Improved Means and Apparatus for Coupling and Un-coupling Railway Vehicles
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Apparatus for Coupling and Un-coupling
Railway Vehicles
H
I EDWIN MURRELL of Budnera (Berar) British India a Locomotive Foreman in
the employ of The Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company 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 :-
It obviates the necessity of a man going between the buffers of two railway velucles
according to the present practice for the purpose of coupling or un-coupling such.
vehicles and it is proposed to call the invention "Murrell's combined coupler and
coupling."
Figure 1 on the accompanying drawing is an elevation view ;
Figure 2 is a plan view, and
Figure 3 shows how it can be applied to existing railway stock (in British India
known as the Government Standard Hook).
Lever A will lift or lower the coupling link B and thereby couple or un-couple the
vebiele When coupling the slach may be taken up by the draw-bar regulating-
wheel C which, when manipulated will allow of the draw-bar hook being drawn in-
being run out in the same manner when un-coupling. The wheel C, when turned,
moves the traversing-box E by means of screw which is worked by the worm and
wheel G. When the buffers of the vehicles are compressed, the spring H on the
coupling B will also compress and thereby shorten the coupling B, and when the
compression is taken off the buffers, the spring H will at once extend the coupling
link B and take up the slack.
I bere describe the advantages and the best mode of applying the principle
(a) It can be easily manipulated by levers from the outside of vehicles instead of
by going between vehicles, and enables the shunter to work the couplings and to
signal the engine-driver at one and the same time.
(b) It will self-couple by allowing one of the coupling-links to remain in a
horizontal position because, when the couplings come into contact with each other,
the coupling will ride up the incline plane of the hook D and fall into the jaw of
the hook.
(c) It guards against the risk of men Josing their lives by going between two
vehicles to couple or un-couple, hence this invention will prevent accidents and save-
human life.
(d) It obviates the colliding of couplings with point-connecting-rods, and other
permanent-way plant, and also striking against and up-heaving the ballast, which.
tlungs are often attended with damage and render the couplings un-workable and
(e) It prevents slack couplings which sometimes cause the ordinary coupling-links
or draw-bar hook to break and, by making rigid the screw-couplings to imount the
hook and become dis-connected, trains to part.
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
1 claim is
1st. The coupling-hook D with incline-plane which admits of the coupling-link B
when in a horizontal position, self-coupling at the instant vehicles are brought
together

page_text: 2ndly. The coupling-link B which is raised to a vertical position by means of
balance-lover A and lifting gear which slides on-link B thereby placing it in safety
when not working, or vice versa, and its being worked from the outside at either end
of vehicles
3rdly. The worin and wheel G worked by hand-wheel C for traversing-draw-bar E
from either end of and outside of the vehicles for the purpose of tightening or
slackening when in use.
4thly. The tightening of couplings by means of traversing-sciew F connected to
draw-bar-box E fitted beneath the body of vehicles instead of between them and
worked from the outside of vehicles at either end by means of wheel C; and
5thly. The spring H which allows the coupling-link B to recede and extend when
compression or liberation of the buffors takes place, thereby allowing continuous
elasticity of draw between the vehicles of a train connected, and obviating slack
couplings
Buduara Lith Santamben 1805