An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Coupling Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Apr., 1896-Accepted, 23rd May, 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Method of and Apparatus for Coupling Railway and
Tramway Vehicles.
I, HENRY SWITHIN FRAMPTON of 22 Staple Gardens, Winchester in the
County of Hampshire Builders' Merchant do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to an improved coupling for railway and tramway vehicles,
and has for its objects, that any number of such coaches, carriages or trucks may
be easily coupled and uncoupled, without the need of the porter or other attendant
having to get between the vehicles for this purpose as obtains in the methods and
means hitherto adopted, and this irrespective of whether the said vehicles be
standing upon level ground or on an incline, my said invention being arranged to
operate in such a manner that it would be almost impossible for the attendant to
effect such coupling and uncoupling if he was between the vehicles, thus, not only
preventing a recurrence of the many fatal accidents that have occurred from this
cause alone, but also guarding against foolhardiness or carelessness by reason of
my invention being incapable of operation when the attendant is other than
outside the track of the vehicles.
In order that my invention and the manner of its operation may be fully
understood I have hereunto appended two sheets of drawings, which are to be
taken as part of the following Specification and read therewith, and of which:-
Figs. 1, 2, and 3 Sheet 1 are side elevation, plan and vertical central section
respectively, of the device or apparatus constituting my invention.
Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 1 as viewed from left to right, Fig. 5 being
a vertical cross section taken upon the line A B Fig. 3 and also viewed from left
to right.
Fige. 6, 7 and.8 Sheet 2 are views illustrating the application of my invention
to railway trucks, as hereinafter explained, and which will also serve to make
clear the application of same to engines, carriages and other like vehicles.
I carry my invention into effect by casting or otherwise producing from any
metal or alloy of metals suitable for the purpose, a preferably but not imperatively
rectangular frame A, one end of which may be constructed in any suitable manner
capable of being attached to the ordinary drawbar at the end of such vehicles, but
by preferance I form in one end of A a slot or opening A', of such size as to
receive the drawbar B, or any suitable attachment thereto, an opening or passage C
being formed in the said divided end of A for the reception of a headed bolt D,
passing through the eye of B, and which may be fastened in position by a nut
or nuts screwed upon the end of same, or by any other suitable means, such for
instance, as a linchpin passing through a hole a in the free end of D shewn in
Fig. 2.
From any suitable metal or alloy of metals I cast or otherwise produce, or cut
from the solid, a device consisting of a pair of helical tongues or worms E and F,
of suitable pitch, one entwining around the other, the helical space between these
being such as to freely receive a like pair of tongues or worms of a duplicate
apparatus, as hereinafter explained, to facilitate the reception of which the
worms E F are pointed, tapered or otherwise lessened in diameter at their ends b
and 6, from which points, to about midway of their lengths, or at or about the part
indicated by c, E and F are divided from each other, and for the remainder of

page_text: their lengths are preferably integral, in order to afford greater strength at this
part, and terminating in the form of a plate or shoulder G. Into this end of E F
is screwed or otherwise connected, or cast or otherwise formed integrally therewith,
a shaft H, upon which is formed a preferably square thread d, which screws into
and through a like threaded hole in the disengaged end of the frame A. The
free end of H being turned down or lessened in diameter at e receives a shoulder
plate or washer f, which may be either screwed rivetted, brazed, shrunk or
otherwise fixed thereon, the extreme end of e being threaded to receive a screw
plate g.
The outer faces of the worms E F are rabbetted or cut away at their edges h,
so as to form between them an upstanding ridge, and from the edges of the said
ridges & both E and F are tapered inwardly, so that these are V shaped or there-
abouts in cross section, the same formation being carried out through the solid part
of same, as shewn by Fig. 5.
Upon the solid portion of E F is mounted a cylindrical metallic case J in which
is formed internally a pair of helical grooves, with which engage the ridges upon E
and F formed by the rabbets h, so that the case J may first engage with the
bifurcated ends of E and F, and be screwed thereon until arrested by the shoulder
plate G, as shewn by Fig. 3, whereat J may be fixed by rivets, screws, pins or
bolts or other suitable means, or be brazed, shrunk or otherwise permanently
secured thereon. The case J is also provided internally with two other like
grooves m and n, alternating with those occupied by E and F, these being for the
reception of like tongues or worms E F upon a duplicate apparatus, as hereinafter
explained.
The pitch of the thread d and the worms E F would be such, that if a push or
pull be imparted to the end of the shaft H, the worm d would be fed out of, or
drawn into the threaded hole in the end of A, and the case J and the worms
or tongues E F be thereby caused to recede from, (as at Fig. 1) nr be brought up
to (as at Fig. 2) the case A, and as such movements of the shaft H and tongues
or worms EF are necessary in the manipulation of the apparatus, to effect this,
I mount upon the reduced end e of H, the sleeve or boss j, of a double armed lever,
from which extends upwardly a long arm K, and downward a short arm or foot L,
the direction in which these extend from the boss or sleevej being shewn partly by
dotted outlines in Figs. 4 and 5. Upon the upper surface of the frame A is
mounted and bolted, or otherwise suitable fixed, a curved metallic plate or wing M,
and upon the under surface of A a like and similarly fixed plate or wing N, the
shape or configuration of the outer surfaces of which is not material, the inner
surfaces of each being so shaped as to form a guiding surface for the horizontal
movements of the arms K and L, as hereinafter explained.
In the upper surface of the side of A (seen in Figs. 1 and 2) a recess k is formed,
and a like recess & in the under surface of the opposite side of A (seen in Fig. 3)
and when the shaft H is pushed outwardly from A (or in other words from right
to left of Fig. 2) by the means of the lever arm K, the latter would when brought
into a horizontal position be caused to engage with the recess k, and the foot L
with the recess as shewn in Fig. 5, thus locking the shalt H in this position,
a bolt spring catch or other suitable means (not shewn) being provided for
retaining K (and consequently L) in the slots kk as long as may be necessary.
The said plates M and N are so placed and curved internally, that when the lever
arms are released from the said slots, and an upward thrust is imparted to K, this
would be brought in contact with the lowest portion of the curved face of M,
while L would, in like manner; press against the curved face of N, and both would
by reason of the particular curve of M and N, and the said upward thrust
imparted to K, slide along the faces of their respective plates and be moved
horizontally to the opposite end of A, carrying with them the shaft H and the
tongues E and F and their case J as at Fig. 3, the plates M and N in this fig.
being shewn by dotted outline. The then position of K and L is shewn by Fig. 4,
and both these may be locked in this position by a bolt, spring catch or other

page_text: suitable means (not shewn) engaging with K, and fixed either upon the frame A,
the plate or wing M, or the end of the vehicle, the length of K being such that
this may be manipulated in the manner stated by the operator without his being
even in touch with the vehicle.
One of the said apparatus would be fixed in like manner to each end of all the
vehicles, and in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, I illustrate the manner of its application for
coupling two railway trucks O and P, and in which the said apparatus is shewn
somewhat large, relatively to the size of the vehicles, this being unavoidable to
give prominence to the details of my invention within the prescribed size of the
drawings.
When two vehicles such as O and P are to be coupled together, the attendant
would first unlock the levers K of both vehicles from their vertical positions, and
would then lock the lever of one or either of them (say the vehicle P) by bringing
this along the face of its plate or wing M and consequently its heel L along the
face of its plate or wing N, into their respective slots k and k' as at Fig. 5, and
there lock them by whatever means may be employed, and this operation of the
lever of P, would cause the withdrawal of its shaft H, and its casing J, from its
frame A, the position of the apparatus of the two vehicles being then as shewn by
Fig. 6, each with the points b of their tongues or worms E F, at the angle shewn
by Fig. 5, or thereabouts. The vehicle to he moved (presumably O) would then
be pushed towards the stationery vehicle (P) when the points b, of the tongues E F
of O, would engage between the points of E F of P, and by them be guided into
the grooves m n of their case J, thus withdrawing the case J and unscrewing the
shaft H of the vehicle O, and by means of its guide plates M and N, bring its
levers K L, into their respective slots k and k' and would there be locked by the
attendant, both vehicles being by this means permanently coupled, and appearing
as at Fig. 7 and could not be separated from each other while the levers of both
remained so locked, and such tensional or compressive strain as may be imposed
upon the apparatus by impact and rebound would be accomodated by the springs
of the buffers (where such are provided) and those of the drawbars B of both
vehicles.
To uncouple the vehicles, the attendant would simply release the lever K of
either vehicle say that of P, and push this upwardly, when the curved plates M
and N would guide this and the arin L, to the opposite end of their frame A, and
the consequent pull upon the shaft H. would screw this into A, and so withdraw
the tongues or worms E and F of the vehicle P out of the case J of the vehicle O,
and thus release the vehicles from each other, as shewn at Fig. 8 the leverage
afforded by the arm K permitting this to be easily effected, notwithstanding that
both vehicles may be standing upon an inclined track.
From the foregoing it will be understood that the weakest part of the apparatus
is the bifurcated ends of the worms E F, but when the vehicles are coupled
together, those of the one vehicle would be enclosed within the casing J of the
other, thus holding the bifurgated ends E F of one vehicle closely seated between
the solid portions E F of the other, so that the otherwise possible expansion of the
bifurcated ends of the one vehicle, due to tensional strain, would be frustrated by
the case J of the second vehicle, and so on for the whole of the train.
It will also be understood that by reason of the handle ends of the levers K
being at all times within the reach of a person standing outside the track of the
vehicles, the said coupling and uncoupling of the coaches can and must be effected
without the operator having to get between the vehicles, as it would be next to
impossible to manipulate the said levers by a person standing between the buffers,
hence the object of my invention.
I wish it understood that the foregoing description of my invention and
the illustrations thereof given in the drawings are substantially as I purpose to
construct and use the same, but that I do not confine myself to any particular
dimensions, shape or configuration of such parts as may be open to variation
without departing from the principle involved.

page_text: 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:-
1st. In an improved method of, and means for, coupling and uncoupling railway
and tramway vehicles, without the need of the operator getting between the same, the
construction, use, and application of the herein described apparatus, and the several
parts and accessories constituting the same, and any reasonable modification
thereof, the whole connected, combined, and operating substantially as and for the
purposes herein set forth and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
2nd. In an improved method of, and apparatus for, coupling railway and
tramway vehicles, the combination of a frame A, with means for connecting the
same to the drawbars of the vehicles, with threaded shaft such as H entering the
said frame, and having a turned down portion e, shoulder plate f, and end plate,
the said shaft H being connected to, or formed integrally with, a pair of helic il
tongues or worms E F, having rabbetted edges h, and pointed at bb', and divi led
from each other from these points to, at, or about the part c, and integral from this
to a shoulder plate G, the said integral parts of E and F being enclosed by a fixed
casing J, having grooves for the reception of ridges on E and F formed by the
rabbets h, and in which is also formed helical grooves m and n for the reception of
the bifurcated ends of worms or tongues E F of a like apparatus upon another
vehicle, connected and operating substantially as herein described and shewn by the
accompanying drawings.
3rd. In an improved method of coupling and uncoupling railway and tramway
vehicles, and in combination with the apparatus set forth in the preceding claim,
the fixation to the frame A of curved plates such as M and N, serving as guides
for the horizontal novements of a double armed lever K L, mounted upon e of the
shaft H, with means for locking these in the position shewa by Figs. 3 and 4, or in
connection with recesses k and k' in A as shewn by Fig. 5, substantially as and
for the purposes herein described and shewn.
4th. In combination with a railway or tramway vehicle, the application to each
end of same of the apparatus set forth in the preceding claims, and the method of,
and means for operating and manipulating the said apparatus, by which any two
vehicles may be coupled and uncoupled by an operator or operators standing
outside the track of the vehicle, substantially as and for the purposes herein set
forth and shewn.
Dated this 18th day of April 1896
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
1 Broad Street Buildings, Liverpool Street, London, E.C.,
Agent for Applicant.