Improvements in Automatio Couplings for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Aug., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 21st Sept., 1899-Accepted, 28th Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatio Couplings for Railway and Tramway
Vehicles.
We, JAMES HASTIE, of 12, Lizard Street, Saint Lukes, London, E.C., Labourer,
and JoHN ROBINSON, of "The North Briton," 10, New North Road, London, N.,
Licensed Victualler, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to an automatic coupling for railway and tramway
vehicles, and consists of certain improvements upon, modifications of, and addi-
tions to the apparatus forming the subject matter of our previous Applications for
Patents Nos. 10038 dated May 12th 1899 and 14626 dated July 15th 1899, but
more particularly to the latter and has for its objects the simplification and
cheapening of the apparatus as a whole, while retaining perfect accuracy in
coupling and uncoupling, and an improved certain and more reliable means of
locking the apparatus in either of its two positions, the raised position of the
apparatus upon both vehicles being performed simultaneously by one operation,
means being also provided that during the working up of the old stock of vehicles,
should one of such meet with a new vehicle with our automatic coupling fixed
thereto, the same can be coupled up in the old way.
As our present invention relates more pertinently to the latter of the above said
Applications for Patents, viz. No. 14626 dated July 15th 1899, reference will only
be made to this application, as its improvements upon, modifications of, and
additions to the first Application viz. No. 10038 dated May 12th 1899 has already
been duly set out.
Our said previous Application for a Patent No. 14626" consisted of providing
upon each vehicle a drawbar formed by a rectangular or other shaped frame D),
passing through an aperture A in the buffer plate B of the vehicle C, the said
frame D after passing through A converging into a single rod D₁ for attachment to
any convenient form of drawbar spring in the usual way, the said draw-bar not
being centrally of the width of the vehicle, but at some convenient distance to the
left thereof, and at a like distance to the other side of the centre thereof, we
rigidly fixed to the buffer plate B a metallic rectangular or other shaped frame H,
and immediately above this we mounted an arm J the inner end of which is
pivotally connected to a bracket 0, the opposite or free end of J having pivotally
connected thereto and depending therefrom a pin L (which we call the coupling
tongue) and which normally engages with and depends slightly below the frame H
(Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 6) the said coupling tongue L being adapted to be placed in and
out of action at either side of the vehicle, by means of a rod V connected to a
pair of arms E E', having slots F', receiving pins G upon the sides of the arm J,
the said rod V being operated by means of spring levers M (connected by a rod a)
working upon quadrants N fixed at each side of the vehicle C, the locking of
the apparatus being performed by means of a spring rod P engaging with
recesses R and R', while the coupling takes place owing to the drawbar Dupon
each vehicle being opposite to the coupling tongue L of the other, and engaging

page_text: link upon the vehicle whose rod is being. actuated; act upon the said pin upon the
opposite slotted plate raise the corresponding male link thereto, and so release the
two vehicles, the said lever or levers being so arranged when loosely connected
to the operating rods, that it or they may resume their normal vertical position
against the end of the vehicle immediately the said vehicle has been released.
The slipping of the vehicles may be arranged in any suitable manner such as
by means of a cord, wire, or the like attached to a lever arm of the operating rod,
and passing over a suitable arrangement of pulleys to the slipping vehicle or
guards van, when upon a pull being imparted to the same would rotate the said
operating rod and act the apparatus exactly as described.
To enable a vehicle fitted with our invention to be coupled up (while working off
old stock,) with one having the ordinary hook and link coupling, we may provide
between the male and female links upon. the central plate attached to the draw-
bar an ordinary hook for this purpose, as at present in use.
1000
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and Tramway
⚫ Vehicles.
We, JAMES HASTIE, of 12, Lizard Street, Saint Lukes, London, E.C., Labourer,
and JOHN ROBINSON, of "The North Briton," 10, New North Road, London, N.,
Licensed Victualler, 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:-
Our invention relates to an automatic coupling for railway and tramway
vehicles, and, as stated in our Provisional Specification, consists of certain
improvements upon, modifications of, and additions to, the apparatus forming
the subject matter of our previous Applications for Patents Nos. 10038 of 1899,
and 14626 of 1899, but more particularly the latter, the object of our said invention
being simplicity and cheapness, whilst retaining the same principle and accuracy
of action as an automatic coupling as described in our said previous applications
in combination with an improved certain and more reliable means of locking the
said couplings in either of its two positions, as hereinafter explained.
In order that our said improvements and the manner of their applications and
use may be more easily understood, we have hereunto appended three sheets of
drawings of which:-
Fig. 1 Sheet 1 is a perspective or isometric view of one end of the body of a
railway or tramway vehicle, to which one form of our improved coupling has been
applied, Fig. 2 being an end view (partly in section) of same.
Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but embodying a slight
modification in the locking device.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the movements
of the cross rod at the end of the vehicle operates to raise a depending arm, as
hereinafter explained.
Fig. 6 Sheet 2 is a view illustrating the manner in which the coupling loop
of one vehicle deflects and engages with the coupling tongue of another, in
substantially the same manner as that described and shewn in our said previous
applications for patents.

page_text: its bar D and frame G, or substantially as at Fig. 6, which provides for the varying
difference in the height of one vehicle and another by reason of its load, the
distance between 1 and G in all cases being sufficient to accomodate such varying
difference of height, the length of D and N and the placing of these as near
together as possible, being regulated with a view to the best effects in coupling,
and the obviating of any difficulties that might arise when the vehicles are passing
over short curves. The manner of operation is as follows:-
The normal or coupling position of the apparatus is that shewn in Figs.
and 2,
and when two vehicles, both so equipped, are to be coupled, these may be brought
violently together in the usual way, when the female links N of both vehicles
would collide with and deflect the coupling-tongues F of their opposing vehicles,
substantially as shewn by Fig. 6, and when the forward portion of N had passed
the end of F, the latter would fall again into its vertical position, thus locking a
connection between the vehicles as illustrated in Fig. 9. In order that two
vehicles so coupled may not, through jolt or jar, become uncoupled spontaneously,
is the object and purpose of the ridge d on D, which would operate as follows.
By reason of the plate J resting upon the arm or bar 1), any tendency on the part
of the latter to rise would cause a slight forward and upward movement of J,
when the point c of the latter would collide with the ridge d on D and so prevent
the rising of D as illustrated by Fig. 9.
In order to uncouple a pair of vehicles without the attendant having to go
between them, we mount and fix upon the rod K a boss e having a straight
projecting arm e', and an angled arm e so that by the attendant moving the
lever M or M from the position shewn in Fig. 2 to that shewn in Fig. 7, the
angle end of the arm e2 would collide with the lower end of the back face of the
plate J and so raise the same, the slot a in the latter being so shaped as to allow
the toe c of J to freely pass the ridge d on D before imparting an upward pull upon
the link H, but when such pull is given, the rising of the said link would raise
the bar or male link D until its coupling-tongue was clear of the eye or
female link N of the opposite vehicle as at Fig. 7 when the vehicles would be
uncoupled, and may be parted in the usual way, and in order that the bar D may
remain so raised as long as necessary, in order to effect shunting operations
without coupling if desired, we may provide a round nosed spring bolt or bolts
such as f, in or at either or both sides of the bracket E, and a slot or slots g in
the back end of the bar D), as shewn in Figs. 1, 2, 7 and 8, so that when D is so
raised the said spring bolt or bolts may engage with the said slot or slots as shewn
in Fig. 7, and retain D so raised as long as requisite and when this has been
effected the said lever arm would be released and allowed to immediately return to
its normal position Fig. 2 but when the apparatus is to be again placed in a
position for recoupling by impact, as before described, the said lever arm M
or M may be pushed forward from its position shewn in Fig. 2 to that shewn in
Fig. 8, when the projecting arm el will collide with a stop h on J, and the force
thus exerted upon M or M¹ would overcome the tensional force of the spring
bolt f, and so free the bar D and allow this and its accessories to resume their
normal positions as shewn in Fig. 2.
As an alternative means for effecting the locking of the plate J when the bar D
is raised for uncoupling as described, we may dispense with the said spring
bolt or bolts f and the slot or slots g on D, and in lieu of these we mount upon
the end of the vehicle C, or the plate A if more convenient, a bracket 0
(Figs. 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11) to which pivotally connected a pawl j weighted at j',
and having a depending nose, the latter adapted to engage with a slot or recess k
in the curved face of the plate J, so that when the lever M or M is lowered, and
the arm of the boss e collides with the plate J, as previously described, and
as shewn in Fig. 10, the nose of the pawl would engage with the slot or
recess in J, as shewn in the same figure, and so retain J and consequently D
and F so raised as long as desired, but when D and F are to be again lowered for
recoupling as before mentioned, the lever M or M' would be raised as before, when

page_text: bolt f engaging with a recess g in the bar 1 for retaining the said bar in a raised
position when uncoupling a pair of vehicles, substantially as herein described and
shewn by Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
3rd. The improved automatic coupling consisting of the combination and
duplication of a drawbar plate A and hook B, the said plate carrying a loop or
eye and frame G, in the latter of which depends a drop or coupling pin F,
suspended upon a bar or arm D, pivotally connected to a bracket E, the said bar
or arm being connected by a link H with the slot a of a plate J, provided
with a recess or aperture k, and arm L, and mounted loosely upon a transverse
rod K, carrying at its ends levers such as M M', the said rod also carrying a boss e
having arms ele for actuating the movements of a pawl pivotally connected to
a bracket and provided with a weight or projection and nose ³, the said
nosing being adapted to engage with the recess in J for locking this and the
bar 1 when in a raised position for uncoupling, the said rod K also carrying
loosely an arm P, and fixed boss S with cranked arm m n for raising the said
arm P, substantially as herein described and shewn by Figs. 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
and 13 of the appended drawings.
4th. In combination with the improved coupling set forth in the preceding
claims, the employment of cords, chains, or the like T or their equivalents
connected to the levers M or M¹ or both, and passing through pulley-equipped
holes or their equivalents in a guards van C, for slipping carriages when in
motion, substantially as shewn in Fig. 13.
Hotal this 01st day of Sarstambay 1900
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1, Broad Street, Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicants.