Improved Means for Enabling the Pipes of Pneumatic Brakes or Steam-heating Apparatus in Railway Trains to be Safely Coupled and Uncoupled.
Year: 1887

page_text: Improved Means for Enabling the Pipes of Pneumatic Brakes or
Steam-heating Apparatus in Railway Trains to be Safely
Coupled and Uncoupled.
I, BARTHOLOMAEUS HEIMSOETH, of Coblenz, in the Kingdom of Prussia and the
Empire of Germany, Manufacturer, 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 improved means for enabling the pipes of pneumatic
brakes or steam-heating apparatus in railway trains to be coupled and uncoupled
without the operator necessarily passing between the carriages.
And in order that this invention may be readily understood, I will proceed to
describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, whereof Figure 1
represents in plan and Figure 2 in front elevation a portion of the frame of a railway-
carriage to which apparatus, constructed in accordance with my invention, is applied.
Figure 3 shews in side view two such appliances respectively attached to adjacent
carriages and Figure 4 represents the apparatus in the position suitable for enabling
the brake-pipes or steam-pipes to be coupled or uncoupled without danger.
:
Between the buffers of each carriage and by preference centrally is mounted a
radius-rod a carried in the bracket & about which the free end of the said rod
vibrates. Two branch-pipes or bends e e, provided with suitable stop-cocks, are
attached to the free end of the pivotted rod a. The train-pipes ar are connected
with the branches e e by means of the flexible pipes ff. The branches e e appertaining
to each of two adjacent carriage-ends are united by means of the flexible pipes f
each pair of the latter being connected by a coupling g. Two spring-hooks or
clips gare provided on the bar a for the reception of the tubes f¹ when disconnected.
The pivotted end a¹ of the rod a is formed or furnished with a toothed gear adapted
to engage with a rack b forming part of a horizontal sliding bar b. The latter is
provided at each extremity with a handle d pivotted at s, a projection ¹, and, for
engaging therewith, a spring-catch i. Each handle d is further provided with a
cam-piece d', against which the spring i normally bears; the handle d being thereby
maintained in an upright position. When the pivotted rod a is vertical, it is

page_text: maintained in that position by the sliding bar b, the latter being held between the
two catches ii. When, however, one of the handles d is depressed, the free end r
of the spring-catch i is also depressed by the action of the cam-piece d', and the
projection is released from the catch the bar & thereupon becoming free to
partake of longitudinal motion and to actuate the rod a. The rod a when vibrated to
its full extent rests upon one or other of the supports h.
The action of the apparatus is as follows -When it is desired to couple, uncouple or
suspend, the flexible pipes, the operator, without passing between the carriages, depresses
one of the handles d, thereby throwing one of the spring-catches i out of action, and
pushes the sliding bar b towards the opposite side of the carriage, with the result that
the upper extremity of the pivotted rod a is caused to fall towards him and to assume
a position in which the desired coupling or other operation may be accomplished with
safety. Having completed the work, he then pulls back the sliding bar into its
original place, thereby restoring the rod a to its vertical position; and having
liberated the handle d, the spring-catch i locks the bar band rod a in their respective
working positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved means for facilitating the coupling and uncoupling of flexible
pipes of pneumatic brakes or steam-heating apparatus in railway trains, substantially
as herein described, and comprising a radius-rod whereof. one extremity is pivotted
about the centre of the carriage, whilst the other extremity, carrying the flexible pipe
or pipes, is capable of being vibrated towards either side of the carriage, so as to
render the pipe couplings accessible.
2. For actuating and locking a pivotted rod such as a serving to perform the
functions referred to in the preceding claiming clause, the combination with the
toothed gear a', of the sliding bar b carrying a rack band provided with means, such
as the spring catches ii and projections h¹, for securing the bar in its required
position, the whole arranged and operating substantially as set forth.
Dated this 5th day of December 1887.
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.