IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSE-COUPLINGS CHIEFLY DESIGNED FOR STEAM OR ATMOSPHERIO BRAKES
Year: 1884

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 nature
of my Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN HOSE-COUPLINGS CHIEFLY DESIGNED
FOR STEAM OR ATMOSPHERIO BRAKES "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 hose couplings.
The couplings ordinarily employed for coupling flexible hose, such as is employed
upon railway vehicles for air brakes, are secured to the hose and hang down at
the end, of the vehicle and when it is desired to connect with the hose coupling
of an adjoining vehicle the operator is compelled to step between the vehicles and,
grasping a coupling in each hand, force the two together. The same danger to
the operator arises from this labor as arises from the necessity of entering between
the vehicles to couple them together, and it appears necessary that some devices
should be provided by means of which the air-brake connections should be
automatically made.
The object of this Invention is to accomplish this end, so that all necessity for
an operator to go between the vehicles for any coupling purpose shall be avoided.
The Invention consists in so forming the hose couplings and attaching the same
to the vehicles that on approaching each other, as the two vehicles to be coupled
are forced towards each other, the two parts of the hose coupling will engage,
without interfering with the car coupling and without the intervention of the
hand, and at the same time will readily uncouple when desired; as more fully
bereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the two adjacent ends of two vehicles provided
with the air-brake hose and the improved automatic hose couplings, which are
attached to the respective draw-heads of any of the known automatic car
couplings of that class which is operated from any point except from between the
vehicles as, for instance, by levers or other devices from the side or top of the
same.

page_text: Figure 2, is a vertical, central, longitudinal section of one of the attachments
shown in Figure 1, it being understood that both ends of the vehicles are similarly
provided with these attachments.
Figure 3, is a perspective view of a draw-head, with the self acting hose coupling
attached.
Figure 4, shows a pair of the automatic couplings in central horizontal section.
The car coupling A shown in the accompanying Drawing is a self acting
coupling such as is known already although I do not desire to confine my device
to this special form of coupling as it may be used with equal success upon any
other style or form of couplings which are operated from the sides or tops of the
vehicles to which they are attached.
B indicates the hose of the air-brake system as ordinarily applied, and at the
free end of each of the hose there is secured, by any of the known means,
one-half or part of the improved coupling C, which is constructed as follows, that
is to say.
The cylindrical portion a is the part attached to the hose, and has an air-
passage b co-incident therewith; this air passage diminishes in size, as shown, as
it approaches the closed end of the device, which terminates in a rounded hook
formation, c. The air passage turns at nearly right-angles as shown at d, and the
air passes through this contracted passage through the inclined face of diaphragm c,
the orifice through which such escape is made being surrounded by an india
rubber or elastic bushing or packing f, which is so secured in place as to project
beyond the outer face of the diaphragm. At the inner end of the diaphragm
and of the flaring mouth h there is formed a socket i, of the form of the point c
and large enough to admit the same to enter such socket. It will be seen, by an
examination of Figures 3 and 4, that the mouth flares in two directions, sidewise
from the inclined face of the diaphragm and in vertical cross section, in order to
guide the point c of each of the parts, as they approach each other, into the
sockets; this peculiar formation also compensates for any variation in the height
of the two adjacent cars. When the parts of the coupler are thus engaged the
air passages d will be found co-incident, so that the air will find a clear passage
through the coupling, the joints being air-tight by means of the elastic bushing or
gasket, which, by its elasticity, has a tendency to confine the points c in the
sockets i, and when the air pressure is on it confines the parts together sufficient
for all practical purposes; this is brought about by constructing the connecting
air passages, as described, at nearly a right angle to the passage that leads from the
hose, so that a strong side pressure, equal to the air pressure, is obtained for this
locking purpose.
Each part of this coupling is connected by suitable links, k, k¹, to the draw-head
or draft coupling of the car to which it is attached, and a coil spring l, is secured
at one end to the hose coupling and at the other end to the draw-head as shown.
This spring is preferably enclosed in a case m, as shown in Figure 2 and said
spring exerts a forward force upon the hose coupling at all times, tending to hold
the parts thereof together, and assists in preventing accidental displacements
thereof. A chain n leads from the hose coupling rearward and upward, where its
other end is secured to the draw-head or draft coupling to limit the forward action
of the spring l.
This automatically acting hose-coupling may be disengaged, as to its parts, quite
readily, by cutting off the air-pressure, as this forms an important element in
securing the parts together when the coupler is in actual service. The parts are
so constructed that, under ordinary circumstances, they will hold their connection,
but when the air pressure is on the hose it requires much force to disconnect them.
This hose-coupling may be employed to couple the hose of any of the known
forms of air or steam brakes, while it will be found of great value as a hose
coupling for all purposes.
It will be noticed that the link or yoke k is slotted at its lower end, such slot
engaging with the studs o which project from the sides of the coupling: by these

page_text: means the front end of the coupling has a vertically radial movement, in order to
allow it to vary in height with the varying height of the vehicles which it may be
desired to couple.
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:-
First. A hose-coupling. in two parts, wherein the passages which lead from ono
part to the other part when the parts are connected together, are at right angles, or
nearly so, to the axis of the hose with which they are connected, substantially as,
and for the purposes, described.
Second. A hose coupling for a system of air or steam brakes in two parts
attached to, and supported by, the draw-bar or buffer of a vehicle and having a
longitudinal movement therewith, substantially as, and for the purposes, specified.
Third. A self-acting hose coupling in two parts, in combination with the flexible
pipe or hose connections of an air or steam brake system, such coupling having a
longitudinal movement with the buffer or with the draw-head to which it is
attached, and by which it is supported, and an independent and limited like move-
ment, substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Fourth. A hose coupling, in two parts, in combination with the flexible pipes or
hose connections of an air or steam brake system, which coupling will mechanically
couple the flexible pipes upon adjacent vehicles when the same are brought
together, substantially as, and for the purposes, described.
Fifth. A hose coupling in two parts, each of which is provided with a hook-
shaped point, a flaring mouth, and a socket adapted to receive the hook points,
which are guided into said sockets by the flaring mouth, substantially as specified.
Sixth. A hose coupler in two parts, each of which is the reverse of the other,
and each having a hook-shaped point, a socket to receive a point, a flaring mouth
to guide such point into the said socket, a contracted air-passage connecting with
an enlarged air-passage which connects with the hose, an elastic bushing surrounding
the contracted air-passages, and the means as described for supporting such coupling,
substantially as, and for the purposes, set forth.
Seventh. In combination with the hose coupling of a system of air or steam
brakes, the links which hold such coupling suspended from the draw head or buffer
against lateral motion and without interfering with the longitudinal motion of
such coupler, substantially as described.
Eighth. In combination with the coupling of a system of air or steam brakes,
the hose of which is required to be detachably connected between the vehicles to
which the system is applied, the links which support the hose couplings, the
spring which maintains a constant forward pressure on the said couplings, and
the chain n which limits the extent of such pressure, substantially as, and for the
purposes, specified.
Ninth. The hose coupling C, pivotally supported near its rear end to the draw-
head or buffer by means of the link k¹, and with its front or free end supported
from such draw-head by the link or yoke k, which allows a vertically radial
movement at that end of the coupling, substantially as, and for the purposes, set
forth.