Improved Coupling Devices for Railway Carriages or Trucks or like Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1891-Accepted, 7th Nov., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Coupling Devices for Railway Carriages or Trucks or
like Vehicles.
FRANZ PAUL VON GARN of Dove Park Woolton in the County of Lancaster
Limestone Quarry Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:
At ench
This invention has for its object to provide efficient and readily operated means
for coupling and uncoupling railway carriages or trucks or like vehicles from
either side without necessity for the operator going between the vehicles.
end of the vehicle preferably at the end of the pole at the bottom of the vehicle
usually called the draw bar geared hooks are attached capable of being opened out
and closed after the manner of pincers. Perpendicular to this is attached a loop
or link tapering at the bend. The hooks are operated by a right and left hand
screw preferably passing through the extremity of the draw bar. This screw is
turned in one or the other direction to open and close the hooks by being geared
to a shaft extending to either side of the vehicle. This may be done as follows:
At the end of the screw a toothed wheel is secured engaging with another toothed
wheel secured to the shaft extending to either side of the vehicle as aforesaid the
said shaft preferably passing over the extremity of the draw bar and being
supported on the buffer cylinders in supports which allow of the shaft moving as
the draw-bar moves. At each end of the said shaft a handle is secured which
should not project beyond the side of the vehicle. By turning either of these
handles in one direction the hooks are closed and by turning it in the other
direction they are opened. When the vehicles to be coupled are brought together
(the hooks being opened out) the loop or link at the end of each vehicle passes
between the hooks at. the end of the other vehicle. By then turning the handle
at either end of the shaft on each vehicle the hooks are closed, and the loop or
link at the end of each vehicle is enclosed within the respective hooks at the ends
of the other vehicle and the vehicles are coupled. By reversing the process the
vehicles are uncoupled.
Dal
1 1
A
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Coupling Devices for Railway Carriages or Trucks or
like Vehicles.
I FRANZ PAUL VON GARN of Dove Park, Woolton, in the County of Lancaster,
Limestone Quarry Proprietor, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has for its object to provide simple and efficient means for readily
coupling and uncoupling railway carriages or other vehicles from either side thereof
without the necessity for the operator going between the vehicles.
According to this invention there is provided at each end of the vehicle, a pair
of hooks ("sister hooks") which are capable of being opened out or separated from
each other and closed after the manner of pincers. At about right angles to the
axes of these hooks on each end of the vehicle is a loop or link with which the
hooks of an adjacent vehicle engage when coupled therewith. The hooks are
operated by right, and left hand screws on a shaft or spindle preferably passing
[ Pain Q77

page_text: through the extremity of the draw bar, and rotated by means of gearing from a
shaft which extends to the opposite sides of the vehicle the shaft being provided
with suitable handles which should not project beyond the sides of the vehicle.
By means of either of these handles the screws may be rotated and the hooks
closed or opened as required for the purpose of coupling or uncoupling the vehicles
without the necessity for the operator to pass between the vehicles.
.
And in order that my said invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer
to the several figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
1:
Figure 1 represents in side elevation and Figure 2 in sectional plan a coupling
device constructed and arranged according to my invention the coupling "sister
hooks being arranged to open and close in a horizontal plane and Figures 3 and 4
are similar views to Figures 1 and 2 illustrating a modification in which the
coupling sister hooks are arranged to open and close in a vertical plane.
<<
"
:
'A A Figures 1 and 2 represent the end frames of two railway vehicles, B B² the
draw bars or equivalent poles or bars attached to the underside of the carriages,
and CC are the buffers." As the coupling devices are alike on both ends of the
vehicles the description of one will be sufficient to describe both and for this
purpose I have indicated similar parts in both vehicles with the same reference
letters but added the numeral 2 to those on the right hand side of Figure 2.
Formed on or attached to the outer end of the bar B is a bracket or frame D
the front end of which carries two hooks E arranged to turn in a horizontal plane
on bolts F the noses or points of the "sister hooks" being arranged to face each
other and when in their closed position to overlap each other. The bosses of these
hooks are provided with teeth e which gear with right and left handed screw threads
or worms g on a shaft or spindle G mounted in bearings in the frame D so that
when the shaft or spindle is rotated the hooks E are caused to open out or close
according to the direction in which the shaft or spindle is turned. The shaft G
may if desired extend to opposite sides of the vehicle and be provided with a
suitable handle at each end so that it may be operated directly from either side.
I prefer however to rotate the said shaft by means of gearing H (as shewn) from
a counter shaft I mounted in bearings a in the frame or bracket D and extending
to the opposite sides of the vehicle so as to be capable of being turned by means of
the crank handles which do not project beyond the sides of the vehicle and still
are within easy reach of the operator so that he can open or close the hooks from
either side without passing to between the vehicles.
Connected to the frame or bracket D is a loop or link K capable of turning to a
limited extent on a vertical axis the lateral movement of this loop or link being
governed by studs or projections c on the frame D.
The loop or link K may be made of any suitable metal such as wrought bar iron
for example and the looped front or bowed part is preferably wedge shaped as
shewn at d so that it may more readily pass to one side of the loop on an adjacent
vehicle to which it is to be coupled.
When the vehicles are uncoupled the hooks E are opened out into the position
shewn by dotted lines at the right hand side of Figure 2 and when two vehicles are
to be connected together they are brought together so that the bowed portion of
. the loops or links K K² will pass to between the respective hooks E and E.
The operator then turns by means of the crank handles on each of the vehicles
the right and left handed screws or worms g g² so as to close the hooks E and E
and thereby complete the coupling of the vehicles which are thus connected
together by two loops or links and four hooks whereby a four-fold security against
accident by breakage is provided. The loops or links may be made of any required
'length to suit vehicles provided with compressed buffer springs.
The loops or links K may be permitted to diverge from the exact line or direction
of movement of the vehicle to the extent of say about one half the diameter of the
metal forming the loop and the shaft or spindle I carrying the screws or worms g

page_text: is also permitted to move in a longitudinal direction to admit of the hooks E and
loop K yielding to sideway or irregular movements of the carriages when passing
round curves for example.
The hooks E are prevented from opening too wide by the projections or stops f
on the frame or bracket D.
The shaft I besides being supported in the bearings a is held in position by straps
or shackles h fixed to the buffer cylinders which straps or shackles are of sufficient
length to permit of the shaft sliding therein to accommodate itself to the movements
of the vehicle and the compression and expansion of the buffer and draw springs.
The weight of the coupling device may if desired be supported by stay rods k
arranged under the frame or bracket D and attached to the vehicle.
For use on railways having very sharp curves I prefer the arrangement
illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 (Figure 3 being an elevation and Figure 4 a plan
of the coupler) in which the hooks E open and close in a vertical plane thereby
preventing the liability of too much strain being exerted on the screw g and thereby
endanger the stability of the coupling.
In place of the spur gearing H in the arrangement illustrated by Figures 1
and 2 for operating the hooks E bevel gear is provided to suit the altered
arrangement of the hooks, and the countershaft or spindle I instead of having its
bearing in the checks of the frame D is carried in a bracket a on the top of the
frame.
The hooks E are made wide at their front ends to facilitate the coupling of
loaded with unloaded vehicles.
The sides of the links K are preferably made parallel as shewn and their
movement in a vertical direction is limited by the stops c c. By this arrangement
the links K K being one on top of the other they can never foul each other even
in the sharpest curves and the draught is always exerted in a direct line.
The arrangements of coupling herein described may be readily applied to the
present construction of rolling stock without difficulty.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
"
1. In couplings for railway carriages and other vehicles "sister hooks on one
vehicle for engaging a link or loop on another vehicle the said hooks being opened
and closed by means of right and left handed screws or worms gearing with teeth
on the bosses of the hooks and operated substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
2. In couplings for railway carriages and other vehicles "sister hooks" in
combination with loops or links so arranged that the sister hooks on each two
adjacent vehicles may be caused to engage with the links on the said adjacent
vehicles and be disengaged therefrom as required by means of right and left handed
screws or worms substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
3. The combination with "sister hooks" for coupling vehicles together of loops
or links having their front or bowed ends tapered or wedge shaped to ensure the
link or loop on one vehicle passing to the side of the link or loop on another vehicle
when the two vehicles are brought together to be coupled substantially as herein-
before described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
4. In couplings for railway carriages and other vehicles sister hooks opened and
closed by means of right and left handed screw threads or worms on a shaft or
spindle capable of sliding longitudinally in bearings to admit of the "sister hooks"
moving in a lateral direction accommodate themselves to the strain when passing
round curves substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accom-
panying drawings.
5. The combinations and arrangements of parts constituting means for coupling.

page_text: railway carriages and other vehicles substantially as herein before described
and illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 and Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 2nd day of Octabar 1801
$