IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY WAGGONS OR TRUCKS
Year: 1884

page_text: I WALTER HENRY MOON of 19 Exeter Street New Swindon in the County of
Wilts, Lubricating Grease Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY WAGGONS OR TRUCKS" to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to apparatus for use in coupling and uncoupling railway
waggons or trucks, and it has for its object to avoid the necessity, which now
exists, of the shunter going beneath the vehicles for the purpose.
My Invention consists in the combination with a longitudinally movable rod or
carrier for the coupling chain, of ropes or chains which are respectively attached
to the front and rear ends of the rod and led over pulleys to the sides of the
waggon or truck from whence they may be operated, the one for projecting the
coupling chain towards or away from the hook of the adjacent waggon, and
the other for raising the end link of the coupling chain over the hook in the act of
coupling and uncoupling. The carrier is mounted in guides or hangers in an
inclined position beneath the waggon or truck and at its forward end is provided
with a yoke whose ends are turned up to receive the end link of the coupling
chain, which is clamped to the yoke. The yoke is attached to the carrier by an
eye bolt to which the elevating rope is secured, said rope passing from the yoke
over a pulley on the head of the waggon, and thence to each side thereof.
The hangers are bolted to the underside of the waggon at a suitable distance
apart and are provided with friction rollers to ease the movement of the carrier.
One of said hangers has a pair of friction rollers between which the carrier passes
while the other hanger which is bolted to the waggon near one end thereof has
a single roller only, on which the carrier rests so that said carrier is free to move
in a vertical direction when the coupling chain is raised to pass its end link over
the hook.

page_text: I WALTER HENRY MOON of 19 Exeter Street, New Swindon in the County of
Wilts, Lubricating Grease Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING
RAILWAY WAGGONS OR TRUCKS," and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My Invention relates to apparatus for use in coupling and uncoupling railway
waggons or trucks, and it has for its object to avoid the necessity which now
exists of the shunter going beneath the vehicles for the purpose.
My Invention consists in the combination with a longitudinally movable rod or
carrier for the coupling chain, of ropes or chains which are respectively attached
to the front and rear ends of the rod and led over pulleys to the sides of the
waggon or truck from whence they may be operated, the one for projecting the
coupling chain towards or away from the hook of the adjacent waggon, and
the other for raising the end link of the coupling chain over the hook in the act of
coupling and uncoupling. The carrier is mounted in guides or hangers in an
inclined position beneath the waggon or truck and at its forward end is provided
with a yoke whose ends are turned up to receive the end link of the coupling
chain, which is clamped to the yoke. The yoke is attached to the carrier by an
eye bolt to which the elevating rope is secured, said rope passing from the yoke
over a pulley on the head of the waggon and thence to each side thereof.
In order that the Invention may be more readily understood, I will proceed to
describe it in detail with reference to the accompanying Drawings forming part of
this Specification.
Sheet 1 shows in side elevation, end elevation and plan, the adjacent ends of
two trucks with the coupling applied. Sheet 2 shows the details of the various
parts which are indicated by the same letters of reference as in Sheet 1.
C is the coupling carrier jointed at its rear end to the hanging link D and at its
fore end to the yoke B which is affixed to the end link of the coupling chain by
its turned up ends B¹ embracing the side members of the link to which it is
Becured by a bolt. It bridges over the link at such a height as not to form any
obstruction to the passage of the link on to the coupling hook and there is a hole
in the flat crown of the yoke for an eye bolt b to pass through to connect it to the
rod or carrier C. The hanger D consists of a pair of rods jointed by a bolt and
nut to the bracket E bolted to the underside of the floor of the waggon.
G is the front guide in which the carrier C slides, it is bolted to the underside of
the headstock and supports the weight of the carrier and coupling chain. This
guide is placed a few inches to one side of the centre line of the waggon, so as to
prevent the cord or chain connections for raising the coupling, from fouling the
draw hook of the waggon, and the bracket E is therefore also placed at such
a distance from the centre line as will place the carrier C at such an angle that
when projected sufficiently for coupling up, it will bring the coupling link exactly
in line with the draw hook of the waggon to which it is to be coupled. To the
eye bolt b of yoke B are attached a pair of ropes or chains a which pass up and
are rove through sheaves in a block A fixed against the end of the wagon by means
of a bolt I having a forked end to which the block A is pivoted. This block is
carried at a suitable distance from the end of the waggon and the cords or chains
after passing over its sheaves, pass to the opposite sides of the waggon, and have
handles H attached for lifting the end link of the coupling on to or off the draw
hook from either side. If the end of the waggon is not sufficiently high to carry
the block about 18 inches above the drawhook, the block would be supported on

page_text: a stanchion provided to support it at the necessary height. The handles H are
hitched on to hooks J at the sides of the waggon, in position to be readily taken
hold of.
To a point at or near the joint connecting C and D, are attached a pair of ropes
or chains which are rove through sheaves in a block F fixed to the bottom of the
headstock immediately behind the guide G, the ropes or chains passing thence to
opposite sides of the waggon and having handles H¹ attached for coupling up or
uncoupling from either side.
The modus operandi is as follows:-The shunter first pulls the rope or chain a
with one hand to lift the coupling above the level of the draw hook and then by
pulling the rope or chain with the other hand, the carrier is drawn forward and
by easing the rope or chain a, the coupling link is dropped over the draw hook of
the next waggon.
I would observe that although I have indicated in the Drawings, the dimensions
which I believe to be most suitable for the various parts, I do not limit myself
thereto, as the same and likewise the precise arrangement, may be varied according
to circumstances.
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 combination with a coupling chain of a railway waggon, of a longitudinally
movable rod or carrier attached at one end to the end link of the coupling and at
the other to a swinging banger, and of pairs of ropes or chains, respectively.
attached to the front and rear ends of the carrier and passing over pulleys to the
sides of the waggon, the whole arranged for operation substantially as shown and
described.