IMPROVE- MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND WAGGONS
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Benjamin Joseph Barnard Mills
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th November
1880. A communication from abroad by Ignatz Joseph Becker, of Eltville,
in the Empire of Germany.
BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS, of the Firm of Harris and Mills, of
23, Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent. "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND WAGGONS. A communication from abroad by Ignatz
Joseph Becker, of Eltville, in the Empire of Germany.
The Invention has for its object improvements in means or apparatus for coupling
and uncoupling railway carriages and trucks without necessitating an attendant
going between the vehicles.
For this purpose a coupling link with weighted arms is pin jointed horizontally
to a block, which has pin jointed vertically thereto a pair of toggle levers which
are pin jointed vertically at one end to a pair of shanks or parallel links; these
latter are pin jointed horizontally at their other ends to ends of a pair of toggle
levers, which work in a horizontal slot in the draw bar, and are jointed vertically
thereto, and at their other ends are pin jointed vertically to ends of a pair of links,
also working in said slot, which are connected together at their other ends by a
vertical stud or pin capable of travelling in a slot in the draw bar, and of being
forced in one direction for tightening up the coupling by a horizontal wedge
operated by a screw,
The first mentioned toggle levers are pin jointed vertically at their forward ends
to links, which are also pin jointed vertically to a slide, which when pushed forward
acts to straighten out the coupling link to enable the same to be passed over the
hook at the end of the draw bar of the adjacent carriage, truck, or waggon.
An apparatus for operating the coupling link is fixed to a horizontal shaft
mounted in bearings at the end of the vehicle, and a dependent wedge is fixed
underneath the draw bar. The said apparatus consists of a pair of cross tongs or
levers pin jointed vertically to a bar fixed to the aforesaid horizontal shaft, so that
their rearward ends come one on each side of the aforesaid wedge, and inwardly
projecting noses near their forward ends come into position to act upon the shanks
or parallel links of the coupling link; a slide carried by such apparatus is connected
by pin joint to ends of a pair of links, which at their other ends are pin jointed to
PA "

page_text: the said tongs or levers, and such slide has a nose or projection thereon, which
when the forward ends of the cross tongs or levers are raised acts against the end
of the under carriage, and when such tongs or levers are moved free of the aforesaid
wedge the said slide is moved forward, and thereby draws the two jaws of the
tongs together, which action moves the shanks or parallel links closer together,
thereby extending the coupling link, which can then be dropped over the hook on
the end of the draw bar; the horizontal wedge is then forced forward in the
horizontal slot in the draw bar behind the links working therein so as to tighten
up the coupling.
To uncouple the vehicles the horizontal wedge is screwed back; the apparatus for
operating the coupling link in then raised, thereby acting upon the shanks or
parallel links to extend the coupling link, which is then raised out of the hook on
the draw bar.
In order to effect a double coupling of the carriage without the aid of safety
hooks or chains it is only necessary to connect the opposite coupling of the next
carriage by a similar action of the operating lever.
The disconnection of both couplings can be effected easily and safely with one
lever.
As soon as the horizontal wedge is loosened a quarter turn is made by the
operating lever.
The slide with the nose places itself at and underneath the link of the safety
coupling, and lifts it very easily out of the hook, as the counter weight always tends
to move the link upward, and places the latter automatically in the vertical
position of rest. The shanks of the tongs of the tightened coupling begin now
again their operation; they take hold of the two shears or parallel links, and
disconnect therefore the whole coupling, the link of which also rises from the hook,
and falls over by means of its counter weight as soon as it ceases touching the
hook.