IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Abbott, of Friar's Gate, Derby, in the County
of Derby, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
CONNECTED WITH COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES."
Sealed the 4th August 1876, and dated the 5th February 1876
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Abbott at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th February 1876.
SAMUEL ABBOTT, of Friar's Gate, Derby, in the County of Derby, Civil Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in and connected with couplings for
railway vehicles, and consists in making the link hook with a tail piece to go under
the main frame of the vehicle, that it, .e., the tail piece, can be acted upon and
depressed by an arm fixed on a shaft passing under the vehicle capable of movement
under the action of a spring lever handle at either side of the vehicle, the advantage
of which spring lever handle being that if the hook were held up by the lever
handle acting on the arm being secured on one side it can be equally well released
from the other side.
I prefer to make the link hook so that it becomes attached to the link hook of a
neighbouring vehicle when pressed into contact in the usual way of making up a
train.
My Invention is the disconnecting or uncoupling by the levers on either side of
the vehicle acting by the arm on the tail end of the coupling or link hook.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Samuel Abbott in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th August
1876.
"
SAMUEL ABBOTT, of Friar's Gate, Derby, in the County of Derby, Civil Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN AND CONNECTED WITH COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES."
This Invention relates to improvements in and connected with couplings for
railway vehicles, and consists in making the link hook with a tail piece to go under
the main frame of the vehicle, that it, i.c., the tail piece, can be acted upon and
[Price 4d.]

page_text: depressed by an arm fixed in a shaft passing under the vehicle capable of movement
under the action of a spring lever handle at either side of the vehicle, the advantage
of which spring lever handle being that if the hook were held up by the lever
handle acting in the arm being secured on one side it can be equally well released
from the other side.
I prefer to make the link hook so that it becomes attached to the link hook of a
neighbouring vehicle when pressed into contact in the usual way of making up a
train.
My Invention is the disconnecting or uncoupling by the levers on either side of
the vehicle acting by the arm on the tail end of the coupling or link hook.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawings represent a side view of the ends of two
adjoining railway vehicles partly in section, sufficient to show my Invention;
Figure 2 being a corresponding plan thereof.
A, B, are the ordinary draw hooks with the ordinary screw-up coupling removed
and with my improved hook links C, D, attached by the bolts E, F; the outer
ends of the draw bars G, H, may however terminate at the eye or bolt hole lugs if
desired. The link hooks according to my Invention have tail picces I, J, as part
thereof depending from, as shown more particularly in Figure 1, and in the detached
view, Figure 3, which tail pieces I, J, are curved and project under the end frames
K, L, of the carriages that the arms M, N, can depress the tail pieces I, J, when
cither of the hand levers P, Q, which are arranged at the sides of the carriage is
moved round in the proper direction. The hand levers P, Q, are upon the outer
ends of cross shafts R, S, and the arms M, N, are at about the middle of each of
them, that the movement of either hand lever may communicate its movement to
the arm M or N and depress or raise it as desired." The hand levers are provided
with springs which exert sufficient pressure against the guide straps U, V, that
when either hand lever of either vehicle is turned to lift the link hooks for
uncoupling or disconnecting one hook from the other the hook so raised may remain
in the raised position as in dotted lines, Figure 3; the spring of the hand lever
however which is not acted upon by an attendant yields, and that hand lever moves
up or down in its strap by the action of the hand lever on the opposite side of the
vehicle which is acted upon by the attendant.
The faces of the hooks W, X, are inclined that when one hook strikes against the
other in making up a train one of the hooks, supposing both of them to be hori-
zontal, rides up and upon the other and becomes engaged in the link, coupled until
one of its hand levers is acted upon to disengage it.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I make no claim to the
employment of link hooks pure et simple for coupling railway vehicles automatically,
such hooks being old and in expired Patents, but what I do claim as my Invention
in the before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly. The construction and employment of a link hook with a tail picce as
part thereof, which tail piece projects under the vehicle to be acted upon in the
manner and for the purposes described, and substantially as shown in the annexed
Drawings:
Secondly. I claim the several parts of appliances in combination consisting of
link hook with tail piece, depressing arm, cross shaft, and spring hand levers as
described and as and for the purposes of coupling and uncoupling railway vehicles,
as set forth and shown in the annexed Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Abbott, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Third day of August, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-.
SAM. ABBOTT. (L.S.)