Year: 1886

page_text: THOMAS WILLIAMS No. 13 Hutchinson Street Stockton-on-Tees County of
Durham Blacksmith, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Consists of a weigh-bar (a) placed beneath the bottom of wagon, which bar
revolves in bearings attached to bottom of wagon,
At a convenient distance from centre of the aforesaid weigh-bar two slots (b)
are made for insertion of the tongues of the aftermentioned jointed lifting arms or
levers, (c & d).
The coupling is raised by jointed arms acting upon a pin or pins (6) welded on
or tapped in or rivetted through the front link (f) of the coupling chain.
Each after-arm (d) is secured to or in weigh-bar (a) by a tongue (g) inserted in
a slot (b) punched in or cut through weigh-bar each tongue (g) being secured by a
pin going through weigh-bar and tongue.
The slots in weigh-bar (a) are made larger than the tongues to allow side motion
when wagons are going round curves.
A shoulder (i) is formed on each after-arm (d) to prevent the coupling chain, or
jointed arms (cd) going too far to the right or left when the front link (f.) of
the coupling chain is raised so as to be placed on the hook of the other wagon.
153
A double eye (k) is formed in after arm (d) for the insertion of end of fore-
arm (c).
The end of fore-arm (c) which is inserted in double eye (k) of after-arm is made
with an angled shoulder, to prevent the arms closing together, when the front link
of coupling chain is raised to an extreme height.
Jaws (1) are formed on the end of the front arm or lever for the raising of the
pins in front link of coupling chain; which jaws are made of sufficient length to
allow of action of the hook, drawbar, and spring, usually fitted to an ordinary
railway wagon or carriage.
Side levers (m) at each side of wagon are fitted on, or attached to ends of weigh-
bar by any common method, these side levers make weigh-bar revolve or partially
revolve and raise coupling chain by the actions of the aforesaid jointed arms or
levers (c&d) acting on the pin or pins in front link of coupling chain.
The jointed arms can be disconnected from weigh-bar at once by knocking out
the pins which go through the tongues of the jointed levers and slots in weigh-bar.
Dated this 28th day of January 1886.

page_text: THOMAS WILLIAMS Blacksmith No. 13 Hutchinson Street Stockton-on-Tees-
County of Durham, do hereby declare the nature of my invention for AN
IMPROVED RAILWAY WAGON OR CARRIAGE COUPLING and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My invention has for its object the coupling and uncoupling of railway wagons
or carriages by a simple mechanical arrangement that can easily be applied to the
existing couplings, enabling the work to be done without going between the
wagons or carriages.
For the purpose of my invention I have an arrangement of levers and arms
which are fully described hereafter, and which the accompanying drawings
illustrate. Fig. 1 being a side view with portions of sections of ends of two
wagons with portions of levers when coupled, also uncoupled and hanging down.
Fig. 2. is a plan of apparatus as shown in Fig. 1. without wagons, and with weigh-
bar broken. Fig. 3 is a view of portion of end of wagon. Fig. 4 is a plan showing
method of fastening jointed arms to weigh-bar. Fig. 5 is a view of hanging
weigh-bar. The same letters refer to corresponding parts in each figure.
My invention consists of a weigh-bar (A) placed beneath bottom of wagon which
bar partially revolves in bearings (B or B¹) attached to bottom of wagon, and
which bearings are either slotted as shown on Fig. 1 or hinged as shown on Fig. 5
to allow of easy coupling when wagons are pressed closely together.
At a convenient distance from the centre of the aforesaid weigh-bar two slots
are made for insertion of the tongues of the aftermentioned jointed lifting arms or
levers.
The coupling is raised by jointed arms acting upon a pin or pins welded on or
tapped in or rivetted through the front link of the coupling chain. Each after
arm (C & C¹) is secured to or in weigh-bar by a tongue inserted in a slot punched
in or cut through weigh-bar, each tongue being secured by a pin going through
weigh-bar and tongue.
t
The slots in weigh-bar are made larger than the tongues to allow side motions
when wagons are going round curves.
A shoulder is formed on each after arm to prevent the coupling chain or jointed
arms going too far to the right or left when the front link of this coupling chain is
raised so as to be placed on the hook of the other wagon.
A double eye is formed in each after arm for the insertion of ends of each fore-
arm (D & D¹).
•
⚫ The end of fore-arm which is inserted in double eye of after arm is made with
an angled shoulder to prevent the arms closing together if the front link of coupling
chain is raised to an extreme height.
Jaws are formed on the end of each of front arms or levers (D & D¹) for the
raising of the pins in front link of coupling chain which jaws are made of sufficient
length to allow of action of the hook, drawbar, and spring, usually fitted to an
ordinary railway truck or carriage.

page_text: Side levers (E & E¹) at each side of wagon are fitted on or attached to weigh-
bar (A) by any common method.
These side levers can be held in a position by the lower lip of either of the
hinged stoppers (F) placed on each side of wagon being brought to a right angle
with side of wagon, so that the front link of the coupling chain can be held at a
requisite height so as to drop on the hook of the other wagon at the will of the
shunter. As will be seen on reference to the drawing the lip of the hinge will fall
back to its original position by pressing down either of the side levers (E or E¹).
The mode of working the apparatus is by pressing down either of the side
levers (E or E) which makes the weigh-bar (A) partially revolve and raises the
coupling chain by the action of the jointed arms or levers (O & C¹) & (D & D¹)
acting on the pins in front link of coupling chain.
The jointed arms can be disconnected from the weigh-bar at once by knocking
out the pins which go through the tongues of the after jointed arms (C & C¹) and
the slots in weigh-bar (A).
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 combination of levers as shown on accompanying drawings by which two
wagons or carriages can be coupled or uncoupled, utilising the existing coupling
chains; and an easy method of connecting and disconnecting the apparatus to and
from the wagon or carriage, also a means of the existing front link of the coupling
chain being held above the hook of the other wagon so as to couple and uncouple
when required.
Dated this 27th day of September 1886.