carriage carries a supported bracket e,
which has its front underside nose part e', fitted with a wiper or pawl stop arm ²,
jointed at e³, and adapted to move out of the way, on the link m, (supported from a
pin or pivot m², on a rising and falling arm n, pivoted at 2, to the bracket g,)
wiping under it. The said supported arm e, has a gap e, upon its underside for
receiving the lower end of the link, within the top wall of which gap or seating, the
link can turn as a fulcrum.
I
To bring the link up taut, the supporting bracket has a channel e, cut across it,
and receives a traversing wedge-shaped screw box w, through the axis of which, a
is made to rise and
screw w¹, passes, and by the rotation of this screw the arm n,
pull up the link m, into the gap e, hence the coupling.
In Figure 8, only one coupling, is represented whereas the same are always in
couples as in Figure 9, and the screw w¹, which traverses the wedge shaped screw
boxes, is right and left handed, so that the said boxes approach or recede from each
other, according to the direction in which the screw is turned, and it will be further
understood that the brackets and their couplings are arranged in exactly the same
order and in the same system as is represented in the preceding Figures 4, 5
and 6.
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 :-
First. In railway rolling stock, reciprocally supporting adjacent carriages by
supporting and supported brackets arranged in double order or in duplicate upon
the two opposite sides of the carriage ends, substantially as described and set forth
in Figures 3 to 9.
Secondly. In railway rolling stock, reciprocally supporting adjacent carriages
by supporting and supported brackets, arms or equivalents provided with coupling
links, chain or rods, substantially as described and set forth in Figures 3, 4, 6
and 7.
Thirdly. In railway rolling stock, the means herein described for reciprocally
supporting and coupling the ends of carriages, substantially as and for the purpose
as described and set forth in Figures 1 to 9.
Fourthly. In railway rolling stock, the combination with reciprocal supporting
couplings, of semi-automatic locking and tensioning, and which parts are com-
bined, arranged and applied substantially as described and set forth in Figures 8
and 9.
Dated this 27th day of Lonvang 1001
HERMANN FIEDELEK,
By Henry Skerrett,
6, Livery Street, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.