AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, JOHN HYDE, of Clandon House, Birkbeck Road, Acton, Middlesex, Registrar
of the North London Railway Company; do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES, to be as
follows:-
The coupling is designed to expedite the connecting and disconnecting of railway
rolling stock, and to obviate the necessity, which now exists, of passing under the
buffers, or standing between the vehicles, for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling
them. It is worked from either side of the wagon, truck, or other vehicle, by
means of levers attached to a bar, having a crank in the middle, and running
across the ends of the vehicle.
The coupling consists of two links, the first being attached, in the ordinary way,
to the draw bar and hook now in general use. It is constructed to admit of the
sliding of the second link backward or forward in a slot or slots made in a portion
of the first link at the end farthest from the hook and drawbar to which it is
attached. The second link is weighted so as to rest in the slot or slots of the first
link, in nearly a horizontal position. The first link is actuated by the lever being
made to raise the crank of the cross bar at the end of the vehicle:-the first link
thus carries the second link upward, until the latter comes in contact with the
hook of the adjoining vehicle:-the second link, being balanced in the slot or
slots of the first link, gives way on the further upward movement of the crank,
until it clears the hook-the weights then bring the second link into the
horizontal position, and the crank being lowered, the second link comes in contact
with a projection over the hook and the upper portion of the hook, and slides to
the end of the slot or slots in the first link:-the crank is again slightly raised,
and the second link slides into the hook of the adjoining wagon, or other vehicle;
thus completing the coupling operation.
The uncoupling is performed by raising the crank by means of the lever, when
the second link slides.back in the slot or slots of the first link, so that, when the
crank is lowered, the second link slides off the projection, above referred to, and off
the hook of the adjoining vehicle, into its normal position.
1004

page_text: I, JOHN HYDE, of Clandon House, Birkbeck Road, Acton, Middlesex; Registrar
of the North London Railway Company do hereby declare the nature of my
Invention for AN IMPROVED COUPLING FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement :—
The object of my Invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for
connecting and disconnecting railway vehicles; and to obviate the necessity of
passing under the buffers of vehicles, or standing between the vehicles for the
purpose of coupling or uncoupling them.
The improved coupling is worked from either side of the vehicle by means of
levers attached to a shaft, having a crank in the middle, and passing across the
ends of the vehicle.
The said coupling consists of two links; the first being attached, in the ordinary
manner, to the draw bar and hook now in general use; and is constructed to
admit of the sliding of the second link backward or forward in slots made in
portions of the first link, at the ends farthest from the draw bar and hook to which
it is attached. The second link is weighted so as to rest, slightly above a horizontal
position, in the slots of the first link. The first link is actuated by the lever, on
either side of the vehicle, being made to raise the crank of the shaft at the end of
the vehicle, and thus carries the second link upward until the latter comes in
contact with the hook of the adjoining vehicle. The second link, being balanced
in the slots of the first link, gives way, on the further upward movement of the
crank, until it clears the said hook; when the weights again bring the second link
slightly above a horizontal position, and the crank being lowered, causes the
second link to come in contact with the upper portion of the hook, and to slide to
the end of the slots of the first link: the crank being again slightly raised, the
second link slides into the hook of the adjoining vehicle, thus completing the
coupling operation.
The uncoupling is performed by raising the crank, by means of either lever,
when the second link is freed from the hook, and slides back in the slots of the
first link; so that when the crank is lowered, the second link slides off the hook
of the adjoining vehicle into its norimal position.
In order that the Invention may be more fully understood, I proceed to describe
the Drawings accompanying this Specification.

page_text: DRAWING No. 2.
Fig. 6, shows, by side view the links, A and K, forming the coupling, the
lever D, the shaft E, the crank F, the hook B, the drawbar C, the slots J, (of the
first link A) the buffer G, and the weights H (of the second link K).
The second link of the coupling of an adjoining vehicle is shown in contact with
the hook B, and it will be seen that by further upward movement, the second
link, having slid back in the slots of the first link, will clear the hook :-On
lowering the crank the coupling will fall into the position shown in Fig. 7; when
on again slightly raising the crank, the second link slides over the hook of the
adjoining vehicle, and the coupling operation is completed as shown in Fig. 8, in
which, as well as in Fig. 7, the adjoining vehicle is shown fitted with the ordinary
chain coupling links.
The uncoupling is performed by raising the crank sufficiently to allow the
second link to slide back in the slots of the first link, when the crank is lowered
and the links again fall into the position shown in Fig. 7, and into their normal
position as shown in the left hand side coupling in Fig. 6.
In my Provisional Specification I referred to a projection over the hook; but
this projection, or stud, is simply a provision to facilitate uncoupling, in case the
springs of a draw bar are defective, and the hook is drawn, and remains out
beyond its normal position.
In the case of wagons or trucks with high ends, (such as an ordinary coal
wagon) the action of the coupling can be altered by attaching to the end of the
second link K, a small chain or cord, fastened, at the other end, to the top of the
end of the vehicle; so that the normal position of the coupling would be as shown
by the dotted lines on the left hand side of Fig. 6. On the upward movement of
the crank, the chain or cord keeps the second link, K, high enough to avoid contact
with the under portion of the hook of an adjoining vehicle; and is therefore
carried over it, completing the coupling operation by one movement.
I do not confine myself to the several details of the Drawings, as they may be
varied without deviation from the principle of the Invention.
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 the peculiar construction and mode of action of the links forming my
Improved Coupling for Railway Vehicles," by means of the lifting gear, and
chain or cord, bereinbefore described,
Dated this Thirtieth day of No. 1001