An Improved Coupling for Electrical Communication Apparatus į between parts of Railway Trains.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Coupling for Electrical Communication Apparatus
į
between parts of Railway Trains.
We, RICHARD ROBERT HARPER, Telegraph Engineer, and JAMES COOTE GARNHAM,
Metal Merchant, both of 10, Laurence Pountney Lane, City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to provide a striated circular beaded or other
shape of prongs, studs, or pins for interlocking, among themselves and forming.
part or parts of sliding connections or couplings for electrical communication
between, say passenger and guard or between guard and driver of a railway train,
the communication, being arranged in connection with pull, bell or other indicator.
in any and, in most cases every compartment of, a train of coaches.
For the purpose of this invention, electrical cables or wires are arranged-in
open circuit throughout, each carriage, and terminate in a socket plate at the
ends in which sockets at some desired part short cables wires can be coupled
up by ordinary screw and contact pieces, said additional or short lengths being
preferably suspended and have alternately a two or three pronged looped rod
at the terminals and alternately on the others a rod-the faces or sliding surfaces
of which are serrated or beaded for interlocking action when one is slid into or
on to. the other or each suspended short cable or wire is provided. with inter-
changeable pronged loops which by the serrated or beaded portion form the inter-
lock when slid in at right angles to each other the loops being so shaped that
the prongs spring open by pressure of each coupling appliance and lock themselves
and each other until a superior pressure or force is exerted to withdraw or separate
them.
The serrations or beads on or of the prongs may be at part of the circumference
of the wire or as desired.
As a train is being made. up. the attendant by this invention has only in
addition to the usual fixings to take hold of and slide the two sets of prongs into
each other for making electrical connection but when uncoupling or disconnecting
the coaches of a train. the prongs, come apart by a sliding action and require
no attention on the part of an attendant.
Dated this 30th day of September isas

page_text: An Improved Coupling for Electrical Communication Apparatua
between parts of Railway Trains.
We, RICHARD ROBERT HARPER, Telegraph Engineer, and JAMES COOTE GARNHAM,
Metal Merchant, both of 10, Laurence Pountney Lane, City of London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement
The object of this invention is to provide a striated circular beaded or other
shape of prongs, studs, or pins for interlocking among themselves and forming
part or parts of sliding connections or couplings for electrical communication
between, say, passenger and guard or between guard and driver of a railway train,
or for electrical lighting of a train, the communication being arranged in con-
nection with pull bell or other indicator in any and in most cases every com-
partment of a train of coaches.
For the purpose of this invention, electrical cables or wires are arranged in
open circuit throughout each carriage and terminate in a socket plate at the
ends in which sockets at some desired part short cables or wires wires can be coupled
up by ordinary screw and contact pieces, said additional or short lengths being
preferably suspended and have alternately a two or three pronged looped rod
at the terminals and alternately on the others a rod, the faces or sliding surfaces
of which are serrated or beaded for interlocking action when one is slid into or
on to the other or each suspended short cable or wire is provided with inter-
changeable pronged loops which by the serrated or beaded partition form the inter-
lock when slid in at right angles to each other, the loops being so shaped that
the prongs spring open by pressure of each coupling appliance and lock themselves
and each other until a superior pressure or force is exerted to withdraw or separate
them.
The serrations or beads on or of the prongs may be at part of the circumference
of the wire or as desired.
As a train is being made up, the attendant by this invention has only in
addition to the usual fixings to take hold of and slide the two sets of prongs into
cach other for making electrical connection but when uncoupling or disconnecting
the coaches of a train, the prongs come apart by a sliding action and require
no attention on the part of an attendant.
Our invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings
in which at Figures 1 and 2 face and side elevations respectively. we show a
bracket affixable to the end of a railway passenger coach for the attachment of
the end or suspended cable of the coupling appliances of which Figures 3, 4, 5, 6,
and consist of springy prongs with undulatory portions which when slid upon
and in contact with each other form a reliable coupling of the electrical wires
throughout a train, or between any two or more of the coaches of a train, the
scraping action of the prongs against each other in coupling up always keeping
the surface or surfaces clean for ensuring the flow of the current notwithstanding
the oxidation or dirt on the other parts of the coupling prongs.
These short lengths of suspended cable with our undulatory surfaced prongs
which are preferably interchangeable with each other may dip to any degree.
such as from the roof portion to within reach of an attendant when coupling
the carriages together, so that the additional duty would be simply to lift the
two sets of prongs and slide one into the other to complete the operation,

page_text: When the coaches are uncoupled in the ordinary manner, the electrical coupling
prongs can be drawn apart by the coaches in the separation of one from the other.
It will be understood that no strain is put upon the short cables, or upon their
brackets, or other attachments when the train is made up, there being always an
amount of slack in the short cables for the carriages to open out and close in,
Buch as when the brakes are on or off.
The prongs are conductors with free ends, but looped by bending into an eye
like form where the cable wire or wires are wrapped and secured.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings, 1 is a base with a groove
in the back face for fixation of the line wire 2. The front has a projecting socket 3
with a depending lug 4 therefrom for the reception of the end of the coupling
cable 5 secured to the socket 3 by the screw bolt 6, so that the cable ends 7 hang
down and have at their free ends a coupling consisting of a hard wire or metal
bow 9, the ends of which are soldered into two undulatory or serrated pieces 8, 8,
these indented surfaces provide a good reliable contact, as in coupling them
together in making up a train, the serrated parts scrape over each other and
thus clear off any dust or refuse that may have collected and present clean metallic
surfaces when in contact, these indentations also lock themselves together by
the springing of bows 9.
The screw bolt 6 is for the purpose of readily changing any coupling for replace-
ment.
In cases where the person neglects to uncouple the serrated parts 8, they easily
scrape over one another in separating, as well as when being united.
We have specially referred to interchangeable couplings but if one be made
with three prongs, and the other with one only, it can be entered between the
three for the interlock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is
1. The appliances shown on the drawings whereby suspended cable ends 5, 5,
7, 7, can be arranged outside a carriage and be joined or coupled up by a scraping
action of two similarly shaped undulatory or serrated prongs 8, 8, which interlace
each other when pushed together and when released, as described.
2. The employment of undulatory faced or surfaced prongs at the ends of
coaches of railway and like trains, which prongs become locked by an interlocking
of the undulatory portion when slid into each other of the pair, as and for the
purposes specified.
3. The construction and employment of striated, beaded, or other undulatory
surfaced rods, which by a sliding action become interlocked, substantially as
described and shown for the purposes specified.
The 27th day of June 1899
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166, Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Richard Robert Harper, and James Coote, Garnham.