A SELF-ACTING COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Smith and John Brook, both of Rodley,
near Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "A SELF-ACTING
COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS,"
Sealed the 30th January 1866, and dated the 5th August 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Smith and John
Brook at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 5th August 1865.
We, THOMAS SMITH and JOHN BROOK, both of Rodley, near Leeds, in the
County of York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A SELF-ACTING COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGONS," to be as
follows:-
The object of our Invention is to save human life, as many accidents arise
with the present system of coupling. For this purpose in place of the
ordinary screw and links, or hook and links, we substitute one hook of flat
bar iron, by preference about eight inches deep, working on the draw bar as
a fulcrum. A spring connected to the buffer beam presses against the back
of the hook. On the same centre as the hook we connect the one end of a
[Price 8d.]

page_text: lever handle, the outer end of which extends without, or as far as the side
beam of the carriage or wagon, and rests upon a quadrant affixed to the
vehicle, and having one or more catch notches. By means of the handle,
which is (as before explained) connected to the hook, we can uncouple with
ease any wagons or carriages when the buffers impinge. On the other hand,
in consequence of the spring placed behind the hook, and the curve given to
the back of the head of the same in forging when two carriages or wagons
are brought together they couple together without any extraneous assistance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Smith and John Brook in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 5th February 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
SMITH and JOHN BROOK, both of Rodley, near Leeds, in the County of York,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said Thomas Smith, and John Brook, Her special licence that we, the said
Thomas Smith and John Brook, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
or such others as we, the said Thomas Smith and John Brook, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A SELF-ACTING COUPLING FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES AND WAGONS;" upon the condition (amongst others), that we, the
said Thomas Smith and John Brook, our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the hand
and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within
six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Brook, on behalf of myself and
the said Thomas Smith, do hereby declare the nature of the said 'Invention,

page_text: and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say :-
The object of our Invention is to save human life, as many accidents
arise through the present system of coupling. For this purpose in place of
the ordinary screw and links, or hook and links, we substitute one hook of
flat bar iron, by preference about eight or ten inches deep, working on the
draw bar as a fulcrum. A spring connected to the buffer beam presses:
against the back of the hook. On the same centre as the hook we connect
the one end of a lever handle, the outer end of which extends without as far
as the side beam of the carriage or wagon, and rests upon a quadrant affixed
to the vehicle, having one or more catch notches or catch pins to retain the
hook, either coupled, or the reverse, as circumstances may require. By
means of the handle which is (as before explained) connected to the hook,
we can uncouple with ease any wagons or carriages when the buffers impinge.
On the other hand, in consequence of the spring placed behind the hook, and
the curve given to the back of the head of the same in forging, when two
carriages or wagons are brought together they couple together without any
extraneous assistance.
The arrangement above notified has more special reference to ordinary
wagons used for the purpose of conveying goods, and where the draw bar is
secured by means of a nut and washer to the cross beam. Where, however,
as in the case of passenger carriages, springs are connected within the frame-
work to the draw bars, the ends of the springs abutting on shoes secured to
the buffer rods (in the well-known manner),
a modified arrangement is
necessary. In such cases we place underneath the framework of the vehicle,
and in proximity to the back of each diaw spring, a cross shaft at right angles
to the sole beam of the carriage or other vehicle, and having small winch
pulleys keyed upon its outer extremities without the sole beams. Suitable
brackets are secured to the inner sides of the sole beams, adapted to receive
the bearings which carry the cross shaft, such bearings having a V section
within the brackets, and being free to traverse horizontally, for a purpose to
be hereafter explained. Upon each of the cross shafts is keyed or otherwise
secured a worm, which gears into a worm wheel above it on the draw bar.
The inner end of the draw bar passes through a hole inade through the centre
of the spring, as well as through a clip "box" bracket secured to the centre
or thickest portion of the spring. A thread is cbased upon the inner end of
the draw bar, and likewise a corresponding female thread within the centre
part of the worm wheel before spoken of, such worm wheel being placed
within the box part of the "clip box bracket," also before named. The outer

page_text: TINGS
Figures 1, 2, and 3, represent plan views of our coupling apparatus in
various positions as applied to wagons or vehicles with dead buffers, the first
being entirely uncoupled, the second coupled, and the third in the act of
being uncoupled.
A, A, represent the hooks, connected by pins a to the draw bars B (the
hooks forming the female part of the joints) which pass through the cross
beams C, and are secured in the customary manner; D, D, represent the
handles or levers welded to the hinge parts of the joints, and resting upon
quadrant plates d, the latter being provided with catch holes d to retain the
handles in any required position; E, E, show the springs bearing upon the
hooks to keeps the same in contact, and secured to the cross beam. It will
readily be seen that when the wagons or vehicles are "buffed" together, the
couplings may be either connected (by self-action) or the reverse at will, by
means of the handles, and from the outside, thus dispensing with the
necessity of the attendant going between the wagons or vehicles. In cases
where it is desired to apply our coupling to existing rolling plant, an ordinary
shackle furnished with one or more links may in addition be secured to the
draw bar by the same pin as the hook itself when it is required to connect
the same with ordinary couplings.
Figures 4, 5, and 6, represent plan views of our couplings applied to
carriages or vehicles having springs connected to the draw bars; Figures 7
and 8 are respectively a side elevation of our hooks and of our worm wheel
arrangement. The hooks in this arrangement are similar to those in the
former one, with the exception of the feet e forged on behind the hinges, and
which press upon the flanges b formed on the draw bars B. The pressing
springs E are also secured to the draw bars B to move with the same;
F, F, show the clip "box" brackets which clasp the springs G, and through
which the screwed ends of the draw bars pass. Within the box brackets F

page_text: are the worm wheels f, actuated as before explained, by the worm g through
the winch pulleys H; I, I, denote the brackets secured to the inner side of
the sole beams, and bearing the V slides (capable of a horizontal motion)
before named.
Taking Figure 5 as an illustration, supposing it be desired to uncouple, the
winch pulleys H being rotated, the worm wheels f being retained within the
clip "box" brackets, and having, as previously explained, female threads
internally to fit those on the draw bars, the said draw bars are thrust out and
the coupling undone, the handles D being secured to brackets x, and thus
neutralizing the action of the springs E. It being desired to couple two
carriages or vehicles, the reverse motion is used, and the shoes a¹ acting as
fulcra, the toes of the springs pressing against them, the hooks are brought
into firm contact with each other, the V slides which carry the worm shafts
moving within the brackets as much as may be necessary. The remaining
portions shown in our Drawings are ordinary and well known, and con-
sequently require no description.
Having now described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to performed, we wish it to be understood that we do
not limit ourselves to the precise details herein-before described and repre-
sented, as the same may be varied without departing from the nature of
our said Invention; but we claim as our said Invention,-
Firstly, the improved coupling for railway wagons, herein-before described
and illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying Drawings, that is
to say, a coupling consisting essentially of a hook jointed to the draw bar of
the wagon, and acted upon by a spring in such a manner that the bringing
together of two wagons provided at their ends with couplings of the kind
above described effects the coupling of the said wagons, the uncoupling of
the said wagons being effected by means of a lever worked from the side of
the
wagon, and acting on the said hook, the action of the apparatus obviating
the necessity for the attendant going between the wagons in order to couple
or uncouple them.
Secondly, the arrangement of coupling herein-before described and illus-
trated in Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the accompanying Drawings, for
coupling and uncoupling railway carriages and vehicles having springs con-
nected to their draw bars, that is to say, the application to the draw bars of
each carriage of the hook, spring, and lever, herein-before described with
reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3, and of the cross shaft and apparatus in
connection therewith, for compressing or releasing the draw bar spring, and
thereby effecting the requisite adjustment of the coupling, the said cross shaft

page_text: and lever being worked from the side of the carriage, and thereby obviating
the necessity for the attendant going between the carriages in order to couple
or uncouple them.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Brook, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Second day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
JOHN BROOK. (L.S.)