Improved Apparatus for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Wagons.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1894-Accepted, 14th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Wagons.
We SAMUEL HAMER of 32 Partington Lane Swinton near Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Joiner, and JOHN WILKINSON of The Haven Swinton Park
Irlam-o'th'-Height, in the said county, Corn Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to that class of apparatus for coupling and uncoupling
railway wagons wherein the centre link of the coupling chain is provided with
projecting stops acted upon by a swing-plate or lifter which is raised and thrown
forwards by means of a rocking shaft and "jib" and its action sideways is
controlled by means of universally jointed side levers and a controlling chain so
that the shunters or other men engaged in coupling and uncoupling railway wagons
or trucks can readily do so from either side without the necessity for passing in
between the wagons.
According to the present invention we employ the stops or projections on the
centre link of the coupling chains, the swing plate or lifter, the "jib" and rocking
shaft for lifting the same, but we dispense with the universally jointed side levers
and we control the action of the apparatus sideways in the following manner.
Instead of mounting the rocking shaft in fixed bearings attached to the buffer
plank or frame of the wagon or truck we carry the same in three blocks, one at the
centre and one at each end. This now acts as a controlling shaft only. The
centre block is mounted on vertical pivots, and the end blocks each slide horizontally
in loops or straps fixed to the buffer-plank or frame of the wagon or truck so that
the shaft as well as rocking on its axis as before can also swivel in a horizontal
direction to a limited extent. These three blocks also carry a second shaft which
we call the "lifting shaft" and which is parallel to the rocking shaft and necessarily
swivels with it but can revolve or rock on its axis independently thereof.
On the controlling shaft is fixed the lever which carries and actuates the "jib"
for raising the link and this lever is connected by a shackle and cranks to the
lifting shaft. The front end of the "jib" is jointed to the swing plate or lifter.
A short lever or handle is attached to each end of each shaft and it will be
evident that these levers being close together at the sides of the wagon or truck
the attendant can raise, advance, and drop the link with ease, and that any sideways
motion to carry the link round and place it immediately over the draw hook, may
be given by swivelling the shafts on their central pivots.
Dated this 11th day of September 1893.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Apparatus for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Wagons.
We SAMUEL HAMER of Partington Lane Swinton near Manchester in the
County of Lancaster, Joiner, and JOHN WILKINSON of The Haven, Swinton Park
Irlam-o'th'-Height in the same county, Corn Merchant, 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 that class of apparatus for coupling and uncoupling
railway wagons wherein the centre link of the coupling chain is provided with
projecting stops acted upon by a swing-plate or lifter which is raised and thrown
forward by means of a rocking shaft and "jib" and its action sideways is controlled
by means of universally jointed side levers and a controlling chain, so that the
shunters or other men engaged in coupling and uncoupling railway wagons or
trucks can readily do so from either side without the necessity for passing in
between the wagons; such, for example, as the invention described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 5020 granted to us and dated 8th March
1893.
The nature of our present invention and the manner in which the same is to be
performed or carried into practical effect, will be readily understood on reference
to the two sheets of drawings hereunto annexed and the following explanation
thereof.
Fig. 1 on Sheet 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of our improved coupling
apparatus showing the action thereof in dotted lines.
Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views of the same in different positions.
On Sheet 2 of the drawings Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the apparatus, and
Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views respectively of the controlling shaft and the lifting
shaft hereinafter more particularly referred to.
According to our present invention we employ the stops or projections on the
centre link a of the coupling chains, the swing plate or lifter b the "jib" c and a
rocking shaft for lifting the same but we dispense with the universally jointed side
levers and we control the action of the apparatus sideways in the following manner.
Instead of mounting the rocking shaft in fixed bearings attached to the buffer-
plank or frame of the wagon or truck we carry a shaft d in three blocks one e' at
the centre and one e at each end.
This shaft d now acts as a controlling shaft only. The centre block e is
mounted on a vertical pivot f carried by a fixed bracket g and the end blocks e
slide horizontally in loops or straps h fixed to the buffer plank or frame i of the
wagon or truck so that the shaft d (as well as rocking on its axis as before) can
also swivel in a horizontal direction to a limited extent.
17
These three blocks e ele also carry a second shaft k which we call the "lifting
shaft, and which is parallel to the " controlling" shaft d and necessarily swivels
with it but can revolve or rock on its own axis independently thereof.
On the "lifter" shaft k are fixed the levers which carry and actuate the "jib" c
for raising the link a and the latter is connected by chains m and cranked levers n
to the "controlling " shaft d.
"
The front end of the "jib c is jointed to the swing-plates or "lifters "b.
A short lever or handle p is attached to each end of each shaft, and it will be
evident that these levers being close together, and the two shafts d and k being
both capable of rocking independently of each other, the shunter or other attendant
can raise advance and drop the coupling link with ease, and that any sideways
motion to carry the link round and place it immediately over the draw hook o may
be given by swivelling the two shafts together horizontally on the central pivot f
is a curved balance lever keyed on the lifting shaft k to assist in counterbalancing
the weight of the link and "jib."

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
The improved apparatus for coupling and uncoupling railway wagons or trucks
without passing between the same, constructed and operating substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed, and especially we claim
in combination with the jib, swing-plates or lifters and levers for raising the same,
of the lifting and controlling shafts (and their adjuncts) so mounted that they can
each rock independently of each other, and also both swing or swivel together'
horizontally in the manner and for the purposes described.
Dated this 9th day of June 1894.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicants.