IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRUCKS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Robert Brailsford, of City Chambers, Fenchurch
Street, in the City of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRUCKS."
Sealed the 28th August 1877, and dated the 17th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Robert Brailsford at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 17th March 1877.
THOMAS ROBERT BRAILSFORD, of City Chambers, Fenchurch Street, in the City
of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND
TRUCKS."
The first part of this Invention consists in certain improvements in couplings for
railway carriages and trucks, whereby the said carriages and trucks may bc
connected to each other automatically, and uncoupled more expeditiously than
heretofore.
The following is the manner I propose to couple and uncouple railway vehicles
according to this Invention:-The carriages or trucks are furnished at each end with
a horizontal horse-shoe shaped bar, pivotted so as to move horizontally to and fro.
One of the arms of the said horse-shoc is shaped as a hook, and the other is furnished
with a ring or loop acting against a spring or buffer. The hooks are surrounded on
two or three sides by a guide, the object of which is to lead the hoop or ring of one
vehicle on to the hook of the opposite vehicle when brought in contact with each
other on a curve.
When it is desired to apply this Invention to existing railway vehicles, the hooks
and chains already fixed may be used, with the addition of a weighted lever placed
in such a manner as to keep the end link of the chain horizontal to bring it on to
the hook of the opposite vehicle, the said hook being surrounded on three sides by
a guide.
To uncouple railway vehicles furnished with the above arrangement I use a chain
or chain and lever connected to the loops or hooks, the object of which is to lift the
said loops out of the hooks, or hooks out of the loops, and thus disconnect the
carriages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Thomas Robert Brailsford in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
17th September 1877.
THOMAS ROBERT BRAILSFORD, of City Chambers, Fenchurch Street, in the City
of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND
TRUCKS."
This Invention consists in certain improvements in railway carriages and trucks,
whereby the said carriages and trucks may be connected to each other automatically,
and uncoupled more expeditiously than heretofore.
The following is the manner I propose to couple and uncouple railway vehicles
according to this Invention:-The carriages or trucks are furnished at each end with
a horizontal horse-shoe shaped bar, pivotted so as to move horizontally to and fro.
One of the arms of the said horse-shoc is shaped as a hook, and the other is furnished
with a ring or loop acting against a spring or buffer. The hooks are surrounded on
three of their sides by a guide, the object of which is to lead the hoop or ring of
one vehicle on to the hook of the opposite vehicle when brought in contact with each
other on a curve.
When it is desired to apply this Invention to existing railway vehicles, the hooks
and chains already fixed may be used, with the addition of a weighted lever placed
in such a manner as to keep the end link of the chain horizontal, and to bring it on
to the hoop of the opposite vehicle, the said hook being surrounded on three sides
by a guide.
To uncouple railway vehicles furnished with the above arrangements, I use a chain
or chain and lever connected to the loops or hooks, the object of which is to lift the
said loops out of the hooks, or hooks out of the loops, and thus disconnect the
carriages.
And in order to explain this Invention more fully, I will now proceed to describe
the means whereby it may be put into practical effect, reference being had to the
illustrative sheet of Drawings accompanying these presents, and to the numeral
figures and letters of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a plan, and Figure 2 a side view of the method of coupling
and uncoupling rolling stock constructed according to this Invention, which consists
in curved or bent bars pivotted to the rods A, so as to move horizontally to and fro.
A spring a placed behind the said bars serves to keep them in position. One side
of the above bars is formed as a hook C, hinged at c, and the other as a
loop D,
three sides of which are furnished with guides d, which ensure the hooks C falling
into the loops D, especially when the coupling takes place at a curve, or when there
is a difference of level of the trucks.
To uncouple carriages or trucks furnished with the above arrangement, chains or
chain and levers E fixed to the hooks C, and leading to either side of the said
carriages or trucks are provided, which on being depressed, release the said hooks C
from the loops D.
When desired side or safety chains F can be attached to either side of the curved
or bent bars, so as to connect them with the carriages or trucks.
Figure 3 shows a side view of the method of making couplings of carriages or
trucks as at present existing sef-acting. A is a lever suspended from beneath the
truck at B; C is a support, one end of which is fastened to the end link of the
coupling, the other resting against and moving freely upon the lever A, which is
weighted until the chain is held in a horizontal position; D is a guide on the sides
of the hook E. This guide consists of two curved plates d, one on either side of
and narrowing towards the hook Ẹ to about the width of the end link of the
coupling chain, and a third plate &, hinged on to the two side plates & curving

page_text: downwards and resting at its outer edge on lugs or pins d¹¹, shown also in plan at
Figure 4.
This arrangement serves to guide the chain on to the hooks when on a sharp
curve, or when there is a difference in the height of the trucks. The lower guide
plate being hinged at its inner end rises with its coupling chains when these are
brought to a horizontal position, as shown at 1. To uncouple the chains a spindle
or movable bracket F, hinged at the back of and sliding on the lever A, is put in
motion by a rod G extending to each side of the truck and furnished with handles
H; the said rod, also serves to lower the coupling chain by the handles H being.
moved in the opposite direction and held in position by a suitable catch.
It will be seen that by the means of the above arrangements, when shunting in
and out of sidings, the engine alone will couple automatically all the carriages or
trucks, one man only being required to uncouple them, which operation can be
performed with safety from either side of the truck.
Figure 5 is a plan of the framework of a railway carriage furnished with an
arrangement for screwing up the carriages close against each the other, and consists
in the rods A (to which are hinged the curved or bent bars) extending to links K,
through which pass double-threaded screws L, L', kept in position by brackets M, M¹;
these double-threaded screws are put in motion by a worm wheel N, worm O, actuated
by a shaft P, extending to each side of the carriage; springs Q serve to extend the
rods A. when these are not tightened up by the screws L, L.
Having now described and set forth the nature and object of this Invention for
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Carriages and Trucks," and the means
whereby it may be put into practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I do
not confine myself to the precise details of apparatuses described, as these may vary
according to circumstances, but what I claim as my Invention and desire to secure
by the herein in part recited Letters Patent is,―
Firstly. The method of automatically coupling and uncoupling railway carriages
and trucks by means of horizontal bars working on a pivot, said bars being suitably
curved or bent, one side or arm of each bar being fitted with a hinged hook, and
the other with a loop, to which the hook of the carriage or truck to be coupled is
led up to by a guide, and the hooks provided with chains, or chains and levers, for.
the purpose of uncoupling, substantially as described and represented.
Secondly. The method of automatically coupling and uncoupling existing railway
couplings of railway carriages or trucks by means of a weighted lever connected to
the coupling chains by a support to keep the said chains horizontal, or in such a position
that they may present themselves to the hooks of carriages or trucks to be coupled,
to which they are led up to by a guide. Also the method of uncoupling or lowering
the coupling chains by means of levers, or chains, substantially as described and
represented.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Robert Brailsford, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this 12th day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
T. R. BRAILSFORD. (LS.)