IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING
Year: 1870

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry, Dubs and Sampson George Goodall-
Copestake, both of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Engineers, for the Invention of “IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING
Sealed the 24th September 1870, and dated the 23rd July 1870.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Dubs and
Sampson George Goodall-Cópestake at the Office of the Com-
missioners of Patents, with their Petition, on the 23rd July 1870.
We, HENRY DUBS and SAMPSON GEORGE GOODALL-COPESTAKE, both
of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, do
hereby declare the nature, of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COMBINING OR COUPLING LOCOMOTIVES AND OTHER RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK," to be
as follows, that is to say :-
This Invention has for one of its objects the obtaining in a simple and
convenient manner in connection with railway locomotives, of certain

page_text: powers and advantages which have hitherto been secured only by
special, expensive, and inconvenient constructions. Thus in one mode
of obtaining a locomotive of extra power, and which will travel without
difficulty over curves, a long frame bearing a duplex boiler with a
fire-box in the middle is mounted on two bogies, both of which are fitted
with steam cylinders and driving details connected therewith. By the
present Invention equal or superior results are obtained by combining
or coupling together two ordinary tank locomotives with their fire-box
ends towards each other, such combination or coupling being effected
in a novel and improved manner enabling the locomotives to pass casily
round curves and causing the line of tractive strain between them
when passing round curves to be in the best possible position.
In carrying out the Invention the adjacent or abutting ends of the
locomotive frames are curved convexly to centres coinciding with or
near the centres of the respective wheel bases, and the ends are con-
nected or coupled by crossed or diagonal bars. These bars are jointed
upon vertical pins placed as near as can be conveniently managed to
the curved end of the frame, and whilst one bar is jointed to a pin at
the right-hand side of one locomotive and crosses over to a pin at the left-
hand side of the other locomotive, the other bar crosses from a pin at
the left-hand side of the former to one at the right-hand side of the
latter. Two or more bars may be applied between each pair of pins.
With these arrangements the two locomotives adapt themselves with
facility to curves, and the strain is under all circumstances in the straight
line joining the centres of the convex curves, or approximately so. In
addition to having the diagonal bars the two locomotives are connected
by a reserve or safety coupling consisting of a longitudinal bolt or bar
placed centrally and having a spring or springs applied, which adapt
themselves to the varying positions of the parts arising from the action
of the diagonal couplings. If preferred however two or more safety
couplings may be used. The same combining or coupling arrangements
are also obviously applicable between a locomotive and tender or between
carriages or wagons, and are especially suitable for permanently coupled
trains of passenger carriages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Dubs and Sampson George Goodall-
Copestake in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th January
1871.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, HENRY
DUBS and SAMPSON GEORGE GOODALL-COPESTAKE, both of Glasgow,
in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of July, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy, in the thirty-
fourth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto us, the said Henry Dubs and Sampson George
Goodall-Copestake, Her special licence that we, the said Henry Dubs
and Sampson George Goodall-Copestake, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as we, the said Henry Dubs and Sampson
George Goodall-Copestake, our 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 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN COMBINING OR COUPLING LOCOMOTIVES
AND OTHER RAILWAY ROLLING STOck," upon the condition (amongst others)
that we, the said Henry Dubs and Sampson George Goodall-Copestake,
our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
our, or their, or one of our or their hands and seals, should particu-
larly 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 we, the said Henry Dubs and Sampson George
Goodall-Copestake, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement in writing,
reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, that is to say :-
Our said Invention has for one of its objects the obtaining in a simple
and convenient manner in connection with railway locomotives of

page_text: certain powers or capabilities and advantages, which have hitherto been
secured only by special, expensive, and inconvenient constructions. Thus
in what is known as the "Fairlie system," and the design of which is
to obtain a locomotive of extra power, and one that will at the same
time travel without difficulty over curves, a long frame bearing a duplex
boiler with a fire-box in the middle is mounted on two bogies, both of
which are fitted with steam cylinders and driving details connected
therewith.
By our present Invention equal or superior results are obtained with
less complication and expence by combining or coupling together two
ordinary tank locomotives with their fire-box ends towards each other,
such combination or coupling being effected in a novel and improved
manner, enabling the locomotives to pass easily round curves, and
causing the line of tractive strain between them to be in the best possible
position under all circumstances, whether the locomotives be passing
over curves of greater or less radius, or over a straight line.
In carrying out our said Invention the adjacent or abutting ends of
the locomotive frames are curved convexly to centres coinciding with
or near the centres of the respective wheel bases, and the ends are con;
nected by crossed or diagonal bars. The same combining or coupling
arrangements. are also obviously applicable between a locomotive and
tender, or between carriages or wagons, and are especially suitable for
permanently coupled trains of passenger carriages.
And in order that our said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, may be properly understood, we have hereunto appended a
Sheet of explanatory Drawings, to be herein-after referred to, and
representing two modifications of our improved diagonal couplings
suitable for combining a pair of locomotives.
Figure 1 is a horizontal section, and Figures 2 and 3 are vertical
sections at right angles to each other.
Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams showing the relative positions assumed by
two four-wheeled frames when moving from a straight part to a curved
part of the line, or vice versâ; and Figures 6 and 7 are a repetition on
a larger scale of the characteristic lines of Figures 4 and 5.
Figures 8 and 9 are horizontal and vertical sections of a modification
differing from that shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, as regards some of the
accessory details.

page_text: To the end of the frame 1 of one of the locomotives, Figures 1, 2, 3,
there is fixed a strong casting or abutment piece 2, the outer edge of
which is shaped convexly in plan, as best seen in the lower part of
Figure 3. A similar abutment piece 3 is carried upon the frame 4 of
the other locomotive, but instead of being fixed to that frame it is fitted
so as to be capable of a short transverse movement between guides 5, 5,
fixed to the frame 4, such movement being desirable for reasons herein-
after explained, although in some cases (as, for example, with wagons)
it may be dispensed with. The abutment pieces 2, 3, are connected by
diagonal bars 6, 7, jointed upon vertical pins 8 entered down through
eyes formed for them in the abutment pieces in positions as near as can
be conveniently managed to the curved edges. One bar 6 is jointed to
a pin at the right-hand side of one locomotive 1 and crosses over to a
pin at the left-hand side of the other locomotive 4, whilst the other bar 7
crosses from a pin at the left-hand side of the former, 1, to one at the
right-hand side of the latter, 4. Two or more bars may be applied in
the same vertical planes as the bars 6, 7. With these arrangements
the two locomotives adapt themselves with facility to curves, and the
strain is under all circumstances in the straight line joining the centres
of the convex curves of the abutment pieces or approximately so. The
said line of strain also always passes through the intersection of the
vertical planes of the bars 6, 7, or very nearly so. The capability of
transverse movement given to one, 3, of the abutment pieces is adopted
to avoid a little transverse pressure which would otherwise be exerted
against the rails by the wheels when the coupled locomotives or car-
riages are passing over the part of a line at which a change takes
place from one curve to another curve, or to a straight line, or vice versa.
Extreme cases of the kind referred to are shown in Figures 4 to 7, in
which each locomotive or carriage is assumed to be placed exactly
central on its respective part of the line, consistently with which it will
be observed that the movable abutment piece 3 has to shift a little to
one side or the other, in order that the parts of the couplings may
preserve their proper relations to each other without moving either
locomotive out of its proper position. A reserve or safety coupling
link 19 is provided in a central position, being made of sufficient length
to allow for the varying positions of the parts. When disconnecting the
diagonal bars 6, 7, it is preferable to remove the two pins 8 in one of
the abutment pieces 2 or 3, so that the two bars may be carried by one
locomotive when disconnected. The abutment pieces are formed with

page_text: lugs 20 extending partly round the ends of the bars, and serving to
prevent the bars when disconnected from turning outwards beyond a
certain position, such that they will return inwards to their proper
positions without handling on the locomotives being brought together
again. The abutment pieces 2, 3, are formed with recesses, within
which the bars 6, 7, lic, and these recesses are made deeper at their
middle parts, so that the ends of the bars may enter without catching
when the locomotives are being brought together.
In cases wherein it is considered desirable the abutment pieces 2, 3,
may be connected to the carriage or locomotive frames with interposed
springs, and be thus made to act like ordinary buffers, or springs may be
applied in the manner shown in Figures 8 and 9.
In the modification shown in Figures 8 and 9 both abutment
pieces 1, 2, are shown as fitted so as to be capable of transverse
movement, as it may be found in practice to be more convenient for
all the locomotives, carriages, or wagons to be fitted alike in order that
any two may be coupled together when required. It must however be
.borne in mind that when two movable abutment pieces are connected
together in this way the transverse movement of one of them must be
prevented, for which purpose holes 9 are provided in the guides 5 to
receive stop pins. The guides 5, instead of being straight, as in the
first modification, are curved concentrically with the abutment pieces
themselves, so that the abutting edges of those picccs always maintain
the same distance from the centre of the wheel base or their centre of
curvature. The inside of each abutment piece 1, 2, bears against a
concentrically curved inner guide piece 10, each end of which bears
against a spring 11, whilst a pin 12 fixed in the guide piece works in
slots in the top and bottom plates of the frame, with which arrangement
the guide piece is free to move angularly as well as inwards, and so
compress one spring more than the other when there happens to be more
pressure on one side. When a compressing strain occurs the inside
flanges of the abutment pieces 1, 2, move a little inwards from the fixed
guides 5, up against which they are kept at other times by the pressure
of the springs 11.
Our improved coupling arrangements are obviously applicable to
rolling stock used on the variety of railways, sometimes termed "tram-
ways," and we herein use the general term "railways," as signifying any
ways laid with rails," "trams," or their equivalent.
"
$5

page_text: Having thus particularly described our said Invention, and the manner
in which the same is to be performed, we have to state that we do not
restrict ourselves to the precise details herein described or delineated,
but that what we believe to be novel and original, and claim as the
Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is, the combining or coupling of locomotives and other railway
rolling stock by means of diagonal bars arranged substantially as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, we; the said Henry Dubs and Sampson George
Goodall-Copestake, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this
Eighteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-one.
5 Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
HENRY DUBS.
S. G. G. COPESTAKE.
(L.S.)
(L.S.)