IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, AND IN MEANS OR APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH.
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Reuben Goucher, of Perlethorpe, in the County
of Nottingham, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS
FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, AND IN MEANS OR APPLIANCES CONNECTED
THEREWITH.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Reuben Goucher at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th April 1875.
I, REUBEN GOUCHER, of Perlethorpe, in the County of Nottingham,
do hereby declare the nature of my said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, AND IN MEANS OR APPLIANCES CON-
NECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to the connecting or disconnecting of railway
carriages, trucks, or other vehicles of railway rolling stock, and it consists
of an improved arrangement of couplings, and means or appliances con-
nected therewith, whereby the necessity for the attendant employed in
coupling and uncoupling the vehicles passing under or between the same
is obviated.

page_text: In carrying out my Invention as applied to the coupling together of
trucks (for example) I prefer to employ the following arrangements,
viz.. A strong hook is fixed in the usual central position at the end of
the truck, which hook carries by means of a hole through the shank or
butt three or any other suitable number of strong chain links, the outer
or end one of which is intended to engage with the hook on the following
truck. Under the front timber of the framework of the truck, and
supported and working in bearings is a rocking shaft, the ends of which
project a short distance on each side of the truck, and are provided with
hand wheels or bandles to facilitate the turning of such shaft, whilst in
the centre of the shaft there is fixed a double-cranked arm, having cach
of its ends flattened and formed with a short slot therethrough for the
purpose herein-after mentioned.
An oblong lifting frame, attached either by welding or otherwise to
the hook link of the chain, or working loose in the same hole in the
hook, or in any other suitable position near it, supports and caries the
first or engaging link by means of holes, through which the link works
freely for a short distance endwise, so as to prevent any strain on the
frame when coupled. The frame is provided about the centre of cach
arm with a hinge or stop joint to allow an amount of lateral play between
the truck, and such fiame passes through the slots in the cranked arms
herein-before mentioned, by which means it is supported. When
disengaged the coupling links hang down in a vertical position, and on
turning the wheel or handle on either side of the truck the double arm
raises the frame, and with it the links, which are extended in such a
position that when the next truck is brought close to the same the
hook will be exactly under the link, which may be then immediately
lowered over it.
In coupling together "passenger carriages" which require to be held
together firmly and without any lateral play, the hook instead of being
a fixture is welded or otherwise secured to the end of a sliding bar,
having a given amount of movement endwise. On the butt or shank
of the hook immediately behind the link is a cross bar bending down-
ward at the ends and supporting a rocking shaft, which works in slots,
and carries a double-cranked arm and frame for lifting the chain links,
in a manner similar to that herein-before described.
On the inside of the framework of the carriage is fixed a slide box,
through which the sliding bar passes, and is capable of moving when a

page_text: vertical slide, which works with but little friction in this box, is raised.
This is effected by means of levers which project out at each side of the
carriage, the weight of the slide causing it to descend to its former
position when released The slide is forked at its lower end to pass
over the sliding bar, and the amount of sliding movement of the bar is
determined by means of two collars or stops provided on the same. A
second rocking shaft behind the slide box, with a forked lever acting
against the end collar or stop, is employed for drawing back the
slide bar, handles or wheels being provided at each side of the carriage
to facilitate the manipulation of the former When released (by raising
the slide) the slide bar is forced forward by a spring fixed at the end of
the same.
The coupling is effected in the following manner :-The slide having
been raised the slide bar with the coupling cham is forced forward a few
inches, and the attendant by partially turning the front rocking shaft
clevates the coupling links sufficiently high The other carriage being
close up the front link is dropped over the hook of the same, and the
second rocking shaft being turned draws back the slide bar until
the slide drops behind the stop and holds the two carriages tightly
together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Reuben Goucher in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 6th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, REUBEN
GOUCHER, of Perlethorpe, in the County of Nottingham, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of April, in the year of our
Loid One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Reuben Goucher, Her special
license, that I, the said Reuben Goucher, my executors, admınıs-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Reuben Goucher,
my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
•

page_text: during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK, AND IN MEANS
OR APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Reuben Goucher, my exccutors or administrators, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed
in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and 1
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Reuben Goucher, do hereby declaic
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying 1
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to
say :-
My said Invention relates to the connecting or disconnecting of
railway carriages, trucks, or other vehicles of railway rolling stock, and
it consists of an improved arrangement of couplings and means or 2
appliances connected therewith, whereby the necessity for the attendant
employed in coupling and uncoupling the vehicles passing under or
between the same is obviated.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose 2
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all thic
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a plan of a portion of the framing
of a truck or wagon with my Invention applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan, and Figure 3 a longitudinal section illustrating a
modification of the arrangement, Figure 1, more particularly adapted for
passenger carriages.
3
Figure 4 represents a plan of a portion of the framing of a truck or
wagon with a further modification of my Invention applied thereto, and 3
Figures 5 and 6 are detail views, which will be herein-after more fully
referred to.

page_text: In carrying out my said Invention as applied to the coupling together
of trucks (for example) I prefer to employ the arrangement shewn in
Figure 1 of my Drawings.
A is a strong hook, which is fixed in the usual central position at the
end B of the truck, which hook carries by means of a hole through
the sbank or butt three or any other suitable number of strong chain
links C, C¹, C³, the outer or end one C² of which is intended to engage
with the hook on the following truck. Under the front timber of the
framework of the truck and supported and working in bearings D, D,
is a rocking shaft E. the ends of which project a short distance on each
side of the truck, and are provided with hand wheels or handles F, F, to
facilitate the turning of such shaft, whilst in the centre of the shaft
there is fixed a double-cranked arm G, having each of its ends flattened
and formed with a short slot therethrough for the purpose herein-after
mentioned.
An oblong lifting frame II attached either by welding or otherwise to
the hook link C of the chain, or working loose in the same hole in the
hook, or in any other suitable position near it, supports and carries the
first or engaging link C³, such frame having holes or grooves formed in
it at its ends a, a, through which the link works freely for a short
distance endwise, so as to prevent any strain on the frame when coupled.
The frame H is provided, say, at about the centre of each arm b, 6, with
a hinge or stop joint c in order to allow a certain amount of lateral play
between the trucks, and such frame passes through the slots in the
cranked arms G, by which means it is supported. When disengaged the
coupling links hang down in a vertical position, and on turning the
wheel or handle F on either side of the truck the double arm G raises
the frame H and with it the links, which are extended in such a position
that when the next truck is brought close to the same the hook will be
exactly under the link C, which may be then immediately lowered
over it.
In coupling together "passenger carriages" which require to be held
together firmly and without any lateral play, the hook instead of being
a fixture is welded or otherwise secured to the end of a slding bar I,
having a given amount of movement endwise, as shewn in the modifi-
cation, Figures 2 and 3. On the butt or shank of the hook A immediately
behind the link C is a cross bar K bending downward at the ends c², c¹,
and supporting a rocking shaft E, which works in slots & formed in the

page_text: bearings D, and carries a double cranked arm G and frame II for lifting
the chain link C, C¹, C³, in a manner similar to that herein-before
described with reference to the arrangement, Figure 1
On the inside of the framework of the carriage is fixed a slide box L,
through which the sliding bar I carrying the hook A passes, and is
capable of moving when a vertical slide M, which works with but little
friction in this box, is raised. The lifting of the slide M is effected by
means of levers N, N, having their fulcra in the frame B of the carriage
at e, e, respectively, and which project out one at cach side of the
carriage, the weight of the slide M causing it to descend to its former
position when released. The slide M is forked at its lower end to pass
over the sliding bar I, and the amount of sliding movement of- the-bar
is determined by means of two adjustable collars or stops f, f, provided
on the same, and which operate in connection with a forked lever O
carried on a second rocking shaft P supported in bearings Q, Q. The 3
forked lever O is employed for drawing back the slide bar, which
operation is performed by the lever acting against the collar f, handles
being provided to facilitate its manipulation
The coupling is effected in the following manner -The slide M having
been raised by means of the levers N, N, the slide bar I with the ?
coupling chain is forced forward under the action of a spring R attached
to the framing, and the attendant by partially turning the front rocking
shaft D by means of one of the handles or wheels F, F, elevates the
coupling links C, O', 0, to a sufficient height. The other carriage being
close up the front link C³ is dropped over the hook of the same, and the
rocking shaft P being turned by means of the handle g the forked lever O
is caused to act against the collar or stop ', and thereby draw back the
slide bar I until the slide M drops behind the stop f and holds the two
carriages tightly together.
In the modification shewn in Figures 4, 5, and 6, which is more par-
ticularly applicable to trucks or wagons, a ratchet, toothed, or notched
wheel or segment of a wheel S is employed, which may be either
fastened on the rocking shaft E on the inner side of the hand wheel F,
as shewn in Figure 4, or cast in one picce with the hand wheel F, as
shewn in Figure 6.
Engaging with the teeth of the wheel S is a spring lever or detent T
mounted on a transverse rod U so as to be capable of being put either in

page_text: or out of gear by the attendant, and which servos to support and hold up
the links in such a position that the hook A is clear to be grappled by
the chain of an approaching truck or wagon, or the links may be
lowered over the hook of the next truck or the approaching truck.
The lifting frame H in lieu of being welded to the hindermost link C
of the chain (as herein-before described) may be secured by jointed bolts
h, h, passing through the framework B of the truck.
-
A ratchet wheel S may be employed on each side of the truck, or on
one side only, as desired, but a lever T should be provided on each side,
the two levers being connected with each other, so that the apparatus
can be worked from either side.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used,
or carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured
to me by the heroin-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The application and use to and with couplings for railway
rolling stock of a lifting frame operated by a rocking shaft for clevating
and supporting the connecting chain, substantially as herein-before
described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The forming the lifting frame in parts jointed together,
substantially as and for the purpose herein-before described and as
illustrated by my Drawings..
Third. The combination with the lifting frame and rocking shaft of a
moveable block or slide, and stops or flanges controlled by rocking arms
for retaining, releasing, and drawing back a sliding bar carrying the
hook, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes
herein-before described, and as illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Reuben Goucher, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Fifth day of October,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
REUBEN GOUCHER. (L.s.)