Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1887
Complete Left, 28th Nov., 1887
Complete Accepted. 30th Dec., 1887
ROTTING DI
I, THOMAS GRACE, of Fullflood, Winchester in the County of Hants, Builder, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
of
My invention relates to coupling apparatus for the rolling stock of railways in
which the operations of coupling and uncoupling are effected by means
levers from the sides of the vehicles without requiring the operator to get between
these.
For this purpose I pivot to the back of the draw hook of each vehicle a link having
a tail that is pivotted to a vertically sliding weight situated against the end of the
vehicle, and through a slotted opening in which the bar of the draw hook passes.
The upper end of the weight is connected to the ends of two levers that are each
carried in two loops fixed on the end of the vehicle and whose free ends extend
sufficiently beyond the sides of the vehicle to constitute handles.
The inner loop constitutes the fulcrum of the lever which is however not pivotted
thereto but merely bears with a shoulder thereon the loop being made of sufficient
width to allow the lever to slide laterally to and fro therein according as the weight
moves in and out to a certain extent with the draw bar and link. The outer loop is
divided by a horizontal stud into an upper and a lower compartment and the outer
side of the loop is not fixed to the end of the stud but is formed with spring action,
so that it can be sprung away from the end of the stud sufficiently to allow the end of
the lever to be drawn up or down between the two, in moving it from the one compart-
ment to the other. By lowering the outer end of the lever its inner end is made to
raise the weight and thereby to bring the coupling link into a horizontally extended
position, so that when the ends of two vehicles are brought together, the link will rise
over the nose of the opposite hook and then fall into it. To facilitate this, the front
end of the link is in one arrangement made with a spring knife joint, so that when it
comes in contact with the coupling hook, it can rise at an angle to the horizontally
extended part. By means of the articulation also, the link, when coupled is enabled

page_text: to sink down on its joint when the ends of the vehicles are brought nearer together
than the distance for which the length of the coupling link is intended.
For uncoupling, the vehicles having been brought sufficiently near together for the
link to be clear of the draw hook, the lever is raised from the lower to the upper
compartment of its loop so as to allow the weight to fall, and in depressing the tail of
the coupling link, to raise this up, free of the hook.
When the vehicles have been moved apart, the coupling link is again brought to the
horizontally extended position.
According to another modification of the coupling link, I construct this without the
before mentioned articulation, but I provide in the outer end thereof a pivotted block
extending inwards somewhat and formed a curved face against which the draw hook
bears, the block being counterweighted so that it tends to lie in the horizontally
extended position within the loop of the link but it can be turned down against the
action of the counterweight so. as to leave more space within the link. Thus the link
being engaged with the opposite hook, which bears against the end of the block as
described, then, in raising the link for uncoupling the block which is held by the hook
will turn down on its pivot and will thus become disengaged from the hook and be
free to rise with the link, without the necessity of pushing the vehicles closer together
for freeing the link from the hook as in the previous case.
The drawhooks and links are so arranged that after the one link has been coupled
on the opposite hook, the opposite hook being at the time in the raised position, this
be lowered; on to its hook, over the other link so as to effect double
can
coupling.
Another improvement relates to the side coupling chains. Instead of providing on
the end of each vehicle two lengths of side chain, which are coupled to the corre
sponding side chains of the other vehicle, I provide on each vehicle a single length of
chain, hanging in a loop from two hooks situated close to the buffers, so as to be within
easy reach from the side of the vehicle. Each chain is of sufficient length to reach
from its one hook diagonally across to the hook on the opposite side of the other
vehicle, so that for coupling the vehicles together the operator only has to lift the one
end of the one chain off its hook and to place it on the hook on the same side of the
other vehicle, and in like manner to lift the second chain off this hook and place it
upon the free hook on the same side of the first named vehicle. By this means a
coupling consisting of two chains crossing each other diagonally will be obtained.
Dated this 28th day of January 1887.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: CHC
Rolling Stock of Railways.
I, THOMAS GRACE, of Fullflood, Winchester, in the County of Hants, Builder, 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:-
My invention relates to coupling apparatus for the rolling stock of railways in
which the operations of coupling and uncoupling are effected by means of levers
from the sides of the vehicles without requiring the operator to get between
these.
I will proceed to describe my improvements with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which Fig. 1 shews the coupling gear of two trucks or carriages in the
coupled position, Fig. shews the same in the uncoupled position, Fig. 3 shews an
end view of one carriage, Fig. 4 shows a plan of the two sets of gear coupled and
Figs. 5 to 11 shew detached details to a larger scale.
I pivot to the back of the draw hook G of each vehicle a link F having a tail or
tails F that is or are pivotted to a vertically sliding weight C situated against the end
of the vehicle, and through a slotted opening in which the bar of the draw hook
passes. The upper end of the weight is connected to the ends of two levers B B that
are cach carried in two loops D E fixed on the end of the vehicle and whose free ends
extend sufficiently beyond the sides of the vehicle to coustitute handles.
The inner loop D constitutes the fulcrum of the lever which is however not pivotted
thereto but merely bears with a shoulder thereon, the loop being made of sufficient
width to allow the lever to slide laterally to and fro therein according as the weight
moves in and out to a certain extent with the draw bar and link. The outer loop E is
divided by a horizontal stud e into an upper and a lower compartment and the outer
side e' of the loop is not fixed to the end of the stud but is formed with spring action
so that it can be sprung away from the end of the stud sufficiently to allow the end of
the lever B to be drawn up or down between the two, in moving it from the one
compartment to the other. By lowering the outer end of the lever its inner end is
made to raise the weight. C and thereby to bring the coupling link F into a horizon-
tally extended position as at Fig. 1 and at the right hand of Fig. 2, so that when the
ends of two vehicles are brought together, the link will rise over the nose ġ of the
opposite hook and then fall into it. To facilitate this, the front end of the link is in
one arrangement made with a knife joint so that when it comes in contact with the
coupling hook, it can rise at an angle to the horizontally extended part. By means of
the articulation, also, the link, when coupled is enabled to sink down on its joint when
the ends of the vehicles are brought nearer together than the distance for which the
length of the coupling link is intended.
For uncoupling, the vehicles having been brought sufficiently near together for the
link F to be clear of the draw hook & the lever B is raised from the lower to the
upper compartment of its loop E so as to allow the weight to fall, and in depressing
the tail of the coupling link, to raise this up, free of the hook as shewn at the loft
hand of Fig. 2.
When the vehicles have been moved apart, the coupling link is again brought to the
horizontally extended position.
According to another modification of the coupling link, I construct this without

page_text: the before mentioned articulation, but I provide in the outer end thereof a pivotted
block as shewn at M Fig. 12 extending inwards somewhat and formed with a curved
face m against which the draw hook bears, the block being counter-weighted at m¹ so
that it tends to lie in the horizontally extended position within the loop of the link but
it can be turned down, against the action of the counterweight so as to assume the
dotted position so as to leave more space within the link. Thus the link being engaged
with the opposite hook, which bears against the end of the block as described, then in
raising the link for uncoupling, the block, which is held by the hook, will turn down
on its pivot and will thus become disengaged from the hook and be free to rise with
the link without the necessity of pushing the vehicles closer together for freeing 'the
link from the hook as in the previous case.
The drawbooks and links are so arranged that after the one link has been coupled
on the opposite hook, the opposite hook being at the time in the raised position, this
can be lowered on to its hook, over the other link so as to effect double coupling as
shewn at Fig. 1.
Another improvement relates to the side coupling chains.
Instead of providing on the end of each vehicle two lengths of side chains, which
are coupled to the corresponding side chains of the other vehicle, I provide on each
vehicle a single length of chain H H hanging in a loop from two hooks I I¹ situated
close to the buffers so as to be within easy reach from the side of the vehicle as at
Fig. 3. Each chain is of sufficient length to reach from its one hook I diagonally
across to the hook I on the opposite side of the other vehicle, so that for coupling
the vehicles together the operator only has to lift the one end of the one chain H off
its hook I and to place it on the hook I' on the same side of the other vehicle, and in
like manner to lift the second chain H³ off this hook and place it upon the free hook I
on the same side of the first named vehicle. By this means a coupling consisting of
two chains crossing each other, diagonally will be obtained.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. The use of apparatus for coupling and uncoupling the rolling stock of railways,
wherein a coupling link F connected to the draw hook has a tail or tails F pivotted
to a vertically sliding weight G the upper end of which is suspended from the ends of
levers B carried in loops D E on the side of the vehicle. The loops E being pro-
vided with a stud e and a spring side e¹ whereby the lever can be placed and held in
the raised or lowered position for the purpose of raising or lowering the coupling
link F, substantially as herein described.
2. In coupling apparatus such as is referred to in the preceding claim, constructing
the coupling link F with a joint for the purposes herein described.
3. In coupling apparatus such as is referred to in the preceding claim providing the
coupling link F with a pivotted block M arranged and operating as described with
reference to Fig. 12 of the drawings.
4. Constructing railway rolling stock with a single draw chain at each end, which
chain is hung in a loop near each buffer so that for coupling the one end of such chain
is detached from its hook and attached to the opposite hook of the other vehicle, the
two coupled chains being thus situated in diagonal positions, substantially as herein
described.
501
1
1007