Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 4th July, 1898-Accepted, 11th Mar., 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway and similar
Vehicles.
We, VINCENZ ULLMANN and KARL PEKAREK, both of Schumburg on the Desse,
Bohemia, in the Empire of Austria, Druggist and Builder, respectively, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following state-
ment:-
This invention relates to a central self-acting, coupling for railway and similar
vehicles, which is also capable of being released from the side and which
apart from simplicity and cheapness is characterized by affording entire safety
both from the point of view of working and also of the railway employees.
This improved automatic coupling has the great advantage that it may be
easily applied to any existing vehicle and in the case of railway wagons all the
ordinary screw couplings may remain unchanged along with it and at any time a
wagon fitted with the new coupling may be coupled to a wagon which has only
the old screw coupling.
:-
The automatic coupling is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:-
Figure 1 is an end view of a railway truck fitted with half of the improved
coupling and also the device for uncoupling,
Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the complete coupling in a released con-
dition, and
Figure 3 is a plan view of the said coupling in a closed condition,
Figure 4 is a diagram of the coupling device and
Figure 5 a side view of the same,
Figure 6 is a detail view of the hook.
Figure 7 is a plan view showing the main parts of the complete coupling dis-
engaged and drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of one half coupling showing more clearly the
action of opening or releasing the coupling.
The coupling device consists essentially of two similar halves, arranged one on
each end of the vehicle to be coupled. Each half coupling as shown more clearly
in Figures 7 and 8 consists of a head d (d) formed with a projecting inclined
plane or cheek o (o¹) and carrying a hinged or pivoted arm h (h) adapted to be
turned up and closed against the head to form a coupling link as shown in full
lines on the left in Figure 7 and in dotted lines on the right in said figure. A
latchi (¹) consisting of a lever pivoted at t (¹) and having a recess k (k¹) at one
end to engage over the end of the link arm h (h) when the latter is closed against
the head d () is provided to retain said link arm in its closed position. The
head d () is mounted on the vehicle with the link arm h (h) when closed and
the inclined plane o (o¹) arranged at an angle preferably of 45° to the vertical, so
that as shown in Figure 4 the link arm hand plane o of one vehicle will engage
the corresponding link arm h¹ and plane o of another vehicle at right angles. It
Pine 8/1

page_text: will therefore be readily understood from Figure
in which the link is open
and the link ¹ closed that if the head d of one half coupling be pushed close
up to the head d₁ of the other similar half coupling, the link arm will ride up
the plane o and be closed into the position shown in dotted lines but inside the
link so that the two half couplings will be connected by the link arms h and h¹
being hooked or embraced one within the other. The same engagement would
take place if the arms h and h¹ were both open before the engagement, as the
arms would be simultaneously closed one within the other by the planes o, ol
respectively, upon the couplings being brought together. The head d (d) is
mounted on the vehicle by its arms c (c) (Figures 3 and 5) being pivoted in the ends
of two bars (6) which are mounted at both sides of the drawbar of the ordinary
coupling hook a (a¹) by means of a bolt e (el) so that the head lies horizontally
and can move upwards but not downwards. The drawbar of the hook a (a) has
a slots therein where the bolt e (el) passes through (see Figure. 6). Each head d
() ends at its front side in two projecting forks f (f) and g (¹) which are
arranged as shown in Figures 4 and 8 in a diametrical line preferably inclined
to 450. In the fork f (f) the link arm h (h¹) is hinged or pivoted as before
described in such a way that its free end usually (when the fastening is open)
stands somewhat away from the head d (d) (Figure 8) but when turned up towards
the fork g (g) engages in the latter.
On the fork g (g) lies the latch or double lever (¹) pivotally mounted at t (t¹)
on the head d and having a recess k (k) corresponding to the fork, which latch
or double lever i (¹) is pressed on the fork g (g¹) by means of a spring (11). When
the arm (h) is turned up, it engages in the fork g (g), presses the lever i (i)
upwards against the pressure of the spring (1) and snaps into the recess k₁ (k¹)
so that the armi (¹) must be fixed and cannot move back (Figures 3, 5 and 7).
If it be then desired to bring the arm h (¹) into its original position, it is impos-
sible to do so except the end of the latch or double lever i (i) resting on the
fork g (g) be raised upwards, whereby the arm h (¹) is again released and can
open or turn downwards. The releasing of the arm h (h) from its fixed position
takes place by hand and is simply effected by the rear end of the lever i (¹) being
pressed downwards, against the pressure of the spring 7 (14) by means of a
lever m (m) which is mounted on a shaft or bar n (n) running along the end R
(R) of the wagon W (W) (Figures 1, 3 and 5). The ends of the shaft n (n¹)
projecting at both sides of the wagon are bent in the form of a crank and if desired
loaded with weights G (G¹) in order to secure the shaft n (n¹) in the necessary
normal position. For the purpose of guiding the arms h (h) into the fixed closed
position, inclined planes or cheeks o (o¹) are formed on the heads d (d) as before
described with reference to Figures 7 and 8.
Both half couplings are arranged in the manner hereinbefore described but
they differ strictly speaking in that all the constructive parts of the second half
of the coupling are displaced to the extent of 90° as against those of the first half
of the coupling as before described and shown in Figure 4.
If then two wagons W W₁ provided with these improved half couplings
approach one another, the arm of the one half coupling will mutually engage
and slide upwards along the inclined plane o of the second half coupling until
it snaps into the recess or slot of the latch or lever i (locking device) in the
manner herein before described and arm h¹ will be similarly closed by the plane o
and locked by the latch . The wagons are thus coupled to one other, the link
arms h h being hooked one within the other. If only one arm h is open and the
other arm h of the other half coupling closed before the wagons come together,
a fastening of the open arm takes place in the same manner and quite as pre-
cisely upon the impact.
If it be desired to again uncouple the wagons, it is only necessary to turn the
shaft nor n whereby the weights G (G¹) cause the lever m (m¹) to press on the
rear end of the lever i (¹) (locking device) so that its front end is raised.
this means the arm h (¹) is set free and drops along the plane o¹ (0) back into
By

page_text: its original position automatically as soon as the wagons move apart. Of course
it will be only necessary to open one half coupling.
In order, when shunting, to render impossible any damaging of the coupling
halves by too strong a shock, the half couplings are made adjustable in the wagon
frame R, that is to say springs p (Fig. 3) are provided which allow the improved
coupling halves to give way or move back to correspond with the buffers, and after
the shunting has taken place to again be pressed back to their original position.
r shows where the old coupling g may remain hanging.
The improved automatic coupling is a central one, so that the draught is
exerted exactly in the middle. The drawing together of the wagons by means
of screws which has hitherto been necessary in the old form of coupling is here
entirely dispensed with, as the locking of the new coupling takes place auto-
matically and completely at the moment and is effectively finished or completed
when the buffers are in conjunction. By means of this improved automatic
coupling a very long existing want is met, as it is now no longer necessary for the
railway employee when coupling or uncoupling two wagons to pass between the
same. The coupling together of the automatic coupling hereinbefore described
takes place automatically and requires only a very simple lever movement from
the side of the wagon to release one wagon from another.
It will be readily understood that the details of construction may be modified
without departing from the spirit of the invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is:-
1. An automatic coupling for vehicles, characterized by half couplings (d d¹)
mounted adjustably on the wagon frames (R R¹) being adapted by means of
arms (h h) arranged at the ends and hinged or pivoted in forks (f f¹) set at 90°
to one another to mutually embrace each the opposite half coupling on two wagons
being shunted together by said arms (h h¹) sliding along an inclined plane (oo)
and for the purpose of being fixed in this position snapping with their ends into
a recess (k) in lever arms or latches (ii) pressed down by means of a spring
after they have been raised up, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. In an automatic coupling for vehicles such as described, the arrangement of
a shaft (nn) on the end of the vehicle, the ends of which shaft project at both sides
of the vehicle and are bent into the form of a crank and loaded with weights (G G¹)
to enable in an easy manner by turning said shaft in its supports or bearings to
press down with a lever (m m²) on the rear arm of a double lever (i) in order to
lift the front end of same against the pressure of a spring (17) and to thus release
the arm (h) of the coupling substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 2nd day of July 1898.
W. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Agents for the Applicants.