IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR HOSE AND PIPES, ESPECIALLY INTENDED FOR THE HOSE AND PIPES OF VACUUM BRAKES FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Garrett Tongue, of the Firm of Tongue and Birk-
beck, of 34, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agents and Engineers, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN COUPLINGS FOR HOSE AND PIPES, ESPECIALLY INTENDED FOR THE HOSE AND
PIPES OF VACUUM BRAKES FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES." A communication from
abroad by William Jay Stevens and William Fash Proctor, of the City and
State of New York, United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Garrett Tougue at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1879.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, of 34, South-
ampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents
and Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR HOSE AND PIPES, ESPECIALLY
INTENDED FOR THE HOSE AND PIPES OF VACUUM BRAKES FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES."
A communication from abroad by William Jay Stevens and William Fash Proctor,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
In couplings for the hose and pipes of vacuum railway brakes it is very
important that the valves with which the two parts or sections composing the
coupling are provided should close tightly when the two said parts or sections are
separated, in order to prevent any leakage of air, which would render the action of
the brake less effective, and might produce disastrous accidents.
The object of this Invention is to provide a coupling in which the valves are at
all times contained within the parts or sections of the coupling and are therefore
not liable to be injured or their action impeded by the accumulation of dirt as
would be the case with valves arranged on the outside of the coupling and exposed
at all times.

page_text: such valve outside of the line of the sides of the passage through the coupling, and
is also provided with a stop, which is preferably of semi-tubular form, and which
enters into the other section, and which, when the coupling is closed, serves to
confine the valve of the section aforesaid in the pocket or cavity and keep open the
communication through the coupling, the said stops serving also, when the coupling
is closed or coupled up, to brace the two parts or sections laterally.
The said coupling is formed with fastenings which provide for its being pulled
apart by the separation of the carriages in a train, and when it is uncoupled tho
valve of each section is permitted to pass out of its pocket and be forced to its seat
by atmospheric pressure.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Garrett Tongue in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
December 1879.
JOHN GARRETT TONGUE, of the Firm of Tongue and Birkbeck, of 34, South-
ampton Buildings, Ohancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agents
and Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN COUPLINGS FOR HOSE AND PIPES, ESPECIALLY
INTENDED FOR THE HOSE AND PIPES OF VACuum Brakes FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES."
A communication from abroad by William Jay Stevens and William Fash Proctor,
of the City and State of New York, United States of America.
In couplings for the hose and pipes of vacuum railway brakes it is very
important that the valves with which the two parts or sections composing the
coupling are provided ahould close tightly when the two said parts or sections are
separated, in order to prevent any leakage of air, which would render the action of
the brake less effective, and might produce disastrous accidents.
The object of this Invention is to provide a coupling in which the valves are at
all times contained within the parts or sections of the coupling, and are therefore
not liable to be injured or their action impeded by the accumulation of dirt, as
would be the case with valves arranged on the outside of the coupling and exposed
at all times.
This Invention consists in a coupling, each of the two parts or sections of which
is fitted with a ball valve and provided with a pocket or cavity for the reception of
Buch valve outside of the line of the sides of the passage through the coupling, and
is also provided with a stop, which is preferably of semi-tubular form, and which
enters into the other section, and which, when the coupling is closed, serves to
5 confine the valve of the section aforesaid in the pocket or cavity and keep open
the communication through the coupling, the said stops serving also, when the
coupling is closed or coupled up, to brace the two parts or sections laterally.
The said coupling is formed with fastenings which provide for its being pulled
apart by the separation of the carriages in a train, and when it is uncoupled the
O valve of each section is permitted to pass out of its pocket and be forced to its seat
by atmospheric pressure.
"
In the accompanying Drawings, Figure 1 represents a horizontal section through
a coupling embodying my improvements; Figure 2 is a vertical section through
one of the parts or sections of said coupling; and Figure 3, an end view thereof.
Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
A, A, designate the two parts or sections of which my coupling is composed, and
which are provided upon their ends with corrugations a in order to facilitate
securing hose upon them. The two parts A, A, correspond in shape each with the
other and are each half male and half female, so that either of said parts may be
used with either of the parts of a corresponding coupling. The ends of the two
sections may be faced so as to form a butt-joint, as represented at B, or a rubber or
other packing ring or gasket may be inserted between them for the purpose of
preventing leakage of air.
Each of said parts or sections is provided with a lever O pivoted at 6 to lugs
projecting from the coupling, and provided upon its end with a hook c adapted to
engage with a lip & upon the other of said parts or sections. The hooks c and lip d
are so shaped that upon pulling the two parts or sections A, A, in different direc-
tions they may be disengaged, but when not so pulled the said parts will be held in
tight face to face contact. For the purpose of holding the hooks a in engagement
with the lips d I employ springs D resting in recesses e upon the coupling. Both of
said parts or sections A, A, aro also furnished with a valve, shown as consisting of
a ball E of india rubber or other material, and adapted when the two parts of the
coupling are separated to close the pipe by resting in the valve-seat ƒ, as represented
in dotted outline in Figure 1.

page_text: When the two parts of the coupling are connected, the valves rest in pockets or
cavities F extending from the coupling and thus afford an uninterrupted passage
through the hose or pipes.. The parts A are each provided with a cylindric socket
and a partly tubular extension G adapted to fit within the cylindric socket of the
other part. The said extensions G also form stops adapted, when the parts of
the coupling are connected, to partly or wholly close the said pockets or cavities
for the purpose of retaining the valves therein.
The stops G are here represented as semi-tubular pieces of metal, secured in the
coupling by means of rivets g, and as they together form a cylindrical brace
extending across the joint B the leakage of air through the said joints is in a great
measure prevented and the coupling strengthened. It is also obvious that each
part of the coupling is adapted to be used in connection with a similar part of any
other coupling, and hence the hose or pipe carried by one railway car may be
coupled with either end of a hose or pipe carried by an adjacent car.
When the stops Q are formed of semi-tubular pieces of metal with their adjacent
sides impinging against each other, either part A is precluded from turning inde-
pendently of the other part. The said stops serve not only to retain the valves in
the pockets or cavities when the parts composing the coupling are connected, but
they also serve to prevent the valves from escaping from the coupling when said
parts are disconnected.
In order to facilitate the coupling of two pieces of hose or pipes, I preferably
make the cavities F below the centre of the coupling (as clearly represented in
Figure 3) so that the ball valves will rest therein while the act of coupling is being
performed.
In order to prevent any water from accumulating in the pockets or cavities F
and the consequent liability of freezing and bursting the coupling, the hose extending
from the coupling may be secured so as to hold the coupling in the reverse position
to that shown in Figure 3, so that the pockets or cavities shall be above the
centro.
When it is desired to couple the two parts A, A, together each may be turned
half round so as to roll the ball valves into the pockets or cavities, and upon being
released the resilience of the hose will reverse the coupling and cause it to resume
its normal position.
Having thus described the naturo of the Invention communicated to me from
abroad, I do not claim any of the mechanical parts separately, which are well
known and in common use, but what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters
Patent on behalf of the said William Jay Stevens and William Fash Proctor, is,-
The coupling, each of the two parts or sections A, A, of which is fitted with a
ball-valve E and provided with a pocket or cavity F for the reception of the said
valve, and with a semi-tubular stop G which enters into the other section, the
whole constructed and operating substantially as herein described, and shown in
the Drawings hereto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Garrett Tongue, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty fourth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sawantu nina