Improvements in Couplings for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Vehicles.
I, WILHELM LABITZKE of Magdeburg, Neustadt, Germany, Manufacturer
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:-
My invention relates to a new or improved device for automatically coupling
railway carriages and trucks as these are brought together in combination with
means for uncoupling the same, whether these be upon a level road or a gradient,
without the need of the attendant going between the vehicles for this purpose as
hitherto, the object of my invention being to lessen the hazard to life and limb as
obtains in the methods as at present employed.
In order to render my invention perfectly clear reference may be made to the
accompanying drawings of which :-
Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the buffer portion of a carriage or truck to which
my said invention has been affixed.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of same.
Fig. 3 is a section upon the line A B of Fig. 1
Fig. 4 being a like section upon the line CD of same.
Fig. 5 is an end view of my invention as viewed from left to right of Fig. 1.
I carry my invention into effect by bolting or otherwise fixing upon each end A.
of the framework or other convenient part of the carriage or truck, a metallic
bifurcated frame B so constructed as to carry at its upper extremities a pin or
Etud C, which forms a fulcrum for a lever D.
At either side of, or immediately below, or may be through the lower ends of B,
I form in the frame A a pair of holes, through which I pass rods E and F in the
direction of the centre of the length of the vehicle, these being each formed with a
shoulder at a a, which abut against the front face of A, and shoulders b b which
abut against a metallic or other transverse partition G, fixed to the frame A, and
extending through and beyond this the said rods cach carry a spiral spring H, the
ends of which abut against G and plates c, the latter retained in position by nuts or
their equivalents d upon the ends of E F.
The outer ends of E and F, or that part extending outwardly from A, may be
either circular or rectangular in cross section, and upon the extreme end of Ea
tongue is formed, which receives the bifurcated or forked end of a metallic loop J,
pivotally connected thereto by a pin or the like e the back ends of the jaws of J,
and the shoulders of the tongue on E being so sloped or otherwise formed that J is
free to rise above, but cannot fall below a horizontal position, as shewn by the
junction of these in Figs. 3 and 5, such normal or horizontal position of J being
maintained by a top spring such as K (Figs. 2, 3, and 5).
In reverse order a bifurcation or pair of forks is formed upon F, which receives
the tongued back end of a hook L pivotally connected thereto by a pin or the
like e' the back end of the tongue upon L and the end of the recess formed by the
forks of F being so sloped that L is free to fall below, but cannot rise above a
horizontal position, as shewn by the junction of these in dotted lines in Fig. 4, such
normal or horizontal position of L being maintained by a bottom spring such as M
(Fig. 4).
The hook L is specially constructed with a sloping surface g, and horizontal
recess y', the substance of L above which is pivotally connected to the lower end of

page_text: a vertical rod or link N, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to jaws O,
connected to the lever D and in like manner the loop J is pivotally connected to the
lower end of a rod or link N₁, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to
jaws O¹ connected to the lever D. The manner of operation is as follows.
By affixing the said apparatus in like manner and order to each end of each
vehicle of a train, (which may include the engine) it follows that if any two of such
vehicles be brought end to end together, the eye or loop J upon each would rise and
slide up the sloping face g of the depressed hook L of the other and fall into the
recess thereof, and if such connection of the vehicles be violent as sometimes
obtains, the buffers P of each would break the force of the concussion and as these
receded into A the eyes or loops J would slide along the recesses g₁ of the hook L,
under the rods N, but should the reaction of the buffers cause the loops or eyes J
to recede along g¹ with such violence as to collide with force against the hook
portious of L, the springs H would permit the rods E and F of each vehicle to be
withdrawn sufficiently to prevent rupture of either J or L and in due course a state
of equilibrium between P and H would be attained.
To uncouple the vehicle the porter or other attendant would impart a downward
pull upon the free end of the lever D of either vehicle which would have the effect
of simultaneously lowering the hook L, and raising the eye or loop J of that
vehicle, and so disengage these from the loop J and hook L of the adjoining vehicle,
and this without the said attendant endangering his life or limbs by having to go
between the vehicles as hitherto, and the great leverage afforded by the lever D
would permit this to be done by one or at most two attendants should the vehicles
be standing upon a gradient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manuer the sume is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1st. In an improved device for the automatic coupling of railway vehicles, and
for uncoupling the same without the need of the attendant going between the
vehicles, the construction use and application of the hereindescribed apparatus and
. the several parts and connections constituting the same, combined and operating
substantially as herein set forth and shewn by the appended drawings.
2nd. In an improved system and apparatus for the automatic coupling of railway
vehicles by impact only, the combination of a pair of rods such as E F passing
inwardly through the end A of the vehicle and a transverse plate such as G
whereat each rod is provided with a spring such as H the one E carrying pivotally
at its opposite end a loop or eye such as J, and the one F a hook such as L having
a sloping face g and a recess such as g', the said loop and hook being each retained
in a horizontal position by suitable springs such as K and M, the whole connected
and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shewn.
3rd. In combination with the device for automatically coupling railway vehicles
set forth in the preceding claim, the construction use and application of a frame B
fixed to the frame A and to which is pivotally connected a lever D having pivotally
connected thereto rods or links N and N' pivotally connected to the hook L and
loop J respectively, and operating for disengaging the hook L and loop J of one
vehicle from the loop and hook of the next substantially as and for the purposes
herein described and shewn.
Dated this 9th day of November 1895
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.