CompLING RAILROAD CARSWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Sandford Roberts, of Lodersville, in the
County of Susquehanna, and State of Pennsylvania, in the United States
Can the Luvontion of "CompLING RAILROAD CARS."
Sealed the 18th April 1855, and dated the 6th February 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Sandford Roberts
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
6th February 1855.
I, WILLIAM SANDFORD ROBERTS, of the Town of Lodersville, in the County
of Susquehanna, State of Pennsylvania, U. S. A., do hereby declare the nature
of the Invention for "COUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
The nature of my Invention is to form a self-coupling link to unite railway
carriages, so as to readily uncouple in case of accident, but remain secure
while they are on the track.
The construction is as follows:-1 make an oblong metal box, with a broad,
oval, trumpet-shaped flanch at one end, of similar form and dimensions to
couplings now in use. The sides of this box may be open, and at the front
end on the bottom inside there is a boss or projection, behind which the point
of the hook rests; the book is so jointed to lugs attached to the inside of the
top as to have its front end rise and fall. The catch of the hook is per-
pendicular, and the front end tapers off in an inclined plane. The extreme

page_text: end of the hook is bevilled on the upper side in an opposite direction, and
enters a mortise in the upper side, which mortise is covered with a spring
above, which spring bears upon the upper side of the hook, and holds it down
to its place. The rear end of the hook beyond the fulcrum extends back
under a mortise, through which a rod projects down from the platform above
with its lower end resting upon the hook. By this arrangement, when the
rod is borno down the hook is raised, so as to allow the link to escape
therefrom; when released, the hook, aided by a spring, assumes its original
position. The link is a simple oblong iron ring, like the link of a chain.
When it is in its placo in one coupling box, its other part projects beyond the
bell-mouthed flanch, above spoken of. This, when another carriage is run up
to it, enters the flanch thereof, and, forcing the hook upwards, passes under it,
and is caught as it springs down without any aid from the attendants so long
as the draft upon the parts thus coupled is straight, or nearly so.
The fastening
is secure even around the shortest curve while the trucks are on the track,
but if either carriage runs off by bringing the box down, the link is thrown up.
prying up the end of the hook, and thus becomes liberated. The draft of the
hook is resisted by the boss and the front part of the mortise above in which
it rests, the angles thereon serving to hold it from rising.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Sandford Roberts in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd August 1855.
(Received under Protest.)
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
SANDFORD ROBERTS, of Lodersville, in the County of Susquehanna, and State
of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Sandford Roberts, Her special licence that I, the said William
Sandford Roberts, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Sandford Roberts, my 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 s

page_text: 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 "COUPLING RAILROAD CARS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Sandford Roberts, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, 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 William Sandford Roberts, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, 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 nature of my Invention is to form a self-coupling link to unite cars,
&c. on a railway, so as to readily uncouple in case of accident, but remain
secure while they are on the track, which coupling can be readily and con-
veniently unhooked, be strong and durable, easily constructed and repaired,
and cost but a small sum originally. The construction is as follows:-I make
an oblong metal box A, with a broad, oval, trumpet-shaped flanch V at one
end, of similar form and dimensions to couplings now in use. The sides of
this box may be open, as shown in the Drawing, and at the front end on the
bottom inside there is a boss or projection C, behind which the point of
the hook rests. The hook D is so jointed to lugs E, attached to the inside
of the top, as to have its front end rise and fall. The catch of the hook is
perpendicular, and the front end tapers off in an inclined plane, all of which is
clearly represented in Fig. 1. The extremo end of the hook is bevilled on
the upper side, in an opposite direction, and enters a mortise in the upper
side, which mortise is covered with a spring F above, which spring bears
upon the upper side of the hook D, and holds it down to its place. The rear
end of the hook beyond the fulcrum extends back under a mortise at H,
through which a rod I projects down from the platform above, its lower end
resting upon the hook. By its arrangement, when rod I is borne down the
hook is raised, so as to allow tho link K to escape therefrom. (This position is
shown by red lines in Fig. 1.) When released, the hook, aided by the spring
F, assumes its original position, as seen in the Drawing. The link K is a
simple oblong iron ring, like the link of a chain. When it is in its place in one
coupling box, its other part projects beyond the bell-mouthed flanch V, above
spoken of. This, when another car is run up to it, enters the flanch thereof,
and, forcing the hooks upward, passes under it, and is caught as it springs down
without any aid from the attendents so long as the draft upon the parts thus

page_text: coupled is straight, or nearly so. The fastening is secure even around the
shortest curve while the trucks are on the track; but if either car runs off, by
bringing the box A down, the link is thrown up, prizing up the end of the hook,
and thus becomes liberated. The draft upon the hook is resisted by the boss
C, and the front part of the mortise above in which it rests; the angles thereof
serving to hold it from rising.
Having thus fully described my improved coupling, what I claim therein as
new, and for which I desire to secure-Letters Patent, is, the construction and
arrangement of the hook and box, substantially as described, for coupling rail-
way carriages and disengaging the same, in the manner herein specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Sandford Roberts, have hero-
tofore set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
WILLIAM S. ROBERTS. (LB.)
Sealed and delivered in the presence of
JACOB HATZEL, J".