An Improved Safety Coupling for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Coupling for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
I, HENRY STEPHENSON STEEL, of 13, Boyson Road, Walworth, London, Mech-
anical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
A coupling shackle or link of the shape and form A, as shown in the Figures 1,
2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying sheet of drawings, having been forged, has holes
of suitable size drilled through both sides and opposite each other at the open
end, as shown at E, Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, (in Fig. 3 the position of these holes
is more plainly indicated in a side elevation of the link or shackle A), and is
then tightly fitted and firmly fixed, by means of a key or otherwise, on a trans-
verse round rod or bar B, Figures 1 and 4, which passes freely through a hole C
in the hook 1). Fig. 1, as well as through conveniently shaped and suitable
holes in the buffer shells or sockets, if these be spring buffers, or through pro-
perly prepared holes, whether by bushing or otherwise, in the case of wooden
dead-end buffers, so as to be of a proper length, or otherwise suitably extended
and connected on the side of the vehicle and outside the buffers with convenient
handgear such as the levers or handles marked F. Figures 1 and 4. This hand-
gear or lever enables us to turn the round transverse rod as well as to slide it
transversely by pushing it in or pulling it out a small distance backwards or
forwards. The object of this transverse sliding action is to enable us to present
the shorter side of the dissimilateral or unequal sided shackle or coupling link
opposite the hook of the adjacent vehicle with which we wish to couple so as to
allow of this link or shackle passing and clearing this hook when swinging the
shackle up or down. In this way we can when uncoupling, raise the shackle
out from and clear of the hook, then, after properly shifting the rod in a trans-
verse direction, let this shackle fall down clear of the hook under which it will
hang untill we require to reverse the operation which we can do by shifting, if
necessary, the rod in the proper transverse direction and, after swinging up the
link or shackle by the side of and clear of the hook by means of the lever or
other suitable handgear, shift it into a proper position with its longer loop or
side directly above and over the hook into which it can then be dropped when
it will immediately engage with it and thus couple the vehicles.
In order to preserve the necessary stiffness, rigidity and straightness of the
transverse rod, eyes through which the rod will pass and turn in freely may be
suitably fixed on the end or buffer-beam of the vehicle, one on each side of
the coupling-hooks and between them and the buffers, but sufficiently distant
from these hooks as to prevent all interference with the necessary transverse
travel of the rod passing through them.
Such an arrangement as the one just mentioned with regard to these eyes
will be absolutely necessary in case of the transverse rod not being brought

page_text: through the buffers, but being otherwise connected with the controlling levers
or handgear on the sides of the vehicle.
Handles are provided to both ends of the above-mentioned transverse rod so
that the coupling can be operated from either side of the vehicle.
Dated this Seventeenth day of August 1899.
An Improved Safety Coupling for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
I, HENRY STEPHENSON STEEL, of 13, Boyson Road, Walworth, London, Mech-
anical 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:-
A coupling shackle or link of the shape and form A, as shown in the Figures 1,
2, 3 and 4, Sheet 1 of the accompanying two sheets of drawings, having been
forged, has holes of suitable size drilled through both sides and opposite each
other at the open end, as shown at E, Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, (in Figure 3 the
position of these holes is more plainly indicated in a side elevation of the link
or shackle A), and is then tightly fitted and firmly fixed, by means of a key or
otherwise, on a transverse round rod or bar B, Figures 1 and 4, Sheet 1, which
passes freely through a round hole C in the hook D, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, as well as
through conveniently shaped and suitable holes in the buffer shells or sockets, if
these be spring buffers or through properly prepared holes, whether by bushing or
otherwise, in the case of wooden dead-end buffers, so as to be of a proper length,
or otherwise suitably extended and connected on the side of the vehicle and out-
side the buffers with convenient handgear such as the levers or handles marked F,
Figures 1 and 4, Sheet 1. This handgear or lever enables us to turn or partially
rotate the round transverse rod as well as to slide it transversely by pushing it
in or pulling it out a small distance backwards or forwards. The object of this
transverse sliding action is to enable us to present the shorter side of the dis-
similateral or unequally sided shackle or coupling link opposite the hook of
the adjacent vehicle with which we wish to couple so as to allow of this link or
shackle passing and clearing this hook when swinging the shackle up or down.
In this way we can, when uncoupling, raise the shackle out from and clear of
the hook, then, after properly shifting the rod in a transverse direction, let
this shackle fall down clear of the hook under which it will hang until we
require to reverse the operation which we can do by shifting, if necessary, the rod
in the proper transverse direction and, after swinging up the link or shackle
by the side of and clear of the hook by means of the lever or other suitable
handgear, shift it into a proper position with its longer loop or side directly
above and over the hook into which it can then be dropped when it will imme-
diately engage with it and thus couple the vehicles.
In order to preserve the necessary stiffness, straightness and rigidity of the
transverse rod, eyes through which the rod will pass and turn in freely may be
suitably fixed on the end or buffer beam of the vehicle, one on each side of the
coupling hooks and between them and the buffers, but sufficiently distant from
these hooks as to prevent all interference with the necessary transverse travel
of the rod passing through them.
Such an arrangement as the one just mentioned with regard to these eyes will

page_text: be absolutely necessary in case of the transverse rod not being brought through
the buffers, but being otherwise connected with the controlling levers or hand-
gear on the sides of the vehicle as will be described further on. When no
buffers are used or when the buffer is central on the buffer beam, the transverse
rod must be carried at each end by suitable eye-brackets situated at the positions
usually occupied by the buffers when two buffers are used. The eyes or eye-
brackets may be made in such a manner that the top of the eye or round hole
through which the transverse rod passes and in which it is partially rotated will
be capable of removal, resembling the detachable cover or top part of the pillow
block of an ordinary shaft bracket bearing held firmly when in its place by means
of suitably fitted bolts or studs and nuts. This cover may be hinged so as to
be capable of being thrown open, if desired, and, when shut, may be secured by
one or two bolts suitably fitted thereto.
When the coupling hooks are furnished with springs the holes in wooden dead-
end buffers must be slotted in the direction of the length of the vehicle, and
such must be the case when the transverse rod passes through the shells and
plungers of spring buffers. In order to prevent the heads and plungers rotating
in the sockets of such buffers and thereby jamming the transverse rod a feather
and groove must be provided to ensure their movement in a longitudinal direc-
tion only. The modified arrangement above alluded to in which the transverse
rod is not brought through the buffers is as follows:-Instead of piercing the
buffers we bend or curve the ends of the transverse rod B Figures 5 and 6,
Sheet 2 of the accompanying 2 sheets of drawings, as therein shown, in such a
manner that it will in all necessary positions of the coupling clear these buffers
at the same time presenting at each end a convenient lever or handle with
which to operate it.
In such a case use is made of the eye-brackets or bearings already referred to
to carry this rod and marked A, Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 2. In this method with
the bent or curved rod a simple and suitable joint on the straight part of it,
say at H, Figures 5 and 6. Sheet 2, may be adopted and fitted so that the bent
or curved ends of the transverse rod may be either detached from or connected
with the middle or straight part of it as may be desired.
Handles are provided to both ends of the above-mentioned transverse rods so
that the couplings can be operated from either side of the vehicle. Fig. 7,
Sheet 2, is a side elevation of two adjacent vehicles coupled by such an arrange-
ment.
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 couplings for railway and tramway vehicles a dissimilateral or unequally
sided link or shackle firmly fixed on a transverse bar or rod which passes freely
through a hole in the draw hook and through suitable holes in the buffers and
is capable of being slid to and fro in a transverse direction and partially rotated
by means of handgear at both its ends and each side of the vehicle, all substan-
tially as described and illustrated.
2. In couplings for railway and tramway vehicles a modified form of the
transverse bar or rod alluded to in Claim 1 in connection with the dissimi-
lateral or unequally sided link and in which modification this transverse bar
or rod after passing through a hole in the draw hook where it takes the place
of and acts as a shackle-pin, and also through eye-brackets or other supporting
bracket bearings, has its ends bent or curved in such a manner that it will. in
all necessary positions of the coupling link or shackle, be clear of the buffers
of vehicles where two buffers are fitted at each end detachably attached bent
or curved parts fitted on the said transverse bar or rod with an operating handle
at the outer end of each; eye-brackets or other suitable supporting bearings,
with or without suitably detachable or hinged covers, to carry the said bar or

page_text: rod and a dissimilateral or unequally sided link or shackle firmly attached at
its bifurcated or open end to the said bent or curved bar or rod at its central
part all substantially as described and illustrated.
Dated this Twelfth day of May, 1900.
HENRY STEPHENSON STEEL.