Improved Means for Coupling and Uncoupling from the Side of Railway Carriages, Wagons and other Similar Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Aug., 1900-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1900
Improved Means for Coupling and Uncoupling from the Side of
Railway Carriages, Wagons and other Similar Vehicles.
I, JAMES PORTER, of 19, Pitman Street, Canton, Cardiff, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, to be as follows;
-
This invention relates to improved means for coupling and uncoupling railway
carriages from the side thereof, which means, in whole or part, may be employed
with railway wagons and other similar vehicles.
As illustrating the means applied to railway carriages I may employ a single
coupling link pivoted to the draw bar hook and having two rearwardly project-
ing tail pieces preferably at an angle to the link proper so as to act as a crank.
The said tail pieces are connected by a link to the end of a wiper the cross
shaft of which can be actuated from either side of the carriage by a lever handle.
By means of the said handle the coupling link which is of sufficient length to
extend to the draw bar hook of the opposing carriage can be lowered into or be
raised out of the said hook. In order to draw the carriages closely together
against the power exerted by the buffers I form the draw bar in two portions
and connect them together by a right and left handed screw situated below the
bottom of the carriage and engaging with a companion screw formed in the ends
of the two portions of the draw bar. A worm wheel is mounted on the centre
of the said screw with which engages a worm carried by a cross shaft fitted at
each and with a hand wheel so that the screw can be actuated from both sides
of the carriage. The centre un-threaded portion of the screw is formed square
in section and passes through brasses which rotate in the bearing by which it is
supported. This allows of a longitudinal movement of the draw bar whilst at
the same time in no way interferes with its rotation by the worm wheel which
rides loosely in the said centre portion of the screw between the supporting
bearings.
Also for the purpose of maintaining the same relative position of the actuating
parts with the coupling link I pivot the wyper within a bearing carried by the
draw bar and form the shaft which actuates same with a double joint on each side
thereof. A suitable spring bears against a collar upon the draw bar to ensure its
being pushed out as the screw is slackened.
The handle of the actuating lever may work in a spring guide so as to keep
the coupling link in an elevated position when the carriage is uncoupled.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1800
JOHNSONS,
Petitioner's Agents 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.

page_text: Improved Means for Coupling and Uncoupling from the Side of
Railway Carriages, Wagons, and other Similar Vehicles.
I, JAMES PORTER, of 19, Pitman Street, Canton, Cardiff, Engineer, 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
1.09
statement:-
This invention relates to improved means for coupling and uncoupling railway
carriages from the side thereof, which means, in whole or part, may be employed
with railway wagons and other similar vehicles.
But in order that my said invention may be readily understood and easily
carried into effect I will proceed to describe the same with reference to the accom-
panying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation and
Fig. 2 a plan of the central and end portions of the under body of frame of a
railway carriage showing my improved means applied thereto.
Fig. 3 is a detailed view, hereinafter referred to.
Referring to the said drawings, I employ a single coupling link A pivoted at a
to the draw bar hook B and provided with two rearwardly projecting tail pieces C
preferably at an angle to the link so as to act as a crank. The said tail pieces C
are connected by a link D to the end of a wyper E, the cross shaft e of which
can be actuated from either side of the carriage by a lever handle, or, as is pre-
ferable, by a hand wheel F. Such a hand wheel is keyed to each end of a cross
shaft whose motion of rotation is transmitted by bevel wheels G to a worm H
which meshes with a worm wheel / keyed upon the wyper shaft e. The coupling
link A, which is of sufficient length to extend to the draw bar hook of the oppos-
ing carriage can thus be lowered into the said hook as shown in the drawings or
be raised out of the hook into a position similar to that indicated by dot and dash
lines Fig. 1. In order to draw the carriages closely together against the power
exerted by the buffers I form the draw bar B in two portions and connect them
together by a right and left handed screw J situated below the bottom of the
carriage and engaging with a companion screw j formed in the ends of the two
portions of the draw bar. A worm wheel K is mounted in the centre of the
said screw with which engages a worm L carried by a cross shaft / fitted at each
end with a hand wheel so that the screw can be actuated from both sides of the
carriage. The centre unthreaded portion of the screw is formed square in section,
as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 and passes through brasses M which rotate
in the bearings m by which it is supported.
*
This allows of a longitudinal movement of the draw. bar and screw whilst at
the same time in no way interferes with its rotation by the worm wheel K
which rides loosely on the said centre portion of the screw between the supporting
bearings m.
Also for the purpose of maintaining the same relative position of the actuating
parts with the coupling link I mount the end of the shaft e within a bearing N,
carried by the draw bar, and form the shaft with a double joint P, P¹. Or any
suitable form of universal joint may be employed if found more suitable. A
spring such as Q bears against collar 7 upon the draw bar to ensure its being
pushed out as the screw J is slackened.
It will of course be understood that, although not illustrated, the draw bar
hook at the other end of the carriage and the means for actuating it, are the
same.
Where it is desired to actuate the shaft e without the intervention of gearing

page_text: such as shown, the central portion carrying the wyper is produced at the other
side of the bearing and the remainder of the shaft duplicated.
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 what
I claim is:-
1. The general arrangement, construction and combination of parts constituting
the means for coupling and uncoupling railway carriages, wagons and other
similar vehicles from the side, substantially as herein before described and shown
in the accompanying drawings.
2. In means for coupling and uncoupling railway carriages, wagons and similar
vehicles, a single link A pivoted to the draw bar hook, having tail pieces C.
connected to a wyper E the shaft e of which can be rotated from either side of the
carriage by a lever handle, or by a hand wheel through the medium of bevel
and worm gearing, whereby the link can be lowered into or elevated out of the
draw bar hook of the opposing carriage or wagon, substantially in the manner
as herein before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
t
3. The means whereby railway carriages are drawn together against the power
exerted by the buffers when coupling, or the links slackened when uncoupling,
consisting of a draw bar formed in two portions connected together by a right
and left handed screw which is rotated from either side of the carriage by a hand
wheel through the medium of a worm and worm wheel, substantially in the
manner as hereinbefore described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
4. The method of mounting the worm wheel K upon the screw J, and the
screw J within its bearings m, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
5. The arrangement, construction and mode of mounting the shaft e which
actuates the wyper E of the link A, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and shown in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of August 1000
JOHNSONS,
Applicant's Agents, 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow,