IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS AND OTHER VEHICLES, AND THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR"
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Anderson and John Darling, both of Glasgow in
the County of Lanark, North Britain, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS AND OTHER
VEHICLES, AND THE MEANS EMPLOYED THEREFOR"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Anderson & John
Darling at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 22nd December
1882.
JAMES ANDERSON and JOHN DARLING, both of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND OTHER VEHICLES, AND THE MEANS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR,"
This Invention, which relates to improvements in the coupling or uncoupling of
Railway carriages, trucks, vans or other vehicles, has for its object to enable
railway or other vehicles to automatically couple themselves together as they
approach each other and to enable them to be disconnected or uncoupled either
automatically or non-automatically without requiring a man to place himself
between Railway or other vehicles when coupling or uncoupling them as is the
present practice.
The Invention consists in providing at the central or other suitable part at the
ends of each Railway vehicle, one or more pairs of clutches. One clutch or one or
more pairs of clutches, the solid projection or projections on any one of which
enter into the hollow receptacle or receptacles of the clutch of the adjoining
vehicle and wherein after having so entered, they are retained by a pin or catch
holding the solid within the hollow part thereof. This pin or catch of each such
clutch is mounted upon a shaft which extends out to one or both sides of the
vehicle, and is there provided with a counter-weight a screw-wedge, or the
equivalent thereof which keeps the pins or catches of the clutches in that position
whereby they are held together.
Instead of using double clutches of the construction herein before described,
double male and female screw clutches, with either the male or female portions
made elastic, may be substituted.

page_text: For the purpose of uncoupling Railway vehicles provided with the aforesaid
clutches, this may be effected by hand by lifting the counterweights or loosening
the screws or wedges thus leaving the pins or catches free to be withdrawn from
the clutches or the uncoupling may be effected at any part of the train either by
mechanical or electrical connections which will raise the levers which carry and
retain the pins or catches. These electrical or mechanical connections are or may
be operated either from the engine or Guard's van and a dial plate or indicator is
attached provided with a pointer to shew the part at which the uncoupling is
effected.
A somewhat deep flat shaped hook moveable upon a vertical axis may also be
used; the hooks at opposite ends of the vehicles' face in opposite directions so that
the hooks on any two adjacent vehicles have their projecting part so situated as to
clasp into or engage with each other and so that if the vehicles are turned round
the position of the books at their adjacent ends is always right for the coupling
act. The back part of each hook is made with a flat surface against which an
elliptic or flat spring, or its mechanical equivalent, bears.-This spring is carried in
the bracket whereinto the hook itself is held by a bolt or pin passing down through
it and the effect of the spring is such that pressing against the flat surface of the
hook, it maintains it in such a horizontal position, that is to say projecting
outwards from the body of the vehicle and being elastically maintained in that
position allows the hooks to yield or slide by each other and to couple themselves
so soon as the points or tips of the hooks have slid over each other.
To uncouple the said vehicles it is only necessary to draw the vehicles
sufficiently close together to allow one of the hooks to be moved out of contact
with the other of the hooks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Anderson & John Darling in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 22nd June 1883.
"
JAMES ANDERSON, and JOHN DARLING, both of Glasgow, in the County
of Lanark, North Britain, IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING AND UN-COUPLING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND OTHER VEHICLES AND THE MEANS EMPLOYED
THEREFOR."
Our said Invention, which relates to improvements in the coupling or uncoupling
of railway carriages, trunks, vans, or other vehicles, has for its object to enable
railway or other vehicles to automatically couple themselves together as they
approach each other, and to enable them to be disconnected or uncoupled either
automatically or non-automatically, without requiring a man to place himself
between the vehicles when coupling or uncoupling them, as is the present practice.
The Invention consists in providing at the central or other suitable part at the
ends of each railway vehicle, one or more pairs of clutches, the solid projection or
projections on any one of which enter into the bollow receptacle or receptacles of
the clutch of the adjoining vehicle, and wherein, after having so entered, they_are
retained by a pin or catch holding the solid within the hollow part thereof. This
pin or catch of each such clutch is mounted upon a shaft which extends out to one
or both sides of the vehicle, and is there provided with a counter-weight, a screw-
wedge, or the equivalent thereof, which keeps the pins or catches of the clutches in
that position whereby they are held together.
Instead of using double clutches of the construction herein before described,
double male and female screw clutches, with either the male or female portions
made elastic, may be substituted.
The uncoupling of railway vehicles provided with the aforesaid clutches may be
effected by hand, by lifting the counterweights or loosening the screws or wedges,
thus leaving the pins or catches free to be withdrawn from the clutches, or the
uncoupling may be effected at any part of the train, either by mechanical or
electrical connections which will raise the levers which carry and retain the pins or
catches. These electrical or mechanical connections are or may be operated either
from the engine or guard's van, and a dial plate or indicator is attached, provided
with a pointer to show the part at which the uncoupling is effected.
A somewhat deep flat shaped book movable upon a vertical axis may also be
used. The hooks at opposite ends of the vehicles face in opposite directions, so
that the books on any two adjacent vehicles have their projecting part so situated
as to clasp into or engage with each other, and so that if the vehicles are turned
round the position of the hooks at their adjacent ends is always right for the.
coupling to act. The back part of each hook is made with a flat surface, against
which an elliptic or flat spring, or its mechanical equivalent, bears. This spring
is carried in the bracket whereinto the book itself is held by a bolt or pin passing
down through-it, and the effect of the spring is such that pressing against the flat
surface of the hook, it maintains it in such a horizontal position, that is to say,
projecting outwards from the body of the vehicle, and being elastically maintained
in that position, allows the hooks to yield or slide past each other, and to couple
themselves so soon as the points or tips of the hooks have slid over each other.
To uncouple the said vehicles, it is only necessary to draw the vehicles
sufficiently close together to allow one of the hooks to be moved out of contact
with the other of the hooks.

page_text: The accompanying Drawings illustrate various modes in which our said Inven-
tion may be practically carried into effect. Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, and
Figure 2 is an inverted plan of a wheeled butch or waggon, fitted with a modifi-
cation of the improved coupling devices. These devices comprise a pair of deep
flat shaped hooks A, A', fitted one at each end of the vehicle, and jointed by
vertical pins b, b, to bracket blocks B, B, secured to the under side of the framing F
of the vehicle.
The hooks A, A', are maintained in an approximately longitudinal position by
means of springs C, C, secured to the brackets B, B, and bearing on the inner ends
a', a', of the hooks. The outer ends or tips a of these hooks are enlarged and are
formed with inclined surfaces which face each other, and when the waggons are
brought together to be coupled, the inclined faces strike against each other and
are pressed out of the longitudinal line until the tips or points a have slid past
each other, and the hooks are engaged.
For the purpose of disengaging the hooks A, A¹, to uncouple the waggons, a
hand lever D is pivoted on each bracket block B or on the waggon framing, and
is fitted to project at one end out beyond the side of the waggon.
An arm D' on
this lever is provided with a pin d which engages in a curved slot a³, formed in
the hook A, A. When the hand lever D is moved to the position indicated by
the dotted lines, the arm D' acting through the pin d and slot a² on the hook A
or A', disengages the one hook from the other, the waggons having been first
brought close enough together to admit of the tips of the hooks clearing each other.
The hand levers at the opposite ends of the waggon or hutch are also carried out
to the opposite sides, so that the waggons may be coupled or uncoupled from
either side. The outer end of each hand lever D passes over a guiding bar ffixed
to the under side of the frame F which may have catches or stops formed on it to
retain the lever in either position. Projecting plates F are fitted at each end of
the waggon to prevent the hooks A, A', from rising and disengaging by jolting or
shaking.
Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation, figure 4 is an inverted plan, and figure 5
is an end elevation of part of a railway carriage fitted with a modified arrange-
ment of our improved coupling and uncoupling devices. Each hook A, A', is in
this case disengaged by the pulling of a chain or cord E which is attached near the
free end of the hook, passed round a guide pulley e secured on the carriage
framing F, and connected to an operating hand lever D pivotted on a bracket at
the end of the carriage, as particularly shown in figure 5. The hooks may be
maintained in the disengaged position by means of a catch on the segmental
guard fengaging the lever D. A spiral or other spring or springs C fitted and
partly enclosed in the bracket block B press against a projecting rib a³ and retain
the book A or A' in the longitudinal line ready for the coupling operation which
is simply effected by bringing the two adjacent carriages close against each other.
A heel piece a by coming in contact with the edge of the block B prevents the
hook being forced beyond the coupling position. To provide for tightening up the
couplings in railway carriages or waggons fitted with yielding buffers, the hooks
A A¹ are connected to the draw bars G by the joint pins a³ on which they swivel,
and one or both of the draw bars of each carriage is divided, and provided with a
screw coupling arrangement which consists of a screw G¹ formed on the draw bar
on which is a pinion H fitted within a box bearing I to which is attached the
inner end of the draw bar. The pinion H gears with a pinion H' on a transverso
spindle h fitted at one or both sides which is operated by a hand wheel at the side
of the carriage. The pinion H is free to revolve on the screw part G of the draw
bar, and is held by a collar within the bearing I. By turning the spindle h and
the gearing H, H', in one direction or the other, the draw bar G is correspondingly
traversed to tighten or loosen the hold of the coupling hooks. The spindle his
connected to the pinion shafts by a coupling h³ which yields to adapt itself to the
lateral movement of the box I.

page_text: Figure 6 is an inverted plan of part of a railway carriage fitted with another
modification of our improved coupling devices. The hook A may be connected to
the draw bar of the carriage in the manner already described. The disengaging
lever D is jointed on the bracket block B, and is formed with clutch-like pro-
jections at the inner end which when the lever D is moved back press against
corresponding projections on an intermediate lever D₁ which is fitted to swivel on
the same pin a³, and the outer end of which is formed with a pin d engaging in
the slots a in the hook A. When the hook A is pressed aside in coupling, the
lever D moves with it, but the hand lever D is not acted on.
Having now particularly described the nature of our said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim as
our invention is,-
First. The construction and combination of parts of devices for coupling and
uncoupling railway carriages, trucks, hutches, and other vehicles, substantially as
herein described and illustrated by the accompanying Drawings.
Second. As means for coupling and uncoupling railway carriages, trucks, hutches,
and other vehicles, the combination of the spring hooks or clutches (A, A') pivotted
on the carriage framing or on the draw bars and operated by a hand lever (D)
from the side of the vehicle, substantially as herein described and illustrated.
In Witness Whereof, We, the said James Anderson, and the said John
Darling, have hereunto set our hands and seals this Twenty first day of
June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty-
three.