IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1884

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
"
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement:—
This Invention relates to couplings for railway vehicles wherein a link is engaged
and held by means of a downwardly swinging hook pivotted within the draw head,
and comprises improved mechanism for operating the said hook, and various details
of construction all as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawing,
Figure 1 is an end view of a box wagon with the improved coupling applied
thereto.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the same.
Figure 3 is a central vertical section of the improved coupling.
Figure 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line xx Figure 3.
Figures 5 and 6 are views of details hereinafter described.
A indicates a box wagon and B the draw-head attached thereto in the usual
manner.
This draw-head B consists of a longitudinal bar having its forward end made of
flaring form adapted to catch one end of a coupling link and direct it into the
socket a, made of a suitable size to fit the said end of the coupling link, and retain
the said link in a horizontal or nearly horizontal position.
The coupling hook C is pivotted at its rear end to the draw-head B as shown
at b, so that its front end may be freely swung in the vertical slot D.
The coupling hook C is provided at its extreme forward end with the
projection c, which is bent backwards over the draw head B and acts as a handle
by which the said hook may be operated by hand when necessary.
The projection c at its extreme rear is provided with an eye d to which are
secured two links ef the purpose of which will be more fully described hereinafter.
Where the hook C has been operated in a slot open to all kinds of weather
much trouble has been found to exist from the fact that the slot D gets clogged by

page_text: dirt entering therein or from water entering therein and freezing which, causes the
hook C to become inoperative. It is obvious that for the proper working of a car
coupling it is necessary that all parts thereof should be kept in good condition at
all times and under all conditions, therefore the draw-head B has been provided
with the upwardly extending projection E into which the slot D is extended a
suitable distance for the efficient working of the hook C.
By this means the slot D is enclosed on all sides but the front, which reduces the
chances of the hook C getting clogged in any manner to a minimum.
The hook C is bevelled on its forward end and under side as shown in Figure 3,
so as to allow the link, on entering the flaring mouth of the draw-head B to act
against the said bevelled edge to raise the hook C and allow the said link to enter
the recess a, when the hook will fall from its weight and the nose g of the book
will engage with the said link and prevent it from being withdrawn therefrom.
The nose g of the hook C is concave on its inner side as shown in Figure 3 to
enable it to engage the more firmly with the coupling link and prevent the hook
from working upward and being disengaged by the vibratory movement of the
link within the head when the vehicle is in motion.
+
The parts are so constructed as to leave between the nose of the hook and the
rear wall of the recess a of the draw-head B but little more room than is required
to receive the end of the link in order that the link may be held securely in
position and prevented from unnecessary end motion.
To the link_c_is_secured_a_series_of_links_which_connect-with-the-short-lever-h
secured firmly to the shaft i mounted in suitable bearings i¹¹¹across the end of
the wagon as shown in Figure 1.
To either end of the shaft i is secured a short lever parallel and near to the
side of the wagon as shown in Figures 1 and 2. By depressing the levers kk the
short lever is raised and with it the hook C.
It is obvious that the vehicles may be readily uncoupled from either side of the
same. It is sometimes desirable to have the hook secured so that it will not
engage with the link as when "kicking" a vehicle in shifting.
To accomplish this purpose the buttons are provided on each side of the wagon,
which buttons are adapted to be engaged with the ends of the lovers when
depressed and thus hold the hook C in a raised position all as shown in Figure 5.
If the hook is desired to be used and the operator is on the opposite side of the
wagon from the button which is engaged with the lever he simply takes the lever
on his side of the vehicle and gives it a sudden depression, which movement is
transmitted to the lever in conjunction with the button, thus moving the end away
from the end of the button which at once, by its own weight, takes a vertical
position allowing the lever to regain its normal position as shown in Figure 2.
The link is connected to the vertical rod m by which the hook C is operated
from the top of the wagon.
The rod m is provided near its upper end with a suitable projection n with
which the weighted dog o engages to hold the rod m, and therefore the hook C, in
an elevated position.
The dog o is pivotted to the bracket p secured to the end of the wagon and is
adapted to hang downwardly, from its pivot by reason of its weight, and for the
same reason is adapted to regain this position when released from the projection n
upon the rod m.
It is obvious that by depressing the lever k, when the rod m is held in a raised
position by the dog o, the rod m will be raised slightly, releasing the hold upon
the dog o which will at once regain its normal position and the rod m may be
lowered, and at the same time the hook C.
It is also obvious that the levers
manner.
may be operated by the rod m in a similar
This method by which the hook C may be operated and secured from any one of
these three points, and may be disengaged from either of the other two, is of great
advantage in the successful working of automatic couplings for railway vehicles.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim
in a coupling for railway vehicles :-
First. The draw-head B provided with a suitable recess to receive the coupling
link, and the slot D enclosed by the projecting portion E, in combination with the
coupling hook C pivotted within the said draw head and provided with the nose g
and the extension c projecting backward from the front end of the said hook above
the portion E, all the said parts being adapted to operate substantially as and for
the purposes, described.
Second. The combination of the draw-head B the coupling hook C pivotted
therein and provided with the nose g the short arm h connected to the said hook,
and the shaft provided at each end with a lever k adapted to operate substantially
as, and for the purposes, described.
Third. The combination of the draw-head B, the coupling hook C pivotted
therein and provided with the nose g; the arm connected to the said hook, tho
shaft i provided at each end with a lever and the stops all adapted to operate
substantially as, and for the purposes described.
Fourth. The combination of the draw head B, the coupling hook C pivotted
therein and provided with the nose g, the rod m provided with the projection n
and the weighted stop o all adapted to operate substantially as, and for the
purposes, described.
Dated this 1st day of April 1884.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.