IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY- VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY-
VEHICLES" 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 that class of coupling apparatus in which the drawhead
is provided with a rotating hook nose, and it consists in certain peculiarities of
construction hereinafter described, by means of which certain marked advantages
are obtained.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 represents a plan of my improved coupling, with the rotating book
nose in its closed position.
Figure 2 is a similar view, with the hook nose in its open position.
Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view of one of the couplings.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the same.
Figure 5 is a plan of two united couplings reversed, and
Figures 6, 7 and 8 are views showing details of several parts.
A represents & drawhead of ordinary form, the outer surface of the upper plate
of which is made without an opening of any kind.
B represents the usual rotating hook nose, which is provided, in this form of
construction, with the special bearing face b, Figure 2.
C represents the locking block, consisting of a suitable metal piece having a shank
portion c, Figure 6, with a pivot opening in its enlarged end c' and a head
portion having the inclined bearing face ca, Figure 7, extending across the end, on
the upper side of the same, as shown.
c, Figures 1, 2 and 3, represents a shaft or rod extending across the
drawhead towards the rear end of the same, which shaft is adapted to hold the
locking block in such manner, that it is capable of vibration as its front end.

page_text: D, Figures 4 and 6, represents a spring of any suitable construction, which is
adapted when free to act so as to force to its normal position, the locking block as
shown in Figure 4.
E, Figure 4, represents an actuating lever, pivotted at one end to a suitable
standard e depending from the lower portion of the drawhead as shown.
e' represents a short rod pivotted at one end to the lever, at the proper point as
shown. The other end of the said rod bears upon the lower face of the locking
block as shown in Figure 4.
.
The operation is substantially as follows, that is to say:-One or both of the
hooke being in the open position, as shown in Figure 2, an automatic coupling is
effected by simply bringing the drawheads together, the position of the parts when
coupled, being shown in Figure 5.
The rear end of the lever swings in beneath the free end of the locking block C,
as shown in Figure 8, and, raising the same against the resistance of the spring E,
passes in behind one of the side bearings of the head portion of the locking block
as shown in Figure 3. In this position it will be observed that the opposite
bearing of the block is against the side of the drawhead.
Some of the advantages of the above described construction are as follow,
viz:―
The actuating parts being located within the drawhead, and below the same, and
the upper plate of the drawhead being entirely closed, more perfect protection is
afforded to the working parts than with the couplings heretofore used and the
entrance of ice and snow is effectually prevented.
By the special construction of the block, a large portion of the strain, exerted in
pulling, is transferred to the drawhead.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is
The combination of the drawhead, the rotating hook nose, and the locking block
having the inclined face, as described.
A