IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPLIANCES FOR AUTOMATICALLY COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Edward Nimmo Brereton at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th December 1882.
EDWARD NIMMO BRERETON of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster Engineer
and Mechanical Draughtsman IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPLIANCES FOR
AUTOMATICALLY COUPLING AND UNCOUPLING RAILWAY VEHICLES
The Invention has for its object the speedy and instantaneous Coupling and
speedy uncoupling of Railway Wagons and Carriages without the necessity for the
shunter or person superintending the coupling passing between the Vehicles which
under the present system is necessary to be done and thereby danger to life and
limb and a great deal of time and labour is saved and avoided
The following are the pieces of mechanism used by me in this invention, that is
to say-
1 A Spring Buffer with Rod
2 A moveable block between two Cotters with spring arrangement
3 A Rod connecting the Block with the Crank
4 A Crank with hook attached
5 A Falling Catch with Connections
6 A Bent plate with hinged arrangement
7 A Main buffer Plate
My invention is to be fixed uniformly in one position Immediately below the
centre of the Wagon chest I fix the spring Buffer and its Rod runs longitudinally
under the wagon frame and passes through the moveable Block having its end
bearing on a spring. Upon this Buffer Rod I fasten two Cotters one near the
Wagon chest and the other a certain distance from it. Between these Cotters I
place a spring and the Block, the Block being pressed to the furthest cotter by the
spring. A second Rod being a connecting Rod connects the Block, by passing
through the main buffer plate, with the Crank to which one side of the hook is
made fast.
Immediately above the Crank is placed the Bent Plate on to which my hook
is hinged and which plate is held in position by the ordinary hook and drawbar.
The last mentioned hook in case of necessity or in the absence of my invention
may be used to connect Vehicles in the usual inanner.

page_text: My coupling hook may be described as having a base formed in the shape of
the letter U the ends of which are hinged as abovementioned to the Bent Plate.
Affixed underneath the Carriage is a falling Catch bearing upon the buffer Rod
which when required to couple falls into a slot in that Rod and thus keep the hook
in gear.
In order to couple it is only necessary that two Vehicles each fitted with my
invention should come together whereupon the Buffers are forced in and operate
upon the Block to which the connecting rod is fixed as before mentioned. This
Rod is thereby carried inward and by the Crank arrangement the hook is brought
out from its normal position parallel with the end of the Vehicle to a position at
Right angles with the chest of the Vehicle and this book meeting with the hook
of the opposite Carriage Clasps it and the Coupling is complete.
To uncouple, all that is necessary is to raise the Catch which liberates the Buffer
Rod and the hook is then forced by the spring back into its normal position-The
catch is raised by means of a handle connected with it and is fixed at either side
of the Wagon.