AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC RAILWAY OR OTHER COUPLING as follows:-
Year: 1885

page_text: I, TIMOTHY VINCENT RIORDAN, of 1 Whiteley Road, Upper Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, Commission Agent, do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "AN IMPROVED AUTOMATIC RAILWAY OR OTHER COUPLING
as follows:-
" to be
My invention relates to a coupling for uniting two trucks, locomotives, carriages,
or other objects together, and is designed to effect this coupling automatically when
the said trucks, carriages, or objects, are brought closely together, and in a simple
and effective manner.
My device consists of a pair of coupling bars, attached, as hereinafter more fully
described, one to each adjacent end of two trucks, carriages, or other objects, which
it is desired shall be coupled together, the said coupling bars being of exactly
similar construction to one another, with the exception that any two adjacent
coupling bars have right and left handed jaws respectively.
These coupling bars I form with a tail, bent downwards at right angles to the
body of the bar, conveniently forked so as to embrace the nock of the draw-hook,
or the neck or pillar of a central buffer, the said tailpiece being pierced with a hole,
so that it is secured in place by, but free to turn upon, a bolt through the neck of
the present draw bars (such a hole at present existing for the attachment of the
screw coupling) or through the aforesaid neck or pillar of a central buffer.
The upper part of the coupling bars thus rests by its own weight upon the points
of the draw hooks, when my coupling is fitted to such draw-hooks, upon the lower
edge inside of a central buffer should my coupling be used in combination with this
latter.
The outermost ends or jaws of my couplings are formed with inclined faces
meeting at a horizontal apex in the central axis of the coupling.
The inside faces of the jaws which are in contact, and by which the traction
pressure is transmitted when coupled up, are made truly perpendicular to the line
of traction, so that the tractive effort shall have no tendency to make the couplings
disengage as the weight of the coupling bars serves to keep them engaged.
The automatic action of my coupling is as follows.
When two trucks, locomotives, carriages or other objects, carrying my automatic
couplings, are brought together, the couplings meet each other point to point of
their exterior inclined or wedge shaped surfaces. One coupling or the other thus

page_text: rises upon the adjacent coupling, being free to move round the pivoted tail, and as
soon as the two outer faces of the couplings have passed one another, the jaws fall
by the weight of the coupling bar into their respective recesses, and come into the
line of traction, the two perpendicular inside faces of the jaws being now in contact
for the transmission of the tractive force without any tendency to disengage.
To disengage the said couplings, I fit thereto lifting links, attached to any con-
venient rocking bar, carried in suitable bearings on the front of each truck,
locomotive, carriage, or other object, and provided with an external handle by which
the said rocking bar may be operated. By the operation of the said rocking bar
and lifting links, one or other of my automatic couplings can readily be lifted and
disengaged from its fellow, the coupling being then, when disengaged, allowed to
drop when it is ready for engagement in the next case.
It may be observed that my automatic coupling bar as above described, leaves
the present draw hooks unaltered, and that my couplings may be fitted without
alteration to the usual rolling stock as at present in use.

page_text: I, TIMOTHY VINCENT RIORDAN, of 1 Whiteley Road, Upper Norwood, in the
County of Surrey, Commission Agent, 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 relates to a coupling for uniting two trucks, locomotive-carriages
or other vehicles together and is designed to effect this automatically when two of
such objects are brought into juxtaposition.
My device consists of a pair of coupling bars attached as bereinafter more fully
described one to each adjacent end of two trucks, carriages, or other objects which
it is desired shall be coupled together, the said coupling bars being of exactly
similar construction to one another with the exception that any two adjacent
coupling bars have right and left handed jaws respectively.
These coupling bars I form with a tail bent at right angles to the body of the
bar and conveniently forked so as to embrace the neck of the draw-hook or the
neck or pillar of a central buffer the said tail piece being pierced with a hole so
that it is secured in place by but free to turn upon a bolt passing through the neck
thereof, such hole existing in the present draw bars for the purpose of attaching the
screw coupling-Or the bolt may pass through the neck or pillar of a central
buffer.
And in order that my Invention may be more fully understood I have hereto
annexed a sheet of drawings illustrative thereof.
Figure 1 represents the adjacent ends of two carriages with the coupling parts
attached and in the process of coupling. Figure 2 represents them when coupled.
A are the ordinary draw hooks and B are my improved coupling pieces which are
hinged to the necks of the draw books by means of a bolt passing the tail pieces.
The outermost ends or jaws a of the couplings are formed with inclined faces
meeting at a horizontal apex in the central axis of the coupling..
The inside faces of the jaws which are in contact when coupled and through the
resistance of which the traction pressure is transmitted are slightly bevilled or
curved so that the tractive effort shall have no tendency to disengage them laterally,
the weight of the bars themselves being sufficient to prevent them disengaging
vertically.
The normal resting place of the bars whether coupled or single is upon the points
of the draw hooks or upon the inner and lower edge of a central buffer should tho
coupling be applied thereto.
The action of the apparatus is as follows :-
When two trucks, locomotive carriages, or other vehicles are brought together
the couplings meet each other point to point of their exterior inclined or wedge
shaped surfaces. Whichever of the two couplings happens to be in the slightest
degree higher than the other one rises and passes over the face thereof and having
done so it falls by its own weight and the coupling is complete. To disengage the
couplings I fit thereto lifting links C attached to any convenient rocking bar D
carried in suitable bearings on the front of each truck, locomotive, carriage or other

page_text: object, and provided with a handle E which may be reached without slipping
between the carriages. By the operation of the said rocking bar and lifting links
one or other of my automatic couplings can readily be lifted and disengaged from
its fellow, the coupling being then when disengaged allowed to drop when it is
ready for engagement in the next case.
It may be observed that my automatic coupling bar as above described, leaves
the present draw-hooks unaltered and that my couplings may be fitted without
alteration to the usual rolling stock in present use.
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
The use of coupling pieces B arranged so as to operate in inanner substantially
as herein shewn and described.