IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF COUPLINGS AND THE METHODS OF CONNECTING AND DIS- CONNECTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES to be as follows:
Year: 1885

page_text: other Vehicles.
I JOSEPH HENRY BETTELEY of 42 Old Broad Street in the City of London
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF COUPLINGS AND THE METHODS OF CONNECTING AND DIS-
CONNECTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES to be as follows:-
"
My invention is designed for the purpose of coupling automatically and
instantaneously two or more vehicles on their coming into contact by the novel
construction of hooks and links and a novel method of using the same and for the
locking and unlocking of the same, as may be desired, with facility. And with a
view to the more effectually assuring immunity from the risk of injury to life and
limb, the process of uncoupling, locking and unlocking is performed by the aid of
suitable levers as hereinafter described.
•
In carrying out my invention, I at times use a bar or shaft working in suitable
bearings, and extending from the outside of one buffer to the other at the end of
the carriage, on which bar or shaft is suspended a hook of novel construction placed
sometimes in a position the reverse of what is usual, that is, with the point of the
nose piece pointing downwards. Such nosepiece is extended to form a suitable
angle to allow of the link hereinafter described to ride freely up to, and in its
passage raise the hook until such hook falls over and into the link thus becoming
secured in its place. The aforesaid hook has at times attached to it a counter-
weight which admits of its remaining poised in a position horizontal to the line of
draught and which also allows of perfect freedom of motion on the shaft or bar
within a given radius. The hook as aforesaid is retained in position by means of
the joint which connects it to the draw bar the shaft or bar as before mentioned
according to this method serving the purpose of a pin thus preventing all lateral
play.
с

page_text: The link or shackle is placed to work loosely upon the shaft or bar as aforesaid
but confined by stops within a suitable radius so that it shall hang at such an
angle as to allow for the varying heights of carriages and of its sliding freely over
the link of the carriage meeting it. At the end of the said link opposite to its
axis I sometimes fix a roller of suitable construction, with the twofold object of
allowing the link to slide or run more freely over the meeting link and to secure
greater ease when uncoupling. This can be applied to any link used as a
coupling.
In rear of the axis of the hook I sometimes cut a slot of such length as to allow
of perfect freedom of motion within a given radius as aforesaid, and within this
slot I fix a pin or projection upon the before mentioned shaft or bar. This pin or
projection furnishes one mode of my locking and unlocking system which can also
be applied to any description of link or shackle as hereinafter described.
According to another of my methods when carriages are fitted with spring
buffers and draw bars I work the hook and link by means independent of the
ordinary shaft or lever bar, by placing such shaft or bar underneath the hook and
working in suitable bearings connected to the under part of the buffers, or to the
front portion or headstock of the vehicle. On said bar I key or attach a fork
which is jointed to a projection beneath the hook; this projection has a slot cut in
it to allow of its being able to describe a circle, for the purpose of locking and
unlocking. To further facilitate the locking and unlocking I place weights at the
ends of the shaft or bar.
This system is applicable to the working of any description of hook link or
shackle that might be required to be locked in position, connected or disconnected
as also to vehicles furnished with central buffers.
.
In order to facilitate the traversing of curves I fix the buffers more centrally at a
suitable distance apart within the outside framing.
For the purpose of enabling me to take up the slack when spring buffers are
used I design a wheel with a screw thread cut in the centre which works on the
draw bar, upon which is cut a similar screw thread and one end of which is
attached to springs so that by rotating the wheel the springs are compressed or
expanded as may be desired to adjust the springs of the buffers to any tension.
Now when it is required to make up a train the carriages are brought together,
the link of one carriage slides or runs up the link of the other and raises the hook
which by its own gravity immediately falls over the roller and becoines locked and
if it is required that both links should be locked the loose link can be easily raised
and locked by its regulating lever. To ensure greater security against the
possibility of the links shaking out by any shock or concussion I depress one of
the levers attached to both ends of the before mentioned shaft or bar, forwards in
the direction of the point or head of the hook which causes the pin or projection
before described to press firmly against the front of the aforesaid slot in the hook.
When the lever has been thus depressed I can secure it in that position by means
of a suitable catch or stop fixed on the sides of the carriages; thus secured it is
impossible for the carriages to become uncoupled.
If during the process of shunting it is desired only to propel the carriages
without their becoming coupled this is effected by locking the book out of position,
by depressing the lever in the direction opposite to that which is required for
locking it, the hook being raised to such height as to be perfectly free of the
approaching link.
In consequence of the peculiar construction of the hook and the adoption of a
roller at the end of the link I am enabled to uncouple with the greatest ease and
facility even when the coupling is in tension or when the carriages are in motion,
it is further impossible for the links to override the hooks, which overriding is
caused by the give and take of the buffers, the hooks being so constructed as to
allow for the play of the buffers.

page_text: The action of the levers is threefold, thus:—when placed vertically the hook
moves freely and is in position for coupling. When depressed forwards, the hook is
locked and cannot then rise, and when the lever is depressed backwards, the hook
is raised and locked out of the horizontal position, and cannot then fall until the
lever is again placed in a vertical position.
Coupling can be effected with the ordinary hook, link or chain, and disconnected
with the same facility and ease as when coupled with my automatic system.
I JOSEPH HENRY BETTELEY of 42 Old Broad Street in the City of London,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF COUPLINGS AND THE METHODS OF CONNECTING AND DIS-
CONNECTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the.
following statement :—
My Invention is designed for the purpose of coupling automatically and
instantaneously, or by hand, two or more vehicles on their coming into contact, by
means of hooks and links of novel construction attached thereto: and with a view
to the more effectually assuring immunity from the danger attendant upon such
operations when carried out by hand the process of uncoupling, locking, and
unlocking when required is performed by the aid of suitable levers, and my
Invention is further designed for taking up the Slack of the Drawbar or Drawbars
as hereinafter described.
I construct the couplings of suitable materials in various ways, and in order.
that my Invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to explain the same
by the aid of the accompanying drawings.
Figs. 1, and 2, respectively represent a plan and side view of couplings with
their links A and A' having rollers a and a¹. The hooks D, and D¹ (Fig. 1,) are
connected to the drawbars P, and P¹, by the pins B, and B¹ which form their
fulcrums, the catches of the hooks themselves forming the segments of circles, and
are thrown into, or out of gear as may be required by means of the levers C, and C¹
fixed upon the shaft b, (Fig. 2,) and the levers C, and C, fixed upon the shaft b¹.
The lever C, and the hook D' both in dotted lines represent the lever C, with its ...
book D¹, thrown out of gear, and which may be secured, or locked in the position
shown, by inserting a pin in the hole at E. The stops f, and f¹, are for regulating.
'

page_text: ..
the heights of the links. The carriages are represented coupled with the buffers
compressed, one link of the coupling with its roller a¹, is shown to have ascended
the incline formed by the other link, lifted the hook, and arrived at the position
described.
Figs. 3, and 4, are plan and side views respectively of central Buffers, and
double hook couplings. In this arrangement there are no links, but the hooks
strike against the rollers fixed to the buffers at g, g¹, over which they slide, and
become locked; at the top of these hooks is constructed a slot, to which is loosely
attached the lever F, by means of which the books are connected, disconnected, or
locked in any position, and to allow the free longitudinal movements of the
drawbars without altering their positions; this slot is applicable to any and every
kind of hook. In Fig. 3, only one hook and lever are represented in gear, the
lever and hook in dotted lines representing the same hook out of gear, and secured
in the position shown, by means of the pin E¹.
Figs. 5, and 6, are respectively side, and plan views of couplings without rollers,
in which the hooks are represented with their points turned upwards; in this
arrangement the hooks are poised by the balance weight H, so as always to
remain in position for coupling, the dotted lines of the lever and hook showing
them out of gear, and secured by the pin E.
Figs. 7, and 8, are respectively plan and side views of couplings similar to those
represented in Figs. 1, and 2, with this difference, that the levers and hooks are
constructed, and placed exactly similar to those represented in Figs. 3, and 4, the
dotted lines showing the lever and hook out of gear, and secured by the pin E.
Figs. 9, and 10, are respectively plan and side views of couplings representing
the links made wider at their extremities to allow for the variations of the centres
of the carriages when traversing curves, and the hooks are made longer in order to
allow more play between the carriages, the stops or checks for regulating the
height of the links in this plan can be made at the back of the joint as shown
at I, and I, (Fig. 10), one hook D, only is shown, the dotted lines representing
the hook out of gear, and secured by the pin E.
Figs. 11, and 12, are respectively plan and side views of couplings in which the
links or shackles, are reduced in length, so that under no circumstances can they
over-ride, and the hooks are furnished with two nosepieces: the inner nosepiece x,
being designed for the purpose of securing the ordinary link or chain of any other
carriage and the outer nosepiece is extended beyond the link or shackle to
allow for the play of the buffers.
:
Fig. 13, represents a side, and Fig. 14, a plan view of my method of taking up
the slack, and at the same time, of allowing for the give and take of the drawbar,
or drawbars.
G, and G, is the drawbar, separated in the centre, at one of which ends is cut a
right, and at the other end a left male screw-thread; K, is an elongated nut,
square, angular, or round and constructed with a feather, furnished with right, and
left female threads; O, O¹, is a wheel fitting loosely upon the aforesaid nut, but
held in position by suitable bearings, and having cut upon its periphery a worm
or teeth, upon which works a screw: actuated by the wheels and handles fixed
upon the sides of the vehicles. By the adoption of this arrangement, it will be
seen that the nut K, and drawbars G, G, are free to move to and fro at the same
time. Upon turning the handles at the sides of the vehicles, the drawbars can be
lengthened or shortened at will. Instead of a continuous drawbar, the system is
applicable to independent drawbars, to be placed, one at each end of the vehicle;
it can also be readily adapted to existing drawbars.
Having now particularly described, and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be worked, I declare that what
I claim is
.
Firstly. The construction of hooks as described allowance being made for the

page_text: Secondly. The holding part of each hook forming the segment of a circle struck
from the centre of the pin which forms the fulcrum.
Thirdly. The forming or cutting of a slot in the hook, to enable the same to be
connected, disconnected, or locked in any position, and to allow for the play of the
drawbars as described and represented.
Fourthly. The use of rollers upon the connecting links or bolts to facilitate the
connecting, and disconnecting of vehicles.
Fifthly. The various combinations as described in Figs. 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6,
7 and 8, 9 and 10, 11 and 12.
Sixthly. The method of taking up the slack by means of an elongated nut
working freely in a wheel upon fixed bearings, as described and represented, or
upon an independent drawbar at each end of the carriage.
Seventhly. The method of locking both hooks instantaneously as described and
represented in Figs. 3 and 4, and Figs. 11 and 12.
Dated this 19th day of November 1885