IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING-APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Robert Lake at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th April 1880. A communication
from abroad by George Wellington Bolton, Niel Munro, and Duncan McLeod,
all of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the Firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLING-APPARATUS FOR
RAILWAY VEHICLES." [A communication from abroad by George Wellington
Bolton, Niel Munro, and Duncan McLeod, all of Detroit, Michigan, United States of
America.]
This Invention relates to couplings for railway vebicles and is carried into.
practice as follows, that is to say:-
I provide a draw head which has a vertically elongated flaring opening at its
front for the introduction of the link. The link is of the class denominated "arrow
head" links, but its heads are bounded by curved instead of angular lines, the
purpose of which will be herein-after explained.
The draw-head has side openings in which work pivoted jaws. These jaws have
their bearings in the upper and lower sides of the draw head, and at their outer
edges have vertical arms which enter eyes in the outer ends of a toggle lever, and
are held in place therein by pins. The inner faces of the said jaws have indentations
to direct the link to one of a series of shelves or receptacles in the seat when the
vehicles are being coupled. These indentations and shelves are provided in order
that the link may be employed to couple vehicles of different heights.
Springs are interposed between the outer faces of the jaws and the walls of the
draw-head for returning the jaws to position at the proper time. Springs are
secured to the toggle-lever near the centres of its arms, and are also secured to
the top of the draw head for the purpose of causing the said toggle lever to
move forward both after the introduction and withdrawal of the link from the
jaws.
A curved stop is provided on the face of the draw head to prevent the toggle-
lever from being thrown toward the body of the vehiclo during the operation of
coupling or uncoupling. A chain connected to the joint of the toggle lever passes
under the curve of the said stop and up through a guard, where it joins two short
chains connected to the ends of levers fulcrummed to the body of the vehicle and
extending to the sides of the latter, so that the levers may be operated to open the

page_text: jaws without the attendant having to pass between the vehicles for the purpose of
uncoupling them.
The link is provided with slots in order that it may be coupled to any ordinary
draw head by a coupling pin.
The heads of the link are made curved instead of being made angular, as is
customary, in order that when being withdrawn from the draw head they will
impinge against the faces of the jaws and force them outward to set them and yet
pass between them. If these heads were angular the jaws would need to be
opened to permit the heads to clear tho said jaws; morcover with the curved head
the link is permitted to sway within the draw head to accommodate the link to the
curves of the road. The pivoted jaws yield to this swaying, and yet do not permit
the link to be withdrawn from between them.
When it is desired to uncouplo a vehicle from the train the switchman as the
train passes grasps one or the other of the levers and opens the jaws by pulling
down upon the lever. The link however still remains between the jaws, as a
binding force is still exerted upon the head of the link even when the jaws are open.
The train is run down to the point where it is desired to uncouple the vehicle and
stopped. As soon as the engine starts the weight of the vehicle to be uncoupled is
exerted upon the link and it slips between the jaws, and in passing impinges upon
the surfaces with sufficient force to close them in its escape therefrom, so that they
are set for the next vehicle.
In order to couple the vehicles, it is only necessary to set the link in its
appropriate indentation and shelf, which can be done by drawing one of the levers
to open the jaws and turning the link edgewise, when it may be raised or lowered
to the centre shelf and again close the jaws, after which when the head of the link
strikes the jaws it will open them, pass between them, and again close them. This
dispenses with the trouble of sending a man with each vehicle to be uncoupled, as
the switchman or any other employé may when the train is passing grasp one of
the levers and open the jaws, and the vehicle will be uncoupled as, before described.
When the levers are operated the toggle lever passes beyond a straight line and is
stopped by the stop. The springs operate to bring the jaws back to their normal
position after they have been struck by the link. The jaws after having been
opened will stand open until the link is withdrawn.
If desired for their effectual protection from the weather all the operative parts
of the device may be enclosed within the head except the levers and their connecting
chains.