IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1847

page_text: MOSES
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME,
POOLE, of the Patent Office, Lincoln's Inn, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Sixth day of May, One thousand
cight hundred and forty-seven, in the tenth year of Her reign, did, for
Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Moses
Poole, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole
privilege and authority, that I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, admors, and
assigns, and such others as I, the said Moses Poole, my exors, adññiors, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, and all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING AND DISCONNECTING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES," the same having been communicated to me by a
Foreigner residing abroad; in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Moses Poole, should cause a particular description of
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, to be inrolled

page_text: in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Moses Poole, do hereby declare that the nature of the Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following instrument in writing, reference being had
to the Drawings accompanying the same or thereunto annexed, and to the
letters and references thereof.
The said Invention is composed of two parts, as follows:-
The first of said parts consists of certain mechanism to be applied to a
locomotive engine and train of cars for the purpose of detaching said engine
from said cars, and said cars from one another, whenever any dangerous
obstacle is presented on the rails.
The second of said parts consists in a certain system of brakes or apparatus
to be applied to the wheels of a railway car or cars, combined with the afore-
said detaching machinery, and used for the purpose of arresting the motion of
said car or cars on the railway after the detachment of them from the engine
and one another has been effected.
Of the said Drawings Figure 1 denotes a top view of the truck frames of a
locomotive engine, its tender, and an eight-wheel passenger car, having some
of my improvements applied to them. Figure 2 is a side elevation of the
same. Figure 3 is a central, vertical, and longitudinal section of the same.
Such other Figures as may be necessary to a full illustration of the nature of
my Invention will be herein-after represented and described. A (Figures
1, 2, and 3) represents the engine frame; B, that of the tender; C and D,
those of the trucks of the passenger car; E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, are the
axles of the wheels N, N, O, O, P, P, Q, Q, R, R, S, S, T, T, U, U, of the
same. V is a long lever which is arranged underneath the truck frames
A, B, of the locomotive and tender, and is sustained and plays vertically upon
a fulcrum or pin W affixed to the front end of the tender carriage. The
front end of the said lever extends through and plays in a long slot X made
through a sheet of metal Y, secured to and projecting down from the under
side of the frame A, and transversely of it, as seen in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the
latter of which exhibits a vertical cross section of the truck frame and the said
piece of metal. The opposite or rear end of the said lever V passes through
or has jointed to it a vertical frame Z, a rear elevation of which is seen in
Figure 5. The said frame is connected with and partially supported by a

page_text: forked bar a, which is secured to the under side of the rear end of the truck
frame of the tender, as seen in the Drawings. The rear end of the said bar a
is formed with a horizontal opening b, and with two parts c and d above and
below said opening, flat and parallel to one another, and having square
5 notches e, f, cut vertically out of their sides, as seen in top view in Figure 6
and in side view in Figure 7. The said notches are intended to receive and
guide the projecting ledges g, h, extending inwards or towards each other
from the vertical sides of the frame Z, as seen in Figure 5. Each of said
ledges in its horizontal cross section corresponds in shape to that of the vertical
notches within which it moves or slides up and down, and has two notches or
spaces i, k, cut out of it on each side of a central portion 7, whose vertical
length is about equal to or a little greater than the distance between the
parts c and d of the bar a. The space or opening b is intended to receive the
tongue m, projecting from a connecting joint n, the said tongue being shaped
as seen in top view in Figure 8 and side view in Figure 9, wherein it will be
observed that the said tongue is made with two side notches o, p. A pin g
passes through the connecting joint and a link r which plays on a pin s
passing through a joint t affixed to the car immediately in rear. When the
connector n is inserted in the opening 6, and the cars are resting on a level or
regularly inclined railway, the lever V should so elevate the frame Z as to
cause the projections 1, 2, of the ledges g, h, to pass respectively into the
notches o, p, of the connecting joint n. This being the position of things, if
the cars are put in motion on the rail track, and any obstruction present itself,
such as would cause the front end of the locomotive truck frame to rise upwards
when the front wheel or wheels pass over the same, the front end of the lever
V will be raised upwards by the car, and in such manner as to cause the rear
end of it, or that to which the frame Z is connected, to fall, and by so doing to
carry the said frame down with it. Should such movement of said frame be
sufficient to carry the projections 2, 1, below the notches o, p, of the joint n, the
notches 1, 1, will be brought into a plane with the tongue m of the joint n, and
thus said tongue would be left free to be drawn through said notches and out
of the opening of the bar a. In other words, it would be unlocked from the
bar in such manner as to disconnect the tender from the car in rear of it.
The parts of the mechanism should be so proportioned to one another that
when an obstacle whose height is greater than the depth of flanches of the
wheels presents itself on the track, the disconnection of the tender and car will
take place. The slot X of the piece of metal Y is made of a vertical width,
to correspond with that of a lever playing through it; consequently, it will be

page_text: seen that when the front wheels of the engine run into any depression the fall
of them and the front part of the engine will create a depression of the front
end of the lever, and a corresponding elevation of the rear end of it. This
will raise the frame Z and carry the lower notches k, k, up towards the
opening b. Should the parts 1, 1, rise above the opening 6 the tongue m will
be disconnected or unlocked from the frame Z, so that when the friction
the
brakes are thrown on the wheels so as to retard the velocity of the car,
tongue m will be drawn out of the opening 6 of the connecting bar a.
I place a small lever or handle u¹ on the rear end of the lever V. The said
lever is hinged or jointed to the lever V in such manner as to enable it to be
turned around into line with it. When in such position it may be inserted in
the space f¹ (herein-after mentioned) of the sliding frame Z of any car, if
desirable so to do, and the car is so situated on the track that its position
cannot be conveniently reversed. The mechanism by which the eight-wheel
car in rear of the tender is disconnected from the next car of the train is thus
described. Each truck frame C, D, has two rocking shafts u, v, or w, x,
applied to it, each being situated directly over and parallel to one of the axles,
as seen in the Drawings, and having suitable journals and bearings which will
admit of its being rocked or partially rotated transversely to its axis. Each of
said shafts has two arms y, y, extending upwards from it, and jointed at their
upper ends to longitudinal and horizontal bars z, z, arranged as seen in the
Drawings, there being two of said bars to each truck frame C or D. A cross
plate a¹ is arranged upon and connected to the middle of each of the bars of
each truck frame, and both of said plates are connected together by a long
bar 6' extending from one to the other of them. There is a circular or other
proper shaped passage c¹ made through each plate a¹ and end of the bar
resting on it, the said passage being for the purpose of allowing the plates
a', a², to be moved horizontally back and forth in a direction of the length of
the train. As the turning pivots d', d, upon which the carriage body rests
pass respectively up through the holes or passages c³, c¹, it will be readily seen
that without said passages it would be difficult to move the plates a³, a', in the
manner required. An arm e¹ is made to project from the front shaft u, and to
pass through a space f¹ between the two pins g¹, h², of the frame Z. The
rear shaft has a similar arm projected rearwards from it, and similarly
connected with a connecting and detaching frame z¹, which is applied to the
rear part of the rear truck frame D, and made in all respects substantially like
the frame Z berein-before described. The car next in rear of the eight-wheel
car is coupled to it by a connecting joint and apparatus, substantially similar

page_text: to that by which the tender and eight-wheel car are connected, as herein-
before described. The operation of disconnecting the tender and car next in
rear of it disconnects the said car from the second car, or that immediately in
rear of it, the same being effected in the following manner :-When the frame
Z rises or falls by the action of the lever V, as before described, it raises or
depresses the arm e' of the rocking shaft . This creates a movement of the
said shaft u in its bearings in such manner, as by means of the various rocking
shafts, arms y, y, &c., bars z, z, &c., plates a¹, bar 6', and arm it to communi-
cate a rising or falling movement to the frame Z, such as will detach the joint
A from it, and thereby detach the two cars connected by the same. When
four-wheel cars are used each car should have two rocking shafts, having arms
projecting from them in front and rear like those of the shafts u and a. The
rear arm should be connected with a rising and falling frame like the frame Z,
which should be applied to the car in the same manner as said frame Z is to
the tender.
The next portion of the Invention consists of a system of friction brakes
for speedily arresting the motions of the carriages, when disconnected from one
another, while moving in train. Each wheel of a car has a brake l¹ or m¹
applied to it, as seen in Figures 1, 2, and 10, the latter representing a
vertical section of two adjacent wheels and the two brakes between them.
The said brakes are made of blocks of wood or metal, or of wood and metal
combined, and have proper friction surfaces where they rest against the
peripheries of the wheels. Each brake has a small stud n² projecting from its
top part, as seen in Figure 1, and made to rest, when the brakes are not in
action, on the wheel on one of a series of similar projections o', o', &c.,
extending from the plate a¹ adjoining. One of the two brakes of cach set has
a spring roller frame p² applied to it in such manner as to rest against one or
more springs (as seen in Figure 10), and be pressed by said spring against
two cross rods ³, s¹. The said roller frame carries two rollers t¹, u", and is
placed with the springs in a cavity U¹ made in the block or brake. The
rollers are intended to rest in contact with the adjacent brake. Each hole has
a vertical slot w¹ made through it, through which a pin is passed, and also
through the two adjacent rails y', a³, of the truck frame, the said pin and slot
serving to keep the brake from falling out of place. When the plates a², a¹,
are moved at the time a disconnection of the cars takes place, provided they
arc moved far enough, their projections o¹, o¹, will pass from underneath the
studs of the brakes, and allow the brakes to fall down so as to rest in contact
with the peripheries or treads of the wheels. The friction created by the

page_text: wheels moving against the brakes will tend to depress one of the brakes, and
elevate the other of each set of two adjacent brakes, and as the brake descends
it acts like a wedge to press the other brake against the wheel to which the
latter is applied, the pressure operating through the spring plate and rollers
attached to one of the said brakes. Any convenient and proper apparatus
may be applied to the brakes to raise them out of action with the wheels, and
cause their studs to rest on the projections of the plates a', as herein-before
specified. Figure 11 exhibits a view of the front end of the tender, and an
apparatus by the aid of which the engine man or conductor of a train can at
any time detach the cars from one another, and the engine and tender. a³ is a
hand lever turning on a fulcrum b³, projecting from the truck frame. To the
lower end of the lever the fulcrum rod W is jointed, the said rod being made
to pass through the checks b³, c³, and lever V. Above the said rod is a cam
plate d³, which is jointed to the lever a³, and passes between the lever V and
the projecting part or staple of the coupling. By applying the hand to the
upper end of the lever a³, and moving said lever in such manner as to draw
the rod W out of the lever V, the lever will fall in such manner as to drop the
frame Z and release the connecting joint n from it, and so as to disconnect the
cars and tender from one another. The object of the cam plate dis to ensure
the depression of the rear end of the lever V.
What I claim as the Invention, is,―
First, the above-described means by which a car may be disconnected from
the tender of a locomotive by any injurious obstacle or obstruction to the
motion of the train; or in other words, I claim the lever V (the front of which
works in a horizontal slot X or other suitable equivalent), vertical frame Z,
forked bar a, and connecting joint n (having a tongue m), as combined and
arranged together, and applied to the engine and tender, and converted to the
car, and operating substantially as herein-before specified.
Second, I claim the means by which I am enabled to disconnect any of the
remaining cars of a train from one another, and the car directly in rear of the
tender; that is to say, I claim the rocking shafts, levers, and sliding frame Z¹,
with their connections, as arranged, combined, and operating together substan-
tially as described.
Third, and I claim the sliding plate a² and one set or two sets of brakes
, m³, as combined together and operated by machinery, substantially as
described, or by any mechanical equivalent therefor, the same being for the
purpose herein-before specified.
Fourth, and I claim the lever a³, fulcrum rod W, and cam plate &, and

page_text: their adjuncts, as combined together and with the lever V, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose as herein-before specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
their adjuncts, as combined together and with the lever V, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose as herein-before specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Moses Poole, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.
MOSES (L.s.) POOLE.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Sixth day of November,
in the year of our Lord 1847, the aforesaid Moses Poole came before our
said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification
aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form
above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according
to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Sixth day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.