Improvements in and relating to Couplings for Railway Vehicles and the like.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 5th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, '28th Feb., 1900-Accepted; 28th Apr., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Couplings for Railway Vehicles
and the like.
I, WILLIAM AMBLER MARSHALL, of Bourne Terrace, Thackley, Idle, near
Leeds, in the County of York, Insurance Agent,, do hereby declare the nature
of-this invention to be as follows:
"
This invention has reference to improvements in the construction of apparatus
for coupling together vehicles on railways and like vehicles, and locomotives
without the necessity for the operators to pass between the carriages or wagons
automatic
which type of coupling is commonly known as
couplings.
The improvements consist in cach set of parts, of a link, the sides of which
may be tapered, and provided with a hinge connection or ruled joint to form
a connection between said loop and the draw-bar, upon which is mounted the
usual or other convenient hook. The draw bar may be mounted in substantially
usual manner and provided with springs for cushioning the draught.
In a modified form, the loop may be jointed by hinges, or rule joints to arms
or continuations which are jointed to the draw bar, carrying the draw-hook.
A shaft is provided, running in bearings, from side to side of the wagon,
or the like, or if desired from one side to the draw hook...
On this shaft, or axis, is mounted a weighted lever,, which serves to actuate
the parts, when desired."
"
An arm, provided with a projecting pin or finger, is formed on, or affixed to
the cross shaft. When the weighted lever is raised from its pendent position
the pin on the arm referred to slides down or over, the taper sides of the link
and takes a position underneath it, or catches it, so that by a further movement
of the lever the link is raised into such a position that it is ready to fall upon
and attach itself to a draw hook of an abutting wagon.
:
As soon as the opposed buffers of adjacent wagons come into contact, a cam
lever, a trigger or equivalent releasing means presses the transverse shaft side-
wise, thereby releasing the projecting pin, allowing the coupling link to fall
by its own weight onto the draw hook of the opposed wagon, or vehicle.
When the link is constructed with straight side pieces, I make the projecting
pin with a bevel or taper face so that it may slide down the side surface of the
link and engage underneath.
According to a further modification, wherein it is designed to provide coupling
means, capable of coming into operation upon the buffers coming in contact,
whilst the controlling parts of the coupling means are in their normal position
but which are yet capable, by a simple movement of one or some of the parts
of being rendered inoperative to couple.
In this construction, I form the side, or weighted lever so that it can have a
half round, or equivalent revolving movement given to it on its axis, and by
such movement bring the stud, collar, or projection out of the way of the cam
lever or trigger, or its equivalent disengaging device, when so desired.

page_text: By these means the buffers as for instance in fly shunting" can be allowed
to contact with each other without effecting the release of the coupling link;
and this will also admit of the cam lever or releasing device being caused to
disengage the link, or hook when it is not desired to couple vehicles together.
Dated the 5th day of July 1899.
WM. BROOKES & SON,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Couplings for Railway Vehicles
and the like.
I, WILLIAM AMBLER MARSHALL, of Bourne Terrace, Thackley, Idle, near
Leeds, in the County of York, Insurance Agent, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to improvements in the application and construc-
tion of apparatus for coupling together vehicles on railways and like vehicles
and locomotives and has for its object the. automatic or otherwise coupling or
uncoupling of railway trucks, wagons, carriages and the like without the necessity
for the operators to pass between the buffers of the wagons or carriages and
thereby minimising the risk of injury to the attendant, and is of the type of
coupling commonly known as automatic coupling."
66
The essential features consists of two or more straight links connected to the
draw bar upon which is mounted the usual or other convenient hook mounted
in substantially the usual manner and provided with springs for cushioning. the
draft. The sides of the said links may be tapered or bevilled and provided at
their outer ends with a hinge connection or rule-joint to form a connection
between them and a loop or shackle; the said rule-joint will be hereinafter more
particularly described. A cross shaft is provided revolving in. bearings from
side to side of the wagon or the like, or if desired from one side to the draw
hook. On the outer ends of said shaft are mounted weighted levers which serve
to actuate the parts when desired.. An arm provided with a projecting pin or
finger at its outer end is formed on or affixed to the cross shaft; the said finger
has its underside tapered or bevilled to suit the taper on the side of the before-
mentioned links. A helical spring or its equivalent is mounted on the cross
shaft in conjunction with a collar for keeping the said shaft in a suitable position
for operating.
In the automatic form the cross shaft is provided at one of its outer ends with
a boss having a square hole through which the weighted lever passes, the said
lever having a similarly formed square on a portion of its length corresponding
thereto, also a collar with projections or studs on opposite sides for a purpose to
be hereinafter described. On or about the buffers are fixed bell crank levers
for operating on the said projecting studs, or if desired a cam or its equivalent
is arranged instead of the bell cranks to operate the weighted lever and cross-
shaft.
In the non-automatic form the weighted levers may be affixed to the cross
shafts so that their connected.ends. may be in the form of a cam or other suitable
sliding surface, or the levers may be jointed to the end of the cross shaft so as
to swivel thereon and have a short projecting portion acting as a fulcrum in a
manner to be hereinafter more particularly described.

page_text: In order that my invention may be better understood I will now more particu-
larly describe and ascertain the same by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which the like parts are indicated by similar letters in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a plan showing trucks (wagons) coupled up with the automatic
attachment fixed thereto.
Fig. 2 shows an end view of the weighted lever with the links uncoupled in
a vertical position.
Fig. 3 shows the arrangement in position either for uncoupling or coupling.
Fig. 4 shows positions when buffers are close up or when the links and shackles
are being either dropped onto or raised from the hook.
Figs. 5 and 6 show the non-automatic form of releasing the lifting arm and
finger to be referred to later.
Figs. 7 and 8 show the automatic arrangement in its application to railway
carriages and the like.
Figs. 9 and 10 are enlarged views of cam arrangement in Figs. 5 and 6.
Fig. 11 is a detail drawing showing the peculiar form of rule joint referred
to later.
In carrying my invention into effect with reference to Fig. 1 a are the links
connected to the draw hook b, c is the shackle rule-jointed to the links « at d,
e is the cross shaft revolving in bearings f, 9 are the weighted levers with
specially formed handle.g', is the arm provided with the projecting finger i,
is the helical spring on shaft e and pressing against the collar k, is the boss
on the end of the crossshaft in automatic form having a square hole in it, mis
the collar having projections n, and o are the bell crank levers for automatic
action. In Figs. 9 and 10, p are the cam faces on a flange y which is secured to."
the buffers of the truck or wagon. In Fig. 11, c, are the link and shackle
respectively. The latter is lipped at r and partially at s to prevent further
movement in their respective directions. The pin passes through the links
with a working or stationary fit but the eye of the shauk of the shackle cat u is
elongated or enlarged in the form of a slot so that when the link is raised
to a vertical position shackle e is dropped down on the pin and a projection v
on the end of link a enters into a notch win shackle c and prevents a bending
movement in the joint so long as the links and shackle remain in close
contact.
I will now proceed to describe in detail the manner in which my invention is
operated. When the weighted lever g is out of use it occupies a pendant position
and the arm is vertical. When the lever g is raised from its pendant position
the projecting finger on the arm h, providing the links are coupled and in a
horizontal position as in Fig. 3, slides down or over the side of the link «,
which may be suitably tapered or not, and takes a position underneath it to
catch it, so that by a further movement of the lever g the links and shackle c
are raised into such a position that they may be detached from the draw hook
of the abutting wagon; automatically or otherwise as in Figs. 3 and 4. The
normal position of the links a and shackle c are as shown in Fig. 2, when not
in use, being kept in that position by the arun h and its projecting finger i. In
order that the finger i may slide easily down the side of the link a and then catch
on, the shaft e bas a transverse or lateral sliding motion as well as a revolving
one, so that when the shaft e is revolved the finger presses the shaft e back
against a helical spring j, or its equivalent means, which pushes against a
collar mounted on the shaft e until the finger i has got well underneath the link a
when the spring forces the shaft e back into position again and the collar k
is stopped by abutting against the bearing f. In what I term the non-automatic
form, which means that form in which the finger is only released by manual
means, I accomplish this by simply drawing outwards on the lever Fig. 1
and which can be done in either the automatic or non-automatic form of release
but in addition I sometimes swivel the lever g on a joint at the outer end of the
shaft e as shown at r in Figs. 5 and 6. The lever then has a projecting piece y

page_text: which acts as a fulcrum and the lever is thereby worked as shown in the dotted
lines in a simple and easy manner by the operator. Or, I fix a cam plate q
Figs. 5, 6, 9 and 10 to the side of the buffer with cam surfaces so that the
releasing action may be accomplished by simply turning the shaft e on its axis,
the boss of the lever g having suitable formed surfaces to come into contact
with the cam when required.
In my automatic form of coupling the lever y has its upper end formed into
a loop or handle g so that the said lever g can be drawn through the boss /
and revolved on its axis more or less according to the position required to placo
the stops n, the said handle g¹ being so formed that it will indicate by its position,
The boss has a square
especially in the dark, the direction of the stops n.
hole formed in it and the lever g has the part close under the shoulder of the
loop formed square to suit the hole so that it can only be revolved when partially
withdrawn against the collar m. The stops n can then be made to point away
from or in ne direction of one end all of the bell crank lever o which has
the effect of making the action either automatic or non-automatic. When
automatic the buffer of the adjoining vehicle strikes against the projecting
end a of the bell crank o aud this swivels on the centre o¹ and causes the end a"
to press against the stop when turned in that direction and thus effect the
release of the finger i by traversing the shaft e in its bearings. When the
automatic action is not required the stops are simply turned out of the way
by grasping the handle of the lever g, raising it slightly out of the square hole
in the boss on the shaft e and turning it on its axis at right angles to its former
position and letting it drop into place, when it is kept secure until further
required. In place of the bell crank and stops » I may use the part a¹ carried
back straight to the shaft e and from the back end into a rack working in a
pinion on the shaft e which again is operated by means of a cam at its outer end
similar to the one in use on my non-automatic arrangement at g Figs. 5, 6, 9
and 10. The back end or rack of bar can be lifted out of gear with the pinion
on shaft ewlien not required. In lieu of the handle g and square shoulder I
may use an ordinary weighted lever as at g" and by fixing a collar m² on the
lever and making the boss m of the stops loose and forming squares projec-
can be set in a
tions or notches on their two meeting surfaces the stops n
similar way to indicate their position and for automatic or non-automatic action
as may be desired. Also if desired 1 can arrange for the coupling to be worked
automatically from either side by reversing the motions of the bell crank o
on the opposite side so as to press the shaft e inwards or in the opposite direction
to the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 7. It is not my intention that-the-
coupling should ever occupy the hanging position uncoupled as shown in
Fig. 3, but in case it should drop it can' casily be recovered by depressing the
arm and looking on with the finger in the usual way. My reason for
keeping the coupling above the hook is because the shackle can then be dropped
upon the draw hook without eusing off the wagons which would have to be the
case when coupling with the links from below, and the vehicles close up.
In order to prevent the shackle from doubling over inwards when raised
vertically I provide the ends of the links a with a projecting piece Fig. 11
80, that it may fit into similarly shaped notch in the shackle c and elongate
or, enlarge the hole in the shank so that there is considerable play between the
two parts, such that when the parts indicated are raised the sliackle drops onto
the projection v and becomes locked in that position, but when the parts are
lowered onto the draw hook there is a drag on the shackle and the parts v, w,
are disengaged and they are free to bend in the direction shown in the full
lines Fig. 4. The prolongation at Fig. 11 is to prevent the shackle e from
bending over backwards so that the position as shown in dotted lines Fig. 4
is always maintained when coupling or uncoupling the links.
Another form of automatic release is shown in Figs. 7 and 8 which is adapt-
able to railway carriages in which the inclined bar 6' is fixed to or about the
12

page_text: buffer and slides in suitable bearings fixed to the side of the carriage and
acting on the stops n, in a similar manner to the bell crank lever o Figs. 1
and 2.
When coupling up automatically the buffer strikes the bell crank o at a¹
which acts on the shaft and releases the finger i whereupon the links fall upon
the draw hook and coupling is effected when the engine starts.
When coupling up non-automatically the shaft e has to be operated by hand
and the finger withdrawn as previously described whereupon the links again
fall upon the draw hook and coupling is similarly effected.
The uncoupling is always effected automatically as in both cases the arm h
has to be depressed and the finger i caught on, when on the engine backing the
weighted lever lifts the links out of the draw hook in the manner shown by
dotted lines in Fig. 4 and assumes the position shown in Fig. 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In railway couplings and the like a rule jointed link and shackle coupling
operated by a transverse sliaft moved laterally and round its axis and auto-
matically by bell crank levers, weighted lever, a lifting arm and finger, and
spring attachment all as herein before described.
2: In railway couplings and the like a rule jointed link and shackle coupling
operated by a transverse shaft moved laterally and round its axis by straight
weighted levers lifting arm and finger, and spring attachment all as herein before
described.
•
3. In railway couplings and the like a rule jointed link and shackle coupling
operated by a transverse shaft moved laterally and round its axis by a jointed
weighted lever with a projecting end, a lifting arm and finger, and spring attach-
ment all as hereinbefore described.
4. In railway couplings and the like a rule jointed link and shackle coupling
operated by a transverse shaft moved round its axis and laterally by a weighted
lever working against a cam or inclined surface, a lifting arni and finger,
and spring attachment all as hereinbefore described.
5. In railway couplings and the -like a rule jointed link and shackle with
projecting piece and notch, elongated or enlarged slot or pin hole and retaining
lip all as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
6. In railway couplings and the like a weighted lever with stops and handle
to indicate position all as and for the purpose herein before described.
7. In railway couplings and the like the general combination construction
and arrangement of the parts substantially as hereinbefore described and shown
either with reference to Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
CILIO
WI
་་་མ་་
TAYLOR & FIRTH,
Osborne Chambers, 48, Sunbridge Road, Bradford,
Agents for the Applicant.