and Tramway Carriages and other Rolling Stook.
Year: 1886

page_text: and Tramway Carriages and other Rolling Stook.
I WILLIAM BUCKWELL, of Ancona, in the Kingdom of Italy, Civil Engineer,
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:
This invention relates to improvements in and connected with the couplings of
railway and tramway carriages and other rolling stock, the object of the invention
being to provide improved means for automatically coupling the vehicles without
it being necessary to interfere with any of the appliances at present generally in
use for this purpose, and allowing of the latter being used if required in sub-
stitution of or in combination with the improved couplings, which can be actuated
from the ends or sides of the vehicles or from the ground, from footboards, from
the guards-box, from within the vehicle itself, or from any one or more of the
said positions; the invention has further for object to provide improved means of
safety for the employés who may have to pass from one side of the vehicles to the
other at the ends thereof, whether such vehicles be provided with my improved
couplings or those of hitherto known construction.
The appliances at present generally in use for connecting railway and like
vehicles consist of a coupling chain adapted to be attached to draw-bar hooks in
the centre of the ends of the vehicles about three feet in height above the rails――
the coupling chains being shortened by a right and left handed screw-ended rod,
having a ball lever jointed thereto, in the centre, for actuating the screws in link
nuts. Two side buffers are employed at about the same height above the rails as
the draw-bars and two side safety chains, near to the side buffers, that hook
together. All the said appliances or connections at the sides cause a great pushing
and pulling of the vehicles and tend to force the wheel flanges of the vehicles
from or against the rails to a much greater extent than would be the case if the
said appliances were placed at a less height,, and all more or less central, thereby
causing less variations in the direction of the strain and in the length or distance
for the connections to act from.
In order to uncouple, and to couple and screw up to place pressure upon the
buffers, and to hook the side chains, the, employés have to pass between the ends
of the vehicles on the ground at a great risk of injury or loss of life,

page_text: My invention consists firstly in the employment of a foot-board for affording
safety to the employés whilst operating the existing or my improved appliances
and whilst passing from side to side at the ends of the vehicles. Secondly-
In providing an automatic coupling as a permanent or temporary substitute for
the present coupling chains. Thirdly. In applying the safety chains near the
centre of the end of the vehicle so that from either side of the chains, both can be
easily and safely hooked together, or unhooked. Fourthly. In applying the
improved automatic coupling, or a duplicate thereof nine inches or thereabouts
nearer the rails, using the existing or other draw-bar (lowered or not) for fixing
the same thereto, and using or rendering available the place. of the present draw-
bar for a separate or connected means for actuating a controlling brake.-Fifthly.
In providing a single central buffer in place of the present buffers and placed
below the improved automatic coupling so that access can be obtained to all the
connections by means of my foot-board, and a step which I provide for stepping
over the connections. Suitable band rails are fixed at the ends of the vehicles.
In order to enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same
by reference to the accompanying drawing.
Figures 1, 3 and 5 are views of one of the ends of a railway vehicle shewing
the usual appliances for coupling the same and provided with my improved means
of safety, consisting of a foot-board at the end of the vehicle for giving access
thereto, and to allow of passing from side to side at the ends of the vehicles
which is often necessary when connecting or disconnecting the same; this required
safety is not obtained by merely providing means for automatically connecting or
disconnecting the vehicles as, when side safety-chains are used and the vehicles
are on a sharp curve, the employé attending to the automatic coupling, if he be on
the outside of the curve, cannot see or be seen by the engine driver or guard
many vehicles off unless he steps. onto another line of rails or into some other
position of danger; if however the employé pass to the inside of the curve he
can see and be seen, and by my improvements this can be done without his getting
off the vehicle onto the ground.
Figure 1, is an end elevation of the vehicle; figure 3 a plan of same and figure 5
a side elevation with the existing appliances for connecting the vehicles shewn in
full lines, a representing the buffers, b, the side safety chains, and c, the draw-bar
hook used with the existing chain coupling.; B represents my end foot-board
and B¹, B¹, are steps above the end foot-board B to allow of passing over the
connections from side to side of the vehicle without stepping onto the ground
between or at the ends of the Vehicles. Figure 7, is a plan view shewing an
arrangement of levers L for actuating my improved automatic coupling C on the
draw-bar book or lower down.-S is a spring on the lever attached to the uprights u,
at the back of the end-sill of the vehicle; figure 9 is a side elevation of one end
of a vehicle shewing an end view of the levers L. A is a rod or axle extending
from side to side of the vehicle and cranked or having cranked arms or catches K
to hold the lever L against the spring S, so as to prevent the couplings C from
becoming connected; the ends of the lever L projecting beyond the sides of the
vehicle are provided with knuckle guards; by pushing or pulling from the said
knuckle guards a certain distance the half coupling will disconnect and if pushed
or pulled still further, the crank catch K, of the rod or axle A, will engage with
and hold the lever back and prevent the couplings C from being connected, but by
lifting the crank K at either side, the lever L will be caused to move back by
the spring S and the half coupling will be automatically coupled or connected
to the half-coupling of a vehicle which may be moved thereto. The looped ends
of the lever L may be turned up or down vertically so as to project a shorter
distance beyond the sides of the vehicles It will be obvious that the lever L may
be placed on one side only of the vehicle, but in such case the adjacent vehicle
should have its lever on the opposite side thus allowing of the vehicles being
coupled from either side; figures 2, 4, and 6 represent my appliances for connecting
the vehicles shewn in full lines, the existing appliances shewn in dotted lines with
L L

page_text: the end-foot board B already described; all the said parts shewn in dotted lines
may however be dispensed with; figure 2 is an end elevation of the vehicle;
figure a plan of same and figure 6 a side elevation shewing my improvements
in full lines; a¹ shews the position of the single buffer and 61, 61, the position of
the safety chains. C is my improved automatic coupling on the draw-bar hook, or
it may be placed lower down as shewn at C¹ figure 6; t, b, are the lines of tension
bracing and 8, b, shews strut bracing; figure 8 is a plan view of the levers L, L¹ of
which the lever L is actuated by a link rack 1, r worked by a pinion P on the rod
or axle A¹ extending from side to side of the vehicle and cranked or provided with
cranked arms which may have balls o, at their ends as shewn in figure 10 which is
an end view of the rod or axle and arms; when the cranks K are hanging down
as shewn in figure 10 the spring S will cause the half coupling to move into position
to couple, clasp or connect with the balf coupling of a vehicle moved thereto, but
when the crank of the axle A¹ is turned up as shewn in dotted lines figure 10, the
lever L will be pulled against the spring S, the half coupling will be disconnected,
and the crank arm K being thus turned up beyond the vertical line will prevent
any connection of the vehicles. Or the axle A¹ may be arranged to actuate a
rack b, r, by means of a pinion P¹ so as to move a bell crank b, c, which will force
the lever L' against the spring S in a similar manner to that just described and
with the same effect-It will be obvious that the foot-board at the ends of the
vehicles, with steps for passing over the connecting appliances, will render the
operation of the same by employés or the examination of the automatic couplings
safe. At each end of the foot-board an intermediate step can be provided if
required between the same and the ground. The foot-boards are shewn with a
projection at a convenient distance from the centre to stand on, and this projection
is stayed by a diagonal stay from the upright u, and the foot-board can be also
fastened thereto as shewn in figures 5 and 6. Figure 11 is an elevation and
figure 13, a plan shewing my automatic coupling as applied to an existing draw-bar
hook h, when the latter has a spring movement; the coupling is shewn without a
spring but it is fixed so as to utilize the spring movement of the hook h, and is
employed in substitution of the present or old coupling chain, or of the side safety
chains with duplicate of it beneath; or when retaining the side safety chains with
or without shifting them the lower coupling can be used leaving the place of the
present draw-bar for the central working of a separate or connected continuous
brake; the coupling hook is formed with a staple or divided at d, so as to fit on
the sides of a link that passes over the hook h, and is formed into a bent lever g¹
to pass under the end sill of the vehicle, the divided part d of the coupling hook,
and the link g, are connected together by a bolt i, so that the motion given to the
lever g¹, of the link g, will move the coupling hook from coupling or clasping or
prevent it coupling or clasping, or cause it automatically to couple or clasp the
other coupling hook on the next adjacent vehicle, the lever g', of the link g, is con-
tinued back under the end sill of the vehicle so that the lever L¹ can actuate the
same by a bell-crank as shewn in dotted lines when this arrangement is most
suitable to the vehicle, and when the coupling C is actuated by a link rack l, r, on
the lever L, or by the lever L alone, the lever g¹, of the link g, is moved by a socket
ferrule or eye in which it easily slides so that the hook h, of the draw-bar when
connected to the vehicle by a spring can draw out without affecting the operation
of the coupling C, the ferrule or eye being kept from moving with the link lever g¹,
by a pin working in a radial slot on the under side of the sill; the ferrule or eye
socket is provided with arms to receive the levers L, to be actuated by a pinion P
on the rod or axle A¹, the same rod or axle serving to operate the pinion Plas
shewn in figure 8 as herein before described. When the levers L or L¹ are released
the springs S will force the coupling C in the required direction to couple the
same.
Figure 13 shews in full lines the meeting faces of the coupling hooks C at right
angles with the centre line of the vehicle which will allow of uncoupling while in
tension but I prefer to form the said meeting faces of the coupling hooks at an

page_text: angle as shewn in dotted lines in figure 13 and in full lines in Figure 14 as this
will afford a perfectly safe coupling by allowing for deviations from the direct
.central line of the vehicles. The thumb pieces t, of the couplings serve to guide
and secure the coupling hooks against vertical variations of position of the latter.
t
In uncoupling the coupling C of one vehicle is moved by the actuating levers so
as to be clear of and prevented from coupling with the coupling C of the adjacent
vehicle as shewn in dotted lines in figure 13.
Figures 12 and 14 are similar views to Figures 11 and 13 except that the
couplings C are shown applied below the underside of the sill and when as shewn
in the said figures 12 and 14 the coupling is on a rigid vertical axis A³ it is
advisable to make the coupling elastic as shewn by employing a piston B2 working
against a coil or other suitable spring B³; in order to fix this coupling the vertical
uprights before described may be employed firmly secured to the end sill with
tension bracing from the back extending diagonally to the centre of the sides of
the vehicles, thrust bracing being placed below to receive a central buffer in place
of the side buffers as before described and shewn in figures 2, 4 and 6, the framing
of the vehicles will be thereby strengthened.
Figure 15 shews a detached plan view of the lever L with link rack l, r,
Figure 17 is an elevation of one end of the link l, r; Figure 16 is a side view of
part of the ordinary draw-bar hook shewing a rest for use with the same (when
the eye or hole in the hook is oblong) to secure the bolt i, used for fixing my
improved coupling C, to the draw-bar hook h; a similar bolt i¹, is provided to fix
the coupling horizontally in the hook and like bolts serve as skackles for the safety
chains 6¹; the staples for the new position of the safety chains shewn in figure 14
would pass through the end sill and through the centre of the uprights u and the
staples can be elastically secured to the diagonal tension bracing herein before
described or to any other suitable bracing. By using the bolts or pins i,
constructed as shewn (and for which Letters Patent were granted to me dated
4th November 1884 No 14583) which are fixed by a quarter turn and the heads of
which are provided with eyes, chain couplings can in case of need be applied very
quickly; the eyes of the bolts i, serve for the introduction of a bar, such as the
metal handle of a hammer, to turn the same when they are too tight to be turned
by hand, the hammer serving to drive them out. By taking out the bolt 2,
Figures 11 and 13, the coupling C may be turned up and fixed up by the bolt i¹,
or it may hang down thereby leaving the draw-bar hook h, free to be used for the
ordinary coupling chain or the like. Ordinary screw or cotter bolts can of course
be used instead of the pins or bolts i, and i', but with less facility. The herein-
before described means for giving access to and the method of fixing my improved
couplings allow of the same being easily applied, exchanged, removed and replaced
or altered as may be required. All the connections and parts of the same can be
removed, exchanged and fixed together or to the vehicles by hand or by using a
hammer alone; the levers L, L¹, are fixed on the arms by a hole for the pin and,
by a simple hoop, band or sleeve driven on, are firmly secured, no nuts, pins, or
cotters being employed which are liable to become loose and drop down and any
breakage or fracture of any of the parts can be quickly repaired temporarily by any
ordinary employé.
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:-
1. In a railway or tramway carriage or other rolling stock the use of a foot
board or boards arranged at the end or ends of the vehicle in such a position as to
allow of a person passing with safety from one side to. the other of the vehicle and
of operating the couplings without it being necessary for the said person to descend
from the vehicle onto the ground substantially as herein before described and
represented in figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawing.

page_text: 2. In a railway or tramway carriage or other rolling stock the herein described
automatic couplings in combination with means such as those described for
operating the same the said couplings being adapted to be used as a permanent or
a temporary substitute for the present coupling chains substantially as hereinbefore
described and represented in the accompanying drawing.
3. In a railway or tramway carriage or other rolling stock provided with a foot
board or boards as herein described arranging the safety chains near the centre of
the end of the vehicle in such a manner that both the said chains can be easily
and safely hooked together or unhooked from either side of the chains substan-
tially as herein before described and represented in figures 2, 4, 6, and 14 of the
accompanying drawing.
4. In a railway or tramway carriage or other rolling stock arranging the herein
described automatic coupling or a duplicate thereof at a point below the position of
the present draw bar hook substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore
described and represented in figures 2, 4, 6, 12, and 14 of the accompanying
drawing.
•
5. In a railway or tramway carriage or other rolling stock, the combination
with an automatic coupling constructed as herein described of a single centrally
placed buffer situated below the said coupling substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and represented in figures 2, 4 and 6 of the
accompanying drawing.
6. In a railway or tramway carriage or other rolling stock the herein described
means for attaching my improved couplings to existing draw bar hooks substan-
tially as herein before described and represented in figures 11 and 13 of the
accompanying drawing.
7. In a railway or tramway carriage or other rolling stock the berein described
spring connection for my improved couplings when the same are fixed to a rigid
vertical axis substantially as hereinbefore described and represented in figures 12
and 14 of the accompanying drawing.
8. The improved railway or tramway carriages herein before described and
represented in the various figures of the accompanying drawing.
Dated the 26th day of Tahoe 1000
G. F. REDFERN,
Agent for the Applicant.