IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Melville Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS." A communication from abroad by Hamlin G. Russell,
of Lincoln, in the County of Logan, State of Illinois, and John Lorenzo Roberts,
of St. Louis, St. Louis County, State of Missouri, both in the United States of
America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Melville Clark at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 28th November 1876.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent:
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS."
The object of this Invention is to provide an improved automatical railway
coupling which couples easily and quickly, and is applicable to carriages of different
heights. It is also arranged so that trains may be made up and the carriages be
brought together without coupling.
The Invention consists of draw bars with pivoted spring hooks which engage
with recessed parts, and connect with a disengaging mechanism for uncoupling,
which also prevents the hooks from coupling on making up the train.
The draw bars are of oblong shape, attached to the lower sides of the carriage
platforms. Each bar is provided with a coupling hook, which is pivoted at the rear
end of the same to a strong vertical rod. Projecting parts on the draw bar secure
the even lateral working of the coupling hook. A strong band spring is connected
to the hook, and placed in such a manner between it and the side of draw bar
that the force of the same presses the hook toward that side of the draw bar. The.
opposite side of the draw bar is made with a solid inclined part at the mouth for
the easy entering of the coupling hook of the adjoining carriage, said inclined part
being supplied with a vertical groove along its rear edge, into which the hook
locks.
A catch plate is secured to the side of the draw bar in rear of the inclined part
by bolts, screws, or rivets, so that its front part has an elastic spring-like action.
Upon this catch plate acts a bolt or pin, which passes through a hole in the draw

page_text: bar, and is rigidly attached to a bar which slides by its rectangular leg on the top
of the draw bar by means of a slot, and lug. The leg carries the fulcrum of a lever,
which engages with hooks on the carriage platform at both sides of the fulcrum.
Both ends of this lever are bont forward to be arrested by the hooks in the sliding
sideward motion of the bar. A hook-shaped projection on the longer end of the
lever may be locked on the hook, and thereby the catch plate retained by the bolt
before mentioned in its forward extending position, preventing thereby the engaging
of the coupling hook. A suitable treadle or other mechanism is applied to the
shorter end of the lever for adjusting the catch plate for coupling or uncoupling.
On the approaching of the carriages the coupling hooks lock into their respective
grooves. For uncoupling the lever is carried sidewise so that the catch plates act
⚫ on the ends of the coupling hooks, and disengage them from the grooves. The play
in vertical direction which is given to the hooks allows the coupling of carriages of
different heights, while the side play of the hooks instantly disconnects the carriages
should any one get off the line
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Alexander Melville Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 18th
May 1877.
ALEXANDER MELVILLE CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lanc, in the County of Middlesex,
Patent Agent.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLINGS." A communication
from abroad by Hamlin G. Russell, of Lincoln, in the County of Logan, State of
Illinois, and John Lorenzo Roberts, of St. Louis, St. Louis County, State of Missouri,
both in the United States of America.
The object of this Invention is to provide an improved automatical railway
coupling, which couples easily and quickly, and is applicable to carriages of different
heights. It is also arranged so that trains may be made up, and the carriages be
brought together without coupling.
The Invention consists of draw bars with pivoted spring hooks, which engage
with recessed parts, and connect with a disengaging mechanism for uncoupling,
which also prevents the hooks from coupling on making up the train.
In the accompanying Drawing Figure 1 represents a sectional side view of the
improved railway coupling on the line c, c, Figure 2; Figure 2, a top view of the
same partly in section; and Figure 3, an end view of the same partly in section.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
"
A, A, represent the draw bars of oblong shape attached to the lower sides of the
carriage platforms. Each bar is provided with a coupling hook C, which is pivoted
at the rear end of the same to a strong vertical rod a. Projecting parts 6 of draw
bar A secure the even lateral working of hook C. A strong band spring d is con-
nected to hook C, and placed in such a manner between it and the side of the draw
bar A that the force of the same presses hook C toward that side of the draw bar.
The opposite side of draw bar A is made with a solid inclined part e at the mouth
for the easy entering of the coupling hook of the adjoining carriage. Part e is
supplied with a vertical groove e¹ along its rear edge, into which the hook C locks.
A catch plate f is secured to the side of the draw bar A in the rear of part e by
bolts, screws, or rivets g, so that its front part has an elastic spring-like action. A
bolt or pin, which passes through a hole h¹ of draw bar A, is rigidly applied to
bar i, which slides by its rectangular leg on the top of draw bar A by means of
slot and lug . Leg carries the fulcrum m of lever B, which engages hooks n
of platform at both sides of fulcrum m. Both ends of lever B are bent forward to
be arrested by hooks n in the sliding sideward motion of bars i, i. A hook-shaped
projection o of the longer end of lover B may be locked on hook n, and thereby the
catch plate fretained by bolt in its forward extending position, preventing

page_text: thereby the engaging of hook C. A suitable treadle or other mechanism is applied
to the shorter end of lever B for adjusting the catch plate for coupling or uncoupling.
On the approaching of the carriages the hooks C lock into the grooves el of parts e.
For uncoupling the lever B is carried sidewise, so that the catch plates fact on the
ends of hooks C, and disengage them from the grooves e¹. The play in vertical
direction which is given to hooks C along parts e allows the coupling of carriages of
different heights, while the side play of the hooks instantly disconnects the carriages
should any one get off the line.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The railway coupling consisting of draw bar A, spring hook C, catch
plate f, lever B, and sliding bars i, i, all combined and constructed substantially as
and for the purpose described.
Second. The draw bar provided with the projections b to co-operate with the
coupling hooks C, as and for the purpose specified.
Third. The combination of the slotted angle bars i, i, having fulcrum lug m, the
stud or pin h, and lever or bar B, as shown and described.
Fourth. In a railway coupling the lever B having lugs o and bent ends in com-
bination with the hooks n, as shown and described for the purpose specified.
4
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Melville Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven..
A. M. CLARK. (L.S.)