Improvements in or Connected with Automatic Railway Couplings.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Feb., 1889
Specification Accepted, 9th Mar., 1889
Improvements in or Connected with Automatic Railway Couplings.
I, BARTHOLOMAEUS HEIMSOETH, of Coblenz, in the Kingdom of Prussia, and
German Empiro, Manufacturer, do hereby declare 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 :-
The hereinafter described coupling for railway carriages according to my invention
acts in such a way that by the forcible contact of the carriages against one another
an automatic coupling takes place by means of a peculiar catch mechanism which is
arranged in such a way that the coupling arrangement can be rendered inoperative
so that only when in shunting the uncoupling of the carriages takes place. The
coupling is applied to carriages provided with a continuous main draft bar and is
arranged in such a manner that when applied to a carriage such carriage can bo
coupled to another carriage provided with a different coupling arrangement, for
example when provided with the ordinary coupling.
IN THE DRAWINGS :-
Figures 1 and 2 shew in plan parts of two carriages facing one another to be
coupled together.
Figure 3 shews in side view the continuous main draft shaft together with its
working parts and connections and with the usual coupling connected thereto.
Figures and 5 shew in side view the coupling contrivances of two carriages.
Figure 6 shews the buffer-shaft (g) of the coupling to a larger scale.
Figure 7 shews the buffer-shaft (f) of the coupling to a larger scale.
Figure 8 is a plan of the buffer-shaft shown in Figure 7.
Figure 8 shews the middle part of the buffer shaft f, Figure 8, with the hammer h
thrown back.
Figure 9 shews in plan the coupling of two carriages after the coupling has

page_text: vertical hook b.
Figure 11 shows in detail the horizontally hooked bare with its disconnecter ‹³.
Figure 12 shows in front and side views the crank handle which serves to netunto
the shafts & and 1ª.
Figure 13 shews in side view the pawl movement r, r³, which is operatod during
the inward movement of the buffer-sliaft g.
The automatic railway coupling according to my invention consists as follows.
The draft-bar a is provided at any suitable part of its length with a spring (,
and at both its ends with the usual coupling, for instance the usual screw coupling.
The drafi-bar a is arranged centrally in the earringo framework. On one side of
the bar a is arranged the buffer-shaft (shewn in Figures 7, 8 and 8 in detail) pro-
vided at one end with a disc f which serves as a buffer. On the buffer-shaft there
is provided a jaw (Figure 5) in which the lever e engages.
r
The lover is formed as shown in Figure 10 and is connectel with the vertical
hook through the connecting rod. If the buffer-shaft by the concussion of
the earringes to be couple as hereinafter described-is driven back, overcoming the
pressure of the spring the lower arm of the lover e is also carried back with it
and in this manner the vertical hook is lowered. The vertical hook then takes
into the horizontal hook of the other carriage coupling. The horizontal hook, can
adjusted longitudinally, being for this purpose provided at with a screwed hoss
(Figures 3 and 11) into which the adjusting screw i takes. The screw is worked by
means of the bevel wheels and through the turning of the shaft k'. The return
action of the hook c takes place automatically through the torsional spiral spring
which is placed on the simit, in such a manner that after the grip of the vertical
hook into the horizontal hook has been removed the coupling is unlinked, by means
of which the free action of the spring is returned to it. The coupling arrangement
is arranged on both sides of the har ; on one sido there is the horizontal hook e and
on the other side tho buffer rod, and consists of the following part. The rod of the
horizontal hook e is provided with an incision (Figures 4 and 11) into which the
catch d engages. The catch is operated by the hammer which latter acting as a
spring is arranged on the buffer rod, and which is in its turn operated by the releaser"
provided upon the horizontal hook e
Opposite the buffer of the buffer-shaft there is arranged a buffer-shaft g which
is provided with a buffer g' and which in relation to the buffer is arranged
is indented at its rear end
correspondingly upon the carriago. The buffer-shaft g
and on this indented portion there is provided a rack in which works the pinion
which is keyed on the shaft. On the shaft there is a torsional spirul spring g
arranged in such a manner that the buffer-shaft g is returned to its outward position,
which position is governed by the stop pin y. The tension of the spring is a
greater one than that of the spring which impols outwardly the buffer-shaft. In
consequence of this, on the concussion of and g', the buffor-shaft is driven back.
On the shaft there is keyed a ratchet wheel into which the pawl r takes. The
position of the pawl r is set by the spring pieces.
The action of the old coupling is as follows:-
When through the action of the spring the buffer-shaft is pressed out, and
through the action of the spring the horizontal hook and through the action of
the spring g³ the buffor rod have been pressed out from the carriage as far as
possible (which distance is limited by the pin g) the vertical hook is at the same
time drawn upwards by the outward movement of the buffer-shaft through the
nction of the lever a working in the jaw /”.
To couple the carriages they aro brought into contact. This brings in contact the
buffer with the buffer g', and thoroby the buffer shaft is driven back to within
two contimetres of the full extent of its travel. By the consequent retrogression of
the jaw (Figure 5) the lever e throws the vertical hook & into the horizontal hooke
presented before it; at the same time the hammer on the buffer-shift knocks the
catch piece d out of the incision on the horizontal hook e, in consequence of which

page_text: action the spring being under torsion, draws the horizontal hook e back by means
of the rod and the bevel wheels and turning the screw in the screwed pro-
vision el, whilst the releaser es attached to the receeding horizontal hook rod e prossos
back the hammer on the rod f so that it releases the catch d. The spring draws
back the horizontal hook e as far as the inner circle of the mouth of the vertical
look b, whereby the carriages, according to the regulation for passenger express
trains, travel with close buffers.
In uncoupling, on turning the rod by means of the crank handle shown in
Figure 12, the horizontal hook e through the bevel wheels and and the screw i,
is pushed forward until the catch takes into the incision on the hook rod e,
which is caused by the releaser e³ placing the hammer h out of contact with the
catch d.
Upon the separation of a carriage, the pressed back buffer-shaft is liberated and
is then pressed out by the spring f, in consequence of which action the vertical
hook which has been acted upon by the levere working in the jaw, is lifted up.
Through the buffer-shaft springing out, the hammer h engages with the catch à,
and the coupling is ready for another carriage.
In the connecting rod c², Figures 4 and 5 there is provided a slot c* by means of
which the vertical hook 7, when loaded and empty carriages come together, can yield
to suit the different elevations of the hooks band e.
The two centimetre space above referred to, which exists, when travelling with close
buffers, between the head of the buffer-shaft and the draft rod a, allows for the
play caused in travelling round a curve, as thereby the centre of the draft rod a is
movable backwards and the coupling yields to right and left and will not break. By
pressing the buffers back to within two centimetres the buffers can ou the inner
side of the curve be compressed nearly to twenty centimetres.
The jaw will not press the lever c back beyond a certain point, that is, where the
jaw enters the cut away portion c¹, Figure 10. In consequence of this the move-
ment of the buffer-shaft reaches a dead point and has no further influence on the
rod and vertical hook 6, but leaves free play to the latter.
In order to uncouple carriages whon shunting or separating trains, it is only
necessary to draw back the buffer-shaft g on the last carriage. This is done by
turning the shaft with the crank handle shewn in Figure 12, and the pawl r being
in gear with the pawl wheel the reaction of the pressed back buffer shaft fis
prevented, so that the pin on the buffer-shaft g comes in contact with the cross
lever z which is fulcrummed at its centro and is in connection with the buffer-shaft f.
This action brings the two buffers and g¹ side by side and as they now stand in
rear of the waggon buffers there is no consequent connection of the carriages.
After the shunting of the carriage the pawl is raised out of gear with the wheel r
by turning the shaft by the aid of the crank handle shewn in Figure 12, and
thereby the spring operated buffer-shaft g is again put into its extreme outward
position.
By hard concussion of the carriages this buffer-shaft g is pressed back, and the
vertical hook 6 is pressed down by the jaw f" on the buffer shafts ƒ and g pushing
against one another.
For the coupling of an old waggon, supplied with an ordinary coupling, to a
new waggon provided with a coupling according to this invention, the buffer-shaft
is drawn back by turning the shaft by means of a crank handle such as
shewn in Figure 12, and the old coupling can then be hooked and attached as
usual.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In automatic couplings for railway carriages provided with spring draft

page_text: and connecting rod, and which by releasing the catch d leaves the hook bar e
open to the influence of the spring which by means of the rod k, and the bevol
wheels and draws in the hook e and gives tension to the coupling, in connection
with the buffer-shaft y which by means of the spring is pressed against the
buffer-shaft pressing the same back, and which (through the shaft ) may be with-
drawn and field in that position by the pawl wheel r', and the buffer-shaft being
drawn back by means of the lever g and contact pin g', the operation of the buffor-
shaft is prevented.
Second. The arrangment horoin described by which in an automatic coupling a
vertical hook on one carriage is caused to engage with a horizontal hook on another
carriage by means of buffers such as ' and ', one of said buffers () being
connected with the vertical hook and actuating same; operating anbstantially in the
manner set forth.
Third. In automatic couplings the arrangement of the notch e in connection with
the jaw on the buffer-shaft for the ensuring of the gripping of the hooks band e
when at different elevations.
Fourth. The arrangement of the hammer on the rod, in connection with the
releaser on the horizontal hook bar e, for the purpose of releasing the catch d from
the niche or incision on the hook rode when the buffer-shaft is driven back ;
substantially as and for the nurposes set forth.
1111: AL
11.3
1000
Dated this 5th day of February 1980.
BARTHOLOMAEUS HEIMSOFTH.
By Cheesbrough & Royston,
15, Water Street, Liverpool,
Patent Agents.