Improvements in the Manufacture of Railway Carriage, Car, and Wagon Couplings.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1891-Accepted, 4th July, 1891
Improvements in the Manufacture of Railway Carriage, Car, and
Wagon Couplings.
I, EDWARD WILLIAM MACKENZIE HUGHES, of Ericstane Helensburgh, in the
County of Dumbarton, Gentleman, 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 :-
This invention has for its object improvements in the manufacture of couplings
for railway carriages cars and wagons and whereby the coupler can be made
entirely from wrought iron or steel instead of cast iron or partly of cast and partly
of wrought metal as heretofore the improved coupler being much lighter in weight
and of greater strength than couplers as ordinarily made.
The method of manufacture constituting my invention is illustrated under two
modifications by Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 to 6
inclusive shewing one modification and Figures 7 and 8 the other. The improved
method of construction can be applied to any form of coupler it being understood
that I do not claim as part of my invention any particular design and for illustrative
purposes I have depicted the type made by the Standard Car Coupling Company
of Troy State of New York United States of America.
Under the method of construction shewn by Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings the
shank and the walls of the coupler head are made from one piece of wrought iron
or steel the latter by preference and in the manufacture a solid tube of any required
length, diameter and thickness of wall is used. As seen by Figure 1 this tube is
sawn or split between the points a and b. After being reheated the split part is by
hydraulic or other pressure spread or flared out at right angles to the unsplit part
of the tube as seen at Figure 2 the flared part being then placed in a cramp or
between dies and bent to the form shewn by Figure 3, a piece being cut off one of
legs a, after which, by other dies or formers, the legs are shaped round as illustrated
by Figure 4 to constitute the walls of the coupler head and the ends are then welded
at c by electric welding or otherwise, or when the parts a, are left of equal length
the weld is at another point. Top and bottom gusset or web plates d stamped out
of wrought metal as shewn at Figure 5, are then inserted in the space so enclosed
by the walls of the head and welded in position the complete body of the coupler
being thereby formed as seen at Figure 6 with the exception of the forging marked e
which is subsequently rivetted on to constitute a stop plate and prevent the coupler
from turning round when in service. Holes are made in the stop plate e and in
the gusset or web plates d to receive the locking pin of the knuckle g which is made
from a solid block of wrought metal and works between the gusset or web plates d
in the usual manner.
Under the modification shewn by Figures 7 and 8 the coupler head instead of
being in one piece with the stem or shank is made separately and with this mode of
construction I take a length of tube of the required diameter and thickness of wall
to form the part or stem marked / Figure 8. This tube is heated at one end and
closed down at the part i by the aid of a mandril and swedges or otherwise the
screw being stamped at the same time and made to fit the socket; Figure 7 where-
into it is screwed the construction of the coupler being thereafter completed as
hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In both cases the rear
end k of the coupler shank is thickened up to hold the head of the tail bolt.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a carriage, car or wagon coupler forming the body of the coupler from a

page_text: single piece of wrought metal tube by splitting the tube to the required length
inwards from one end flaring the split part shaping it to the desired contour and
welding the ends to form the walls of the coupler head or body substantially as
described with reference to the drawings annexed.
2. In a carriage car or wagon coupler a wrought metal draw head composed of
walls which are integral with the coupler shank and two stamped gusset plates
welded or otherwise united to the said walls substantially as described.
3. In a carriage car or wagon coupler the combination of a shauk made from a
wrought metal tube, walls of the coupler head screwed or otherwise fixed to said
shank and gusset plates fixed to said walls substantially as described with reference
to Figures 7 and 8.
:
Dated this Third day of June 1891.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.