Improved Combined Brake-pipe and Electrical Coupling for Railway Trains.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 21st Dec., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Combined Brake-pipe and Electrical Coupling for Railway
Trains.
I, ADAMSON GEORGE WILD, of 10, Caxton Road, Broonhill Road, Sheffield, in
the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:―
This invention has reference to an improved combined brake and electrical
coupling of the kind in which the respective parts for coupling adjacent ends of
brake-pipes are so combined with the parts for coupling together wires to estab
lish electric communication between one part of a train and another that the
act of coupling the brake-pipes will simultaneously effect the coupling of the
wires; and the object of this invention is the production of a combined
coupling of the kind referred to which shall be simple in construction, efficient,
and less liable to get out of order than arrangements heretofore proposed.
The improved combined coupling may be described as consisting of two halves,
each of which comprises a pipe having a flange near one end, faced with a
packing ring, such pipe having also a hook adapted to engage with a corre-
sponding hook of the other half coupling, and a lug or projection with a slot
or recess at its side; the arrangement being such that when the two half
couplings are coupled, the hook of each is behind that of the other half, the
lug or projection of one is in the slot or recess of the other, and the packing
ring of the one is in practically fluid-tight contact with that of the other, as
well understood.
I adapt such a coupling to receive, and; I combine therewith contacts con-
nected to the electric conducting wires of the vehicles, and so arranged that
when the half couplings are coupled, the contacts will be wholly or mainly
within the juxtaposed slots or recesses or between the lugs or projections of the
two half couplings, and in close electrical contact the one with the other.
The details of construction may be varied. According to one arrangement,
each contact is in the form of a plate of suitable metal, such as copper, which,
for a part of its length, is secured to, but is insulated from that face of the lug
or projection of its half coupling which is next to the slot or recess, and another
portion is divided longitudinally into three or more tongues or springs and the
plate is bent so that its divided portion is parallel, or approximately so, to but
does not normally touch, that portion which is attached to the lug or projection
of the coupling, so that when the two half couplings are brought together, the
spring action of the divided portions of the two contant plates will ensure
efficient electrical contact of the one with the other.
According to a modification, lugs or projections integral with the body of
the coupling may be suppressed, and the contacts themselves may be so con-
structed as to serve the two purposes of the lugs or projections for holding
together (in conjunction with the hooks) the bodies of the two half couplings,

page_text: and of effecting also the electrical coupling of the wires, the contacts being
suitably insulated from the bodies of their respective half couplings. Suitable
arrangements are made for the return current which may pass through the
bodies and hooks of the couplings, or otherwise, according to convenience.
W. LLOYD WISE,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.
Improved Combined Brake-pipe and Electrical Coupling for Railway
Trains.
I, ADAMSON GEORGE WILD; of 10, Caxton Road, Broonhill Road, Sheffield, in
the County of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement;―
This invention has reference to an improved combined brake and electrical
coupling of the kind in which the respective parts for coupling adjacent ends of
brake-pipes are so combined with the parts for coupling together wires to estab-
lish electric communication between one part of a train and another that the
act of coupling the brake-pipes will simultaneously effect the coupling of the
wires; and the object of this invention is the production of a combined
coupling of the kind referred to which shall be simple in construction, efficient,
and less liable to get out of order than arrangements heretofore proposed.
The improved combined coupling may be described as consisting of two halves,
each of which comprises a pipe having a flange near one end, faced with a
packing ring, such pipe having also a hook adapted to engage with a corre-
sponding hook of the other half coupling, and a lug or projection with a slot
or recess at its side; the arrangement being such that when the two half
couplings are coupled, the hook of each is behind that of the other half, the
lug or projection of one is in the slot or recess of the other, and the packing
ring of the one is in practically fluid-tight contact with that of the other, as
well understood.
I adapt such a coupling to receive, and I combine therewith contacts con-
nected to the electric conducting wires of the vehicles, and so arranged, that
when the half couplings are coupled, the contacts will be wholly or mainly
within the juxtaposed slots or recesses or between the lugs or projections of the
two half couplings, and in close electrical contact the one with the other. The
details of construction may be varied.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying illustrative drawings show respectively
in end elevation, side elevation and plan, one construction of combined brake
pipe and electrical coupling according to this invention. Fig. 4 is a central
longitudinal section through one of the halves of such coupling.
Each of the two halves of the coupling comprises, as usual, a pipe 1 provided
with a flange 2 that is faced with a packing ring 3 of rubber and is formed on
one side with a hook 4 and on the other side with a lug or projection 5 with a
slot or recess 6 at its. side.
Each electrical contact is in the form of a plate 7, 7* of suitable metal, such
as copper, which, for a part 7 of its length, is secured, as by insulated screws 8,
to, but is insulated, as by a layer 9 of vulcanized fibre, from, that face. of the

page_text: or projection 5 of its half coupling which is next to
10, 10° are
d another portion, viz. the free end portion; is divided longitudinally into
ree or more tongues or springs 7° (see Fig. 4) and the plate is bent to a long
shape (see Fig. 3) so that its divided portion is parallel, or approximately so,
but does not normally touch, that portion 7 which is attached to the lug or
ojection 5 of the coupling, so that when the two half couplings are brought
gether, the spring action of the divided portions 7" of the two contact plates
ill ensure efficient electrical contact of the one with the other.
arts of an electrical conductor connected to the insulated contacts 7,7".
One of the bent spring metal contacts 7, 7ª may be made narrower than the
ther, say of about the same width as one of the tongues or springs 7.
onstruction is shown in Figs. 5 and 6 which show respectively in end eleva-
ion and longitudinal section, part of a half coupling with such a spring contact.
The fixed longitudinal portion 7 of this contact may, conveniently, as shown,
be held within a recess in the piece 9 of insulating material that separates it
rom the half coupling.
This
Figs. 7, 8, 9 and 10 are similar views to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively,
howing a modified construction of combined coupling of the kind referred to.
Fig. 11 is an end view of one of the half couplings, and Fig. 12 is a section
on the line y y of Fig. 11.
por-
In this construction the lugs or projections 5 of the half couplings shown in
Figs. 1 to 4, are suppressed and the projecting portions of the spring con-
and the free end
tacts 7, 7 are constructed and arranged as shown more particularly in Fig. 9
bears, enter the
so that the U shaped part of each contact
tion 7 of the adjacent contact against which it
recess 6 in one of the half couplings so as to serve the two purposes of the lugs
or projections 5 (Figs. 1. to 4) for holding together (in conjunction with the
hooks 4) the bodies of the two half couplings, and of effecting also the electrical
coupling of the wires 10, 10%, the contacts being suitably insulated from the
bodies of their respective half couplings by layers 9 of insulating material as
in the other construction.
Each of the contacts 7, 78, in this case is shown as formed in one piece with a
ring 7b secured to but insulated from the face of the half coupling to which it
belongs.
Suitable arrangements are made in each case for the return current which
may pass through the bodies and hooks of the couplings, or otherwise, accord-
ing to convenience. In the arrangements shown, wires 11, 11° to serve as a
return conductor are connected to the respective half couplings at 12, 12.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. A combined brake pipe and electrical coupling for railway trains, com-
prising two half couplings each of which comprises a pipe having a flange faced
with a packing ring and provided with a hook adapted to engage with a corre-
sponding hook of the other half coupling and a lug or projection with a slot
or recess at its side, and electric contacts secured to but insulated from the
half couplings and so arranged that when the half couplings are being coupled
the contacts will slide in contact with each other and will finally be located
wholly or mainly within the juxtaposed slots or recesses, or between the luge
50 or projections of the two half couplings and in close electrical contact with each
other, substantially as herein before described with reference to the drawings.
2. The improved combined brake pipe and electrical coupling constructed
arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to
and shown in Figs. to 4 inclusive of the accompanying drawings, or modifie
55 according to Figs. 5 and 6.

page_text: 3. The modified construction of combined brake pipe and electrical coupling
substantially as shown in and described with reference to Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive
of the drawing annexed, wherein the electrical contacts are adapted to serve the
two purposes of holding together, in conjunction with the hooks, the two half
couplings, and of effecting the electrical coupling of the wires attached to such
contacts.
For the Applicant,
W. LLOYD WISE.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Chartered Patent Agent.