AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: I HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES” to bo as
follows:-
This invention relates to an improved coupling for railway vehicles by using
which it is unnecessary to enter between the vehicles to couple the same, the
coupling being operated from the side.
The improved coupling is simple, durable, and reliable; and my improvements
may be applied to couplings already in existence.
According to the said invention I provide at each side of a vehicle a bracket
having slots and which can be shifted longitudinally of the vehicle. These
brackets servo as bearings for two shafts which may be turned by means of hand
wheels or levers secured to them.
The draw-bar which is arranged under the vehicle in a longitudinal direction as
heretofore and has a spring, terminates at its fore-part in two cheeks in which are
two holes for receiving one of the said two shafts hereinafter termed the book shaft.
Between those cheeks the draw-hook is arranged on a square portion of the hook-
shaft in such a manner that it partakes of the rotary motion of the latter The
said hook is provided with ratchet teeth for a purpose hereinafter described.
The other of the said two shafts hereinafter termed the crank shaft is bent in
the middle and has levers attached to it at both ends, which serve also as counter-
weights. By reason of the weight of the said levers the shaft is generally held so
that the cross-bar or pin of the crank engages with one of the teeth of the hook
thereby securing the latter in a fixed position. In case, however, the crank shaft
is turned out of this position the cross bar leaves the ratchet teeth of the hook
whereby the latter can be brought into any desired position by turning the book
shaft.

page_text: If the lever of the crank shaft is released, the shaft, by the action of the weight,
moves back into its original position, the cross bar engaging again into the ratchet
teeth of the hook holding this in the required position.
The hook shaft is surrounded by two tubes which can be turned thereon and aro
connected at their inner ends by a coupling lever.
These tubular shafts are provided at their ends, with hand wheels whose
peripheries have one or more handles By the aid of these wheels and handles the
said tubes, and the coupling lever uniting the same, can be turned upon the book
shaft without effecting any change in the position of the latter.
The coupling which consists of several links connected by joints, is united with
the draw bar or the said checks by means of joints. Small projections on the said
cheeks prevent the coupling from being thrown over, whilst projections at the end
of the middle link prevent, when the coupling is lifted, the hoop forming the fore-
part of the same from falling too low. An applianco of the kind described above
is placed at each end of a vehicle.
In addition to the main coupling just described the vehicles may be provided
with an auxiliary safety coupling. The proper connection between two vehicles is
first establishe by a draw-hook and the ordinary coupling. The opposite draw-
hook is then turned back so that the auxiliary coupling can be placed over the
same by the coupling lifter. As soon as this manipulation is performed, the draw-
hook is moved upwards.
The coupling lever with the tubes is capable of being shifted laterally on the
hook-shaft so that, in case the vehicles to be coupled are standing on a curve,
whereby the coupling and the draw hook are brought a little out of the proper
line, the coupling may be effected, as, by the shifting of the coupling lever, the
link can under these circumstances be brought directly above the draw-hook. As
the said brackets have a longitudinal movement the entire coupling mechanism
moves when the draw rod moves in or out.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co., 3
For the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, and Co Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the naturo
of my invention for "AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
" 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 an improved coupling for railway vehicles, by using
which it is unnecessary to enter between the vehicles to couple the same the
coupling being operated from the side.
The improved coupling is simple durable and reliable and may be applied to
couplings already in existence.
In the accompanying drawing
Figures 1 and 2 show in plan and elevation portions of wagons with the
improved coupling applied thereto.
Figures 3 to 6 are views of details drawn to an enlarged scale and hereinafte,
referred to.
At each side of a vehicle and at each end thereof is fixed a bracket O having
Blots d (Figure 2) whereby the said brackets can be shifted longitudinally. These
brackets O serve as bearings for shafts G and H which are turned around by means
of hand wheels h and levers f respectively secured to them.
The draw bar A which is arranged under the vehicle in a longitudinal direction
and is attached to a spring as heretofore, terminates at its fore-part in two
cheeks QQ in which are holes for receiving the shaft G. Between these checks
the draw hook B, figure 3, is arranged, on a square portion of the shaft G, in such
a manner that it partakes of the rotary motion of the said shaft.
The said hook B is provided with ratchet teeth at its rear for a purposo
hereinafter described.
The shaft H is cranked in the middle as shown in Figure 6, and has levers f
attached to it at both ends, which serve also as counter-weights. By reason of the
weight of the levers f, the shaft is generally held in the position shown in
Figure 3, so that the bar D of the crank engages with one of the teeth of the
hook B thereby securing the latter in a fixed position. If the shaft H is turned
in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 4 and held in this position, the
bar D disengages from the ratchet teeth of the hook B whereby the latter can be
brought into any desired position by turning the shaft G.
If the lever is released, the shaft H by reason of the weight of the said lever
moves back into its original position, the bar D engaging again with the ratchet
teeth of the hook B, holding this in the required position.
"
The shaft G is surrounded by two tubes R R which can be turned.
These tubes are connected at their inner ends by a bar which serves as a coupling-
chain lifter and at their outer ends carry wheels K Figures 1 and 2 upon the

page_text: periphery of each of which is or are one or more handles c. By the aid of these
wheels and handles c the tubes R R' and the chain lifter; uniting the same, can be
turned upon the shaft G without effecting any change in the position of the
lattor.
The chain C which consists of several links connected by joints, is united with
the draw bar A or the cheeks Q.
Small projectious a on the cheeks Q prevent the chain from being thrown over,
whilst projections b at one extremity of the middle link prevent, when the chain C
is lifted, the link forming the fore-part of the same from falling too low, retaining
it in the position shown in Figure 4. Each wagon is provided at both ends with
apparatus as herein before described.
The coupling of the wagons is effected in the following manner, that is to say :—
By turning the shaft G by the aid of the wheel h and simultaneously disengaging
the bar D from the hook B the latter is brought into the position shown in
Figure 4 on the left hand side; at the same time the chain C of the wagon to be
connected is raised by turning the chain lifter j by means of the hand wheel K so
that it occupies the horizontal position indicated in the same figure. The front
link of the chain C is now immediately above the hook B. If now the shaft G of
the first wagon be turned in a direction opposite to that in which it was previously
turned, the hook B will be moved upwards, its point entering the eye of the link.
As the hook moves upwards it draws the vehicles closely together compressing the
buffera.
When tho hook B is in this manner brought into the position shown in Figure 3,
a disengagement of the coupling link from the hook cannot take place The
coupling is completed by catch-bar D, as soon as the lever is released, entering
a ratchet-tooth of the hook B which in this way is prevented from moving back.
If two vehicles are to be disconnected, the catch-bar D is caused to release the
teeth of the book B (Figure 4) by turning the shaft H. The shaft G is then
turned so that the hook is drawn from the link; the disconnection of two wagons
is then complete.
In addition to being coupled as just described the wagons may be provided with
an auxiliary safety coupling, shown in Figure 3. The proper connection botween
two wagons is first established by the draw hook B and the chain C¹. The opposite
draw hook B is then turned so far down that the chain C can be placed over the
same by the lifter j. As soon as this operation is performed, the draw hook B is
moved upwards. In this movement it takes up the link of the chain C and carries,
in its further movement, the latter with it until both have arrived in the position
shown in Figure 3. When in this position the chain C cannot become released
from the hook B', being prevented by the tightened chain C'. The hook B' is held
in this position by its catch-bar D.
The chain-lifter with the tubes R R is capable of being shifted laterally on the
shaft G, so that, in case the wagons to be coupled are standing on a curve, whereby
the chain C and the hook B are slightly out of line, the coupling may be effected,
as by the shifting of the chain lifter j, the link can under these circumstances also
be brought directly above the hook B.
As the brackets O O have a longitudinal movement the entire coupling mechanism
moves when the draw-rod A moves in or out.
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
A coupling for railway vehicles, adapted to be operated from the side of the
latter, the said coupling consisting of the shaft G which is supported in the
movable brackets O O, and the cheeks QQ of the draw rod A, in combination with
the book B provided with ratchet-tooth; the tubes R R' fitting loosely upon the
shaft G, and having the hand wheels K K and being connected by the chain

page_text: lifter; the coupling chain C composed of several links; and the shaft H which is
also carried by the brackets O O, the said shaft H being cranked at the centre and
provided with the catch bar D, which engages by reason of the weight of the
lever f, with the teeth of the hook B, whereby the latter is held in the required
position.
Dated thie 96th day of Fahou 100-
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicaut.