IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Attock Superintendent of the Lancashire and
Yorkshire Carriage Works of Newton Heath near Manchester in the County
of Lancaster for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Attock at the
Office of the Commissioners of. Patents on the 20th January 1883.
FREDERICK ATTOCK Superintendent of the Lancashire and York-hire Carriage
Works of Newton Heath near Manchester in the County of Lancaster. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO COUPLINGS OF RAILWAY WAGONS AND OTHER VEHICLES
RUNNING ON RAILS"
"
The object of this Invention is so to improve the coupling apparatus of railway
wagons that the same can be coupled and uncoupled froin either side of the wagons
and this without the attendant having to pass between the wagons to couple and
uncouple as now practised and which operation is attended with much risk and
danger.
In carrying out my invention I elongate the last link of the ordinary coupling
chain so as to permit the same to pass over the hook upon the draw bar to which
such chain is linked and when not in use to be hung up out of the way on to a
separate hook at a higher level and also to avoid the necessity of separating the
wagons in consequence as in some cases of the hooks of the adjoining wagon coming
so close together that it is impossible otherwise to pass the link of the one over the
hook of the other without first so separating then.
This elongated link is further provided at each side with a rigid lever arm which
extends outwards and the handle of which is conveniently disposed under the
buffer and at a convenient height for the attendant to lay hold of.
The fulcrum of this lever arm consists by preference of a short length of chain

page_text: suspended from a suitable bracket affixed to the end of the wagon. The mode of
using this improved coupling apparatus may be described as follows
Eech end of the wagons to be coupled being fitted with my improved coupling
and the elongated links being suspended upon their respective separate hooks all
that is necessary is for the attendant to lay hold of the handle of the lever arm of 5
one of the coupling chains and by means of such lever arm to lift the elongated
link off its hook and to hang the same over the draw bar hook of the wagon to
which it is to be coupled and thus the coupling operation is effected by moans of
the lever arm and without the attendant having to pass between the vehicles.
Although only described as applied to railway wagons it will be readily apparent
that these improvements are equally applicable to couplings of railway carriages
and other vehicles running upon rails.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Frederick Attock in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th July
1883.
FREDERICK ATTOCK, Superintendent of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Carriage
Works, of Newton Heath, Near Manchester in the County of Lancaster "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO COUPLINGS OF RAILWAY WAGONS' AND OTHER VEHICLES
RUNNING ON RAILS.
The object of this invention is so to improve the coupling apparatus of railway
wagons that the same can be coupled and uncoupled from either side of the wagons
and this without the attendant having to pass between the wagons to couple and
uncouple as now practised and which operation is attended with much risk and
danger.
In carrying out my invention I elongate the last link of the ordinary coupling
chain so as to permit the same to pass over the hook upon the draw-bar to which
such chain is linked and when not in use to be hung up out of the way on to a
separate hook at a higher level and also to avoid the necessity of separating the
wagons in consequence as in some cases of the hooks of the adjoining wagons coming
so close together that it is impossible otherwise to pass the link of the one over the
book of the other without first so separating them.
This elongated link is further provided at each side with a rigid lever arm which
extends outwards and the handle of which is conveniently disposed under the
buffer and at a convenient height for the attendant to lay hold of.
The fulcrum of this lever arm consists by preference of a short length of chain
suspended from a suitable bracket affixed to the end of the wagon.
And in order that this my said invention may be the more readily understood
and carried into practical effect I have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings
illustrative of my improvements in coupling apparatus for railway wagons and
other vehicles and will now proceed to describe the same with the assistance of the
various Figures and letters of reference marked thereon. -
יז
Fig 1 is a side view partly in section and Fig 2 an end view of a railway wagon.
having my improved coupling apparatus applied thereto. This wagon is shewn
fitted with spring buffers. Fig 3 is a side view partly in section and Fig 4 an end
view of a railway wagon with dead or solid buffers and having my invention
applied thereto. Fig 5 represents a pair of railway wagons coupled together ip
accordance with my invention. In all the views the same letters of reference als
used
ed to denote similar parts ention. I employ the ordinary coupling chain A but ).
elongate the last link B of such coupling chain so as to permit the same to pass
over the hook C upon the draw-bar to which such chain is linked and when not in
use to be hung up out of the way on to a separate hook D at a higher level and
also to avoid the necessity of separating the wagons in consequence as in some
cases of the hooks of the adjoining wagons coming so close together that it is
impossible otherwise to pass the link of the one over the hook of the other without
first so separating them. This elongated link B is further provided at each side
with a rigid lever arm E which extends outwards and the handle F of which is
conveniently disposed under the buffer G and at a convenient height for the
attendant to lay hold of.
It will be observed that the links B illustrated in Figs 2 and 4 differ somewhat
in form, this is owing to the position of the shackle and pin-in the one case
(Fig 2) the link B is widened out to pass over the shackle and pin H whilst in the

page_text: other (Fig 4) the link B has not so to pass over but hangs in front of the shackle
and pin H¹.
Fig 6 represents a front view of another form of wide link. In some cases it
would be practicable to dispense with the shackle and to connect the coupling chain
to a slot in the hook as indicated in Fig 7 in which case a considerably narrower
link B can be employed. The fulcrum of this lever arin E consists by preference of
a short length of chain I suspended from a suitable bracket J affixed to the end of
the wagon and an additional piece of chain is also provided as illustrated with a
ring K at its extremity. Instead of this rigid bracket J I sometimes employ a
spring bracket J' as illustrated in Fig 8 which yields in case the coupled wagons
become so far separated as to put a strain upon the supporting chain I.
The mode of using this improved coupling apparatus may be described as
follows:-
Each end of the wagons to be coupled being fitted with my improved coupling
and the elongated links B being suspended upon their respective separate hooks D:
all that is necessary in using the coupling is for the operator to place one hand on
the handle F and the other on the ring K of the lever arm E at either side of the
wagon then by applying pressure upon the lever arm and the chain I acting as a
fulcrum the operator has full control over the apparatus and can readily lift the
elongated link B off its hook D and pass it over the draw bar hook C of the wagon
to which it is to be coupled and thus the coupling or un-coupling operation is
effected by means of the lever arm E and without the attendant having to pass
between the vehicles.
»
One great advantage in this coupling is that with the link being suspended above
the draw hook as described no difficulty is experienced in applying the coupling
even though the draw-hooks are "Buffed up close together thereby dispensing
the necessity of having to separate the wagons before they can be coupled up
which is the case with all couplings in which the link is suspended below the hook.
The arrangement is applicable to wagons having continuous or non-continuous
draw-bars, also to wagons fitted with spring or dead buffers and although only
described as applied to wagons is equally applicable to Railway carrages and all
other vehicles running on rails.
Having thus particularly described and ascertained the nature of this my said
invention together with the best methods with which I am acquainted for carrying
the same into practical effect I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not
confine myself to the precise details relative proportions or dimensions of the various
parts of my improved railway coupling apparatus as the same may be considerably
varied without departing from the invention, but what I claim is :-
In coupling apparatus for Railway wagons and other vehicles the employment at
the extremity of the ordinary coupling chain of an elongated link capable of passing 4
over and being suspended above the draw-bar hook in combination with hand levers
Inounted and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated on
the accompanying drawing.
In witness whereof I the said Frederick Attock have hereunto set my hand
and seal this nineteenth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand 4
Eight hundred and Eighty three.