Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 12th June, 1893--Accepted, 22nd July, 1893
To attaching these couplings to existing carriages a wrought-iron training is used
on which the coupling is mounted the framing being affixed to the body of the
carriage. With new carriages, however, the coupling is made in one piece with
the body of the carriage, obviating the use of a special framing.
At
To the spindle a, which is made of suitable strength and is provided up a certain
length with a screw thread, is attached the head c furnished with peculiarly shaped
claws b, the spaces between the latter being hollowed out in special curves.
the other end the spindle is provided with an incision in which a flat steel spring f
is firmly fixed. A cup-ring d, secured and adjusted by a screw, is brought over
the point of attachment of spring and spindle, and serves to hold the same firmly
together. The spring is thus in one complete piece with the spindle and must
follow the backward and forward motion of the latter. The spindle is mounted in
the framing r, composed of U-shaped irons and is traversed by cross-bars t¹t". A
spiral spring 9 is seated on spindle a abutting at one end against the transverse t¹
and at the other end against the thumb-piece h. The spring 9 tends to keep the
spindle a at its forward position.
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Seated on the spindle are, further, two chain wheels i, of equal size and bored so
as to allow of a nut k, provided with slide cheeks and working on the thread of the
spindle a moving freely in grooves cut in the bores of said wheels. A disc is
attached to the extended hub of the wheels i, and carries a cam e. Nut k and
chain wheels i rest against a packing u in the framing, said packing acting as a
fulcrum for the movement of the spindle. Spindle a is further provided with a slide
cheek m of prismatic form, working in a slit n of a guiding tube o.
A short length
of tubing is drawn over the guiding tube to prevent injury to the cheek m and its
guide. The flat spring fat the other end of the spindle terminates in a round
piece p, which also carries guide blocks q, working in a guiding tube s.
A separate chain passes round each wheel and over a chain roller v. With this
roller gear spur wheels w, which latter are actuated by the handle z and rotate
the chain rollers vand consequently the chain wheels i, either to the right or left
as may be required. Nut k, being enclosed by wheels i, must necessarily make the
same movement, causing the spindle, consequent on its being provided with a screw
thread to travel either forward or backward. All parts connected to the spindle
participate in the movements of the same.
Fig. 1 shows the coupling with the spindle in its most forward position, and
Fig. 3 the spindle in its most backward position.
The forward movement of the spindle causes the gradual approach of the thumb
piece towards the came on disc until at last they come into contact. On still
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page_text: further rotating the chain wheels i the cam e lifts the thumb piece h, which till then
has been lying slightly towards the side, and causes thereby a certain angular
rotation of the spindle, bringing the head of the same into the position shown in
Fig. 4. The couplings are thus released from one another. Spring is also
twisted during this movement. The angular rotation of the spindle is limited by
the slide block n in the guide m.
In the position shown in Fig. 4, the coupling is arranged for shunting purposes.
In order to maintain this position a shaft a, lying at right angles to the spindle, and
provided at both ends at the sides of the wagon with a hand-wheel, is attached to a
two-armed catch y set over the spindle. This catch is set back when the coupling
is in operation, whilst, when the coupling is brought into position for shunting, the
catch is dropped over the thumb-piece and holds it in its upright position, thus
preventing the spindle a from turning. If the catch is thrown back and the chain-
wheels rotated in a contrary direction, the thumb-piece h loses its hold on the cam e
of disc l, and consequently relieves the tension on spring f which draws the spindle a
and head into their first position ready for recoupling.
Upon two wagons being drawn together for coupling, the couplers are pushed
in as far as the buffers yield. For this purpose and to avoid fracture, the couplers
are made moveable in the direction of their axes, and the nut k can also slide freely
in the grooves of the chain-wheel bores. This play of the spindle allows of their
being used also as buffers.
Naturally the size and strength of the couplers varies with the size of the wagon.
When the couplers are in operation the claws have sufficient play-room to move
freely when passing round curves.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is : :-
1. In automatic couplings for vehicles, the combination of a spindle provided
with a screw-thread, along part of its length, of a three-claw head attached to said
spindle, a nut working on the screw thread of the same, chain-wheels, in the bore
of which the guide-pieces of the nut can move freely, a disc and thumb-piece
attached to and rotating with said chain-wheels, a thumb-piece rigidly attached to
the spindle, a spiral spring seated on spindle and a flat spring rigidly attached to
the end of said spindle, guide-cheeks attached to spindle and to the end of the flat
spring, chain-rollers and cog-wheel gearing for actuating the same, chains con-
necting said chain-wheels and rollers, a catch controlled from the sides of the wagon
and means for operating the whole substantially as and for the purpose herein
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In automatic couplings for vehicles, the combination with a spindle provided
with a claw-head, of a nut seated on the screw-thread cut in said spindle and
moving freely in grooves cut in the bores of two chain-wheels, thus allowing of the
double-motion of the coupling-spindle, substantially as and for the purpose herein
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
3. In automatic couplings for vehicles, the combination with a spindle provided
with a claw-head, of a catch for holding the spindle in a non-operating position
said catch being actuated from the side of the wagon substantially as and for the
purpose herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of June 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.