Improvements in or Appertaining to Coupling Devices for Railway Vehicles or the like.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 5th Apr., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or Appertaining to Coupling Devices for Railway
Vehicles or the like.
A communication from abroad by LEON ESTELLE FORD and ALBERT JAMES WHITWORTH,
of McComb, County of Pike, State of Mississippi, United States of America,
Railway Conductor and Electrician respectively.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.I.M.E., of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors, 6, Lord Street, Liverpool and 6, Bank Street, Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster, and 323, High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
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:
The invention relates to an improvement in car couplers in which a lever, placed
within a drawbar, is made to operate in conjunction with a link by means of a sliding
bar or stay bolt and an arm adjusted to a lever rod enabling the stay bolt to be raised
or lowered from the side or top of a car, and the objects of the invention are to enable
a car to be coupled or uncoupled from the side or top of a car, and thus avoid danger
to brakesman. These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a side view with coupler in position.
Figure 2 is a front view with coupler detached.
Figure 3 is a perspective front view.
Figure 4 is a side view of lever.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of drawbar.
Figure 6 is a front view of sliding bar or stay bolt.
Similar letters referring to similar parts throughout the several views:
In constructing the invention, the ordinary drawbar can be used with slight
modifications, as a lever, as shown by F, is used in preference to the ordinary
coupling pin, this lever is adjusted in the end of the drawbar as shown in Figure 5,
and is held in position by means of a pivot, as shown by G, or, where desired, the
end of the drawbar may be so constructed as to retain lever in position without the
aid of a pivot.
In the drawings:
A refers to the drawbar. B is a lever rod adjusted to end of car and upon which
is an arm (, and when said lever rod is actuated from the side or top of car causes
arm C to raise or lower stay bolt D, thus enabling a pressure to be placed upon the
end of coupling link H, so as to place coupling link at any desired angle that may be
required in order to couple a car; E is a chain connecting stay bolt D) and lever F.
Kare pieces of timber placed at the end of freight cars, and are known as Deadwood
or Buffer Blocks. L is a rod attached to lever rod B and which enables coupler to be
operated from the top of the car. M is a car. N are frame pieces adjusted under the
car and within which couplers are adjusted.
The mode of operation is as follows :-
By simply pressing the lever rod B from you, the stay bolt D descends upon end of
link H and raises same at an angle, and permits link to enter the end of a drawbar
where it is held by lever F and the cars are coupled; should the brakesman wish to
couple the car from the top, he simply presses upon rod L and the stay bolt D is
uated in a similar manner as when rod B is pressed from you.
When it is desired to uncouple the cars, press lever rod B towards you, and lever F
is raised by means of arm D and chain E, and, when lever F is thus raised, the link H
is released from the drawhar of the car.

page_text: A striking advantage of the device is its simplicity and economical construction,
enabling the railway companies to utilise the couplers now in use upon freight cars
by dispensing with the coupling pin, and making a slight change in the drawbars.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
In a car coupler such as described, a lever placed within the end of a drawbar, the
stay bolt for raising or lowering the coupling link within the drawbar, in combination
with a lever rod attached to the end of a car, provided with an arm for raising or
lowering the stay bolt, and a rod connected with said lever rod for coupling or
uncoupling a car from the top of the car by raising or lowering the rod, as set
forth.
Dated this 4th dow of Morah 1890
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Per John Hayes,
Agents for the Applicant.