A New or Improved Attachment for Actuating the Couplings of Rail- way Vehicles.
Year: 1899

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Date of Application, 18th Nov., 1899.
Complete Specification Left, 18th Aug., 1900-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Attachment for Actuating the Couplings of Rail-
way Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM HESLOP, of Elford Place, Roundhay Road, Leeds, in the County
of York, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
―:
This invention refers to an attachment for actuating the couplings of railway
vehicles, and its object is to enable the same to be coupled and uncoupled at will
from the outside of the said vehicles, thus dispensing with the necessity of enter-
ing between the buffers with its consequent danger to life and limb.
In carrying the invention into effect the ordinary coupling links and hooks
are employed, and the front link is connected to an attachment which is con-
trolled in position vertically or horizontally from the outside of the vehicle by
means of a pair of levers situated on each side of the vehicle. The horizontal
movement is obtained by means of a sliding rod passing through the centre of
a casing and the latter is fulcrumed on a bracket in such a manner that it
may be directed up or down at will. The rocking of the casing is effected by
means of a lever fulcrumed on the bracket which is connected to the frame of
the vehicle, and the sliding movement of the rod is controlled by a lever ful-
crumed to a bracket on the casing. The front link of the coupling is connected
to the outer end of the sliding rod and it is thus under perfect control of the
two levers, and as these are in duplicate and project to both sides of the vehicle
the coupling may be connected or disconnected at will from either side.
Dated this 18th day of Novambar 1899
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.
A New or Improved Attachment for Actuating the Couplings of Rail-
way Vehicles.
f
I, WILLIAM HESLOP, of Elford Place, Roundhay Road, Leeds, in the County
of York, 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 refers to an attachment for actuating the couplings of railway
vehicles and its object is to enable the operator to quickly couple uncouple
or
such vehicles at will, from the outside of the vehicles, at either side thereof, and
077'

page_text: thus dispense with the necessity of entering between the buffers, with its conse-
quent danger to life and limb.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to des-
cribe same with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which similar refer-
ence letters refer to like parts, in both figures.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an attachment constructed in accordance with
my invention, showing its application to a pair of railway vehicles, which latter
are illustrated partly in section; and Figure 2 is a part sectional plan of the
same.
In carrying this invention into effect, the vehicles A and B are provided with
the ordinary fixed central hooks C and D and coupling links E, and G. To
a frame H of the vehicle I attach a forked bracket J, between the jaws of which
is fulcrumed at K a vertically rocking casing L, and the latter is provided with
a stop M which comes in contact with the interior face of the bracket J, when
the casing is in its normal position, as shown in the drawing. A sliding rod N
passes through the casing L, having a crosshead N¹ at its forward end, which
passes out at each side of the casing L through slots L₁ in the sides thereof, and
to this crosshead N¹ is attached the coupling link G, by means of distance rods G¹,
one on either side of same, so as to firmly support it in position. Extending out-
wardly from either side of the casing L, and preferably centrally over the ful-
crum K, are two brackets P P¹, on the outer ends of which are fulcrumed
levers R R¹, provided with slot holes S S¹ on their inner ends, which take over
a pin N2 fixed in the sliding rod N, whilst the free ends of such levers R. R¹
extend to the outside of the vehicle. A slot L² in the upper portion of the cas-
ing L acts as a guide for the pin №2 of the sliding rod N.
In coupling the vehicles A and B together, the operator stands on the outside
of the vehicles and takes hold of the free end of either of the levers R R¹, say
the lever R if he be on the left hand side, and moves it on its fulcrum, so as to
oscillate its inner slotted end, when the sliding rod N, through the medium of
the pin N2, is forced forward through the casing L, carrying with it the fixed
coupling link G, and when the forward end of the sliding rod N has been advanced
sufficiently to bring the front edge of the link G near the hook C, the casing L
is rocked on its fulcrum K by a lifting action effected by the operator on the hand
lever R, thereby tipping up the front end of the casing L and with it the coup-
ling link G which is thus raised above the hook C, and by a slight continued
forward movement of the sliding rod N through the continued pressure on the
hand lever R, the link G passes over and engages the hook C, whilst the loose
links E and F continue the connection from the hook C to the hook D.
In uncoupling the vehicles A and B, and supposing the operator to be still
on the left hand side of the vehicles, the hand lever R is again oscillated so as
to slightly advance the sliding rod N, which causes the coupling link G to pass
up and out of the hook C, when, by letting loose the hand lever R, the sliding
rod N recedes through its casing L, by reason of its inclination and weight,
carrying with it the coupling link G, whilst the casing L rocks on its fulcrum K,
and lowers its forward end until the stop M comes in contact with the bracket J,
thus bringing the various parts back to their normal positions as shown in the
drawing.
The casing L is so balanced on its fulcrum K as to remain normally with
its stop M against the bracket J, whilst at the same time it may be readily rocked
through the medium of the hand levers R R¹ during the coupling or uncoupling
operations.
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. An attachment for actuating the couplings of railway vehicles, consisting
of a casing fulcrumed on a bracket on the frame of the vehicle, a sliding rod

page_text: passing through such casing and carrying the coupling links at its forward end,
and hand levers passing to either side of the vehicle, by which the sliding rod
is actuated, substantially as herein set forth.
2. Couplings for railway vehicles consisting of hooks C and D, and coupling
links E, F and G, in combination with frame H, forked bracket J, casing L,
stop M, sliding rod N, crosshead N, distance rods G¹, pin. N³, brackets P P¹,
and levers R R¹, substantially as herein set forth.
3. The general arrangement, construction and combination of the various parts
forming the attachment for actuating the couplings of railway vehicles, substan-
tially as herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawing.
Dated this 18th day of August 1900.
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.