Improvements in Buffer Couplings for Railway Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 8th July, 1896
Complete Specification Left, 8th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 5th June, 1897
Improvements in Buffer Couplings for Railway Vehicles and
the like.
1, GEORGE JOHNSTON, of 65, Eastbourne Street, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention has for its object an arrangement of a central buffer and coupling
in one which shall automatically couple up.
. I take a central buffer and form the slots or openings therein. The coupling
pin is provided with a projecting arm which is capable of entering the slot in
the buffer. It is also provided with a saddle, which, while keeping the pin from
turning, enables it to freely slide up and down, but prevents the pin being drawn
entirely out. The saddle is provided at the bottom with a catch or its equivalent
mounted on a transverse spindle and adapted to engage an abutment on the buffer
head, said catch being controlled by a spring. The result is that when the draw
link is pressed into the buffer head, the draw link pushing back the catch will
disengage it from the abutment, allowing the coupling pin to fall down through
the link and through the holes in the buffer head above and below. The
coupling pin is raised when required by means of a chain coupled to the shackle
in any suitable manner. A stop prevents the catch turning too far forward.
The mode of action of the coupling link itself is as follows:-
When two vehicles come together the draw link automatically enters the bell
mouth of the central buffer and is guided by the chamfered mouth thereof into
the exact position for the coupling pin to fall, the link pushing back the catch from
engagement with the abutment on the carriages coming together, leaves the pin free
to fall through the link and thus fastens the buffers. The moment however the
pin is raised from the link and the two carriages separated, the spring catch flies
into position engaging the abutment on the buffer and prevents the pin from again
falling into position until this or another link is again inserted, when the weight
of the pin and its saddle on the pushing back of the catch by the link causes the
said pin to fall and lock the coupling link. The weight of the pin together with
its saddle pressing through the arm on the link, holds the link in a horizontal
line, so that when two buffers are brought together the coupling link of one buffer
will approach the mouth of the other buffer horizontally, and furthermore the
mouth of the buffer being chamfered ensures the link entering it even if one buffer
is on a lower plane than the adjacent buffer.
Deted thin 7th 1-
1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, Patent Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buffer Couplings for Railway Vehicles and
the like.
I, GEORGE JOHNSTON of 65 Eastbourne Street, Liverpool in the County of
Lancaster, 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 has for its object an arrangement of a central buffer and
coupling in one which shall automatically couple up.
The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being
had to the accompanying drawings, in which,
Figure 1 is a sectional elevation;
Figure 2, an end elevation;
Figure 3, a plan;
Figure 4, a detail end view of the spring catch; and
Figure 5, a front view.
Figures 6 and 7 detail views.
Referring to these figures, I take a central buffer such as A and form the slots
or openings B and B' therein. C is the coupling pin provided with the projecting
arm c which is capable of entering the slot B in the buffer. It is also provided
with a saddle D, which, while keeping the pin from turning, enables it to freely
slide up and down, but prevents the pin being drawn entirely out. The saddle D
is provided at the bottom with a catch E or its equivalent mounted on the trans-
verse spindle E' and adapted to engage an abutment e on the buffer head, said
catch E being controlled by a spring F. The result is that when the draw link G
is pressed into the buffer head, the draw link pushing back the catch will disengage
it from the abutment e, allowing the coupling pin to fall down through the link
and through the holes in the buffer head above and below. The coupling pin is
raised when required by means of a chain coupled to the shackle G in any suitable
manner. His a stop which prevents the catch e turning too far forward.
The mode of action of the coupling link itself is as follows;-
When two vehicles come together the draw link automatically enters the bell
mouth of the central buffer and is guided by the chamfered mouth thereof into
the exact position for the coupling pin C to fall, the link G pushing back the
catch E from engagement with the abutment e on the carriages coming together,-
leaves the pin C free to fall through the link G and thus fastens the buffers. The
moment however the pin C is raised from the link G and the two carriages
separated, the spring catch E flies into position engaging the abutment e on the
buffer and prevents the pin from again falling into position until this or another
link is again inserted, when the weight of the pin and its saddle on the pushing
back of the catch E by the link G causes the said pin to fall and lock the coupling
link. The weight of the pin together with its saddle pressing through the arm c
on the link, holds the link in a horizontal line, so that when two buffers are brought
together the coupling link of one buffer will approach the mouth of the other
buffer horizontally, and furthermore the mouth of the buffer being chamfered
ensures the link entering it, even if one buffer is on a lower plane than the adjacent
buffer.
The dotted lines in Figure 1 show the position of the catch E when it is
pushed back by the link G on two vehicles coming together. Thus in shunting
operations, if the coupling pin C is raised by being suspended by the uncoupling
gear connected to the shackle G¹, a clear space is provided in the buffer for the
entrance of the draw link.

page_text: Figures 6 and 7 show a slight modification of the spring catch and its spring, in
which E is the catch, F a spiral spring abutting at one end against a solid abut-
ment in the saddle D, and at the other against a shoulder in the catch E. The
tendency of this spring therefore is to keep the catch normally in engagement with
the abutment e in the buffer head.
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. The improvement in central buffers and couplings of that kind in which
coupling pins are used for engaging the draw link, namely, providing the coupling
pin with a spring catch or its equivalent for engaging an abutment on the buffer,
the said spring catch or its equivalent being so arranged that when a draw link is
pressed into the mouth of the buffer it will press back the catch, allowing the
coupling pin to fall down through the link and thus automatically engage it.
2. In central buffing and drawing apparatus of that kind in which coupling pins
are used for engaging the draw links on two buffers coming together, forming or
providing the coupling pins with a spring catch or its equivalent and the buffer box
with an abutment, the said spring catch and abutment being so combined and
arranged that when a draw link is pressed against the spring catch it will be pushed
out of engagement with the abutment, allowing the coupling pin to fall down and
engage the link, thus fastening two buffers together, while the moment the coupling
pin is withdrawn from the link and the two buffers separated, the spring catch will
engage the abutment and prevent the coupling pin from again falling down until
the same or another link is again inserted, substantially as described.
3. The general combined arrangement and construction of parts forming my
improved automatic central buffers or couplings, substantially as set forth.
Dated this 7th de
CA 1907
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London,
Patent Agents.
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London,
Patent Agents.