Improvements in Pipe-couplings for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1897-Accepted, 17th. Sept.,
1898
[Communicated from abroad by ALBERT GILBERT Cox, of Albany, New York,
United States of America, Physician.]
Improvements in Pipe-couplings for Railway Vehicles.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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:-
The invention relates to automatic couplers for the pipes employed for convey-
ing steam and compressed air to the cars of a railway train.
In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the ends of two railway cars provided with
the coupler; Figure 2 represents a plan view of the coupler, partly in section;
Figure 3 represents a longitudinal section through one of the coupling
members; Figures 4 and 5 represent respectively a horizontal central section
and a side elevation of one of the coupling heads; Figures 6 and 7
represent respectively a front and rear elevation of one of the coupler members;
Figure 8 represents a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4; Figure 9 represents, in
section, one of the coupling nipples; Figures 10 and 11 represent, respectively,
a rear end view and a side view of one of the coupling members, and illustrate
the manner of supporting it from the tender of a locomotive engine; Figure 12
represents, partly in section, a modified form of coupler; Figure 13 represents
a view on the line 13-13 of Fig. 14; Figures 14 and 15 represent, respectively,
a front and a rear elevation thereof.
Each coupling member has a head A, containing passages with which the pipes
register, a casing B, and a universal or gimbal joint consisting of two rings D, D¹,
one of which swings in a horizontal plane within the other, the outer one swing-
ing in a vertical plane.
The journal openings a are larger than the gudgeons b, so as to permit the outer
ring D to tilt to a limited extent in a plane transverse to the length of the tube.
When the train passes around curves, a torsional strain is exerted by one coupling
member upon the other. This strain is obviated by thus permitting the coupling
members to tilt. Where, as in Figs. 10 and 11, the outer ring is suspended from
hangers E, the same effect is secured by placing the bolts d, at a short distance
above the ring gudgeons b.
In cars coupled by spring-seated couplings, the casing B is adapted to slide
through the inner ring D against the tension of a spring F. To prevent the
tube B revolving during this movement, it may be slotted, as indicated at f,
(Fig. 3), for the guide pin f, upon which the inner ring is swivelled; or, the
spring hangers at the forward end of the coupling member may be made so rigid
as to maintain the coupler head and casing B against turning except when the
parts as a whole tilt upon the horizontal gudgeons of the outer ring. To this end,
the springs are so tightly coiled as to resist any tendency of the head and casing
to turn, except when adjacent cars pass around a curve. Each spring g is screwed

page_text: into the cap ends g', g2 which engage with hooks h¹ h2, the one connected to the
car truck frame and the other to the turn-buckle h, which has a hook h³, engaging
a perforated lug h*.
The rings D, D', are mounted within a frame made up of cheek pieces L con-
nected by cross bolts which pass through bracing tubes and secured rigidly
to the truck frame by brace bars n. Integral with said ring D¹ is an annulus m
having a flange m' which supports one end of the spring F, the other end being
supported by a flange m³ upon the head A.
When the train pipe system comprises a steam conduit, an air-signalling conduit
and an air-brake conduit, the steam pipe is connected to the lowermost passage c¹
of the coupler head, which compartment has a cock d¹ for drawing off any con-
densations. The steam pipe e², the signal pipe e and the air-brake pipe e are
parallel to each other and are screwed into passages of the coupler head, which
passages are arranged at their forward ends one above the other. The rear ends
of the pipes e, e¹, e2 may be readily connected with the train pipes by means of
rubber hose. The tube B is screwed into the head A, and at its rear end is closed
by a plate N suitably perforated for the passage of the pipes e, e¹, e², and remov-
ably held in place by means of the screw ring M and screw-bolt m³.
The coupler head is provided with guide tongues G, G, G2, the two former being
adapted to receive and guide between them the tongue G2 of a conjoining head;
and the tongue G being adapted to fit in the recess formed between the tongue G2
of a conjoining head and the adjacent body portion of the metal of said conjoining
head. The tongues G, G¹, are deflected or flared so as to direct the tongue G²
of the conjoining head into the space between them. The curves of the deflecting
surfaces of the tongues G and G₁ gradually approach from their widest point of
separation to a point indicated by the line at (Fig. 4), at which place they are
separated by a distance equal to the thickness of the co-operating tongue G2 of
the conjoining head. Beyond this point is a recess s for the extreme end of the
tongue G. Therefore, as the two heads come together, the tongue G³ cannot bind
between the tongues G, G¹, until its extreme end has entered into the recess s,
where upon the coupling action is completed.
The inner surfaces of the webs m that connect the tongues G, G!, are bevelled
from within outwardly. In Fig. 8, is indicated, in dotted lines, the approaching
tongue G2 of the conjoining head, in order to show that the relation of the bevels m
to the edges m³ of the tongue G2 is such that the greatest width of the tongue G2
between the edges m³ is only equal to the distance between the points me which lie
in the plane of the line c; so that edge binding of the tongue G2 is impossible
during the coupling operation.
To secure a satisfactory non-leaking joint between the ports of conjoining heads
is difficult. In Fig. 9, the port is provided with a bushing n having a retaining
shoulder 2. Within this bushing, which is made of brass or like practically
non-corrodible material, is a non-corrodible nipple n having a shoulder n. Upon
the nipple n is screwed a washer of a material sufficiently flexible to make a
tight butt-joint. This washer has a protecting ring of non-corrodible material,
separate from the washer, or within which the composition body portion of
the washer n may be cast. Any tendency of the washer to stick within the
bushing n is therefore absent. The sliding joint has a packing consisting of the
brass split rings s¹, s2, expanded-to make an air and steam proof fit by means
of a bearing ring 3, against which the spring s bears. The construction is the
same, in the modification shown in Fig. 4, except that an expansible ring so of
asbestos or like non-vulcanizable material is substituted for the two split rings.
In the coupler shown in Figs. 12 to 15, any possible individual tilting of one
coupler head upon the other is prevented. Thus, one of the tongues (G³) of each
head is provided with a projection adapted to engage a groove v¹ in the other
coupler head, so that the heads are locked against all possible tilting individually
upon one another. The projection is tapered, and, as indicated in dotted lines,
may be continued rearwardly to form a continuous bracing rib for the tongue.

page_text: Interposed between the steam port and the adjacent air port, is provided a
channel z for the passage of a body of air, to keep the temperature of the walls
of the air ports so low that the composition nipples of the air ports shall not be
vulcanized and hardened, so as to contract and lose their elasticity and ultimately
their capacity to form air-tight joints. The space z is preferably carried entirely
through the coupler head and widens out rearwardly.
In this modification of my invention, I also show a different form of valve for
the air ports. Thus, as shown in Figure 13, the air ports are provided with
washers i, located within the bushings w!, and having shoulders w, which are
adapted to engage with shoulders of the bushings; or, preferably a metallic
cap w (Fig. 12), flanged at its base fits over the annular washer w, so as to reduce
the friction when the washer moves backward or forward. At the base of tho
washer w is located an expander w³ of metal, seated upon the spiral spring wo.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed. as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improvement in train pipe couplings, consisting in providing for a tilt-
ing movement of the couplers when the cars are passing around curves in the track,
by mounting the couplers in gimbals journalled in elongated vertical bearings.
2. A train pipe coupling of the kind referred to in Claim 1, characterized by the
further peculiarity of having spring hangers at the coupling heads of such a
nature as to return them promptly to their original position after they have been
tilted.
3. A train pipe coupling of the kind referred to in Claims 1 and 2, and wherein
the ports in the head are arranged one above the other at their forward ends and
diverge toward their rear ends so that the pipes in the casing may be parallel to
each other, and therefore more readily removable through the closing plate of
the casing.
4. A train pipe coupling of the kind referred to in the preceding claims, and
wherein the straight tongues which enter the recesses between the curved tongues
touch said recesses at only a single line until fully seated within the recesses.
5. A train pipe coupling of the kind referred to in the preceding claims, and
wherein the india-rubber or composition nipples of the air ports are protected
against being vulcanized, by interposing a through passage for the circulation
of air between the steam port and the air ports.
6. A train pipe coupling of the kind referred to in the preceding claims, and
wherein one of the coupling members is prevented from tilting individually upon
the other coupling member in a vertical plane, by locking them together by inter-
fitting longitudinal grooves and projections.
7. A train pipe coupling of the kind referred to in the preceding claims, and
wherein the nipples of elastic material in the air ports are provided with an out-
side envelope or sleeve of non-corrodible metal, so that in their movement they
will always present a sliding metallic surface to the metallic surface of the bushing
in which they are located.
-1007
HASELTINE, LAKE, & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.