IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY COUPLING MECHANISM
Year: 1872

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Peter Brimelow and Simeon
Sutherst at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 12th November 1872.
We, PETER BRIMELOW, of Accrington, in the County of Lancaster,
and SIMEON SUTHERST, of Bank Lane, in the same County, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
COUPLING MECHANISM," to be as follows:
:-
This Invention has reference to railway coupling links such as are
at present used, so that the same can be coupled and uncoupled without
passing between the ends of the carriages or trucks, and consists in the
following arrangements :— In the place of the pin which secures the
links to the draw bar we place a shaft across the end of the carriage or
truck, and to each end of this shaft is secured a suitable lever of such
form that will not only be powerful enough for the operation but will
be out of the way of the buffers and other parts of the carriages or
trucks, and yet be convenient for the person charged with the coupling
and uncoupling. On the same shaft and near to the links we place
one or more arms with one or more joints, so that we can get a vertical,
a lateral, or an oscillating motion (whether separate or collective as
required). The first part of these arms is secured to the shaft. The
second arms are pinned to the first arms, the joint being formed at

page_text: the bottom of the first link or shackle, and underneath the second arms
there is a piece (which is carried from the first arms about four inches
from the pins projecting out) for the second arms to rest upon, causing
the same to be like an elbow joint. The second or bottom arms
are connected together at the bottom, and from each side of these
arms there is a handle carried forward across the end of the carriage or
truck, the same being cranked, so that when a person is in the act
of coupling or uncoupling, the handles will not be in the way of the
buffers. To the bottom link and about midway are fastened two
small hooks, one at each side outwardly, so that they will not offer
any obstruction to the hook of the draw bar when they are coupled,
these hooks lie underneath the link, and as the length of the arms is
made so that they will clear the hooks, it will be evident to a pratical man
that by taking hold of a handle and raising it the length and weight
of two links will be raised as the small hooks come in contact with
that part which connects the two bottom arms and prevents the links
from slipping. Then by taking hold of the lever the length of the
arms can be worked practically, and the link be dropped on the
hook without swinging or any liability of miscoupling. After the
link has been dropped on the hook the appliance falls free of the links,
so that it does not in any way interfere with the action of the
coupling links.
The same appliance can be made into a self-acting coupler if
required by placing a ratchet wheel on the shaft, and another shaft
across the end of the carriage or truck with a catch thereon, then by
raising the links which will be thrown out straight to their desired
position by the lever (which is secured to the shaft) and raising
the catch till it comes in contact with the teeth of the ratchet wheel,
and by letting go the lever the weight of the links will press the
catch to the ratchet wheel and prevent the couplings from dropping.
It will be evident that with such an arrangement as above described
if two waggons were coming in contact, with the links of one thrown
out as described, the links when the waggons came in contact would
drop on the hook, and so be made secure or coupled.