An Improved Safety-coupling for Kallway Carriages.-CO
Year: 1884

page_text: An Improved Safety-coupling for Kallway Carriages.
I, HERBERT JOHN HADDAN, of 67, Strand, in the City of Westminster, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said invention for AN IMPROVED
SAFETY-COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, a communication to me from abroad
by Charles Arsène Dupuis, Mechanic, of Villiers aux Chênes, and Alexandre
Jeanmaire, Gentleman, of Tremilly, both in France, to be as follows:―
This invention relates to that class of carriage couplings which can be operated
without going between the carriages.
The improved coupling chiefly comprises a pair of horizontally movable hooks,
one hook being attached to each end of each carriage, a pair of springs adapted to
hold the two hooks against each other, a pair of scrow spindles with handles or
levers for setting the springs out of action so as to release the hooks, a pair of
vertically movable straps or forks adapted to be let down over the two hooks so as
to hold them securely together, and a pair of spindles with cranks or levers for
raising or lowering the said forks.
•
The vertical contact surface of the two hooks is nearly perpendicular to the
centre line of the railway carriages or track, and the hooks are otherwise shaped
so as to be automatically coupled by approaching the ends of the hooks in the
direction of their length and simultaneously applying a lateral pressure. on the
same.
:
From the vertical fulcrum of each hook an arm extends backward towards the
carriage so as to form with the hook a double armed lever, which is exposed to the
pressure of a helical spring situated in the axis of the screw spindle, the turning of
which by means of a balanced lever serves to compress the spring. All the hand
levers are provided with counter-weights to prevent their accidental turning.
For uncoupling it is necessary to lift the fork by a turn of the respective handle,
after which one of the hooks is withdrawn by turning the screw spindle connected
with the rear arm of the hook,

page_text: To secure or release the coupling, the cranks R R are used, acting on the endless
scrow P¹ and placed on both sides of the carriage.
To uncouple:
Lift the tongue D by the lever I, press on the lever E with the screw G by
turning the crank H, thus the two catches B are released and go apart.
Fig. 5 illustrates in plan, how a wagon provided with the improved coupling
may be connected with a wagon provided with the usual screw and link
coupling.
In this case the catch B is turned out of the way by first screwing back, that is
to unscrewing, the spindle G as far as possible, and then pulling the rod L, which
causes the catch B to pivot on the pin M.
Every carriage, fitted with the new coupling, has in addition to it the usual
screw and link coupling. Consequently, it will only be necessary to throw the
ordinary coupling link O over the hook of the opposite carriage in order to couple
the two carriages together.
Where both carriages have the screw coupling, as illustrated by the side view
Fig. 6, the coupling links O are folded upon each other and held in this position by
suspending one of them from a hook V.
Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the arrangement shewn in Fig. 5, the catch B having
been removed in order to shew more clearly the other parts.
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
1. A coupling, comprising a catch B with lever E, screw-spindle G with spring F
and crank H, and forked tongue D with crank axle and crank I.
2. The combination of the improved coupling with the appliance for preventing
the bumping or jolting of carriages.
3. The modified form of coupling for connecting it with a carriage, provided with
ordinary couplings.
The whole substantially as described and shewn by the drawings.