IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of Chancery Lane,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES."-A communication from abroad by Rudolph Müller, of
Sealed the 31st August 1875, and dated the 2nd March 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 2nd March 1875.
I, EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS
FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," (a communication to me from abroad by Rudolph
Müller, of Berlin, Prussia,) to be as follows:-
These improvements refer to a railway carriage coupling, consisting of
two spirals screwed into one another. Two strong wrought-iron or cast-
steel spirals form the continuation of an elastic central draw bar at each
end of the carriage; the spirals are however not firmly connected to the

page_text: draw bar, but made to turn on their longitudinal axes, and so combined
with pawl or ratchet gear that two spirals coming opposite one another
may screw into one another, but when the carriages are drawn apart
cannot unscrew again and come apart because the pawl prevents it.'
The spirals are always placed and arranged so that the sprirals may
easily and automatically screw into one another. The pawl is so con-
nected to a lever going across the carriage and extending beyond its
sides, that the attendant by taking hold of a handle on or connected to
the same on one side or the other can take out the pawl, and when the
carriages are pulled apart the spirals unscrew from one another in the
opposite direction. The coupling thus takes place automatically, and
the uncoupling requires very little power or trouble, and without danger
as the power is exerted on the side of the carriage (and not between
them as now usual); the uncoupling may be done even while running;
the lever is brought back by a spring. The two spirals are by means of
ball joints so connected to the draw bar that a sensible difference in the
height does not prevent the spirals from engaging with one another.
The ratchet wheel is by preference made of a spherical shape; the
spindle of the spiral passing through it, and the other end of said spindle
being formed so as to work in a spherical socket; the other half of the
ball joint abuts against an elastic spring cushion in connection with the
draw bar..
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd September 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, Her
special licence that I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward Griffith

page_text: Brewer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," a communication
to me from abroad by Rudolph Müller, of Berlin, Prussia, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Edward Griffith
Brewer, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par.
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same
to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention; and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say :-
-
These improvements refer to a railway carriage coupling, consisting of
two spirals screwed into one another. Two strong wrought-iron or cast-
steel spirals form the continuation of an elastic central draw bar at each
end of the carriage; the spirals are however not firmly connected to the
draw bar, but made to turn on their longitudinal axes, and so combined
with pawl or ratchet gear that two spirals coming opposite one another,
may when the carriages are pushed against one another screw into one
another, but when the carriages are drawn apart cannot unscrew again
and come apart, because the pawl gear prevents it.
The spirals are always placed and arranged so that they may easily
and automatically screw into one another, but the other or pawl
apparatus may be arranged in many different ways. The pawl is so
connected to a lever going across the end of the carriage and extending
beyond its sides that the attendant by taking hold of a handle on or
connected to the same on one side or the other can take out the pawl,
and when the carriages are pulled apart the spirals unscrew from one
another in the opposite direction, and the carriages are thus disconnected
from one another. The coupling thus takes place automatically, and
the uncoupling involves very little power or trouble, and no danger as

page_text: Figure 2 is a front clevation of the coupling, partly in section.

page_text: the coupling. The pawl tooth G has, as already intimated, a slot hole
These rods are at their ends
slot in the pawl tooth G, the
through which the rods E¹ and E2 pass.
held by the pins & passing through a
projecting guide 8¹ keeps the bars E¹, E², from rising, and compels
them to horizontal movement. The tooth G is by means of the
springs F¹, F³, F³, pressed against the ratchet teeth D¹, D², stopping the
ratchet wheel D in one direction, but allowing it free turning movement
with the spiral in the opposite direction. The rod B is beyond the
ratchet wheel D connected to the elastic draw bar by means of a ball
joint.
It is clear that when the carriages are pushed against each other with
their spirals, the latter can screw into each other, and as they are pre-
vented from turning in the opposite direction, because of the pawl Gand
ratchet wheel D the coupling is secure; this lasts till one of the_bars E
is pulled out by means of a lever H. As the projecting guide s¹ keeps
the bar down in horizontal position, the incline e' (or e³) is pressed
against the pin 8, and this latter presses the springs F downwardly,
causing the pawl tooth G to be drawn out of the tooth or teeth of
the ratchet wheel D¹; the wheel D is thus released, so that the spirals
can turn freely in opposite direction, which takes place when the carriages
are drawn apart. The springs F then automatically push the pawl
tooth G into the ratchet wheel D again; the latter must only have so
many teeth as there are positions in which the spirals can enter properly
into gear (which is found by experience), and it is obvious that they
may easily be so arranged as always readily to enter into gear by
screwing into one another, or any other suitable mode of mechanical
construction or combination may be employed, whereby the spirals are
made always to assume mutually suitable positions.
By means of the ball joint J and of the ball-shaped form and journal
of the ratchet wheel D, the coupling obtains a sufficient pliability so
that the coupling spirals even with the greatest differences in height
may gear with each other, and without causing breakage by the strongest
shocks or oscillations.
And having thus fully described and ascertained the nature of this
Invention and the mode of carrying the same into practical effect, I
declare that I claim as the Invention, and without limitation to the
exact form, dimensions, or combination of the parts here shewn,-

page_text: Firstly. A coupling, the main, or coupling parts consisting of two
spirals or similar bodies automatically screwing into each other, the
unscrewing being effected by a sort of ratchet and pawl gear, as described
and shewn.
Secondly. The particular construction of pawl and of ratchet gear in
the shape of a ball joint separately, and in combination with herein-
before described spiral coupling disconnectable by one of the two
bars E¹, E, levers H¹, H', and other parts belonging thereto, all sub-
stantially as and for the purpose herein-before described, and as shewn
on the accompanying Drawings.
1
Thirdly. The combination of the parts named in the two previous
claims, with the elastic draw bar of the carriage by means of the ball
joint J, substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described, and
as shewn on the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have here- 1
unto set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.