IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO COUPLING AND BUFFING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the Firm of Haseltine Lake
& Co. Patent Agents Southampton Buildings London for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO COUPLING AND BUFFING APPARATUS
FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES." A communication from abroad by Eli Hamilton
Janney, of the County of Fairfax, Virginia, United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said William Robert Lake at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th June 1882.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO
COUPLING AND BUFFING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES." A communi-
cation from abroad by Eli Hamilton Janney, of the County of Fairfax, Virginia,
United States of America.
This Invention consists mainly. in devices for uniting or coupling the vehicles
in a train, and in other devices employed in connection therewith for buffing
and maintaining the coupled vehicles in their proper positions relatively to each
other.
The said Invention is herein described under four heads namely.
First. The improved coupling apparatus for passenger-carriages.
Second. The improved buffer employed in connection with the said coupling
apparatus for passenger-carriages.
Third. The improved buffer for goods wagons or trucks.
Fourth. The improved coupling apparatus for goods wagons or trucks.
The first part of my Invention, namely that relating to the improved coupling
apparatus for passenger-carriages consists mainly in the combination of the lever-
arm of a rotating hook-nose with an oscillating locking block of special con-
struction. It also consists, in certain special details of construction all of which are
fully hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing.
Figure 1 represents a horizontal sectional view of the draw-head, and
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the coupling, and,
Figure 4 is a vertical section of the same.
Figures 5 and 6 represent elevations of the locking block enlarged.

page_text: Figure 7 is a side elevation of the lever and pivot-pin and adjacent parts
enlarged; and,
Figure 8 is a vertical section of the same.
The remaining Figures are hereinafter described.
A, Figure 1, represents a draw-head of the "Janney" type, which is provided
upon one side with the chamber a, for holding the spring of the locking block, and
upon the other side with a recess a¹ adapted to receive a corresponding projection b
Figure 3, upon the lever B as shown. a represents curved recesses in the top and
bottom plates of the draw-head; the purpose of these recesses will be hereinafter
described.
B, Figure 3, represents the lever-arm of the coupling-hook nose, which arm is
provided with the projection b before referred to, the inclined face b', and the curved
face 62 as shown. C, Figures 3, 5 and 6, represents the locking-block provided
with a hexagonal opening extending vertically through it and with arms c, c¹,
extending in opposite directions from the said opening as shown in Figure 3.
c3 Figure 5 represents a transverse notch in the short arm c¹ of the block and
cs, es, vertical projections located at the end of the long arm upon its upper and
lower sides as shown. c, Figures 3 and 5, represents a curved bearing-face upon
the extreme end of the long arm of the block as shown. D, Figures 4, 7, and 8
represents the pivot-pin to which is attached, at its upper end, the horizontal
lever d having the slot d' as shown. d2, Figure 8, represents a cylindrical portion
of the pin which forms the upper bearing; ds represents a tapering hexagonal
portion adapted to fit the vertical opening in the locking-block C; d' represents a
uniform hexagonal portion of reduced diameter adapted to fit the sleeve hereinafter
referred to; and d³ is a threaded cylindrical portion adapted to receive a nut as
shown. de represents a sleeve, located upon the lower hexagonal part of the pivot
pin which sleeve is provided with a bearing, surface d', adapted to support the
locking-block, and a bearing-surface d8 which rests against the draw-head and
forms the lower support for the aforesaid pivot-pin.
E, Figure 3, represents a bolt located in the chamber a of the draw-head; this
bolt extends through the transverse notch c² of the locking-block when the parts
are in their proper positions, and is provided with a washer e adapted to bear against
the short arm of the locking block, a coiled spring e' surrounding the same, a
retaining plate e², and a nut e³, as shown.
The operation of the above described apparatus is substantially as follows, that
is to say As the lever-arm attached to the nose of the coupling is swung back
into the recess of the draw-head the inclined face at the end of the same comes in
contact with the end of the long arm of the locking block, and, swinging the same
upon its pivot-bearings, passes in behind it. The locking-block being released by
the passage of the arm, returns to its normal position and securely locks the same.
The lever-arm is like the tooth of a pinion and the locking-block like a pivoted
pawl employed in connection therewith to arrest the retrograde movement of the
said arm.
When it is desired to uncouple the vehicles the pivot-pin and locking-
block are revolved by means of the lever d attached to the said pin. The adjacent
bearing faces of the locking block and the lever-arm constitute arcs of a circle
drawn from the centre of the said pivot-pin, and hence the block is permitted to
move upon the arm, in uncoupling, with a minimum amount of friction.
projections c³, and the recesses in which they move, coincide in curvature with the
line of movement of the block, so that the binding of one part upon the other is
rendered impossible. By means of these projections and recesses the strain given
to the pivot-pin by the pressure of the lever-arm upon the locking block is
transferred in part to the draw-head.
The
The upper hexagonal portion of the pivot-pin being made tapering in form, and
the opening of the locking block being made to correspond, it follows that the
latter may be tightly secured to the former by simply screwing up the nut, by
means of which action the sleeve supporting the block will be raised and necessarily
give the latter vertical movement upon the pivot-pin.

page_text: By means of the special construction of the apparatus above described greater
simplicity in construction is obtained with increased efficiency in action.
The second part of the said Invention namely that relating to the improved
buffer to be employed in connection with the coupling apparatus for passenger
carriages, consists, mainly, in the combination with the coupling apparatus above
described, of certain special buffing mechanism.
Referring to the Drawing,
Figure 9 represents a plan or top view of my improvements as applied to the
framework of a railway vehicle and,
.
Figure 10 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
Figure 11 is a view of a yoke detached.
Figure 12 is a view of a horn detached.
Figure 13 is a view of an equalizing bar detached and,
Figure 14 represents two views of an adjustable T-bolt, detached.
A represents the coupling constructed as described.
a represents a stud or horn
extending through the shank of the coupling apparatus and projecting above and
below the same. B represents a yoke or yoke-lever pivotted to the vehicle platform;
the lower end of this yoke lever bears against the lower projection of the horn as
shown in Figure 10. b represents an opening extending through the said yoke-
lever at, or near, its upper end and adapted to receive the bolt D, hereinafter
referred to; b¹ represents an opening located between the upper opening b and the
pivot point of the lever, which opening is adapted to receive the bolt C, as shown.
This bolt C, it will be observed, extends through the opening b' in the yoke-lever,
and also through a proper opening in the upper projection of the horn a of the
coupling as shown and unites the two together by means of its T-head c, Figure 14,
and the nut c¹ as shown.
When these parts are in their proper normal position, the stud or horn a of the
coupling bears against the nut c¹ of the bolt, and hence any forward movement of
the former, will give movement to the latter, a raw forward the upper end of
the yoke-lever B. a' backward movement of the said stud, however, beyond its
normal position will not be communicated to the bolt for the reason that the
former, by means of its opening, simply moves along the latter without active
contact with it.
Provision is made for determining the effective length of this bolt by providing
the same with a slot c², Figure 14, by means of which the nut c¹ may be secured by
means of a cotter-pin at any desired point. The bolt D before referred to as
extending through the opening 6 of the yoke-lever B is provided at one end with
a T-head and its other end is screw-threaded and provided with a nut as
shown.
E represents the equalizing-bar, having a central opening through which the
bolt D passes, and end openings, by means of which connection is made with the
rear ends of the buffer-shanks. F represents a spring which may be of any suitable
construction encircling the said bolt D, and f, f1, Figure 9, represent washers forming
proper bearings for its ends as shown. G, G, represent the buffer-shanks which may
be of any suitable construction.
The operation of the said apparatus is substantially as follows, that is to say,
any movement of the coupling apparatus from its normal position, either in a
forward or in a rearward direction will give movement to the upper end of the
yoke-lever in a forward direction. This movement of the yoke-lever is directly
communicated to the bolt D, and from the bolt D, by means of the intermediate
spring F, to the equalizing-bar E and buffer shanks G. The spring F, it will be
understood, forms an clastic connection, which is interposed between the coupling
and the buffing mechanism for the purpose of permitting the increased movement
of the upper end of the yoke-lever without the breakage of any part. This will be
understood when it is considered that if the yoke-lever were rigidly united to the
equalizing-bar and buffing shanks, its increased movement over that of the coupling
would be directly communicated to the buffer-heads on one vehicle, which, are in

page_text: close contact with those of the opposite vehicle and hence the breakage of some
part must occur. By means of the said intermediate elastic connection, the
increased movement of the yoke-lever is communicated to the buffer-heads as
increased pressure.
The third part of the said Invention namely that relating to the improved buffer
for goods wagons or trucks consists mainly in the combination of a rigid stop or
buffer-block located upon the draw-head with a yielding buffer-bar extending
through the buffer-beam, as more fully hereinafter described.
Referring to the Drawing,
Figure 15 represents a side elevation of my improved buffer with parts adjacent
thereto in section, and
Figure 16 a plan or top view of the same.
A represents the draw-head which may be of the " Janney" type or of any other
suitable construction. a represents a stop or buffer-block rigidly secured to the
said draw-head at the proper point, and provided, upon its rear side, with a bearing
face as shown. B represents the buffer-bar which is suitably supported on the
fre nework of the vehicle, in such a manner as to move freely in a longitudinal
di etion. b represents the front portion of the, bar, which extends through a
P per opening in the buffer-beam, and is provided with a bearing face, as shown.
represents the rear portion of the said bar and 62 a spring which encircles the
me and is adapted to resist the rearward movement of the bar.
"
When the parts are in their normal positions the bearing faces of the bar and
block lie in close contact, the spring of the bar being slightly compressed by the
action of the draught-spring of the coupling, so that no lost motion can occur.
The operation of the said apparatus is substantially as follows, that is to say.
When the draw-head is moved in a rearward direction by the buffing action its
rigid block a bearing against the buffer-bar, moves the latter and consequently the
resistance of its spring is exerted to check the movement. Some of the advan-
tages of the above described construction are as follow:-By the employment of a
block upon the drawhead, and a central buffer-bar the dead blocks ordinarily
employed at the sides may be dispensed with. By means of this special construc-
tion, also the reaction of the buffer-springs may be employed to overcome the
inertia, in starting a long train of vehicles, by setting the brake on the last vehicle
and backing up the engine in the manner well, understood.
The fourth part of the said Invention, namely that relating to the improved
coupling apparatus specially designed for use upon goods wagons or trucks
consists mainly in the combination of a specially constructed lever-arm, of a
rotating book-hose, with a specially constructed locking-pin, as hereinafter more
fully described.
Referring to the Drawing,
Figure 17 represents a side elevation of my improved coupling apparatus and,
Figure 18 a plan or top view of the same,
Figure 19 is a side elevation partially in section.
Figure 20 represents the lever arm detached.
Figures 21, 25 and 27 are various views illustrating the action of the lever-arm
and locking pin, and,
«
Figures 22, 23, 24, and 26, various views of a modified construction.
"
A represents the draw-head of the coupling apparatus which may be of the
Janney or other suitable type. a, Figure 20, represents a hook-nose adapted to
rotate on a proper pivot-pin and provided with the lever-arm as having the inclined
face a² as shown. B, Figure 21, represents a locking pin which is held in the draw-
head, in such a manner as to move freely in a vertical direction. b represents an
inclined face upon one side of the said pin, and 6' a downwardly-extending stud or
bolt, which may be provided with a spring 62 and a nut b³ for securing the latter
in place. The end of the said lever-ariu is so held relatively to the locking-pin,
that when it is swung in a rearward direction its inclined face comes in contact
with the inclined face upon the locking pin.

page_text: The operation of this apparatus is substantially as follows, that is to say ;-As the
lever arm swings backward when the hook nose is being closed the inclined face of
its lever arm is caused to come in contact with the inclined face of the locking
pin as shown in the first view of Figures 21 and 25. By the continued movement
of the said arm the locking pin is raised against the action of the spring 6* as
shown in the second view of Figure 21 and in Figure 27, until the same is high
enough to permit the arm to pass beneath it into the recess behind it, the pin being
unsupported after the passage of the arm, returns to its normal position and then
locks the lever arm as shown in the third view of Figure 21 and also in Figure 19.
The lever arm may be released at any time by simply raising the locking pin to the
proper height. I will now describe the modified construction of the said apparatus.
C, Figure 22, represents the lever-arm which is provided with a double inclined
face. c, Figure 23, represents the locking pin which is provided with corresponding
inclined faces. ct, Figures 23 and 26, represents a shoulder upon the locking pin.
The purpose of the double inclined faces is to give to the end of the lever arm a
greater bearing surface upon the pin as shown in the last view of Figure 24. The
purpose of the shoulder c¹ is to provide means for holding the locking pin in a
raised position as shown in Figure 26 when it is desired to prevent the automatic
action of the said locking pin.
The special advantages of this construction of apparatus are that it is automatic
in its action, and that it is exceedingly simple in its construction.
Having thus fully described the said Invention as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, and the manner of performing the same, I wish it under
stood that I claim,
The improvements set forth under, and substantially as described and illustrate.
with reference to, the aforesaid four heads of my Invention for the purposes
specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Robert Lake have hereunto set my
hand and seal this Ninth day of June in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty two.
W. ROBT. LAKE. (L.S.)