Combined Automatic Coupling and Buffer for Railway and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 28th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 5th May, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Combined Automatic Coupling and Buffer for Railway and like
Vehicles.
JOHN THOMAS, Draughtsman, 17, Ormeley Road, Balham, London, S.W.,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The apparatus consists of a shank provided at one end with nuts, washers,
& a spring of the usual form, & at the other end with a square head, having
projections on the outside face with inclined planes & shoulders; a weighted
lever is fitted to the head of the buffer, the arm of the lever extending as
far as the side of the vehicle. When the vehicles come together for the purpose
of coupling, the inclined parts of the one coupling come in contact with the
inclined parts of the coupling on the vehicle next to it, and the forward
movement of the vehicle causes the couplings to revolve or twist, in opposite
directions, until the shoulder on the one coupling falls into a corresponding
recess in the other coupling by the action of the weighted lever, which locks
he couplings and thus forms a combination buffer and coupling: by raising
The weighted lever the vehicles become uncoupled.
Dated this 27th day of June 1899.
Combined Automatic Coupling and Buffer for Railway and like
Vehicles.
JOHN THOMAS, 17, Ormeley Road, Balham, London, S.W., Draughtsman,
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:-
-
Fig. 1 shews the end elevation, Fig. 2 the side elevation, and Fig. 3 the
plan, of the apparatus in position on the vehicle.
The apparatus consists of a shank marked "A" on the drawing, and a
head marked 3"; the shank is screwed at the end farthest away from the
head and is fitted with nuts, washers, buffing and draw springs of the usual
form in use on railways; the head may be either made solid with the shank,
or made loose and held to the shank by a pin; on the end of the shank next
the head a lever, marked "C" on the drawing, and forged with an eye, is
threaded on to the shank, the arm of this lever extends as far as the side of
the vehicle and works in a guide marked "D," the top end of which is pinned
TD 077

page_text: to the end of the vehicle, the bottom end being fitted with a bracket marked "E"
on the drawing, and which is fixed to the buffer beam of the vehicle by bolts,
The head of the coupling, looking on the end of it is of rectangular form
having two projections marked "G" solid with the head, one of the projections
being placed at the right hand top corner, and the other at
the bottom left hand corner, with a space between the lower
surface of the top projection and the upper surface of the lower
projection; the projections, looking on the plan, are each made in the form of
hooks with the openings facing towards the centre, but with their points cut
off, leaving a shoulder on each which forms the bearing or pulling surfaces
of the couplings when coupled together, the shoulders referred to are marked "F"
on the drawing. When the vehicles come together for the purpose of coupling,
the ends of the projections on the head, which are formed with curved or inclined
faces, come in contact, and the movement of the vehicle or vehicles causes the
one or both couplings to revolve, or twist in their bearings in the vehicles,
and raising the side lever or levers, until the shoulders on the projections of
one coupling pass the shoulders on the projections of the coupling of the vehicle
next to it, when the action of gravity on the lever causes it to drop, the shoulders
on the projections falling or twisting into the openings in the projections, the
lever being held in the down or coupled position by an automatic catch, or
pin, fitted to the guide; by raising the lever by hand the vehicles become
uncoupled the ends of the projections on the heads coming in contact with
the heads act as a buffer to the vehicles.
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
1 claim is:-
1. The form and structural arrangement of the buffer head and coupling pro-
jections.
2. The use of a side lever fitted to the buffing and drawing shank.
1
JOHN THOMAS.