Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Waggons and like Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Apr., 1894-Accepted, 12th May, 1894
Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway Waggons and
like Vehicles.
We, ARTHUR RUSHFORTH, of 51, Hanover Square, Bradford, Timber
Merchant, and JOHN SOWDEN, of 1 Blenheim Road, Bradford, both in the
County of York, Artist, 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 :-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the method of and apparatus
for coupling railway waggons and like vehicles, and has for its object, the
automatic coupling of such vehicles upon the same coming in contact with each
other, without the necessity of an attendant having to pass between, or underneath
the waggon, as is the case with couplings of the ordinary description, thereby
minimising the danger of accident, and at the same time effecting a saving of
labour.
In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will describe the
same in detail by making reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings in
which
Fig. 1. represents a plan view of such portions of two railway waggons connected
together by our improved coupling, as is necessary to illustrate our invention.
Figs. 2. and 3. are enlarged details.
To the head stock A. of a waggon undercarriage or the like B. we mount a
bracket C. prepared on its top side C' with a groove D. to receive the sliding
bar E. formed with a toothed rack which engages with a quadrant G. formed on
the door H. mounted on the before mentioned bracket C. To the said head
stock A. we mount a staple J. in the same horizontal position as the bracket C.
The opposite waggon undercarriage B' is fitted with a similar apparatus, but with
the bracket C. and staple J. in the reversed position.
On the two waggons coming together, the staples J. J. come in contact with the
doors H. mounted in the respective brackets C. C. operating same, in the direction
of the arrow, such a distance, until the said doors H. are clear of the ends J' J' of
staples J. J. when the said doors fall by their own weight to their normal position,
whereby the staples J. J. are prevented from disengaging with the brackets C. C.
the waggons are then effectually coupled. If desired the said doors H. may be
weighted at the bottom end at H' in order to ensure the quick action of closing.
To the sliding bar E. we connect the levers K. K. each mounted on a fulcrum
pin in brackets L. L. fixed in any convenient manner, the said levers K. K.
passing respectively at each side of the waggon, and upon the operation of the
levers K. K. in the direction of arrows 2 the before mentioned sliding bars E. E.
are operated in the opposite direction, the toothed racks engaging with quadrants G.
on doors H. are moved to the position shown by Fig. 3. thus allowing the waggons
to be disconnected.
In order to obviate the strain in the couplings, caused by the sudden movement
of the waggons, we support the couplings in bushes secured in the head stocks A.
connected together by a plate O. and coupled by rod M. to the ordinary buffer
spring N. which yields, thus relieving any sudden strain on the couplings when
the waggons are put in motion.
When it is desired that the waggons may be brought together without being
coupled, as is the case when shunting during the "making up" of a train, the
levers K. K. may be held in the position shown by dotted lines, by means of a
catch bar l'. whereby the doors H. will remain in the position shown by Fig. 3.

page_text: Behind each plate O. may be mounted a spiral spring or the like S. for the
purpose of forcing the coupling C. C. and staple J. J. back to their normal
position should they be moved in the direction of arrows 3 during the process of
shunting.
As shown in the drawings the coupling is applied to railway waggons, which
necessarily require what is known as a "slack coupling," but it will be easily
understood that our coupling is capable of being applied as a "tight coupling" to
passenger trains, by making a slight alteration, such as making the connecting
bars R. proportionately shorter than shown on the drawings.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
:-
1. The combination of a bracket C. with door H. and staple J. mounted to the
head stock of vehicles arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose as
herein before set forth.
2. The combination with the door H. and sliding bar E. with one or more
levers K. arranged substantially in the manner and for the purpose as hereinbefore
set forth.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.