Improvements in Railway Vehicle Couplings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date claimed for Patent under Sect. 103 of Act,
being date of first Foreign Application (in 5th Oct., 1895.
United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 8th Feb., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 7th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 12th Dec., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, ALEXANDER ATKINSON of Armstreet, Huntsville, in the County of Madison,.
State Alabama, U.S.A., Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention consists in providing the coupling head with two pivotted plates
between which the head of the coupling link passes to engage therewith, the
pivotted plates being spring actuated and held against swinging movement in one
direction by flat springs having lugs with which the plates engage.
The upper part of the forward end of each flat spring is bent outwardly and
upon the coupling head is mounted a rocking shaft having projecting arms which
engage the outwardly bent ends of the flat springs and force these out of engagement
with the coupling plates. The rocking shaft may be operated from each side of
the vehicle by means of crank handles.
The flat springs may also he operated from the top of the vehicle through
vertical shafts journalled in in the top and bottom pieces of the coupling head.
The vertical shafts are connected together so that they may be rotated in unison
from a crank handle.
1000
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.
Improvements in Railway Vehicle Couplings.
I, ALEXANDER ATKINSON of Armstreet, Huntsville, in the County of Madison,
State of Alabama, U.S.A., Mechanic, 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 railway vehicle coupling adapted to be used in
connection with a coupling link of the arrow head type. The invention mainly
consists in providing the coupling head with two pivotted plates between which
the head of the coupling link passes to engage therewith, the pivotted plates being
spring actuated and held against swinging movement in one direction by flat

page_text: springs having lugs with which the plates engage, means being provided for throwing
the flat springs out of engagement with the plates.
In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention
Fig. 1.is a perspective view of the coupling mechanism.
Fig. 2 a longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 3 a horizontal sectional view
shewing the two coupling heads, one having the coupling mechanism and the
other the coupling link.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the brace plate.
A is the coupling head which is connected to the vehicle in the usual manner
and consists of side pieces A' connected to each other by cross pieces A³, A³, A',
the cross pieces A3 forming the top of the coupling head.
B are coupling plates centrally attached to vertical shafts b journalled in the
cross pieces A', A³, of the coupling head, and to the upper end of the shafts
are rigidly secured rearwardly projecting plates having lugs at their rear
ends with which springs c engage to hold the coupling plates B normally at
right angles with the side pieces A¹ of the coupling head. The springs c, c',
are attached to the top As of the coupling head and are provided with coils
as shewn. To the top A³ are secured pins c which limit the movement of the
springs c in one direction, and a bail or loop which limits the movement of
the springs c'.
D are brace plates provided with diverging members d'apertured to fit over
the upper end of the vertical shafts to which the coupling plates are attached,
one of the brace plates being located below the top of the coupling head while
the other is a considerable distance above the same, as shewn more clearly in
Fig. 2. The rear ends of the brace plates are rigidly secured to the coupling
head by a bolt d' which passes through the top A³, cross piece A*, and interposed
block d².
E are flat spring bars located within the coupling head and are connected to
the side pieces thereof by screws or bolts e, e¹, being connected to each other
by a cross piece into which the screws e pass. The rear ends of the bars E
are bent upon the cross piece and also bear against the cross piece A' to
further brace the same against rearward movement.
Near the forward end of each bar E and on the inner side thereof is formed a
lug E' and with these lugs the outer ends of the coupling plates B engage to prevent
the inner ends from swinging outwardly when the vehicles are coupled, the coupling
link engaging said inner ends, as hereinafter described. The upper part of the
forward end of each flat spring bar E is bent outwardly, as shewn at E, and upon
the coupling head is mounted a rock shaft F having projecting arms which
engage the curved surfaces E' and force the spring bars out of engagement with
the coupling plates. The ends of the rock shaft F extend a considerable distance
on either side of the coupling head and are provided with crank handles so that
said shaft can be operated from either side of the vehicle.
In order to operate the flat spring bars E from the top of the vehicle, I provide
two vertical shafts G, G', journalled in the top and bottom pieces of the coupling
head and provided with projecting portions or lugs G adapted to bear against
bars E to move them to one side. The shafts G, G¹, are connected to each other
by a rod g which is connected to arins projecting from the upper ends of said shafts
so that they will be turned in unison. One of the shafts is extended to the top of
the vehicle where it is cranked for operating it. Upon the coupling head is
attached a spring catch which engages a projecting portion on one of the shafts
to hold the spring bars E out of engagement with the coupling plates to permit the
coupling link to be withdrawn.
1 is the coupling link provided with a head i, the forward end of which is
rounded, and this link is pivotted to its coupling head so as to have a limited
horizontal swinging movement, being provided with springs which impinge
against the adjacent edges of the coupling head, the link being cut away adjoining
the springs, as shewn,

page_text: This invention provides an efficient automatic vehicle coupling having means for
uncoupling the vehicles from their sides and top and means for holding the spring
bars so that the coupling plates will be allowed to swing freely and permit the
insertion and withdrawal of the link when it is not desired to couple the vehicles
when they come together. It will be noted that the link can enter the coupling
head so that the heads will abut and the shock incident to the vehicles coming
together will not be thrown on the coupling mechanism.
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:-
1. In a railway vehicle coupling the combination with a coupling head, of
swinging plates B mounted therein upon vertical axes, springs for holding the
plates normally on a line with each other, and flat spring bars attached to the
coupling head and provided with lugs with which the coupling plates engage;
together with means for throwing the spring bars out of engagement with the
coupling plates, substantially as described and shewn, and for the purpose
specified.
2. In a railway vehicle coupling, the combination, of the swinging coupling
plates attached to vertical axes or shafts having at their upper ends rearwardly
projecting portions with lugs, springs carried by the coupling head and adapted to
engage said lugs to hold the coupling plates normally on a line with each other,
flat spring bars attached to the coupling head and provided with lugs with which
the coupling plates engage, and means for throwing the flat spring bars out of
engagement with the coupling plates, substantially as described and shewn, and for
the purpose specified.
3. In a railway vehicle coupling, the combination with the pivotted coupling
plates, of flat spring bars having outwardly curved ends and lugs with which the
coupling plates engage, and a rock shaft F having projecting arms which are
adapted to engage with the curved ends of the flat spring bars to throw them out
of engagement with the coupling plates, substantially as described and shewn.
4. In a railway vehicle coupling, the combination, of the pivotted plates B
pivotally supported in the draw head. and engaging means for holding them
normally on a line with each other, flat spring bars attached to the drawhead and
having lugs with which the outer ends of the coupling plates engage, vertical
shafts G, G', supported in the drawhead and provided with lugs adapted to engage
the flat spring bars, a rod connecting the shafts to each other, one of the shafts
being extended to the top of the vehicle, and a spring catch adapted to engage an
arm projecting from one of the vertical shafts, substantially as described and
shewn, and for the purpose specified.
5. In combination with the coupling mechanism constructed substantially as
shewn, of a coupling link I connected to its draw head so as to have a swinging
movement thereon and springs attached to the link and adapted to engage the
adjacent edges of the coupling head, the link being cut away adjoining the springs,
substantially as described and shewn.
6. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting the railway
vehicle coupling, substantially as described and shewn.
Chan 1906
THOMAS R. SHILLITO,
89 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.