Improved Combined Automatic Safety Coupling for Rail and Tram Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 4th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 27th Apr.. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Combined Automatic Safety Coupling for Rail and
Tram Vehicles.
I ALBERT HUGHES of Tramway Carriage Works, Cleveland Street, Birkenhead
in the County of Chester, Partner in the Firm of George F. Milnes and Company
Tramway Carriage Manufacturers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
The main object is to provide for rail and tram vehicles an improved automatic
coupling capable of being tightened or having the slack gathered up and locked.
A coupling under my invention consists essentially of a link attached to one
The said
vehicle, adapted to fit within a bellmouthed receiver on another.
bellmouthed receiver is made below with a slot through which projects in an upward
direction the free end of a pivotted catch. The pivot of the catch is free to move
to and fro in guides beneath the receiver; and a weighted arm holds the catch in
position. The pivot of the catch is coupled by links to excentric pins carried on
discs free to rotate in bearings above the receiver. Motion is given to the discs by
means of a weighted lever attached to a shaft carrying the said discs. An aperture
is made in the upper side of the receiver into which the free end of the catch enters
when the coupling is locked.
The action is as follows:-When the vehicles are brought together the coupling
link enters the receiver and pushes away the free end of the catch until the weighted
arm lifts the said free end through the eye of the link. The discs are then turned
so as to draw the catch pivot along its bearings and take up any slack between the
vehicles, at the same time the free end of the said catch passes through the aperture
in the top of the receiver, and the coupling is effectually locked in position as a
straight line through the disc pins and catch pivot passes through or about the
centre of rotation of the discs.
The coupling link may project from a receiver in which case such receivers would
act as buffers.
Improved Combined Automatic Safety Coupling for Rail and
Tram Vehicles.
I ALBERT HUGHES of Tramway Carriage Works, Cleveland Street, Birkenhead
in the County of Chester, Partner in the Firm of George F. Milnes and Company,
Carriage Manufacturers, 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 :-
The main object is to provide for rail and train vehicles an improved automatic
coupling capable of being tightened or having the slack gathered up and locked.
A coupling under my invention consists essentially of a link attached to one
vehicle adapted to fit within a bell mouthed receiver on another. The said bell
ID027

page_text: mouthed receiver is made below with a slot through which projects in an upward
direction the free end of a pivotted catch. The pivot of the catch is free to move
to and fro in guides beneath the receiver, and a weighted arm holds the catch in
position. The pivot of the catch is coupled by links to excentric pins carried on
dises free to rotate in bearings above the receiver. Motion is given to the discs by
means of a weighted lever attached to a shaft carrying the said discs. An aperture
is made in the upper side of the receiver into which the free end of the catch enters
when the coupling is locked.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figs. 1 and 2 are longitudinal vertical sections, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of a
coupling under my invention.
a is a link secured in any convenient manner to one end of a railway or tramway
vehicle. is a bell-mouthed receiver secured to the opposite end of the said
vehicle, so that when two such vehicles are brought together, the link a of one, and
the bell mouth of the other are opposite to one another. Pin joints such as c, are
advantageously used to connect the links a, and bell mouthed receivers b, to the
drawbars or other convenient portion of the vehicles. The bell mouthed receiver
is made below with a slot d, through which projects in an upward direction the free
ende of a catch carried by a pivot f, free to move to and fro in guides g, one at
each side of the receiver b. h, is a weighted arm forming part of the catch to hold
the free end e in position. The pivot, is coupled by links i one at each side of the
bell mouthed receiver to excentric pins j, on discs k, free to rotate in bearings 1,
above the receiver b, one on each side. m, shaft carrying or made with the said
.discs k. n, weighted lever attached to the said, shaft m. o, aperture in the upper
side of the receiver b, to take the free end e of the catch.
When the vehicles are brought together the parts are in the position shown in
Fig. 1, and the link a enters the receiver b. and pushes away the free end e of the
catch until the weighted arms lifts the said free end of the catch through the eye
of the link as shown by the dotted lines.
The discs are then turned by depressing the weighted lever n so as to draw the
catch pivot f, along the guides or bearings g, into the position shown in Fig. 2, so
that any slack between the vehicles is taken up and the free end e, of the catch
enters or passes through the aperture o, in the top of the receiver and the coupling
is effectually locked in position, as a straight line joining the centres of the excentric
pins and catch pivot f passes through or about the centre of rotation of the
discs k.
The link a may project through a receiver such as b, in which case the receivers
would act as buffers.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The combination of the link a, a bell mouthed receiver having a slot d
below, and aperture o above a weighted catch carried by a pivot f, free to move to
and fro in guides g, below the receiver b the said pivot being coupled by links to
excentric pins carried by a shaft m free to rotate in bearings above the receiver b
the said shaft m being provided with a weighted lever k for the purpose set forth.
Second. Automatic couplings for railway and tramway vehicles constructed and
operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this Second day of March 1895.