Improvements in Automatic Railway Couplings.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 24th May, 1898
Complete Specification Left. 24th Feb., 1899-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Railway Couplings.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention as communi-
cated to me by Dr. Ehrlich, of Pürglitz, Bohemia, Austria, Lawyer, to be as
follows:.
This invention relates to an automatic coupling device for railway waggons,
which can be disconnected from the side of the waggons. In comparison with
other automatic couplings it has the advantage that it may be elongated in the
same manner as the ordinary couplings.
The invention consists essentially of a bolt, held ordinarily by a support and
falling into a corresponding bow, when two waggons are coupled.
The coupling bow slides with its legs in guides, preferably of a tubular form,
fixed to the front-beam or draw-bar. This bow is stiffened by a cross-piece con-
necting the two legs and provided with an eye, into which is screwed parallel to
the legs a screw in such a way that it can not turn round its axis. On the other end
of this screw is placed a nut attached rigidly to a worm-wheel by means of con-
necting pieces. The worm-wheel is pivotted loosely on a pin fixed on the front-
beam or draw-bar, and it meshes with a worm attached to a shaft extending from
one side of the waggon to the other and carrying on its ends crank handles. By
these means the coupling can be elongated like an ordinary coupling.
The part of the coupling on the other waggon corresponding to the bow, con-
sists of a U-shaped frame fixed rigidly on the front-beam or draw-bar. The free
legs of the frame, turned upwards, serve as guides for a cross-piece carrying a
bolt, and receive spiral-springs which act upon this cross-piece. The horizontal
part of the U-shaped frame is provided with a groove destined to receive the bolt
in order to obtain a greater resistance of the bolt.
On both sides of the legs of the U-shaped frame are arranged bars guided ver-
tically and toothed on their lower ends, their upper ends forming forks which
engage with pins arranged on the cross-piece. One tine of these forks is so long
as to disengage on his upward movement an angular pawl, which holds the cross-
piece in its working position, before the cross-piece itself is lifted..
The lifting of the cross-piece is accomplished by means of toothed segments
meshing with toothed-bars and being simultaneously and uniformly actuated by
a shaft, connected to said segments by suitable bevel gears and carrying on each
end a crank handle.
Immediately after having reached their highest position; the toothed bars fall
back as they are no longer held by the toothed segments, whereas the cross-piece
is retained in this the raised position by a device consisting of two double-armed
pawls pivotted on the rear of the legs of the U-shaped frame and connected.
rigidly together at their lower ends. On their upper ends these pawls are curved
towards the frame which they traverse. Pins on the cross-piece are provided

page_text: with slits into which enter the curved ends of said pawls, thereby holding the
cross-piece in its position.
Ordinarily, when the waggons are not coupled together, the cross-piece with
the bolt is held in its upper position by a flap pivotted on a vertical axis. The
double-armed pawls serve only to hold the cross-piece during the time that the
flap is retained by the coupling bow. As soon as the flap occupies again its
position under the bolt, the double-armed pawls are to be disengaged from the
cross-piece. To this end the flap is provided on its upper free end with a nose
which engages with a corresponding nose on the double-armed pawl. These
pawls are constantly under the action of a suitably arranged spring, but when
the flap returns under the action of a spring into its ordinary position, a shoulder
thereon then being directly under the bolt, its nose strikes against the nose on
the double armed pawl and thereby disengages said pawls from the cross-piece,
causing the bolt to fall on to the flap.
The mode of operation is as follows; The coupling is performed automatically
when the waggons are pushed together. The angular pawls engage with suit-
ably arranged stops on the cross-piece, thereby securing the bolt in its position.
Subsequently the coupling is elongated by turning the crank-handles, which
draw back the coupling bow in the manner above described.
When the coupling is to be disengaged, the elongating device is again released.
Then the toothed bars are lifted by turning one of the crank-handles. By this
means the angular pawls are disengaged by the tines of the forks and can not
fall back into their former position, as they are bearing against the sides of the
toothed bars. On proceeding in their upward movement these bars grasp the
pins on the cross-piece and thereby lift this cross-piece. In the highest position
the double-armed pawls enter the slits of the pins on the cross piece and thus
prevent said cross-piece from falling back. The bars fall back, being no longer
held by the toothed segments and the angular pawls return to their ordinary
position, so that the coupling ready for further use. When the waggons are
separated, the coupling bow yields its place under the bolt to the flap, which dis-
engages the double armed pawls.
It is obvious that the two parts of the coupling are arranged on each end of
the waggon, so that one or the other end of the waggon may be coupled to
another waggon. Between the two parts of the coupling there may also be
arranged an auxiliary coupling.
Dated this 24th day of May 1898.
1
Improvements in Automatic Railway Couplings.
I, FREDERICK WILLIAM GOLBY, of 36, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middle-
sex, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by Dr. Ehrlich, of
Purglitz, Bohemia, Austria, Lawyer, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to an automatic coupling device for railway waggons
which can be disconnected from the side of the waggons. In comparison with
other automatic couplings it has the advantage that it may be tightened up in the
same manner as ordinary couplings

page_text: The invention consists essentially of a bolt, held ordinarily by a support and
falling into a corresponding bow, when two waggons are coupled.
The invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, similar letters of
reference indicating corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 is a side view and Fig. 2 a plan of the bow with the tightening device,
Figs. 3-5 are a side view, plan and front view of the coupling trap, the coupling
bolt being lifted, Figs. 6 and 7 are a side and an end view of the coupling trap,
the bolt being in the coupling position.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the locking device.
The coupling bow slides with its legs in guides preferably of a tubular
form, fixed to the front-beam or draw-bar A. This bow is stiffened by a cross-
piece c connecting the two legs and provided with an eye c¹, into which is screwed
parallel to the legs a screw in such a way that it cannot turn round its axis.
On the other end of this screw is placed a nut attached rigidly to a worm
wheel e by means of connecting pieces The worm wheel is pivotted loosely
on a pin el fixed on the front beam or draw bar A and it meshes with a worm f
attached to a shaft f¹ extending from one side of the waggon to the other and
carrying on its ends crank handles f.. By these means it will be seen, that the
coupling may be tightened up like an ordinary coupling.
The part of the coupling on the other waggon corresponding to the bow a.
consists of a U shaped frame fixed rigidly to the front beam or draw-bar A. The
free legs g g of the frame, turned upwards, serve as guides for the cross-piece /¹
carrying the bolt h, and receive the spiral springs which act upon the cross-
piece. The horizontal part g2 of the U shaped frame is provided with a groove g
destined to receive the bolt in order to obtain a greater resistance of the bolt.
On both sides of the legs ggare arranged bars guided vertically and being
toothed on their lower ends, their upper ends forming forks which engage with
pins arranged on the cross-piece h. One tine of these forks is so long as to
disengage on its upward movement the angular pawl, which holds the cross-
piece in its working position, before the cross-piece itself is lifted.
The lifting of the cross-piece is accomplished by means of toothed segments m
meshing with the toothed-bars k and being simultaneously and uniformly actuated
by a shaft n, connected to said segments by suitable bevel gears and carrying on
each end a crank handle n¹.
Immediately after having reached their highest position, the toothed bars & fall
back as they are no longer held by the segments m, whereas the cross-piece is
retained in the raised position by a device, shown in Fig. 8, consisting of two
double-armed pawls o pivotted on the rear of the legs g g of the U shaped frame
and connected rigidly together at their lower ends. On their upper ends these
pawls aro curved towards the frame which they traverse. The pins h² on the
cross-piece are provided with slits into which enter the curved ends of said pawls,
thereby holding the cross-piece in its position.
Ordinarily, when the waggons are not coupled together, the cross-piece with.
the bolt is held in its upper position by a flap p, pivotted on a vertical axis 2¹.
The double armed pawls o serve only to hold the cross-piece during the time
that the flap is retained by the coupling bow a. As soon as the flap poccupies
again its position under the bolt, the pawls o are to be disengaged from the
cross-piece. To this end the flap is provided on its upper free end with a
nose p² which engages with a corresponding nose 2 on the pawl o. These pawls o
are constantly under the action of a suitably arranged spring. But when the
flap. returns under the action of a spring into its ordinary position, a shoulder 73
thereon then being directly under the bolt h, its nose 2 strikes against the nose 02
on the double armed pawl and thereby disengages said pawls from the cross-piece,
causing the bolt h to fall on to the flap (see Figs. 3 and 5 dotted lines).
The mode of operation is as follows:-The coupling is performed automatically
when the waggons are pushed together. The angular pawls engage with suit-
ably arranged stops on the cross-piece h¹ thereby securing the bolt h in its posi

page_text: tion. The position is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. Subsequently the coupling is
tightened up by turning the crank handles f2, which draw back the coupling
bow a in the manner above described.
When the coupling is disengaged, the tightening device is again released. Then
the toothed bars are lifted by turning one of the crank handles n¹ By this
means the angular pawls are disengaged by the tines and can not fall back
into their former position, as they are bearing against the sides of the toothed
bars k see Fig. 5. On proceeding in their upward movement the bars k grasp
the pins on the cross-piece and thereby lift this cross-piece in the highest
position the doubled armed pawls o enter the slits of the pins 2 on the cross-
piece and thus prevent said cross-piece from falling back (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5
full lines). The bars fall back, being no longer held by the toothed segments m
and the angular pawls / return to their ordinary position (Fig. 7) so that the
coupling is ready for further use. When the waggons are separated, the coup-
ling bow a yields its place under the bolt to the flapp, which disengages the
double armed pawls o (Figs. 3—5).
It is obvious that the two parts of the coupling are arranged on each end of
the waggon, so that one or the other end of the waggon may be coupled to
another waggon. Between the two parts of the coupling there may also be
arranged an auxiliary coupling.
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 an automatic coupling device, the combination with the car or waggon,
of the tubular guides thereon, the U shaped bow having its arms slidingly guided
in said guides, a threaded bolt connected to said bow, a nut threaded on said
bolt, a wheel or pinion journaled on a fixed bearing and having arms extending
forward and connected to the nut and means for rotating said wheel or pinion,
substantially as described.
2. In an automatic coupling device the combination of a coupling bow (a),
guides therefor, a screw (d) attached to the bow, a worm wheel secured thereto, a
worm meshing with said worm wheel and cranks (2) on the ends of the shaft of
the worm, substantially as described.
Dated this 94th day of February 1899