Apparatus for Automatically Coupling Railway Rolling Stock.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 11th July, 1890
Complete Specification Left. 7th Apr., 1891-Accepted. 9th May, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatically Coupling Railway Rolling Stock.
We, NORMAN KNOWLES of Egyptian Mill, Cotton Spinner, JOHN WATSON
WEBSTER, Commercial Traveller, and ANDREW DORNAN, Mechanic, both of
403 Bury Road, Tonge, and all of Bolton in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically coupling locomotives,
carriages, wagons, trucks, and other vehicles constituting railway rolling stock, and
consists in means whereby the same can be coupled automatically when brought
together and uncoupled from either side of the said vehicles instead of the present
system by which a person is required to go between or under the same. Το
the draw-bar or other convenient part of each vehicle we couple or pivot a
crossbar to which are coupled a hook and link on each side of the ordinary hook.
The hook and link are coupled to the crossbar in such a manner as to allow of
vertical and lateral movements to compensate for the oscillating movements of
the vehicles when travelling. Under each end of the vehicles is disposed in
suitable bearings a shaft on which are mounted levers for placing the hook and link
in position to lock or couple with those of other vehicles. The hook is raised by
a pivoted support or lever operated by a lever and rod or spring from the aforesaid
shaft, being locked or held in position by the spring or its equivalent. The link
can also be raised by a lever or arm from the said shaft. The link with its'
supporting arms are mounted loosely in a bracket and a slotted fixing, the latter
being of such a construction as to hold the same in position for coupling, and for
holding the same out of position when not required. Each hook is provided with
curved guides to ensure of its connecting link being guided in the correct path for
coupling. The links are sufficiently large or wide to compensate for variations in
the positions of the hooks. When it is desired to uncouple it is performed by
operating the shaft under each end of the vehicle by a permanent or other handle
or lever on the outside the same, which causes the hooks to drop clear of the links,
leaving the latter in position for coupling when brought together again. After the
links and chains have been uncoupled the hooks can be raised by operating the
handle or lever on the side of each vehicle so as to be ready for coupling when
required. This invention can be applied without interfering with the hooks and
chains at present employed for coupling.
Dated the 10th July 1890
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatically Coupling Railway Rolling Stock.
We, NORMAN KNOWLES of Egyptian Mill, Cotton Spinner, JOHN WATSON
WEBSTER, Commercial Traveller, and ANDREW DORNAN, Mechanic, both of
403 Bury Road, Tonge, and all of Bolton in the County of Lancaster, do hereby
declare the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically coupling locomotives,
carriages, wagons, trucks, and other vehicles constituting railway rolling stock, and

page_text: the same in position when the vehicles are coupled together.
Fig. 2 is a plan showing the hooks and links placed alternately to couple with
each other.
Fig. 3 is a side elevation of connecting link when uncoupled and lifted out of
action.
Fig. 4 is a back view of Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation of connecting hook when uncoupled, and
Fig. 6 is a front view of Fig. 5.
In all the figures the same letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts.
A. A represent vehicle ends; B the buffer beams; C side framing; D the draw-
bar, and E the ordinary coupling hook.
To the draw-bar D or other convenient part of each vehicle we couple or pivot
the crossbar F by means of the pin or centre G to allow the same to oscillate or
vibrate according to the requirements of the coupling hooks and links. To each
end of the crossbar F is secured the connecting link H by means of the pin or
centre I.
To the links H are connected the clips J and N by the pins or centres K to
allow of a lateral movement when necessary.
The clips N are fitted with the curved projections P¹ to lift the links O in case
the vehicles are brought together when the hooks R are down as in Fig. 5. The
back-side or ends of the clips J and N are provided with the semi-circular
projections L which operate against the plates M on the buffer beams B, and
yield when rounding curves and other uneven tracks on railways. To the clip J
is attached the coupling link provided with the supporting arms P, the latter
being mounted loosely in the slotted fixing Q secured to the buffer-beam B to
hold the link O in position for coupling with the hook R on the vehicle it is

page_text: to couple with. The fixing Q is also provided with the slot S to allow of the
sliding movement of the supporting arms P when it is desired or necessary to
drop the link out of position as in Fig. 3. To the clip N is attached the
hook R by means of the pin T; the hook R being raised and held in position
by the pivoted support or lever U attached to the fixing V by the pin or
centre W. The pivoted support or lever U is connected to the lever X on the
shaft Y by the rod or spring Z. The pivoted support or lever U is provided with
the projection M¹ to press against the rod or spring Z to lock the same in
position and prevent its being released by the vibrations of the vehicles when
travelling. To further ensure the locking of the rod or spring Z the centre N' of
the lever X is raised slightly above the horizontal centre line of the shaft Y.
The latter is mounted in the bearings A' under each end of the vehicles, and is
fitted with the levers X to operate the supports or levers U for placing the hooks R
in and out of position. When the foot B of the hook R is resting on the support
or lever U, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the hook R is in position for coupling
automatically with the raised link O when the vehicles are brought together. The
outer end of the hook R is provided with the curved guide or end C', on and up
which the link O slides and drops over the apex C when brought together for
coupling.
After the vehicles are coupled and the couplers are in tension the links O and
hooks R rise, by which action the feet B¹ and the supporting arms P are lifted
from their supports as shown in Fig. 1. In case the buffers are brought together,
and the hooks R and links O are out of tension, the hooks R will drop on the
supports as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, during which operation the outer
end of each link O is free to slide on the top side of the hooks R according to the
movements of the vehicles. When it is desired to uncouple the vehicles it is
performed by operating the shaft Y by the handle or lever D¹; the latter being
permanent or movable. When the handle or lever D¹ has been placed in the
position shown in Fig. 3, the support or lever U is moved to the position shown
in Fig. 5, which allows the hook R to fall away clear of the link O. When it is
necessary to place the link O out of position the supporting arms P are lifted by
hand from the slot Q to the slot S as shown in Fig. 3. The link O is placed in
position ready for coupling by means of the shaft Y and the levers E¹ mounted
thereon. The latter push or slide the supporting arms P up the slot S and into
the slot Q, which places the link O in position for coupling with the raised hook R
on the next vehicle. After the links O and hooks R have been uncoupled the
hooks R can be raised by operating the handles or levers D¹ on each side of the
vehicles so as to be ready for coupling when required.
An important feature of this invention is that one or more vehicles can be slipped
or uncoupled without stopping the train, this being effected by slackening speed so
as to bring the buffers together and dropping the supports or levers U to allow the
hooks R to fall clear of the links O.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The general arrangement, construction, and combination of parts composing
the automatic couplers for railway rolling stock, as hereinbefore described and as
illustrated in the annexed drawings.
2. In combination with the coupling hook R, the support or lever U actuated by
a lever and spring or rod from a shaft operated from the outside of each vehicle,
and provided with means for locking the same in position for the purpose specified,
substantially as described and shown.
3. In combination with the coupling link O, the supporting arms P, slotted
fixing Q, and the means for operating the same from the outside of each vehicle,
substantially as described and shown.

page_text: 4. In combination with the clips J and N the use of the projections L for the
purpose specified.
41 A
'11001
EDMUND CHADWICK,
Agent.