An Improved Coupling for Railway Carriages and Waggons.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coupling for Railway Carriages and Waggons.
WILLIAM SMITH, 9, Newport Street, Lewes Road, Brighton, Blacksmith, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
The buffer casting has, in addition to the bore for the buffer rod a square hole
running parallel thereto, into which is inserted the shank of a hook, pivoted in
the centre and moving horizontally in the said slot.
The tail end of this hook is forked, and is operated on by a spindle sliding
across the rear end of the casting and kept in position by a spiral spring.
A corresponding hook on another carriage will, on meeting, automatically
couple with the first hook, due allowance is made for jamming, and the uncoupling
is made by a lever acting on the spindle, which separates the hooks.
Dated this 20th day of June 1899
An Improved Coupling for Railway Carriages and Waggons.
I, WILLIAM SMITH, Engine Smith, of 9, Newport Street, Lewes Road, Brighton,
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:-
This invention relates to a coupling for railway carriages and waggons whereby
they may be connected together automatically on meeting and disconnected
from the side.
On the end of each car I fix a casting carrying a strong hook pivoted to it and
adapted to turn horizontally. This hook is provided with a lever extension
operated by a spring and a spindle which keep the hook normally in engaging
position, but allow it to be turned to one-side. When the cars come together the
heads of the adjacent hooks meet, push each other aside and engage.
A lever passing to the side of the car serves to release the coupling hooks by
moving back the spindle which turns the hook to one side. A catch which can
be operated from either side of the car retains the lever in open position until it
is released for the next coupling operation
The accompanying drawings illustrate the construction of my coupling
apparatus.

page_text: Fig. 3a side view of the apparatus, the figures being broken at certain parts
te show the details.
The beam A of the car carries the casting or casing B bolted to it at about
the centre. To it is pivoted the strong hook C, the head c of which is of consider-
able depth and is bevelled at the front so that on two hooks meeting they are
mutually pressed aside: As shown the hook is pivoted vertically so to turn in a
horizontal plane.
The hook is formed with the lever extension D) preferably of forked. form
having the spindle E connected to it. This spindle is within the casing B and
is free to move transversely. The spring e is fitted around this spindle and bears
upon the extension D keeping the hook C normally in fully extended position as
shown in the drawings. The other end of the spring abuts against the nut shaped
plug b screwed in the end of the casing B and having a passage which permits
the spindle E to pass through.
The lever F which releases the coupling is pivoted to the car at f and is curved
downwardly at fl to bear against the projecting end of the spindle E. The
other end of the lever curves around the buffer G for convenience and this end
serves as a handle for operating.
On pulling down the lever the spindle E is pushed back carrying with it the
extension 1) of the hook causing the latter to turn around its pivot and to
disengage.
To hold the lever in open position a catch H is provided on a rod h extending
across the end of the car and having a handle at each end. The catch has a sloping
face with a sharp nose at its lower end and is kept against the lever by a spring
and on the lever being pulled below the level of the nose the catch engages with
it. To release the lever the catch is turned out of engaging position by one of
the handles and the lever then springs up, the hook returning to operative
position.
To permit this apparatus to be used in conjunction with the coupling devices
commonly employed, the casting may carry on its upper side the hook J similar
to the one at present in general use.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
(1) An automatic coupling apparatus for railway cars, consisting of a pivoted
hook upon the end of the car turning horizontally, a rearward extension on the
said hook, a sliding spindle and spring acting upon the said extension, and a
lever operated from the side of the car bearing against one end of the spindle
and adapted to actuate it, substantially as described and for the purposes specified.
(2) The improved automatic coupling apparatus for railway cars, constructed
and operating substantially in the manner described and shown in the accom-
panying drawings and for the purposes specified.
Dated this 22nd day of March 1900.
GEO. H. RAYNER,
37, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicant.