An Improved Coupling for Railway Wagons, Carriages, and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 7th Oct., 1899-Accepted, 7th July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coupling for Railway Wagons, Carriages, and like
Vehicles.
CHARLES LIGGETT, of 77, Northumberland Street, Nottingham, Machinery
Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to an improved coupling for railway wagons, railway
carriages and other similar vehicles, the object of the invention being the pro-
duction of a coupling, which is simple in construction, by which vehicles can be
coupled together by the impact of the same, by which the vehicles can be un-
coupled without the use of apparatus separate and independent of the coupling,
and which will move with the movement of the vehicles on the rails.
According to this invention the coupling, which is by preference attached to
the end of the vehicle, comprises a pair of side plates, a coupling bolt and its
slide, a coupling hook, and a coupling hook supporting bar. In this coupling
the side plates are attached to, or formed in one with a block, by which they can
be attached to the vehicle and this block is fitted with a slide the ends of which
can be reached from the sides of the vehicle, and are supported by suitable
guides. This slide carries the coupling bolt which is fitted to slide in holes in
the side plates. The coupling hook, at one end, is provided with a hole or slot
to receive the bolt of its own coupling, while the other end is made with an
incline and an open slot to engage with the coupling bolt of a coupling on
another vehicle. The coupling hook supporting bar is pivotted to the inside of
one of the side plates so that it can move vertically and horizontally according
to the movement of the vehicle, and on its upper side is provided with a projecting,
piece which enters a recess in the coupling hook, so that the hook is moved
with the bar, but can be moved independently thereof in a vertical direction
during the coupling process.
The ends of the various parts are suitably bevilled to ensure the projecting
parts of one coupling entering the recessed parts of any other coupling; springs
catches, or their equivalents are provided for limiting the niovements of the
various parts and holding them in position, and the buffers may be attached to
the coupling block or placed in their usual position.
Dal 109 11
1000
COMIUMIE DI MULTICATION.
An Improved Coupling for Railway Wagons, Carriages, and like.
Vehicles.
I, CHARLES LIGGETT, Machinery Agent, 77, Northumberland Street, Notting-
ham, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
Die R71

page_text: same is to be performed, to be particularly described and “ascertained in and by
the following statement:-
This invention relates to an improved coupling for railway wagons, railway
carriages and other similar vehicles, the object of the invention being the pro-
duction of a coupling which is simple in construction, by which vehicles can be
coupled together by the impact of the same, by which the vehicles can be un-
coupled without the use of apparatus separate and independent of the coupling,
and which will move with the movement of the vehicles on the rails.
According to this invention the coupling, which is attached to the end of the
vehicle, comprises a pair of side plates, a coupling bolt and its slide, a coupling
hook, and a coupling hook supporting bar. In this coupling the side plates are
attached to, or formed in one with a block, by which they can be attached to
the vehicle, and this block is fitted with a slide, the end of which can be reached
from the sides of the vehicle, and are supported by suitable guides. This slide
carries the coupling bolt which is fitted to slide in holes in the side plates. The
coupling hook, at one end is provided with a hole or slot to receive the bolt of its
own coupling, while the other end is made with an incline and an open slot to
engage with the coupling bolt of a coupling on another vehicle. The coupling
hook supporting bar is pivotted to the inside of one of the side plates so that it
can move vertically and horizontally according to the movements of the vehicle,
and on its upper side is provided with a projecting piece which enters a recess
in the coupling hook, so that the hook is moved with the bar, but can be moved
independently thereof in a vertical direction during the coupling process.
The ends of the various parts are suitably levelled to ensure the projecting
parts of one coupling entering the recessed parts of any other coupling, friction
plates, catches, or their equivalents are provided for limiting the movements of
the various parts and, holding them in position, and the buffers may be attached
to the coupling block or placed in their usual position.
In the drawings which accompany this specification and are referred to in the
following detailed description of the invention,
Fig. 1 is an elevation of a pair of couplings.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, and
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation showing the position of the parts during the
operating of coupling.
According to this invention, the coupling, attached to the end of the vehicle,
comprises a block, a coupling hook with its supporting bar, and a coupling slide
and bolt, the latter forming a pivot for one coupling hook, and a catch for the
hook of an adjacent coupling, the whole coupling being so duplicated and con-
structed that it can be used at either end of the vehicle. In the drawings
a pair of couplings are shown and the parts of one coupling are distinguished
from the corresponding parts of the other coupling by the addition of the Figure 1
to the reference letters.
The coupling block a may be attached to the end of the vehicle according to
any well known method or by known means according to circumstances, and is
made with side cheeks and c and with a recess for the sliding bar d to which
the coupling bolt e is connected. The bar is extended to the sides of the
vehicle, so that the vehicles can be coupled or uncoupled without the operator
getting between the ends of the same. The bar d is guided beyond the coupling
block in suitable brackets and is provided with friction plates or their equivalent,
to prevent it moving under the influence of the vibration of the vehicle. The
har may be operated by levers or a screw if desired and its movement is limited
in one direction by the arm carrying the bolt e, and in the other by a stop, which
prevents the bolt e being drawn out of its coupling hook f.
Attached to the inside of the cheek is a pivotted block g, fitted to turn on
the pin and provided with a pin and slot i for limiting its motion. This
Flock is in the form of a hinge to which the hook supporting bar is pivotted
at and the parts are so arranged that the motion of the bar is limited, thus

page_text: j
limiting, the side movement of the vehicles by which derailment is prevented.
The end of the bar and the ends of the cheeks b and c are bevilled to guide the
parts into position during the coupling operation. On the upper edge of the
bar jis a projecting piece m which enters the recess in the hook fand is of
sufficient breadth to prevent the hook f turning horizontally without the bar j
while the vertical movement of the hook is limited by the block g.
The coupling hook f at one end has a closed slot o, for its own coupling bolt e
and at the other end is bevilled at p, and has an open slot g, so that it can rise
over and engage with the coupling bolt on the coupling to which it is to be
connected.
When the vehicles are coupled as shown in Fig. 2 and it is required to
uncouple them, the operator, outside the area of the vehicle, moves the bar
until the bolte is clear of the hook f' and bar until the bolt e is clear of the
book and the vehicles are then uncoupled and can be separated. For coupling
the carriages, the bolts e and e¹ are placed in the position shown by an operator
outside the area of the vehicles and as the vehicles approach each other the
bevilled ends of the hooks are forced over the coupling bolts until these latter
are under the open slots, when the hooks fall into position and the vehicles are
connected together by the impact of the same.
With this coupling the parts are so arranged and duplicated that the same
coupling may be used at either end of the vehicle, while the coupling hooks and
their supporting bar are so fitted that they can move vertically and horizontally
and thus accomadate themselves to the movements and vibrations of the moving
train.
The coupling may be applied to existing vehicles and be used with outside or
central buffers, or a buffer may form part of, or be connected to the coupling
block.
The coupling may be constructed of any suitable material and of any required
strength and a round hole or closed slot may be used in the coupling hook, the
round hole being preferably used in couplings applied to coaches and the closed
slot in couplings applied to wagons.
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
A coupling for railway vehicles constructed, arranged, and operating sub-
stantially as herein shown and described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.