Improvements in and in connection with Automatic Couplings for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Mar., 1900-Accepted, 7th Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION..
Improvements in and in connection with Automatic Couplings
for Railway Vehicles.
We, JOHN LIONEL CRIDLAN and ALBERT KIRSCH, both of 4, Woodhouse Square,
in the City of Leeds, Engineer Students, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
An automatic coupling device, constructed in accordance with our invention,
comprises a coupling head and a coupling bar, and means for moving the latter
into an operative or an inoperative position. Such device is attached in the
centre of the buffer beam at each end of the railway vehicle; each device being
a duplicate of the other and of all the couplings fitted to all other vehicles intended
to be capable of automatic attachment to the first and to each other.
The coupling head consists preferably of two side pieces and a back end piece,
all cast or formed in one, and with a short tail piece projecting behind the back
end piece, to which tail piece the drawbar or drawbar connections within the
wagon frame are attached. The side pieces pass through a hole in the buffer
beam, and are slightly cranked just outside the buffer beam; so as to obtain a
somewhat greater width between them at the front end, on which the lugs forming
the bearings for the hereinafter mentioned vertical pins are formed. The side
pieces are connected above and below at the part where they are cranked, and also
below at the front end, by cross pieces, preferably formed or cast in one with the
rest of the coupling head. Owing to the movement of the coupling bar, which
takes place with the compression of the buffer springs, it is necessary to have the
coupling head extended sufficiently to the rear, and a corresponding opening left
in the buffer beam.
The front end of the coupling head is provided with a pair of two armed wings,
fitted respectively on a pair of vertical pins; the top and bottom bearings of which
are formed in the before mentioned lugs, cast or formed on the front ends of the
side pieces of the coupling head. The inner arms of the wings, that is those
facing each other, are curved or rounded on their outer edges, and curved or
bevelled across their inner edges, that is those towards the buffer beam; the bev-
elling corresponding to the bevel on the head of the coupling bar. The front
ends of the side pieces are recessed to receive the outer arms of the above men-
tioned wing pieces. The arrangement of the vertical pins, the wings and the front
ends of the side pieces of the coupling head is such, that the inner arms of the
wings can swing backward, that is towards the buffer beam; and the outer arms
of the wings outwards from the normal position of the wings, which is with the
arms of the two wings all in line; whilst a movement from the normal position
in the opposite direction is impossible, owing to the outer arms fitting against
the back of the above mentioned recesses. A spiral spring, lying in a recess.
formed for it in the cross piece along the bottom of the front end of the coupling
head, is attached at the ends to pins in the under sides of the inner arms of the
wing pieces respectively; so that when the inner arms of the wing pieces are
forced inwards by the head of the coupling bar entering between them, this

page_text: spring is distended, and thus brings back the wings to their normal position,
immediately the head of the coupling bar clears the inner arms of the wing pieces.
Instead of relying on the tension of the spring to bring back the wing pieces,
the spring may be made somewhat longer, and attached at its ends to the wing
pieces in such a position, that the spring is compressed as the inner arms of the
wing pieces are forced back by the head of the coupling bar entering between
them.
The return of the wing pieces to the normal position may, if desired, be effected
by gravity, by means of weights and link and lever, or pulley and wire connec-
tion to the outer arms of the wing pieces.
The coupling bar consists of a straight bar with an enlarged head at each end,
the sides of the head being suitably rounded and bevelled at the front and the
back. The coupling bar is carried from a short bar, hereinafter termed the carrier
bar, by means of a vertical pin; welded or otherwise secured on the upper side
of the coupling bar, towards the end nearest the buffer beam. This pin con-
nection is such, as to allow of a slight longitudinal movement, and also a very
slight swivelling movement, the former for the purpose of affording sufficient
play for the engagement and disengagement of the coupling, and to ensure that
the pull shall come on the wings contained in the head and not on the carrier bar
hereinafter mentioned; and the latter to provide for the radial motion, when the
train is passing round curves. The carrier bar is firmly secured to the inner end
of one of two side levers, which extend respectively to the outer ends of the buffer
beam above the buffers. These levers are pivoted to supports on the end of the
vehicle, so that by depressing or raising the outer end of either of the levers, the
carrier bar, and with it the coupling bar, can be raised or lowered out of or into
the coupling head from either side of the vehicle. For this reason the coupling
head is left open on the upper side, and the carrier bar is of such a length, that
when dropped, the corresponding head of the coupling bar comes within or rather
just behind the inner arms of the wing pieces, the space between the inner edges
of the latter being just sufficient to receive the body of the coupling bar with
the necessary play.
The length of the coupling bar is made to suit the character of the vehicle,
being shorter when the apparatus is attached to a passenger vehicle, so as to allow
the vehicles to be coupled up close, that is with the buffer springs under com-
pression; and made longer in the case of freight wagons, so as to allow of the
wagons being coupled up with a suitable space between the ends of the buffers
when the couplings are drawn tight.
This provision for raising and lowering the coupling bar is necessary, not only
for the purpose of disengaging or uncoupling the vehicles; but also, since the
coupling attachment of each wagon has its own coupling bar, and both cannot be
in engagement at the same time, it is necessary to provide means to move either
of the coupling bars out of the way of the other.
Also, as on impact, the compression of the buffers may allow the projecting end
of the disengaged coupling bar to come against the buffer beam of the adjoining
vehicle, we provide means for rotating the side levers upwards through a quarter
of a circle, so as to raise the carrier and coupling bars into a vertical position.
This may be done by forming the end or head of the pivot pin as a circular bear-
ing for a correspondingly rounded part on the side lever, and oy cranking the
end of the side lever..
An alternative and perhaps better arrangement is to dispense with the short
lifting movement altogether, and to fit the carrier bars as arms to a horizontal
cross bar extending from side to side of the vehicle; the cross bar being fitted in
bearings permitting it to be rotated, so as to raise the carrier and coupling bars
to a vertical position. Each end of the cross bar is fitted with a lever or hand
wheel, so that the raising and lowering of the coupling har can be effected from
either side of the vehicle.
Also the rotary movement of the carrier and coupling bar might, if preferred,

page_text: be effected in a horizontal plane about a vertical pivot, by means of levers and
connecting rod.
In all cases provision is made by means of a spring catch or similar device, for
holding the coupling bar in the out-of-the-way position, and for fastening the
controlling levers, when the coupling bar is down.
Lastly in order to permit of a vehicle provided as at present with the ordinary
chain and hook attachment being coupled to a vehicle having our automatic
attachment, we dispense with one or more of the links, as found necessary, and
form the end of the last link with an enlarged head, suitably shaped for dropping
into the coupling head behind the inner arms of the wing pieces. A short chain
permanently fixed at one end, or other device, is provided for fixing across the top
open end of the coupling head above the wing pieces, to prevent the just men-
tioned link head jumping out of the coupling head.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1899
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
30, Park Row, Leeds, Agent for Applicants,
Improvements in and in connection with Automatic Couplings.
for Railway Vehicles..
We, JOHN LIONEL CRIDLAN and ALBERT KIRSCH, both of 4, Woodhouse Square,
in the City of Leeds, Engineer Students, 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:-.
An automatic coupling device, constructed in accordance with our invention,
comprises a coupling head and a coupling bar, and means for moving the latter
into an operative or an inoperative position. Such device is attached in the
centre of the buffer beam at each end of the railway vehicle; each device being
a duplicate of the other and of all the couplings fitted to all other vehicles intended
to be capable of automatic attachment to the first and to each other.
The coupling head consists preferably of two side pieces and a back end piece;
all cast or formed in one, and with a short tail piece projecting behind the back
end piece, to which tail piece the draw bar or draw connections within the
wagon frame are attached. The side pieces pass through a hole in the buffer
beam and may be slightly cranked just outside the buffer beam; to obtain a
somewhat greater width between them at the front end, on which the lugs forming
the bearings for the hereinafter mentioned vertical pins are formed. The side
pieces are connected below at the front end by cross pieces; preferably
formed or cast in one with the rest of the coupling head. Owing
to the movement of the coupling bar, which takes place with the
compression of the buffer springs, it is necessary to have the coupling
head extended sufficiently to the rear, and a corresponding opening left
in the buffer beam.
The front end of the coupling head is provided with a pair of two armed wings,
fitted respectively on a pair of vertical pins; the top and bottoin bearings of which
are formed in the before mentioned lugs, cast or formed on the front ends of the
side pieces of the coupling head. The inner arms of the wings, that is those
facing each other, are curved or rounded on their outer edges, and curved or
bevelled across their inner edges, that is those towards the buffer beam; the

page_text: bevelling corresponding to the bevel on the head of the coupling bar. The front
ends of the side pieces are recessed to receive the outer arms of the above men-
tioned wing pieces. The arrangement of the vertical pins, the wings and the front
ends of the side pieces of the coupling head is such, that the inner arms of the
wings can swing backward, that is towards the buffer beam; and the outer arms
of the wings outwards from the normal position of the wings, which is with the
arms of the two wings all in line; whilst a movement from the normal position
in the opposite direction is impossible, owing to the outer arms fitting against
the back of the above mentioned recesses. A spiral spring, lying in a recess
formed for it in the cross piece along the bottom of the front end of the coupling
head, is attached at the ends to pins in the under sides of the inner arms of the
wing pieces respectively; so that when the inner arms of the wing pieces are
forced inwards by the head of the coupling bar entering between them, this
spring is distended, and thus brings back the wings to their normal position
immediately the head of the coupling bar clears the inner arms of the wing pieces.
Instead of relying on the tension of the spring to bring back the wing pieces,
the spring may be made somewhat longer, and attached at its ends to the wing
pieces in such a position, that the spring is compressed as the inner arms of the
wing pieces are forced back by the head of the coupling bar entering between
them.
.
The coupling bar consists of a straight bar with an enlarged head at each end,
the sides of the head being suitably rounded and bevelled at the front and the
back. The coupling bar is carried from a short bar, hereinafter termed the carrier
bar. by means of a vertical pin; welded or otherwise secured on the upper side
of the coupling bar, towards the end nearest the buffer beam. This pin con-
nection is such, as to allow of a slight longitudinal movement, and also a very
slight swivelling movement, the former for the purpose of affording sufficient
play for the engagement and disengagement of the coupling, and to ensure that
the pull shall come on the wings contained in the head and not on the carrier bar
hereinafter mentioned; and the latter to provide for the radial motion, when the
train is passing round curves. The carrier bar is firmly secured to the inner end
of one of two side levers, which extend respectively to the outer ends of the buffer
beam above the buffers. These levers are pivoted to supports on the end of the
vehicle, so that by depressing or raising the outer end of either of the levers, the
carrier bar, and with it the coupling bar, can be raised or lowered out of or into
the coupling head from either side of the vehicle. For this reason the coupling
head is left open on the upper side. and the carrier bar is of such a length, that
when dropped, the corresponding .e. the rear head of the coupling bar comes
within or rather just behind the inner arms of the wing pieces, the space between
the inner edges of the latter being just sufficient to receive the body of the coup-
ling bar with the necessary play.
The length of the coupling bar is made to suit the character of the vehicle,
being shorter when the apparatus is attached to a passenger vehicle, so as to allow
the vehicles to be coupled up close, that is with the buffer springs under com-
pression and made longer in the case of freight wagons. so as to allow of the
wagons being coupled with a suitable space between the ends of the buffers
when the couplings are drawn tight.
This provision for raising and lowering the coupling bar is necessary, not only
for the purpose of disengaging or uncoupling the vehicles; but also, since the
coupling attachment of each wagon has its own coupling bar, and both cannot be
in engagement at the same time, it is necessary to provide means to move either
of the coupling bars out of the way of the other.
Also, as on impact, the compression of the buffer may allow the projecting end
of the disengaged coupling bar to come against the buffer beam of the adjoining
vehicle, we provide means for rotating the side levers upwards through a quarter
of a circle, so as to raise the carrier and coupling bars into a vertical position.
This may be done by forming the end or head of the pivot pin as a circular bear-

page_text: ing for a
end of the side lever.
correspondingly rounded part on the side lever, and by cranking the
An alternative and perhaps better arrangement is to dispense with the short
lifting movement altogether, and to fit the carrier bar as an arm to a horizontal
cross shaft extending from side to side of the vehicle; the cross shaft being fitted
in bearings permitting it to be rotated, so as to raise the carrier and coupling bars
to a vertical position. Each end of the cross shaft is fitted with a lever or hand
wheel, so that the raising and lowering of the coupling bar can be effected from
either side of the vehicle.
Also if the short lifting motion be retained the rotary movement of the carrier
and coupling bar might, if preferred, be effected in a horizontal plane about a ver-
tical pivot, by means of levers and connecting rod.
Provision may be made by means of a spring catch or holding device, for holding
the coupling bar in the out-of-the-way position, and for fastening the controlling
levers, when the coupling bar is down.
Lastly in order to permit of a vehicle provided as at present with the ordinary
chain and hook attachment being coupled to a vehicle having our automatic
attachment, we dispense with one or more of the links, as found necessary, and
form the end of the last link with an enlarged head, suitably shaped for dropping
into the coupling head behind the inner arms of tue wing pieces. A short chain
permanently fixed at one end, or other device, is provided for fixing across the top
open end of the coupling head above the wing pieces, to prevent the just men-
tioned link head jumping out of the coupling head.
And in order that our invention and the manner in which the same is to be per-
formed may be more readily and clearly understood we have annexed hereto the
accompanying drawings illustrating an automatic coupling device constructed in
accordance with our invention.
Fig. 1 is a plan view, Fig. 2 is an end elevation on line AB of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on line CD of Fig. 1. In all the figures
the same reference letter is used to indicate the same or corresponding parts.
a¹ a² are the two sides or forks of the coupling head, which are joined together
at the front at their lower ends by the horizontal cross piece a³, which is formed
in one piece with the sides. The sides are similarly joined together at the back
by the vertical cross piece a¹ to which the end of the draw bar b is forged or
otherwise attached. The sides a¹ a² extend backwards through an opening in
the buffer beam c.
dd' are the two armed wings, pivoted respectively on the pins eel, which pass
through bearings or holes formed at the top and bottom of the front end of the
two sides or forks of the coupling head, which latter are recessed back between
these bearings to leave room for the wings.
f is a flat spring secured at its centre and acting with its outer ends against the
outer arms of both wings d d', so as to tend to keep the wings in the position
shewn. In this position the back arms of the wings abut against the corre-
sponding portion of said recess, so that the wings cannot move under the pres-
sure of the spring beyond the positions shewn. The wings are free to move in
the opposite direction as far as is necessary for the proper working of the apparatus.
Other arrangements of spring may be used as for example that cited above, or
in which the wings are keyed to the pins and the pins caused to rotate at the
proper times by tlie spring.
g is the coupling bar formed with an arrow shaped head at the front, and
enlarged towards the rear, to allow a slot h to be formed therein. Through this
slot passes the lower end of the cranked carrier bar i, the connection being such
as to allow a slight longitudinal movement of the coupling bar. which is necessary
to facilitate the disengagement of the coupling. The bar is of such a length that
when in the operative position, the wings of the coupling head abut against
the rear head of the bar, whilst the wings on the coupling head of the adjoining
vehicle abut against the front head of the bar, ensuring that the pull through

page_text: the coupling bar y is always transmitted to the coupling head, and not to the
carrier bar i.
The opposite end of the carrier bar à is forged on or otherwise secured as shewn
to the cross shaft, carried in the bearings and .
.
7 is a cranked lever at one end of the cross shaft j, and m is a straight lever at
the opposite end of the cross shaft 3, for the purpose of rotating the cross shaft j
through 90 degrees, so as to be able to raise the coupling bar
I from an operative
to an inoperative position, or vice versa.
The position of the bearings k. k, and also is such as to permit of a slight
longitudinal movement of the cross shaft j, and with it the coupling bar when
the latter has been raised to an inoperative position, so that it cannot fall back
to an operative position until the longitudinal movement has been reversed.
The same remark applies to the bent or the cranked hand lever 7. (See the
positions of and in the lower half of Fig. 1.)
The working of the apparatus is as follows:-
Prior to the impact of the moving vehicle, the attendant or shunter raises the
coupling bar of one of the vehicles, into an inoperative position, or lowers the
coupling bar into an operative position; according as the coupling bar of the other
vehicle is in an operative or inoperative position, by a rotary movement of the
hand levers or mand a transverse movement of the cross bar j. It is thus only
necessary for the coupler to attend to one of the vehicles.
When the vehicles.come together, the head of the coupling bar g, which happens
to be in the operative position, comes between the inner arms of the wings d, d
on the coupling head of the other vehicle, and causes them to rotate or open
sufficiently to admit the arrow shaped head past them, whereupon the spring f
immediately forces them back to their normal position; so that the coupling bar q
cannot become disengaged by any movement of the vehicles. If considered
desirable to make other provision than gravity to prevent the front end of the
coupling bar jumping up out of the coupling head, this may be done by any con-
veniently arranged yielding spring device.
In order to uncouple the vehicles all that is necessary is to move one of the hand
levers of the apparatus in which the coupling bar is in the operative position in
the manner above described, so as to bring the coupling bar into the inoperative
position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
:-
1. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the combination on one
and the same end of the same vehicle and in the same central line of a forked
coupling head provided with spring controlled wings and a coupling bar carried
from a rotatable transverse shaft situated above the rear of the coupling head so
as to be capable of being moved from an operative to an inoperative position and
vice versa substantially as set forth and illustrated.
2. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the construction of
coupling head consisting of a fork attached at it's rear end to the draw bar of the
vehicle the front ends of the fork being joined together below by a cross piece but
left open at the top and provided with spring controlled wings substantially as
and for the purpose or purposes herein set forth and illustrated.
3. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the construction of
coupling bar with an enlarged head at each end and with a slot in the head at the
rear end and its combination with a carrier bar for carrying or supporting it from
a transverse shaft capable of a rotable movement all substantially as and for the
purpose or purposes set forth.
4. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the arrangement and
combination on one and the same end of the same vehicle and in the same central
line of a coupling head constructed according to. Claim 2 with a coupling bar

page_text: constructed according to Claim 3 substantially as and for the purpose or purposes
herein set forth.
5. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the arrangement and
combination on one and the same end of the same vehicle and in the same central
line of a coupling head constructed according to Claim 2 with a coupling bar con-
structed according to Claim 3 with a carrier bar i and transverse shaft ; substan-
tially as and for the purpose or purposes herein set forth.
6. In automatic coupling apparatus for railway vehicles the arrangement and
construction of means for moving the coupling bar from an operative to an in-
operative position and holding it there and vice versa substantially as set forth
and illustrated.
Dated this 1st day of March 1900
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
30, Park Row, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.