Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons.
I, JOHN MCLAREN, of Mayfield Cottage, Stenhousemuir, in the County of
Stirling, Ironmoulder, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention relates to improvements in coupling and uncoupling railway
wagons, whereby the wagons may be coupled and uncoupled by a mechanical
contrivance fitted at the sides of the wagons and so placed as not to interfere
with any of the present accessories of the wagon. A lever handle is fixed at
both sides of the wagon on a shaft extending beneath and from side to side of
the wagon, so that by lifting either of these lever handles the mechanism set
in motion lifts the coupling chain, which is of the ordinary form, clear of the
gab, and the wagon is thus uncoupled. In order to couple the wagons the lever
handle is lifted and is preferably fixed in any desired position according to the
respective heights of the wagons to be coupled, by a wedge which, when released
allows the coupling link to fall into the gab, and thus the wagon is coupled.
The shaft on which the lever handles are secured is cranked at its mid point,
and to this crank a short connecting link is connected, the other end of said
link being centred on a pin carried on pivoted arms depending from a pivot from
the bottom of the wagon. At the lower end of these pivoted arms one end of a
coupling fork is centred, said fork being connected at its outer end with the
outer link of the coupling chain. The depending pivoted arm and coupling
fork together form a toggle which when straightened out by the turning of the
crank on the lever handle shaft brings the coupling links into position to be
lowered over the gab, a rest or guide being formed at the end of the wagon in
order to support and direct the coupling link to its position over the gab.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When a wagon is to be coupled either of the lever handles at the side of the
wagon is turned, the crank on this shaft acting on the connecting link to pull
it forward, which link, because of its connection to the depending arms draws
these forward, and these arms in turn push forward the lifting fork to whose end
the coupling link is pivoted, the fork being guided forward and upward by the
rest or guide on the wagon end in order to bring the coupling link over and
beyond the point of the gab, the link being retained in this position by inserting
the wedge between the handle and a fixed quadrant, thus preventing the return
of the coupling fork to its original position. On releasing the lever handle by
removing the wedge, the coupling link drops over the gab and the wagon is
coupled. The wagon is uncoupled by turning the lever handle when the action
takes place exactly as in coupling, the lever handle being retained in this

page_text: position by the wedge or by hand until the wagons are at a short distance from
each other.
Dated this 29th day of September 1899.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,.
Agent for the Applicant,
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons.
I, JOHN MCLAREN, of Mayfield Cottage, Stenhousemuir, in the County of
Stirling, Ironmoulder, 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:-
This invention relates to improvements in coupling and uncoupling railway
wagons, whereby the wagons may be coupled and uncoupled by a mechanical
contrivance fitted at the sides of the wagons and so placed as not to interfere
with any of the present accessories of the wagon.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a
vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a plan of the body of a railway wagon
to which the improved coupling is applied. Fig. 3 is a front view and Fig. 4
an inverted plan of a detail of the coupling mechanism.
In carrying out the invention I fix a lever handle A at both sides of the
wagen B on a shaft C extending beneath and from side to side of the wagon B,
so that by lifting either of these lever handles A the mechanism set in motion
lifts the coupling chain D, which is of the ordinary form, clear of the gab E,
and the wagon is thus either coupled or uncoupled. The shaft Con which the
lever handles A are secured is cranked at its mid point, as at C', and with
this crank Ca combined link and guide G, such as shewn, is employed, this
link being attached to the crank C and to the pin H, a free portion of this link
extending forward and upward to act as a guide to the coupling fork as herein-
after described. At the lower end of the pivoted arms I, one end of a coupling
fork is centred, said fork K being connected at its outer end with the outer
link of the coupling chain D. The depending pivoted _arm I and coupling
fork together form a toggle, which when straightened out by the turning of
the crank Con the lever handle shaft C brings the coupling links D into
position to be lowered over the gab E, a shoulder G' on the guide G acting, by
means of its engagement with a bridge piece K' on the fork K, to support said
fork and consequently the coupling links in their extended position. The bridge
piece K is notched on its underside at K2, as shown particularly at Figs. 3
and 4, and into this notch K the guide G is entered so that the fork K may
be angled slightly horizontally by means of the guide G to bring the coupling
link opposite the gab E when the wagons are to be coupled on a curve, the
guide G being actuated for this purpose because of its connection to the crank
shaft C, to which latter, in such circumstances, a transverse motion is com-
municated previous to the couplings being raised.
The bridge piece K' is inclined towards its mid point so that should the
coupling fork be brought down upon the guide at any other than its notched
point it will slide towards and into the latter.
When a wagon B is to be coupled either of the lever handles A at the side of
the wagon B is turned, the crank C¹ on the shaft C acting on the connecting

page_text: link G to pull it forward, which link G, because of its connection to the depend-
ing arm I draws these forward, and these arms I in turn push forward the lifting
fork to whose end the outer of the coupling links 1) is pivoted, the fork K
being guided forward and upward by the rest or guide formed integral with the
link G, in order to bring the outer of the coupling links D over and beyond the
point of the gab E, the said link being retained in this position (until the
wagons are brought together) by the action of the shoulder G of the guide G
upon the bridge piece K, thus preventing the return of the coupling fork K
to its original position. The act of contact causes the bridge piece K³ to slide
over the shoulder G¹ of the guide G, and the coupling link then drops over
the gab E and the wagon B is coupled. The wagon B is uncoupled by turning
either of the lever handles A when the action takes place exactly as in coupling.
excepting that it is unnecessary to extend the coupling links so far.
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 railway wagon coupling, the several parts of which are constructed,
combined and arranged to operate, substantially as described.
2. In couplings for railway wagons, the combination with the ordinary
coupling chain, of a coupling fork attached at its forward end to said chain,
pivoted arms centred upon the wagon body and pivotally connected to the
coupling fork, a link attached at one end to the pivoted arms, a hand-actuated
transverse shaft formed with a crank to which the other end of the link is con-
nected, and a guide formed integral with the link or fitted upon the wagon body
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
1000
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents, 62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow,
Agent for the Applicant.