Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 4th June, 1890-Accepted, 5th July, 1890
•
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons.
I, HERMANN MOYE of 32 Hospitalstrasse, Leipsic Saxony, Merchant, 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 side coupling for railway wagons, whereby it is possible
to connect and disconnect wagons without stepping on the line on which they are
running and whereby the otherwise dangerous work of the shunter, who has hitherto
generally had to move between the rails and the wagons is avoided. The characteristic
feature of the Invention is that by raising the lever arms not only is a link laid over
the coupling hook of the wagon to be coupled, but also a safety hook is lifted in such
manner that the safety hook of the wagon to be coupled grips behind the first
mentioned safety hook. By lowering the lever arms the link is disconnected and the
safety hook released.
The Invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings in which fig. 1 shews
the end of a railway wagon with disconnected coupling i.e: with lowered side levers.
Fig. 2 is front view of a coupled wagon; i.e. with raised side levers. Fig. 3 the
coupling arrangement in plan, corresponding to fig. 2. Fig. 4 the samo in elevation
corresponding to fig. 1. Fig. 5 the connection of the link to the off side of the
crown wheel. Fig. 5ª the near side of the crown wheel. Fig. 6 a view in perspective
of two coupled wagons the buffers being omitted.
At A and A¹ two levers are indicated each of which has a toothed segment b and b¹.
These toothed segments engage small spur wheels c and d (fig. 3) which are closely
connected with spur wheels d and d and are arranged behind them on the same
shaft. At the back end a of the lever A there is a slot e, in which the guiding pin e
at the back end of the leuer A¹ runs. The crown wheels fand f¹ gear with the spur
wheels d and d' and are in such manner hinged at their off side to the link B that the
said link rests on a stud o eccentrically to the shaft o and is compelled occasionally to
lie and rest with its back off-bent end against the shaft o. The arms and h¹ which
are forked at their ends are jointed at g and yl to the levers A and A¹, and they are
fixed at their other ends to the crank (fig. 4). The latter is moveably connected
with a forked bent arm K which is fixed to the wagon. The crank i has a pin at
which is guided in the slot m of the knee-shaped bent arm n.
The arm n is in turn
hinged to the double lever C which is hinged to the shaft o of the crown wheels f
and and ends in the safety hook C¹ (fig. 4). The double lever has the shape of a
fork from the point where the hook stops and the said hook has on its upper side a
groove C so that the corresponding safety hook of the wagon to be coupled is
securely guided.
The coupling works in the following manner :-
is
When the wagon to be coupled is sufficiently near the one at rest, the shunter at
the proper moment lifts the lever arm A. The toothed segment is thereby also raised
and turns the spur wheel c and at the same time the spur wheel d on the same shaft.
This causes also the crown wheel to turn and the link B assisted by it own weight,
then falls down and clasps the coupling hook D of the following wagon, and so the
wagons are connected. By the raising of the lever A, however, the crank
simultaneously compelled by the arms h, which here take the place of guides, to travel
over the same road. The pin therefore pushes up the arm and this, as the hook C₁
must co-operate in the movement mentioned engages the said hook in the book C¹
of the wagon to be coupled. Thus a double connection is established by the link B and
the safety hook:C¹.

page_text: With the raising of the lever A the lever A' is compelled by the guiding pin e
to co-operate in the same movement. Only one workman is necessary to carry out
the work of coupling, as this can be done not only from the left but also from the
right side of the wagon. When the wagons are to be disconnected, the man presses
the lever A down again. A reverse turning of the spur wheels c and d and of the
crown wheel then takes place; the link B is in this way raised and releases the
hook D.. The knee lever n also, set in action by the crank i and the arms and ',
completes a movement downwards and draws the hook arm C with the safety
hook out of connection with the corresponding hook arm of the wagon to be
disconnected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is
1. A railway wagon coupling constructed and arranged to operate substantially as
herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In a coupling for railway wagons the combination of one or more levers A, A¹
the toothed segments b, b, spur wheels c, c, d, d', and crown wheels f, f, arranged to
operate the link B, and by means of the arms h, h, crank i and knee lever n to
operate the safety hook C substantially as described.
Dated this Third day of June 1890
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.