IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY COUPLINGS FOR WAGONS AND OTHER RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Russell Snowden at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st September 1882.
GEORGE RUSSELL SNOWDEN of Bradford in the County of York Builder
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SAFETY COUPLINGS FOR WAGONS AND OTHER RAILWAY
ROLLING STOCK."
ول
My invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of safety
couplings for wagons and other railway rolling stock whereby the operation of
coupling and uncoupling can be automatically, rapidly and easily performed and
with absolute certainty from either side of the wagon or vehicle without the
necessity of the entrance of the attendant between the wagons or vehicles a practice
which often results in severe injuries and lo-s of life.
For this purpose I fit on the hook of the usual draw-bar a lever constructed
with a ring top made to be passed over the hook of the draw bar, one of the arms
of this lever is made with a long bent up projecting end and the other arm is made
with a projecting end which passes under the buffer framework of the wagon or
vehicle; this projecting end works in a guide bolted to the side or underside of the
buffer frame and comes in contact with a dropping lever secured on a rod which
works in bearings fitted in the front of the buffer frame; the rod is fitted at each
end with a handle, so that the attendant can push the rod in or out and bring the
dropping lever in and out which pushes the arm having the bent up projecting end
either towards or from the centre line of the hook of the draw bar for either
coupling or uncoupling.
The hook of the drawbar of the opposite wagon or vehicle is fitted with a
similarly constructed lever and a rod having a dropping lever is also employed but
this dropping down lever is pushed in when the other dropping down lever fitted
to the other wagon or vehicle is pushed out or is pushed out when the other is
pushed in; on the rod of one of the wagons or vehicles working in the bearings I
also secure a link having a long slot opening and on the rod of the other wagon or
vehicle I fit or secure a lever having by preference an arrow headed look which
when passed through the slot opening of the link forms a coupling so that if the
coupling on the hook of the draw har should break the safety link coupled with
the arrow headed lever would secure the safety of the coupling of the wagons or
vehicles and a safety coupling can be fitted on each side of the draw bars.

page_text: To couple the wagons or vehicles the bent up projecting ends of each lever
fitted on the draw hooks are forced out by means of the rods being actuated by the
handles on the side of the attendant which pushes out the dropping levers leaving
the said projecting ends free one from the other; the wagon or vehicle is then
pushed or brought in contact with the other wagon or vehicle and the handles
reversed which brings the projecting ends in contact one with the other in fact
hooking them together and the wagons or vehicles are coupled; one or both of the
safety links and hooks are then coupled and the wagons or vehicles are ready for
travelling.
To uncouple the wagons or vehicles they are brought up buffer to buffer the
rods are either pulled in or out which depends on the side from which the attendant
is actuating the levers of the rods, and the projecting ends are withdrawn one from
the other and left free, and if the safety links are in gear they are moved out of
gear before removing the wagon or vehicle.