Improvements in Railway Couplings.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Mar., 1892-Accepted, 25th June, 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Couplings.
A communication to me from ROBERT KLEINERT, of Breslau, in the Empire of
Germany, Mason.
I, EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co., Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in railway couplings in which the
coupling mechanism is actuated by cranked cross shafts turned by levers or handles,
and the object of the improvement is to provide a coupling device which allows a
reliable coupling or uncoupling from the side of the cars or vehicles, so that it is
not necessary for the person using it to pass between the ends of the railway
carriages or waggons.
This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevation shewing two railway carriages coupled
together by the novel railway coupling,
Figure 2 is a plan of Figure 1,
Figure 3 is a front view of the coupling mechanism, the parts being in the
position shewn in Figure 1,
Figure 4 shews the position of the railway coupling when not in use,
Figure 5 illustrates the ordinary position of the actuating levers,
Figure 6 represents the railway coupling in the raised position necessary for
coupling and
Figure 7 illustrates the disposition of the actuating levers for this raised position.
The new or improved railway coupling consists of links n pivotted to the draw
bar to by means of a bolt v, and of a loop m pivotted to the other end of the links n
and held normally in a nearly straight position by suitable stops. To the bolt vis
also pivotted a bifurcated link or rod ¹ terminating in a hook R¹ the opening of
which is in the opposite direction to that of the draw hook R. The upper ends
of the link n' are fitted with guide flanges s, which prevent the loop m from
passing at the side of the draw hook R. The links are provided with tappets e
the purpose of which will be explained further on. In the bearings q fixed at the
fronts of the carriages there are arranged the cross shafts k and p, actuated
ndependently of each other by the hand levers a and b. These cross shafts serve
for raising and engaging the jointed link loops n, m, with the draw hooks R or the
ooks R. For this purpose the cross shaft k is cranked in the middle so that when
he cross shaft k is turned by the hand lever a, the cranked part of the cross shaft
aises the link loop n m, as shewn in Figure 6. The cross shaft p is provided at
ach side of the draw hook R with arms f, the ends of which are connected with the
oop m by chains h. By turning the cross shaft p the arms f will turn upwards
he loop m independently of the links n, so that the parts m, and n of the coupling
nay form a more or less large angle with each other (see Figure 6).
0
In order to facilitate the raising of the link loop n m the bearings q of the cross
haft & are preferably arranged so that the central line of this cross shaft and that
of the pivot bolt coincide in the same straight line, (see coupling mechanism of
he vehicle at the right hand Figures 1-3). By this disposition the sliding and
rictional motion is obviated between the cranked part of the cross shaft k and the
inks n, which takes place when the cross shaft k is placed above or below the
ivot bolt (see left hand coupling Figures 1 and 2). To provide sufficient
pace for the buffers the cross shaft must be cranked conveniently on each side
TD021

page_text: For obtaining a more favourable communication of the movement the cross
shaft p is arranged not above the cross shaft k, but behind and at equal height with
the latter (Figures 1,4-7). In this case the cross shaft p has to be cranked three
times (Figures 2 and 3).
.
The double armed levers a actuating the cross shaft k are pivotted to the shaft P
or in the case of the latter being arranged behind the cross shaft k they may be
pivotted to separate axle arms or pivot bolts (Figure 7). The motion of the
hand lever a is now transmitted to the cross shaft by means of connecting rods c
and a bent lever d firmly attached to the cross shaft k. The turning or rotating of
the cross shaft p is effected by hand levers b fixed upon the cross shafts p.
The tightening of the coupling is effected by means of the following contrivance.
The ends u, u, of the draw bar w, interrupted for this purpose near the front of the
carriage, are provided with right and left handed screw threads adapted to screw
in a tightening screw i sliding by means of groove and tongue connections in the
nave of a conical wheel o. By turning this wheel in one or the other direction the
screw threaded ends u, u, of the draw bar w will be approached to each other or
withdrawn from each other, thus loosening or tightening the coupling. The
rotating of the conical wheel o is effected by means of bevel wheels y actuated by
handles z. Supposing that two carriages in a state of rest and having their buffers
in contact are to be coupled, one of the draw hooks R (for instance the draw hook
of the left hand carriage Figures 1, 5) with the coupling mechanism suspended
thereon, must be first pushed a little forward by rotating the handle z, so that the
opposite loop m can reach the said draw hook R. Then by pressing down the hand
lever a by means of the cross shaft k, the link loop n m, is raised and the loop m
turned up a little by drawing back the lever b. By this operation the total length
of the link loop n m, may be shortened so far that the coupling can pass upwards
in front of the left draw hook R. The coupling mechanism is thus brought from
its original position, Figure 4, into the raised position necessary for coupling,
Figure 6.
After the loop m has passed the draw hook R the hand lever b is released by
which motion the loop m will return by its own weight into the straight position
shewn by dotted lines (Figure 6) in which it is held by suitable stops. The link
loop n, m, is now free to fall on to the left draw hook R. By then releasing the
hand lever a the loop m guided by the flaps s falls on to the hook R and slips past
To tighten the coupling thus produced and to prevent accidental uncoupling,
the handle must be rotated a few times in the proper direction (Figure 1).
it.
When two carriages come together (i.e. when one vehicle is at rest and the other
in motion) and coupling of these vehicles has to be effected the link loop n m of
the vehicle at rest is previously brought into the raised and straight position,
Figure 6. If necessary, also the coupling mechanism, viz., the draw hook, is
pushed forward by actuating the bevel gear y o, by means of the handle z. At
the moment that the buffer heads of the carriages touch each other the hand
lever a is released. The link loop n m, no longer supported by the cross shaft k,
falls down immediately and the loop m enters the hook R, coupling the vehicles.
The tightening is effected in the same manner as described above.
As the link loop n m, is raised for entering the opposite draw hook, the tappets
or pins e projecting from the upper end of the links n strike against the under side
of the bifurcated link n', and raise this link carrying the inverted hook R' on its
pivot into the position shewn in Figure 6. After the loop m has entered the draw
hook the link n' and hook R¹ therefore do not hang vertically but they are held by
the pins e in the raised position, shewn at the right side in Figure 1. It is from
this peculiar position of the hook R¹ that the opposite loop m can engage the said
hook R¹ to produce an auxiliary coupling.
To engage the left hand loop m with the right hand hook R₁ the left link
loop n m is raised by means of the cross shaft k from the position I (shewn in
dotted lines in Figure 1) into the position 2 (shewn also in dotted lines) whereby
the outer edge of the loop m will push back the loop 1. By then drawing back

page_text: the loop m and lowering the links n, the loop m slips into the hook R¹ where it is
secured by the loop 1 (Figure 1).
Uncoupling of the auxiliary coupling is effected by raising the link loop n m by
means of the cross shaft k into the position 2, Figure 1, so that when the cross
shaft is released, the said link loop n m may fall back into the position I
(Figure 1).
Uncoupling, however, of the main coupling is effected by executing the operations,
necessary for coupling and explained already, in a reverse order.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
1. In a railway coupling, the combination of a pivotted link n actuated by a
cranked cross shaft, with a pivotted loop m actuated independently of the said
link by means of a cross shaft p, arms f and chains h.
2. In a railway coupling, the combination of a pivotted link n having studs e
actuated by a cross shaft k, and of a pivotted loop m actuated by means of a
shaft p, arms and chains h, with a pivotted and inverted hook R' having guide
flaps 8.
Dated this 31st day of March 1000
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London. Agents for the Applicant.