IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Lumley at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 5th December 1882.
"
EDWARD LUMLEY of the City and State of New York, United States of
America, now of 8 Southampton Buildings, London, IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING
APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES "
My invention relates to that class of couplings which are automatic or self.
coupling, and consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as
hereinafter more fully set forth, by which a more effective device of this character
is produced than is now in ordinary use.
In carrying the said invention into practice I make the draw-bar heads with
their front ends concaved and they are centrally mortised to receive a connecting
piece or link. A clutch is fitted to stride vertically in each of the heads, being
provided with lateral indentations to receive the hook, on the ends of the aforesaid
connecting pieces or links one of which is used for connecting the draw bar of two
contiguous vehicles. I make these connecting pieces in two forms to suit different
circumstances. In one form I provide a flattened piece of metal having a rounded
upward projection at each end designed to enter the draw-bar head and to be held
there until released; there is also a very slight projection on the underside at each
end. In the centre of this connecting piece there are two triangular shaped wings
(one being on each side). These bear against the ends of the heads and their
inclination allows for the slight divergence of the draw heads in turning curves. The
other form is similar to the one above described excepting that at one end it has an
opening instead of an upward projection so that it may be fastened in the head
by a pin.
A cap is fixed in the upper portion of the head forming a cover to the cavity in
which the clutch is disposed, and between this cap and the clutch are two springs
which act expansively to force the clutch downwardly into the mortise or across
the path of the link. Attached to the draw-bar there is a plate, and jointed to
this plate by a pin, there is a horizontally arranged hand lever which is connected to
be sliding clutch by a link passing through a vertical aperture in the cap.
In the use of my invention one end of one of the links or connecting pieces is

page_text: forced into the mortise of one head the clutch yielding for that purpose until the
hook has passed the clutch and falls into the indentation. This construction of the
end of the links in combination with the recess or indentation holds the link firmly
and prevents it from jumping out of place; the vehicles are then brought together
the opposite end of the connecting piece or link being thus forced into the central
mortise in the opposite draw bar head and secured by the clutch therein in a
manner which will be readily understood from the foregoing description.
The hand lever is designed to be used in raising the clutch and should be of
sufficient length to enable the vehicles to be uncoupled without the necessity for
passing between the same.
The draw bar is provided with a spring to break the force of the blow when the
vehicles come together and to relieve the strain on the draw head when the train
starts.