IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR PIPES AND HOSE USED FOR CONVEYING FLUIDS BETWEEN VEHICLES FORMING RAIL- WAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS COUPLINGS FOR PIPES AND HOSE FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Gresham, of the Firm of Gresham and Craven, of
Craven Iron Works, Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and
Machinists, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR PIPES
AND HOSE USED FOR CONVEYING FLUIDS BETWEEN VEHICLES FORMING RAIL-
WAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS COUPLINGS FOR PIPES AND HOSE FOR OTHER
PURPOSES."
Sealed the 7th May 1878, and dated the 18th December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Gresham at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th December 1877.
JAMES GRESHAM, of the Firm of Gresham and Craven, of Craven Iron Works,
Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Machinists. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COUPLINGS FOR PIPES AND HOSE USED FOR CONVEYING FLUIDS BETWEEN
VEHICLES FORMING RAILWAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS COUPLINGS FOR PIPES
AND HOSE FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
Firstly. My improved couplings for pipes or hose, in one modification, are designed
more particularly to meet more or less what is desired for vacuum brakes for railway
trains; and one modification of my Invention relates to what is commonly termed
a "he and she" coupling, where the "he" part of the coupling is upon the pipe
or hose at one end of a carriage, and the "she" part of the coupling at the other end
of a carriage; and my improved "he" and "she" coupling consists of a tube with
a V or bevel flange round it, forming the "he" part, and a tube forming a socket to
receive the "he" part; and upon the socket part there are two levers jointed, one
end of each lever having a bevel hook upon it to catch upon the bevel flange upon
the "he" part (or these hooks may be reversed), the other end of each lever having
a spring acting upon it to press the bevel hook end of the lever upon the bevel
flange. Between the two parts of the coupling there is a washer of india-rubber or
other elastic material.
The spring pressure upon the lever hooks and the vacuum formed in the pipes
or hose makes the joint tight, but in case the carriages become detached by accident,

page_text: or when uncoupled, the spring hooks will give way, and allow the couplings to
separate without damage, thus saving time and labour in uncoupling the hose
pipes.
Another improved coupling, according to my Invention, is designed to be universal,
that is, each of the two parts coming together is both "he and she" to the other.
Each part of this modification of my improved coupling consists of a tube faced
with a ring of india-rubber or other elastic material, which two rings come together
when the two parts of the coupling are joined. On the exterior of each tube there
are two, three, or more segments cast, which project past the end of the tube which
carry the washers, and between these segments on each tube there is a space equal
to the width of one segment, so that when the two parts of the tubes are joined, the
projecting segments of one tube enter the spaces left between the segments on the
other tube, and thus make a "splice" or reciprocal overlapping one upon the other,
and upon each tube or part there is a lever hook, jointed as described in reference
to the improved "he and she" coupling, and one lever catches upon the bevel
edge of one tube, and the other lever upon the bevel edge of the other tube, so that
these couplings are separated in case of accident, same as my improved "he and she"
coupling.
Another modification is the same as that last described, but with the addition of
discs formed upon or fixed to the said levers, which discs are brought by the springs
acting upon the levers opposite the end of each tube as a valve, when the two parts
of the coupling are separated, and thus the ends of the couplings are closed when the
carriages are separated, whether by accident or by the carriages being uncoupled,
these self-closing couplings thus dispensing with the necessity for a cover or cap, and
save time and labour, and provide against negligence which may arise in the case of
couplings unprovided with self-acting valves.
The couplings above described are made applicable for conveying fluids under
pressure greater than the atmosphere by making the lever hooks at a right angle,
and the flanges or parts upon which they catch of corresponding angle, and by intro-
ducing a ring as packing between the two parts of the coupling, acting in a manner
similar to the packing rings used for hydraulic purposes. But when couplings are
so made for pressure greater than the atmosphere, they are no longer capable of being
detached by direct strain without damage to the coupling, or hose, or pipes.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said James Gresham in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 12th June
1878.
"
JAMES GRESHAM, of the Firm of Gresham and Craven, of Craven Iron Works,
Salford, in the County of Lancaster, Engineers and Machinists. IMPROVEMENTS IN
COUPLINGS FOR PIPES AND HOSE USED FOR CONVEYING FLUIDS BETWEEN VEHICLES
FORMING RAILWAY TRAINS, APPLICABLE ALSO AS COUPLINGS FOR PIPES AND HOSE
FOR OTHER PURPOSES."
My improved couplings for pipes or hose, in one modification, are designed more
particularly to meet more or less what is desired for vacuum brakes for railway
trains; and one modification of my Invention relates to what is commonly termed
a "he and she" coupling, where the "he" part of the coupling is upon the pipe or
hose at one end of a carriage, and the she part of the coupling at the other end
of a carriage; and my improved "he" and she coupling consists of a tube with
a Vor bevel flange round it, forming the "he" part, and a tube forming a socket to
receive the "he" part; and upon the socket part there are two levers jointed, one
end of each lever having a bevel hook upon it to catch upon the bevel flange upon
the "he" part (or these hooks may be reversed), the other end of each lever having
a spring acting upon it to press the bevel hook end of the lever upon the bevel
flange. Between the two parts of the coupling there is a washer of india-rubber or
other elastic material.
The spring pressure upon the lever hooks and the vacuum formed in the pipes or
hose makes the joint tight, but in case the carriages become detached by accident,
or when uncoupled, the spring hooks will give way, and allow the couplings to
seperate without damage, thus saving time and labour in uncoupling the hose
pipes.
Another improved coupling, according to my Invention, is designed to be universal,
that is, each of the two parts coming together is both "he and she" to the other.
Each part of this modification of my improved coupling consists of a tube faced
with a ring of india-rubber or other elastic material, which two rings come together
when the two parts of the coupling are joined. On the exterior of each tube there
are two, three, or more segments cast, which project past the end of the tube which
carry the washers, and between these segments on each tube there is a space equal
to the width of one segment, so that when the two parts of the tubes are joined, the
projecting segments of one tube enter the spaces left between the segments on the
other tube, and thus make a "splice" or reciprocal overlapping one upon the other,
and upon each tube or part there is a lever hook, jointed as described in reference
to the improved "he" and "she" coupling, and one lever catches upon the bevel
edge of one tube, and the other lever upon the bevel edge of the other tube, so that
these couplings are separated in case of accident same as my improved "he" and
"she" coupling.
Another modification is the same as the last described, but with the addition of
discs formed upon or fixed to the said levers, which discs are brought by the springs
acting upon the levers opposite the end of each tube as a valve, when the two parts
of the coupling are separated, and thus the ends of the couplings are closed when the
carriages are separated, whether by accident or by the carriages being uncoupled,
these self-closing couplings thus dispensing with the necessity for a cover or cap, and
save time and labour, and provide against negligence which may arise in the case of
couplings unprovided with self-acting valves.
The couplings above described are made applicable for conveying fluids under
pressure greater than the atmosphere by making the lever hooks at a right angle,
and the flanges or parts upon which they catch of a corresponding angle, and by
introducing a ring as packing between the two parts of the coupling, acting in a
manner similar to the packing rings used for hydraulic purposes. But when
couplings are so made for pressure greater than the atmosphere, they are no longer

page_text: capable of being detached by direct strain without damage to the coupling, or hose,
or pipes.
One modification of my improved couplings is illustrated by Fig. 1, a longitudinal
section, and Fig. 2, a cross section, which arrangement belongs to the class of
couplings commonly termed "he" and "she," where the "he" part of the coupling
is upon the pipe or hose at one end of a carriage, and the "she" part of the coupling
at the other end of a carriage; and my improved "he" and "she" coupling consists
of a tube which is corrugated on its exterior so as to be firmly attached to the end
of the hose with which it is to be connected, and upon this tube a V or bevel flange b
is formed, and the end of this tube is made to fit into the socket in another tube a¹,
secured to the end of the other hose pipe. Upon the socketed tube a' two levers c
and care jointed on fulcrums at c³ and c³, and on the end of each lever a bevel hook
is formed to catch upon the bevel flange b upon the other part a (or these hook
levers may be reversed). The other end of each lever c and c¹ has a spring (d and d'),
which springs act to press the bevelled end of the levers firmly upon the bevelled
flange b. Between the end of one tube and the flange on the other there is a ring
or washer (e) of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material.
The couplings are brought together by pressing upon the levers c and c¹ to allow
the bevelled ends to pass over the flange b; then the pressure of the springs and the
vacuum formed in the pipes or hose makes the joint air-tight; but in case the
carriages become detached by accident, or when uncoupled, the spring hooks will
give way, and allow the couplings to separate without damage, thus saving time
and labour in uncoupling the hose pipes.
Another improved coupling, according to my Invention, is illustrated by Fig. 3, a
longitudinal section, and Fig. 4, a cross section; it is designed to be universal, that
is, each of the two parts coming together is both "he" and "she" to the other.
Ench part of the coupling consists of a tube a, corrugated as explained in reference
to Figs. 1 and 2, which tube is faced with a ring (c and e¹) of india-rubber or other
clastic material, and which rings come together when any two similar parts are
joined. On the exterior of each tube a and a' there are two, three, or more seg-
ments a³ and a³ cast (three by preference), which project past the ends of the tube.
which carry the washer, and between these segments on each tube there is a space
equal to the width of one segment, so that when the two parts a and a¹ of the
tubes are joined, the projecting segments a³ of one tube enter the spaces left between
the segments a³ on the other tube, and thus make a splice or reciprocal overlapping
one upon the other, and upon each tube or part there is jointed a lever hook (c on
one part and c¹ on the other part), as described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2, and one
lever c catches upon the bevelled edge b¹ of one tube, and the other lever c¹ upon the
bevelled edge b of the other tube, so that these couplings are separated without
damage in case of accident or when the carriages are disconnected, same as the "he"
and "she" couplings shown by Figs. 1 and 2.
Another modification of my Invention, illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6, is similar to
the one shown by Figs. 3 and 4, but with the addition of discs f and f' formed
upon or fixed to the said levers c and c', which discs are brought by the springs
acting upon the levers opposite to the end of each tube as a valve when the two
parts a and a¹ of the coupling are separated. The springs d and d¹ shown are coiled
round the fulcrums of the levers, the levers working upon the exterior of the spring,
as shown, which springs act by partly coiling and uncoiling; thus it will be seen
that the ends of the tubes are closed when the carriages are separated, whether by
accident or by the carriages being uncoupled, these self-closing couplings thus
dispensing with the necessity for a cover or cap, and save time and labour, and
provide against negligence which may arise in the case of couplings unprovided with
self-acting valves.
Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the mode of making my improved couplings applicable
for conveying fluids under pressure greater than the atmosphere, which is accom-
plished by making the levers c and c with hooks at a right angle, and the flanges
or parts b upon which they catch of corresponding angle, and by introducing a ring

page_text: of packing e, formed of india-rubber or other suitable elastic material, which is com-
pressed into the section shown in Fig. 7, when the two parts of the coupling are
brought together. The projections g form handles for drawing out the hose when
the couplings are used for hose pipes. When couplings are made as last described
they are no longer capable of being detached by direct strain without damage to
the coupling, hose, or pipes, and must be separated by pressing the levers to release
the hooks.
I have now particularly described my Invention and the modes of carrying it into
effect, and claim as my Invention,―
Firstly. The combination, arrangement, and construction of couplings with bevel-
ended levers acted upon by springs, as herein-before described, and illustrated by
Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the Drawings.
Secondly. The combination, arrangement, and construction of couplings with
self-closing valves, as herein-before described, and illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 of the
Drawings.
Thirdly. The combination, arrangement, and construction of couplings to with-
stand internal pressure greater than the atmosphere, as herein-before described, and
illustrated by Figs. 7 and 8 of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Gresham, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JAMES GRESHAM. (L.S.)