Improved Means for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Apr., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1900-Accepted, 24th Mar., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
We, GEORGE ASHWORTII, of Waterfoot, Solicitor, and JAMES TAYLOR, of Todd
Carr Lane, Newchurch, Mechanic, both in Rossendale, in the County of Lancaster,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to trucks used upon railways and consists of improved
means for coupling and uncoupling the same from the outside of the trucks
by means of the ordinary chains and draw hooks without any necessity for
passing in between the buffers or reaching over the same.
For the purposes of our invention we use the ordinary draw hooks and chains
made of three long links hung from the same, but instead of the three links
being open as usual the centre link is in the form of a solid bar having a hole
at each end through which the first and third links respectively pass, so that the
chain cannot shorten in length as is the case with the three open links. Or,
instead of making the centre link in the form of a solid bar, it may be made
in the usual open form but provided with a short transverse bar near each end,
which will have the same effect.
Below the draw hook and behind the centre of attachment of the chain we
mount a transverse shaft which is supported in suitable bearings attached to the
buffer blocks or to the end of the truck, the outer ends of such shaft projecting
on each side beyond the frame of the truck, and either having both ends turned
up so as to form levers by means of which the shaft can be partially turned from
the outside or each end may be fitted with a toothed pinion in gear with a
toothed quadrant to which a handle is attached for the same purpose.
The central part of the said transverse shaft is cranked and is fitted with
a trough which hangs down at the back of the chain, the said trough being
of a greater length than the central link, so that when the cranked shaft is turned
by means of the levers, the trough supports the three links and raises up the chain
in a rigid form until its outer link which extends beyond the trough passes
over the draw hook of the next truck, and can then be lowered down into
it, and the trough can be allowed or caused to fall down into its original position.
To uncouple the truck the transverse shaft is turned by one of the handles or
levers on either side so as to cause the chain to be stiffened and raised by means
of the trough the straightening of the chain causing it to be elongated sufficiently
to allow it to be raised off the draw hook and lowered or allowed to fall into the
vertical position.
To prevent the possibility of the chain twisting slightly the trough is made
with a longitudinal groove or slot in the bottom into which the edge of the
centre link or bar falls so that it is held accurately in its position and prevented
from twisting sideways.
1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.

page_text: Improved Means for Coupling and Uncoupling Railway Trucks.
We, GEORGE ASHWORTH, of Waterfoot, Solicitor, and JAMES TAYLOR, of Todd
Carr Lane, Newchurch, Mechanic, both in Rossendale, in the County of Lancaster,
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 follow-
ing, statement:-
This invention relates to improved means for coupling and uncoupling railway
vehicles whereby the draw-chain of one wagon or truck may be placed on the
ordinary draw-hook of an adjacent vehicle or removed therefrom without requiring
those who may be engaged in making up a train or shunting to pass between
the buffers or the ends of the vehicles.
In the accompanying drawings to which we hereinafter refer. Fig. 1 is a side
elevation of part of a railway wagon with our invention fitted thereto.
Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the adjacent ends of two wagons showing
the application of our invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.
In these views similar letters refer to similar parts.
For the purposes of this invention we use a chain having three links as b, b1, b2
suspended from a draw hook cas ordinarily employed. We make the centre
link of the chain either in the form of a solid bar with a hole at each end
through which the first and third links respectively are passed as shown, or fit a
short transverse bar in and near each end of the centre link for the like purpose.
By these means we are enabled to carry out our invention, as the chain cannot
be shortened or lengthened in a straight line as is the case when three open links
are employed.
We place a transverse shaft d supported in brackets attached to the headstock a
and behind the vertical line of the draw chain when suspended from the hook c.
Each of the outer ends of said shaft project beyond the frame of the vehicle,
and is provided either with a lever as a formed on or attached thereto which is
supported by a quadrant guard f, or with a hand wheel or other equivalent to
enable the shaft to be partially turned from the outside of the frame.
We fit one end of a trough g to the centre of the aforesaid transverse shaft behind
the draw chain and immediately under the draw hook: said trough when not in
use hangs down at the back of the chain as in Fig. 1, and is of such a length
that when the shaft i is turned the trough supports the three links and raises the
chain in a rigid form until the outer link which then extends beyond the
trough as shown in Fig. 2 passes over the draw hook of the next truck and can
then be lowered down onto it when the trough can be allowed to fall down into
its original position. In order to prevent the possibility of the chain twisting
the aforesaid trough has a longitudinal groove or slot ¹ formed in the bottom
thereof into which the edge of the centre link or bar falls so that it is retained
accurately in position and prevented from twisting sideways. A recess
may be formed in the end of the vehicle if the draw links when extended should
be longer than the distance between the ends of the vehicles when the buffers
are close up. The chain and trough may be retained in any position by the pin k
holding the lever e in the guard f.
as
In order to uncouple the truck or vehicle the transverse shaft d is turned
by one of the handles or levers on either side of the vehicle so as to cause the
chain to be stiffened and raised by means of the trough as in Fig. 2, thereby
causing the chain to be elongated sufficiently to allow it to be raised off the
draw hook and lowered or allowed to fall into the vertical position.

page_text: 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 ;-
The improved coupling for railway trucks or vehicles consisting in the com-
bination with the ordinary draw hook of draw links such as are ordinarily
employed but with the centre link formed with the centre part closed and
having a hole at each end through which the first and third links respectively are
passed, and a trough as that is fitted to the centre of a transverse bar extending.
from side to side of the vehicle and attached to the head-stock below the draw
bar and behind the draw chain by which the end link of said draw chain may be
raised and placed on the draw hook of an adjacent vehicle or removed therefrom
without requiring a person to pass in between the buffers or the ends of the
vehicles substantially as herein before described and as shown on the drawings.
Dated this 2nd dor of Tonn 1000.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicants,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.