IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Petrie Alexander, of the Firm of Alexander
Brothers, of Draper's Gardens, in the City of London, Merchant, for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING
AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK." A communication
from abroad by Edwin Robins Thomas and George Cowdery, both of Sydney,
in the Colony of New South Wales.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Petrie Alexander at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 19th November 1880.
WILLIAM PETRIE ALEXANDER, of the Firm of Alexander Brothers, of Draper's
Gardens, in the City of London, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY AND OTHER ROLLING
STOCK." A communication from abroad by Edwin Robins Thomas and George
Cowdery, both of Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales.
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for
the purpose of coupling and uncoupling railway, tramway, or other rolling stock
automatically, and without the necessity of parties employed in such operations
passing between the engines, carriages, trucks, or other rolling stock.
It consists in attaching to the several draw-bars of the rolling stock self
adjusting hooks and links alternately (or as the case may require in the making up
of trains), and also of attaching to the drawbars on which these hooks are attached
levers which act upon stops which lock or unlock at the will of the attendants, the
hooks and the links securing or releasing the rolling stock as desired.
The levers and stops which are connected are caused to return (after the
unlocking process) to their original position by means of spiral springs, or balance
weights, or any other convenient arrangement. Single or double sets of hooks,
links, or drawbars may be used.
The working parts of this Invention, which are of the most simple construction
and are less liable to injury from wear or other causes than those at present in
use, will be more fully and particularly understood by reference to the accom-
panying Sheet of Drawing forming part of this Provisional Specification.

page_text: Figure 1 representing a side elevation of a coupling and uncoupling apparatus
embodying this Invention.
Figure 2, a top plan view of same.
Figure 3, a section at a, Figure 1, and
Figure 4, a tumbling hook detached and drawn to an enlarged scale.
A, A, indicate tumbling hooks working on a pin.
B, B, adjustable links working on a pin.
C, C, levers to lock or unlock tumbling hook.
D, D, stop attached to levers C, C.
E, E, spring to retain levers to the locking position.
The tumbling hooks A, A, while in position for coupling, locked by the stops
D, D, form inclined planes for the adjustable links B, B, to slide over when the
carriages, trucks, or other rolling stock are brought in contact with the usual
force, when they become instantly coupled, and with a sufficient strain upon the
buffers.
The levers C, C, can be used on either side separately or simultaneously for the
purpose of locking or unlocking the tumbling hooks A, A, and the adjustable links
B, B, releasing or locking together the rolling stock at the will of the attendants.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Petrie Alexander in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th May 1881.
WILLIAM PETRIE ALEXANDER, of the Firm of Alexander Brothers, of Draper's
Gardens, in the City of London, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY AND OTHER ROLLING
STOCK." A communication from abroad by Edwin Robins Thomas and George
Cowdery, both of Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales.
This Invention relates to certain improvements in machinery or apparatus for
the purpose of coupling and uncoupling railway, tramway, or other rolling stock
automatically, and without the necessity of parties employed in such operations
passing between the engines, carriages, trucks, or other rolling stock.
It consists in attaching to the several draw bars of the rolling stock self
adjusting hooks A, A, and links B, B, alternately (or as the case may require in the
making up of trains), and also of attaching to the draw-bars on which these hooks
A, A, are attached levers C, C, which act upon stops D, D, which lock or unlock at
the will of the attendants, the hooks A, A; and the links B, B, securing or releasing
the rolling stock as desired.
The levers C, C, and stops D, D, which are connected are caused to return (after
the unlocking process) to their original position by means of the spiral springs E, E,
or balance weights, or any other convenient arrangement. Single or double sets
of hooks, links, or draw-bars may be used.
The working parts of this Invention, which are of the most simple construction
and are less liable to injury from wear or other causes than those at present in use,
will be more fully and particularly understood by reference to the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing, upon which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of coupling and uncoupling apparatus embodying
this Invention.
Figure 2 is a top plan view of same.
Figure 3, a section through the line a, b, Figure 1, drawn to an enlarged
scale, and
Figure 4, an enlarged view of the tumbling hooks A, A.
A, A, indicating tumbling hook working on a pin; B, B, adjustable link working
on a pin; C, C, levers to lock or unlock tumbling hook; D, D, stop attached to levers
for locking and unlocking; E, E, spring to return levers to the locking position;
F, F, draw bars.
The tumbling hooks A, A, while in position for coupling, locked by the stops
D, D, form inclined planes for the adjustable links B, B, to slide over when the
carriages, trucks, or other rolling stock are brought in contact with the usual force,
when they become instantly coupled, and with a sufficient strain upon the buffers.
The levers C, C, can be used on either side separately or simultaneously for the
purpose of locking or unlocking the tumbling hooks A, A, and the adjustable
links B, B, releasing or locking together the rolling stock at the will of the
attendants.
Amongst the advantages to be derived from this Invention are,-
Security to life and limb compared with the present most dangerous occupation
of coupling and uncoupling rolling stock, as by the Invention there is not any
necessity whatever to pass between the rolling stock in making up a train or in
releasing any portion of the rolling stock from the train.
An immense saving of time and labor in making up trains and also in
disengaging any portion of a train, consequently a great reduction in the working
expenses.

page_text: Its adaptability to all and every kind of rolling stock of every description or
construction whether from difference of load or otherwise. This is a most
important consideration in an automatic coupling apparatus.
The remarkable simplicity of all the working parts, which can be made equal to
any requisite strain, and are less likely from their simplicity to suffer derangement
than any of those at present in use. They do not require any high class skill in
the manufacture, but merely ordinary care in the quality and soundness of the
material.
Rolling stock can by this means be instantly coupled or uncoupled whether on
curves or on the straight. In fact there is not any likely condition that can make
this Invention unworkable.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the Invention communi-
cated to me as aforesaid, and in what manner the same is or may be performed,
I claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent,-
The peculiar kind of tumbling hooks A, A, and adjustable links B, B, of the
forms shewn in the Drawings, or of similar forms to suit every description of
rolling stock, and also the means of locking or unlocking by means of the levers
C, C, which are attached to the stops D, D, and which are also attached to the
draw-bars of the rolling stock, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn in
the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Petrie Alexander, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
LENNOX SYKES,
11, Wellington Street,
W.C.
W. P, ALEXANDER. (L.S.)