IMPROVED SELF-ACTING COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK
Year: 1871

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Silas Rogers, of 123, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVED SELF-ACTING
COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, AND OTHER
ROLLING STOCK."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Silas Rogers at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th November 1871.
I, SILAS ROGERS, of 123, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED SELF-
ACTING COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK,"
to be as follows:-
In the centre of one end of the carriage or vehicle are bolted projecting
coupling links or eyes for the reception of two hooks at the centre of the
adjoining carriage or vehicle. These hooks are fixed on projecting
bearings containing pivots working in connection with two helical or
other springs.

page_text: A bolt works backwards and forwards in the bearings by means of a
lever or levers fixed at any desired position on the carriage or vehicle.
By this means the bolt is moved to and fro so as to leave the hooks free
to be turned by their springs or uncoupled as required.
When the hooks are bolted and the ends of two carriages come
together, the projecting coupling links or eyes strike the hooks, causing
the latter to turn on their pivots, and when the links or eyes have passed
a certain distance the springs in connection with the hooks cause the
latter to shoot into the respective links or eyes, and connect the two
carriages or vehicles together.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Silas Rogers in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 30th May 1872.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SILAS
ROGERS, of 123, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, in the
thirty-fifth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Silas Rogers, Her special licence
that I, the said Silas Rogers, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Silas Rogers, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVED SELF-
ACTING COUPLINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, WAGGONS, AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Silas Rogers, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,

page_text: or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the
Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Silas Rogers, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet
of Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon (that is
to say) :-
:-
In the centre of one end of the carriage or vehicle is bolted a pro-
jecting coupling link or links for the reception of a hook or hooks at the
centre of the adjoining carriage or vehicle, or a combined hook and link
may be fixed to either carriage. The hooks are pivoted on projecting
bearings and work in connection with two springs.
A bolt works backwards and forwards in the bearings by means of a
lever or levers fixed at any desired position on the carriage or vehicle.
By this means the bolt is moved to and fro so as to leave the hooks free
to turn upon their pivots when said bolt is drawn back, or to take up
their position for coupling when the bolt is moved forward and occupies
a position at the back of the hook, said hook being kept at right angles
to the bearings by the action of the spring.
When the hooks are bolted and the ends of two carriages come
together the projecting coupling links strike the hooks, causing the
latter to turn on their pivots, and when the links have passed a certain
distance the springs in connection with the hooks cause the latter to
shoot into their links and connect the carriages or vehicles together.
To uncouple or disconnect the hooks and links the bolt is drawn back
by the lever and the carriages are uncoupled.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of one arrange-
ment of my self-acting couplings, and of the framework of an ordinary
railway carriage or waggon; Fig. 2 is a section, on line o, z, of Fig. 1;
and Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of modifications of my self-acting
couplings. The same letters refer to the same parts in all the Drawings.

page_text: Fig. 1 represents one arrangement of my improved self-acting couplings,
consisting of a combined hook and link connected to the "draw bars"
of the carriages. A is the projecting bearing; B is the draw bar; C is
the coupling link or eye; D is the hook pivoted to the projecting
bearing and working in connection with the spring E. A bolt F
is worked backwards and forwards in the bearing by means of a fork G
attached to a bar H, fixed horizontally on the "head stock," and
extending from one side of the carriage to the other (or the bolt F may
be worked by a cog wheel fixed to the bar H, as shewn in Fig. 4);
levers I are fixed to the end of the bar H, by which the bar is made to
work the bolt F. The bearings K of the bar H are fitted with spiral
springs to allow of their " giving" with the draw bar B. When the
bolt F is drawn back it leaves the hooks D free to turn upon their pivots,
and while the bolt F is in this position it is impossible for the carriages
to couple.
When the carriages are required to be coupled the levers I are pushed
down, and the bolts are thereby moved forward. The bolts F in being
moved forward comeing in contact with the square corners of the hooks D
tilt the hooks into a position at right angles to the bearings, and take
up their position behind the said hooks, when it is only possible for the
hooks to turn in one direction, videlicet, upon the springs E.
When the hooks D are thus bolted, and the ends of two carriages come
together, the projecting coupling links C strike against their respective
hooks, causing the latter to turn on their pivots, and when the links C
have passed a certain distance the springs E working in connection with
the hooks D cause the latter to shoot into their respective links, and
connect the two carriages together.
To uncouple or disconnect the carriages the bolts F are drawn back
(by the action of levers I), leaving the hooks D free to turn upon their
pivots.
It may be found necessary to fix a clamp at the back of the projecting
bearing A, containing the hook, to give strength to said bearing.
In Fig. 3, shewing a modification of my self-acting coupling, there is
a bearing A, to which is pivoted two hooks D, D, which engage (on the
two vehicles to be coupled coming together) with two links C, C, the
mode of uncoupling and coupling by the action of the levers I, being the
same as that in the arrangement illustrated by Fig. 1.

page_text: In Fig. 4 is shewn a further modification of my coupling, the links
being placed at an obtuse angle with the end of the carriage. These are
so placed to accommodate the couplings to curves, to prevent strain, and
"the placing at an angle" can be applied to the arrangement shewn in
Fig. 1.
Having now described my said Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into effect, I desire it to be understood that I claim, the
improved self-acting couplings for railway carriages, waggons, and other
rolling stock, as herein described and shewn on the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Silas Rogers, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-two.