IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY WAGGONS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Hudson, of Gildersome, near Leeds, in the County
of York, Engineer and Ironfounder, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY WAGGONS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Hudson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th October 1881.
•
ROBERT HUDSON, of Gildersome, near Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer
and Ironfounder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY WAGGONS.
My Invention has for object improvements in railway and tramway wagons, and
has reference to improved means or apparatus for preventing railway and tramway
wagons from becoming accidentally uncoupled or detached from one another
during transit by jolts or jerks to which they are liable. For this purpose to the
end of the wagon and immediately over the draghook or drawbar by which it is
drawn along I fix a suitable pawl or detent in such wise that it will pass into or
over and form a block to the opening of the said hook to prevent the coupling link
from being jerked out of the hook by any sudden concussion or other irregular
motion such as railway and tramway wagons are liable to.
The pawl or detent is so mounted as to be capable of being turned sideways by
hand away from or out of the opening of the draghook to permit of the coupling
link being connected thereto or disconnected therefrom.
To prevent drawbars of the kind or construction which is fully described in the
Specification filed in pursuance of the Letters Patent granted to me on the
8th January 1881, and numbered 102, from being accidentally turned in their
bearings through the effect of jolting or jerking, and thus releasing the end door of
the wagon, I fix a catch or keep pawl in such a manner over the releasing handle
of the drawbar that the latter becomes locked in its position and cannot be operated
until the catch or keep pawl has been moved out of the way. The handle on
being turned back to refasten the door simultaneously moves back the said catch
or keep pawl until it again locks the handle in position.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Robert Hudson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st April
1882,
ROBERT HUDSON, of Gildersome, near Leeds, in the County of York, Engineer
and Ironfounder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY WAGGONS."
Railway and tramway waggons during transit are liable to become uncoupled
through jolting, jerking, or concussion, and from this cause serious accidents, losses,
and other inconveniences result.
Now my Invention is designed to prevent such uncoupling or detachment of
waggons from one another. For this purpose to the end of the waggon and imme
diately over the draghook or drawbar by which it is drawn along I provide a
keeper resembling a pawl or detent of such form and applied in such wise that it
will pass into or over and form a block to the opening of the said hook to prevent
the coupling link from being jerked out of the hook by any sudden concussion or
other irregular motion such as railway and tramway waggons are liable to. The
said keeper is so mounted as to be capable of being turned sideways by hand away
from or out of the opening of the draghook to permit of the coupling link being
connected thereto or disconnected therefrom.
To prevent drawbars of the kind or construction which is fully described in the
Specification filed in pursuance of the Letters Patent granted to me on the
8th January 1881, and numbered 102, from being accidentally turned in their
bearings through the effect of jolting or jerking, which would not only release the
end door of the waggon, but by turning the draghook (which is of one piece with
the said drawbar) sideways and away from the beforementioned keeper would also
offer facility for the coupling link being jerked from the said draghook, I provide
a catch or keep pawl applied in such a manner over the releasing handle of the
drawbar that the latter becomes locked in its position, and cannot be operated
until the catch or keep pawl has been moved out of the way. The handle on
being turned back to refasten the door simultaneously moves back the said catch
or keep pawl until it again locks the handle in position.
In the accompanying Sheet of explanatory Drawings the same letters refer to
the same or like parts wherever they occur. Fig. 1 shews a front view of a
waggon looking at the door; Fig. 2, a side view; and Fig. 3, a back view.
The application of my improvements is illustrated in these views. Figs. 4, 5,
and 6 aro larger scalo detail views. A is the drawbar, the general features of
which are as those described in the Specification of my previous Patent above
referred to. According to the first part of my present Invention I provide a
keeper B resembling a pawl or detent able to turn upon the pin C when moved
by hand as required to place the link of the coupling chain into the draghook,
after which by its preponderating weight at the end B1 the keeper B assumes the
position shewn, Fig. 1 and Figs. 4 and 5 passing into or over the opening of the
hook, and thus forming a stop such as will prevent the said link from being jerked
from the hook by any of the abovenamed causes.
When it is required to remove the link from the hook (that is to uncouple) the
keeper B is turned on one side to permit of such removal.
According to the second part of my Invention the handle or lever part D of
the beforementioned drawbar is made of the peculiar configuration (or its
equivalent), as shewn in Figs. 2, 3, 6, and 7, the upper end being so shaped as to
receive and be locked by the end E 1 of the keep pawl E which is mounted on the
pin F and is free to turn thereon, so that when the handle or lever D and the
catch or keep pawl E are in the relative positions shewn in full lines in the

page_text: Drawings, the handle or lever D is effectually locked. G is a stop pin to which
the handle or lever D has to be moved when the door at the front has to be secured
by the turnbuckle A 1 at the other end of the drawbar A, Figs. 1, 2, and 5. When
the said door requires to be opened the said catch or keep pawl E is first moved to
the position E 2, indicated by dotted lines, until it comes in contact with the stop
pin H or thereabout; the handle or lever D is then moved to the left through
about 90 degrees in order that the turnbuckle A1 may be clear of the door J
which is then at liberty to open outwards, having its hinge joint or centre of
motion at K, Fig. 2. The catch or keep pawl E being free on the pin F now takes
the position E3, and when it is required to refasten the door the handle D is
moved back to the position, shewn by full lines in the Drawings, and against the
stop G, and during this motion comes in contact with the catch or keep pawl in
the position E 3, which it swings back until it passes over the end of the handle D,
and drops into the position shewn in full lines, in which position the handle D is
now locked by the keep pawl E, and so remains till the door is again required to
bo opened, when the movements above described are repeated.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of carrying
the same into practical effect, I would have it undstood that I do not confine
myself to the exact configuration of the parts shewn in the Drawings, as the
same may obviously be varied, but what I consider to be novel and original and
therefore claim as secured to me by the Letters Patent herein before first in part
recited is :-In railway and tramway waggons,
1. The use in conjunction with the draghook into which a coupling link takes
of a keeper B resembling a pawl or detent, and so hung above the hook as to
automatically assume a position in which it will close or partially close the opening
of the hook and prevent the coupling link therein from being accidentally dis-
engaged therefrom, substantially as herein before described and shewn.
2. The use in combination with the waggon door fastening of a releasing handle
or lever such as D, and a catch or keep pawl such as E for preventing the accidental
opening of such door, substantially as hereinbefore described and shewn.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Hudson, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
Witness to the signature of the
said Robert Hudson,
THO³. E. CRAVEN, C.E.,
Patent Agent,
24, Victoria Chambers,
South Parade,
Leeds.
ROBERT HUDSON. (L.S.)