IMPROVE- MENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, AND TRUCKS
Year: 1871

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Matthew at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
December 1871.
I, JOHN MATTHEW, of Mintlaw, in the County of Aberdeen, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, AND TRUCKS," to be as
follows:-
This Invention relates to couplings for railway carriages, waggons,
and trucks, whereby the carriages are coupled together automatically
if desired, and uncoupled from the side or from the carriage itself
without rendering it necessary for any one to go between the rails, all as
hereafter described.
Upon one carriage, waggon, or truck there is a latch, and upon the
other there is a slot or bridle, the length of each being regulated by
the length of the buffer stock, so that the coupling may be made before
the buffers come in contact. The latch is on one end, say the short
end, of a lever jointed to the draw bar, a spring presses against the other

page_text: end, say the long end, of the same lever, which always has a tendency
to keep the latch up in a horizontal position, but yields when the long
end of the lever is pulled, and to accomplish this I connect a chain, or
rope, or lever to that end of the latch lever leading to the end of
the carriage, waggon, or truck, and there it is in connection with
hand levers extending to the sides thereof, by depressing which the
long end of the latch lever is drawn up, the latch is lowered and is so
released from its slot or bridle which is of the following description :-
As the latch lever so is the bridle connected to or made in a piece
with a lever which is jointed to the draw bar, a spring being connected
to the contrary end to that on which the bridle is, which has always
a tendency to pull it into and keep it in a straight position, 50
that it may be in its normal position at or near the centre of the
carriage, waggon, or truck, and opposite the latch; a vertical rod is
connected to the bridlo outside the frame, from which hand levers
extending to each side of the carriage are attached, so that by pulling
one or pushing the other the bridle is moved on one side and out of the
straight line.
To couple up the carriages are brought together, when as soon as the
latch touches the bridle, the latch spring yields and the latch is engaged
in or slips into the bridle. To uncouple two carriages one or other of
the latch side or hand levers is depressed, which frees the latch from the
bridle, then the bridle hand lever is pushed or drawn as the case may
be on one side, thereby bringing the bridle to the side and consequently
free from the latch.
The coupling is before described with a latch only at one end, and a
slot at the other end of the carriage, in which case it would be necessary
the coupling should be always made from one side, but I also make the
couplings with a latch and slot at both ends, so that no matter how
often the carriages, waggons, or trucks are turned, the coupling of the
same can always be effected.
The latch may also be arranged with the point downwards, its own
weight keeping it in its place. The spring and the long end of the latch
lever can then be dispensed with, and a cord or chain from the point of
the latch and passing over and round a pulley on a shaft serves to raise
the latch by taking hold of a lever on the shaft which is of the width of

page_text: the carriage, and works in bearings fastened to it. -The bridle is moved
on one side as before. By means of chains, levers, rods, or other well-
known mechanical appliances, the bridle or bridle and latch may be
worked from the carriage itself, say the break van or engine, and thus
carriages, waggons, or trucks may be uncoupled by the guard, driver, or
other person without descending.