Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Waggons and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Sept., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Waggons
and the like.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS, of No. 51, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, in the County
of Glamorgan, Coal Exporter, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
This invention relates to improvements in automatic couplings for railway
waggons and the like, and consists in applying to the end portion of the waggon,
an arrangement of levers and links. To effect this purpose, the coupling arrange-
ment is fitted to an eye formed at the end of the existing draw bars and a pin
through the eye of the draw bar carries a novel form of shackle ånd hook, the
shackle having a larger loop than usual, and has projecting horns attached to
the under side of the boss which prevents the shackle from assuming a lower
position than the horizontal.
Working on the same pin is the draw bar hook, this hook is also of peculiar
shape and is bent upwards near the boss so that it shall lie on the top surface of
the shackle and project sufficiently far forward, so as to engage with the shackle
on the adjacent truck.
The end of the hook is made with an inclined plane upon its nose or front
part so that when the waggons come into contact with each other the hook shall
automatically rise up and fall into the shackle thus coupling the waggons
together. The same appliances being affixed on to the buffer beams and draw.
bars at each end of the waggon.
The draw bar hook is not fixed in the centre line of the waggon but slightly to
one side so that the hooks on either waggon, shall clear each other when the
waggons are coupled or being coupled together and as each coupling arrangement
is a duplicate of the other it naturally follows that both hooks are in engagement
at one and the same time.
.
I
Upon the under side at or near the ends of the waggons, a transverse spindle
is placed, working in suitable brackets, at or near the centre of this spindle a
lever is keyed. This lever projects considerably beyond the end of the waggon
and is bent upwards at or about a right angle for a short distance from its
extreme end.
Two projecting pins are secured to the lever, one at its end and the other at
or near the angle formed by the bent-up portion and are for the purpose of
raising the draw-bar hook up out of the shackle and for pressing the draw-bar
hook and Keeping it down into the shackle when the waggons are coupled
together.
In order to manipulate this lever and to raise it up or force it down, I fix near
one of the ends of the transverse spindle a disc with a pair of projecting pins
in its face.
Upon the extreme end of this spindle, I place a rocking lever of considerable
weight, this weighted, lever when thrown over to one's or the other comes into
contact with the pins in the disc and thus operates the bent lever automatically
Side

page_text: keeping it up or down according to the position assumed, on either side of the
centre by the weighted lever.
Dated this 28th day of Santambor 1800
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway. Waggons
and the like.
I, WILLIAM THOMAS, of No. 51, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, in the County
of Glamorgan, Coal Exporter, 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 improvements in automatic coupling for railway
waggons and the like, and consists in applying to the end portion of the waggon,
an arrangement of levers and links. To effect this purpose, the coupling arrange-
ment is fitted to an eye formed at the end of the existing draw bars and a pin
through the eye of the draw bar carries a novel form of shackle and hook, the
shackle having a larger loop than usual, and has projecting horns attached to
the under side of the boss which prevents the shackle from assuming a lower
position than the horizontal.
Working on the same pin is the draw bar hook, this hook is also of peculiar
shape and is bent upwards near the boss so that it shall lie on the top surface of
the shackle and project sufficiently far forward, so as to engage with the shackle
on the adjacent truck.
The end of the hook is made with an inclined plane upon its nose or front
part so that when the waggons come into contact with each other the hook shall
automatically rise up and fall into the shackle thus coupling the waggons
together. The same appliances being affixed on to the buffer beams and draw
bars at each end of the waggon.
The draw bar hook is not fixed in the centre line of the waggon but slightly to
one side so that the hooks on either waggon, shall clear each other when the
waggons are coupled or being coupled together and as each coupling arrangement
is a duplicate of the other it naturally follows that both hooks are in engagement
at one and the same time.
Upon the under side at or near the ends of the waggons, a transverse spindle
is placed, working in suitable brackets, at or near the centre of this spindle a
lever is keyed. This lever projects considerably beyond the end of the waggon
and is bent upwards at or about a right angle for a short distance from its
extreme end.
Two projecting pins are secured to the lever, one at its end and the other at
or near the angle formed by the bent-up portion and are for the purpose of
raising the draw bar hook up out of the shackle and for pressing the draw bar
hook and keeping it down into the shackle when the waggons are coupled
together.
In order to manipulate this lever and to raise it up or force it down, I fix near
one of the ends of the transverse spindle a disc with a pair of projecting pins
in its face.
Upon the extreme end of this spindle, I place a rocking lever of considerable
weight, this weighted lever when thrown over to one side or the other comes into
contact with the pins in the disc and thus operates the bent lever automatically

page_text: keeping it up or down according to the position assumed, on either side of the
centre by the weighted lever.
In order that my invention may be the more readily understood, I hereby
refer to the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which
Figure 1 represents a side view and elevation of the ends of two trucks, pro-
vided with and coupled together by my automatic coupling;
Figure 2 is a plan in partial section of Figure 1.
Each of the trucks coupled together by means of my coupling are provided
with precisely similar attachments. These attachments therefore will be de-
scribed with special, reference to the left hand truck shewn in the drawings, but
it is to be understood that the same attachments are made to the right hand
truck also and to each of all of the trucks to which my invention is applied.
In Figure 1 and Figure 2 D is the draw bar shackle provided below with a
cam or projection E which permits the shackle 1) which is pivoted at F to be
raised but prevents it being lowered below a horizontal position. Pivoted on
the same pivot F and preferably between the jaws of the above mentioned draw
bar shackle is the draw bar hook G, which is provided at its front termination
with an inclined plane surface, which in the normal position of the draw bar
hook G. that is to say, when it is reposing horizontally on the draw bar shackle I)
makes an angle with the vertical. Running the whole width of the truck and
having its bearings in vertical brackets K is a shaft A. To this shaft A is
rigidly secured the lever arm B, forming a bent continuation of which is a second
lever-arm L a rod C extends horizontally underneath the hook G. The top of
the lever L also carries a second horizontal rod C' as is more particularly visible
in Figure 2: The end of the shaft A projects through its bearing in the cheek K
beyond the side of the truck, where it carries a disc W rigidly secured to it.
This disc W is provided with two pins N and N. A flat shaped weight H pro-
vided with a projecting pin or knob №2 is pivoted on the end of the shaft A.
The operation of the coupling is as follows:--
When the parts are arranged in their normal position, that is to say, as shewn
in Figure 1, and two trucks are brought together as in the drawing, the
horizontal draw bar shackle of the one car strikes against the inclined face of the
draw bar hook G on the other and raises it, travelling on in virtue of the
momentum of the car, whereupon the hook G having raised the rod C¹ the
levers B and L and turned the shaft A against the pressure of the weight H,
the hook G redescends into its original position engaging with the horizontal
draw bar shackle on the opposing car.
When I desire to disengage a hook G from the draw bar shackle in which it
is reposing, I seize the knob №2 on the weight H either by hand or by a shunting
pole and throw it over till it occupies the position shewn in dotted lines in
Figure 1. On its way to assume this position it strikes against the knob or
projection N and revolves the disc W and the shaft A, thereby raising the
lever B and the horizontal rod C, which striking against the under surface of
the hook G raises it into the position shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 1, in
which position it is retained by virtue of the weight H which remains in and
tends to remain in the position shewn by the dotted lines. When it is desired
to bring back the parts to their original positions so as to enable the hook G
to re-engage with the horizontal draw bar shackle on the opposing truck, I
throw over the weight H to its original position, striking against the knob or
projection N revolves the disc W and the shaft A towards the right, depressing
the levers B and L. and bringing the rod C¹ into forcible contact with the upper
surface of the hook G, thereby knocking it down into its original position. A
certain amount of play is left between the sides of the weight H and the
knobs N N as shewn in the drawing to enable the weight to get up a certain
amount of momentum before striking either of them, whereby the efficiency
and certainty of operation of the appliance is increased.
Instead of employing a horizontal rod C adapted to come in contact with and

page_text: raise the hook G the rod C¹ may be arranged in a bearing on the top of the
hook G. It then serves both to raise and depress it.
I have shewn the shaft A in the drawings as only projecting beyond the truck
and furnished with the disc W and the weight H on one side of the truck, but I
may advantageously arrange it to protrude from the truck on both sides, and
provided on both sides with these or equivalent attachments.
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. In a coupling for railway trucks, cars or other vehicles a coupling-hook
normally horizontal, resting in and loosely upheld by a. normally
horizontal shackle and provided with a front inclined plane surface
adapted to make contact with the front of the draw-bar shackle of the opposing
car to be raised thereby and subsequently return to its normal or locked position
of engagement therein substantially as shewn and described.
2. A bent bell-crank lever secured to a horizontal shaft and thereby con-
nected with a counterbalancing weight the said lever being adapted to raise a
coupling hook and to depress the same to its original horizontal or locked
position substantially as described:.
3. A weight for controlling the lever or levers adapted for raising or for
raising and depressing the draw-bar or coupling hook in automatic couplings
for railway trucks or the like vehicles freely pivoted but making contact with
two projecting pins or studs by making a striking contact with which the
required movement of the parts is effected substantially as described.
Dated the 28th day of June 1900
PHILLIPS & LEIGH
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.