Improvements in Couplings for Railway and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1899-Accepted, 29th June, 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway and like Vehicles.
I, JOSEF KELLER, of Laggenbeck, near Ibbenbüren, in the Empire of Germany,
Mechanician, 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 a coupling for railway vehicles which is adapted to
be operated from the sides of the train by means of a cross shaft or the like,
which, on being rotated in one direction causes the coupling to be formed into
a rigid piece of mechanism which it then lifts and hooks in position, while turn-
ing in the reverse direction disengages the gear and tightens the coupling. The
coupling together of the link, on to the carriage hook is by preference effected
with an elastic joint either for the link or loop only, or for both the said link
and the carriage hook.
I will now proceed, to describe my invention with reference to the accom-
panying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section.
Figure 2 is a plan of the improved coupling showing it in engagement with
and tightened on the carriage hook.
Figure 3 is a detail view of the shaft for operating the coupling.
Figure 4 is a modified form of coupling showing it in engagement with the
hook but not tightened in position, and
Figure 5 shows, a plan of the main-coupling, the auxiliary coupling being
omitted from the drawing.
The construction and arrangement of my improved coupling and the manner
of operating it will be clearly understood from the following description.
In bearings 2 fixed to the buffers 1 is carried a shaft which consists essen-
tially of three parts connected by universal joints 8, 8, adapted to be rotated in
both directions by a suitable handle 5 which can be placed upon one of its square
ends near the sides of the vehicle. The central portion of this shaft passes
freely through an aperture in the coupling hook 7 secured in the end 6 of the
carriage. The middle portion of the shaft 3 is disposed horizontally to the
coupling hook 7, and its outer ends are connected to the universal joints 8, 8,
thus allowing said ends to lie at an angle to the middle portion, as shown at
Figure 3. On the middle portion of the shaft 3 is mounted the loose hook 9,
the apex of which is directed backwards, its forked branches being mounted on
each side of the coupling hook 7. Outside this loose hook there is provided a
Ushaped piece 10 likewise loosely mounted; and centrally within this U-piece
is a tightening screw 11 so arranged as to be prevented from endwise motion,
an internally threaded cross-piece or nut 12 is adapted to slide on this screw 11
having on both sides a pin 23. By turning the screw-spindle 11 the cross
piece 12 carried by the same, assumes a backwards and forwards sliding move-
ment. On the free end of the spindle 11 there is rigidly mounted a stop nut 28,
by which the movement of the cross-piece 12 is limited in this direction.

page_text: The trunnions 23 of the nut 12, serve to carry a coupling member 13, which,
when swung vertically, abuts against a stop 14 provided on the nut 12. The
screw 11 is keyed to a toothed wheel 15 in gear with a similar wheel 16 on a
shaft 18 supported in the U-shaped extension 17 of the frame 10. This shaft 18
carries at its rear end a bevel wheel 20 in gear with another bevel wheel 19
on the shaft 3. To the side opposite the U-shaped extension, there is secured
to the piece 10 an arm 21, the free end of which is off-set, and slotted so as to
form a guide 22 for one of the trunnions 23 of the screw nut 12. The rear
end of the said arm is formed with a downwardly directed tail 24 adapted, upon
the coupling being engaged, to bear against a stud 25 rigidly fitted to the
hook 9 (see Figure 1).
In the form of coupling shown in Figures 4 and 5 the coupling loop 13, for
the purpose hereinafter stated, is adapted to yield, under spring pressure, in a
downward and rearward direction, this being effected by causing a pin 26 thereon
to engage behind one end of a spiral spring 27, the other end of which is rigidly
attached to one of the pins 23.
The tension of this spring resists the turning down of the loop 13 at the
moment of lifting up the coupling in order to engage it in the carriage hook,
the loop then striking against said carriage hook from below.
The coupling illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 is used in the following manner.
Before the loop 13 which is pivoted on the trunnions of the nut 12 is brought
into engagement with the carriage hook 7, the screw nut 12 with the said loop
is at the outer end of the screw 11 close against the stop nut 28 (see Figure 5).
This renders further motion of the screw 11, and gear wheels 15, 16, 19 and 20
(see Figure 5) impossible in this direction. The coupling, thus rendered rigid,
can now be lifted from its hanging position by turning the handle 5 so that the
loop 13 strikes against the carriage hook 7 until it finally escapes upwards under
the action of the spiral spring, after which it can be lowered into engagement
with the hook 7 as is shown by full lines Figure 4.
The shaft 3-is then turned in the reverse direction (towards the left) which
brings the gears 19, 20, 16 and 15 into action, causing the screw 11 to revolve
and the nut 12 with its loop 13 to recede from the stop nut 28 (see Figure 5)
and so tighten the coupling. This motion ceases when the coupling is tightly
stretched or when the nut 12 comes against the wheel 15, which renders further
rotation of the shaft 3 in this direction impossible.
The coupling at the end of the other carriage is then hooked on the auxiliary
hook 9 by rotating the shaft 3 thereof, and so forms a safety coupling. In order
to facilitate this hooking-on of the safety coupling, the hook 9 during the move-
ment of the main coupling from its hanging position into the upper position,
has been caught by the tail 24 acting against the pin 25, and has thereby been
moved from a downwardly inclined position into a forwardly inclined position as
shown in dotted lines in Figure 4, so as to enable the left loop or eye 13 to
engage in it. Moreover the hook 9 is loose on the shaft 3, and can thus set
itself according to the pull from the loop 13.
To unfasten the coupling the handle 5 is placed on the square of the shaft 3
and rotated; there being but one direction possible for rotating the shaft 3, see-
ing that it is tight already, and cannot be rotated in the direction for fastening.
The shaft 3 is rotated until the nut 12 on the screw I comes against the
stop 28 (Figures 4 and 5). Then by further rotation in the same direction the
screw 11 as also the wheels 15, 16, 19 and 20, stop, and the coupling is rendered
rigid for the time being, and this causes the loop 13 to be lifted out of the
hook 7. The loop 13 as hereinafter explained swings upwards against the
stop 29 in which position it remains, and allows the coupling to be lowered.
By disengaging the upper loop 13 from the carriage hook 7, the tail 24 causes
the safety hook 9 to be lifted and thus removed from the lower loop 13 and
thus both couplings are unfastened by the rotation of the one shaft.
If desired, the stop 29 may be slightly elastic, so that when the loop 13 is

page_text: rown forcibly against it said loop will be thrown back, while when gemuy
rought against it, it will remain near it.
By my improved device coupling can be effected when vehicles are close
ogether.
In the modification shown in Figures 1 and 2 the action of the coupling is
imilar, the difference being that the vehicles to be coupled must be some distance
performed, so that the loop 13 supported
part before the coupling operation
y the rigid piece 14 can turn freely before the hook 7, whereupon the two
ehicles can be approached together and the loop can engage the hook. In the
modification, shown in Figures 4 and 5, the coupling operation can be effected
o matter what position the vehicles occupy. The rear coupling of the last
ehicle in a train can be hooked together as shown by dotted lines at the left
of Figure 4.
Assuming the loop 13 Figures 4 and 5 is already uncoupled and set free by
the hook, it will be in the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 4. By
the power, with which the frame 10, spindle 11 and loop 13 are lifted and by
the yielding action of spring 27 the said loop is thrown upwards and would be
liable to fall backwards on the frame 10. To overcome such action, there is
provided on the lock nut 12 and rigidly connected thereto a stop 29, which may
be yielding or not, for arresting the loop 13 in its turning movement. In con-
sequence thereof the loop 13 is prevented from further turning backwards on
the frame 10. The stop 29 may if desired be made somewhat yielding.
From the foregoing description it will be obvious that operations effecting the
coupling can be performed from the sides of the vehicle casily, quickly and
without the attendant dangers of the ordinary couplings.
I wish it understood that the constructional details of the parts of my improved
coupling may be altered to suit existing conditions without however departing
from the nature and spirit of my invention for instance the loop 13 instead of
being spring controlled, may be rigid, while the hook may be spring controlled
and revoluble.
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 railway coupling adapted to be operated from the sides of the vehicle in
which the rotation of a shaft in one direction first causes the parts of the coup-
ling to become a rigid structure and then by further rotation causes it to be
lifted up and fastened, substantially as herein before described.
2. In the railway coupling as claimed in Claim 1 the arrangement for un-
fastening the coupling by turning the shaft 3 in a reverse direction to that of
fastening the coupling, substantially as described.
3. In a railway coupling as claimed in Claim 1 a spring controlled pivotted
coupling loop 13 adapted to slip by the carriage hook while the other parts of
the coupling are temporarily converted into a rigid structure and then engage
in the said hook substantially as hereinbefore described.
4. In a railway coupling as claimed in Claim 1 a rotatable carriage hook 7
for use with a rigid coupling loop and adapted to turn out of the path of the
loop while the latter is being raised but return and engage the same immediately
afterwards, substantially as herein before described.
5. In a railway coupling as claimed in Claim 1 a coupling loop provided with
0 a stop 29 for facilitating its return motion, such stop may (or may not) be made
springy or elastic, substantially as hereinbefore described.
55
6. In a railway coupling as claimed in Claim 1 the combination of a shaft 3,
a tightening screw 11 nut 12 and a stop nut 28, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
7. In a railway coupling as claimed in Claim 1 the combination of a shaft 3,

page_text: tightening screw 11, nut 12 stop nut 28 loop 13 and gearings 15, 16 and 19, 20
substantially as hereinbefore described.
8. In a railway coupling as claimed in Claim 1 the combination of a shaft 3,
tightening screw 11, nut 12, stop nut 28, coupling link 13, gearings 15 16, 19 20,
a pivot bolt 23 and spiral 27, substantially as herein before described.
Dated this 29th day of June 1899.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.