Improvements relating Railway Trains and to Coupling Devices for Use therewith.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Nov., 1887
Specification Accepted, 16th Dec., 1887
Improvements relating
Railway Trains and to Coupling Devices for Use therewith.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co. Patent Agents of 45
Southampton Buildings, in the county of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
this 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 consists in an electric signalling apparatus for railroad trains, which
comprises means for maintaining currents of electricity between the different carriages
and the locomotive, for giving signals, alarms and communications, while the train is
in motion, to the engineer or other employee of the road; a novel electric coupling
apparatus which can be uncoupled either by hand or automatically when a carriage
gets off the rails or separated from another carriage; and certain adjuncts such as a
conductor's pull-rope switch, and a special alarm clock-work switch, whereby the
circuit is opened or closed by pulling the ordinary pull-cord, or by certain dangerous
movements of one of the carriages or a part of it.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention.
Figure 2, is a bottom view of the same.
Figure 3, is a transverse section on the line x, x of Figure 2.
Figure 4, is a longitudinal section of the separable portion of the coupling.
Figure 5, is a view of the end portion of a car provided with my invention.
Figure 6, is a modified construction of my invention.
Figure 7, is another modification of the contact mechanism.
Figure 8, is a horizontal longitudinal section of the fixed portion of my coupling.
Figure, 9 is a longitudinal vertical section of a railway carriage illustrating
an adjunct consisting of a special alarm adapted for use in connection with this
invention.

page_text: To 11, 15 a cross section of the same.
Figure 12, is a detail view of the receptacle for the electric battery employed in this
invention.
Figure 13, is a detail view of an electric alarm gong used with this invention.
Figure 14, is a view of a train of cars, with locomotive and tender provided with
this invention; and
Figure 15, is a view on an enlarged scale of the end portions of two coupled cars
provided with this invention.
A represents a base plate of non conducting material B B portions forming a
coupling head, and Ca detachable coupling portion which enters the head formed by the
portions B B. The portions B B¹ are of symmetrical shape and are each formed on or
provided with an angular plate b by which it is fastened to the plate A so that the
head portions stand a suitable distance apart.
The plate A is usually screwed to the end of a car on the outside; and if desired
this plate might be dispensed with and the plates b b screwed to the car. Each plate b
has a horizontal flange b₁ one of which is provided with a contact spring 62, and the
other with a circuit closing switch spring b³, the latter being moved whenever
desired to make the contact by means of a pendant handle 64 which is pulled by the
conductor of the train while outside the car. This contact can also be effected by
pulling the ordinary pull-cord E of the train, which as shown is passed through the
hooke of the switch spring b³.
The inner surfaces of the head portions B B' are provided with ribs 66 which serve
as guides to corresponding grooves c in the conducting plates c¹ c² of the detachable
coupling C, whereby the latter is held in place when inserted into said portions B B¹.
On the rib of the head portion B¹ a switch spring 66 is provided said spring crossing
on the inside of the coupling head from portion B1 to the other B thereof as shown.
The grooves c c of the plates c¹ c² are conveniently and cheaply formed by corrugating
the metal forming the coupling portion C, in the manner illustrated, this mode of
construction giving a strong and light device. The plates c¹ c² are suitably fastened
to a wooden or non-conducting handle portion c* which encloses the end of a covering
cord 1) containing portions of circuit wires d d leading from a coupling portion
similar to the one C thus far described and to be further described, such coupling
portion belonging to the coupling head of another car. The wires d d are suitably
connected with the plates cc of the respective coupling portions C of the signalling
apparatus. On the inside between the plates, a switch spring c³ is fastened being
attached to the plate e and the free end of this spring crosses over to the other
plate, and a non-conducting button is extended through an opening in the
groove c in said plate, said button lying partly in the groove or corrugation c of the
plate cas shown.
The switch springs 6° and c³ serve as circuit closers when the coupling is uncoupled ;
and produce the electrical connection between the plates c¹ c² and portions B B and
open the circuit, when the coupling portion C is fully inserted between the head
portions B B', this latter operation being effected by the non-conducting button c
bearing on one of the ribs 6 of the portions B B', and thereby keeping the spring c³
from contact with the plate c², and the spring 66 at the same time bearing upon
portion c² of the coupling portion C, this latter contact being due to the entrance of
the portion C between portions B B¹.
From the plates 6 6' other portions of circuit wires d² d³ are passed to the interior
of the car and to the other end of the same where they are attached to other coupling
head portions B B' similar to those described; or these wires may be passed down
underneath or up above and along the top of the carriage and be provided or not with
the insulating rope covering.
The circuit wires are in the usual manner to be connected to aların mechanism
situated in the engineer's cab and at any other intermediate or necessary and desirable

page_text: by one arrangement shown when the circuit is closed the alarm signal is
given.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the negative and positive
currents of a battery of a railroad train are conducted through all the carriages and
are subject to the operation of the circuit closers 63 of each of the carriages of a train,
which may be operated by the pull cord E-connected to hooke of the switch spring 6*
at either end of the car, and said cord by being pulled will operate one or both switch
spring 63 of the car and insure the closing of the circuit at one end, if by reason of
accidental disarrangement, it could not be accomplished at the other end. In case
of accident or the cars becoming uncoupled or displaced in any manner, the detachable
coupling portions C are automatically moved from the head portions B B¹ and in
sliding out from the same cause the springs 66 and c³ to close the circuit, and give the
signal or alarm.
The signals given with the apparatus are the ordinary bell or gong signals and need
not be described.
I would state that while our invention is operated by means of the well known
open circuit, which I have found to be the most practical in railroad trains; it will
be equally useful and applicable for closed circuits by changing the arrangement
of the parts in ways well understood by electricians.
In Figure 6 is shewn the switch spring 6 with a contact hook 6' which when the
switch is pulled up comes in contact with the conducting plate 6 of the opposite
current and thus closes the circuit. This construction will be adopted only in such cases
where the pull rope E cannot be passed through the end walls of the car below the
coupling, but somewhere above the same.
In Figure 7 is shown as a modification of the spring shown in Figure 6, a vertical
stem or rod passed down loosely through flange b', and having two contact buttons g² g³
on opposite sides of said flange. Said stem is connected by a shoulder and nut with
the switch plate 63. With this construction the circuit can be closed by either an up
or down movement of the switch spring, the buttons g² and g³ coming respectively
in contact with the flange b¹ accordingly as the spring 63 is operated.
In Figures 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15 is shown an "adjunct" comprising a special
alarm mechanism which I will designate as the clock work switch F. This contrivance F
consists of an ordinary clock train inclosed in a stout housing f having an
ordinary frame f¹ to which the several arbors of the mechanism are hung, viz. main
arbor G main wheel g, spring g¹ and circuit breaking contact wheel H. The main
wheel 9 gears into a pinion h on arbor H³ to which latter an escape wheel 2 is
fastened. This wheel h² operates an escape lever ³ with a regulating weight * a set
screw h³ in said weight establishing its adjustability upon the arm ho for the purpose of
adjusting the speed of the escape I find this escape vastly superior to the ordinary fan-
wheel escape inasmuch as it will always start immediately, while with the fan-wheel
some time is lost in overcoming the inertia of the wheel and its intermediate
mechanism, which delay short as it may appear is apt to cause disaster. The arbor /¹
of the escape lever ³ is provided with an arm h' which is in range with the hooked
end portion i of a check spring I suitably fastened to the frame f¹. This spring I is
held by its tension away from the arm hand thus allows the mechanism to run and
give the alarm as will be seen. The contact wheel H of the positive line of the train
circuit is suitably fastened to the main arbor G and thus is operated by the full force
of the main spring gl. It is provided with contact lugs he placed at intervals suited to
the character of the signal to be given thereby. These contact lugs are in range with
contact spring J of the negative line of the train circuit, so that they in succession
come in contact with said spring and close the train circuit as often as one of the lugs
meet the spring, and at intervals answering the several various distances of said lugs.
I choose to use one of the fastening screws f² of the frame f¹ as the binding screw of
he positive wire X, and the fastening screw f³ of the contact spring J as the binding
crew of the negative wire ✗³, or vice versa, and thus the whole clock mechanism
orms part of the circuit and no intermediate conductors are necessary. The check
pring 1 is held toward the frame f¹ by a non-conducting plug K, so that its hooked
h8

page_text: end portion i holds the arm of the escape in such position as to prevent the escape
wheel h² from operating it. This plug K is inserted in a metallic cap k with which it
is inserted into a tubular projection of the housing f, out of which it is pulled by a
cord or chain k¹ in order to set the alarm going as already described. This
contrivance F may be applied to the inner wall of an express or postal car L and the
plug will be operated by the chain k fastened to the plug K and the door i¹ of the car
from which latter it may be disconnected by the person having charge of the car
whenever he finds it necessary. To the end of each car an apparatus F is fastened
below the bottom frame of the car, as seen in Figures 9, 14 and 15, and the plug K is
connected to the truck by means of a sagging cord or chain k¹ which becomes
straightened and pulls the plug out, releases the alarm mechanism from the check
spring I and allows it to start, whenever by any of the above mentioned accidents the
motions of the truck becomes extraordinary and dangerous to the car.
The signal
is thus given before the truck is smashed or quite derailed, and the train in most
cases can be stopped in good time to prevent a disaster.
Alarms may be provided in express carriages postal carriages on carriage sills, or
on the doors of sealed freight trucks and each class of alarm may be provided with a
contact wheel H having differently arranged contact lugs hs so as to give each a
different alarm whereby the nature and locality of the injury or cause of the alarm is
indicated.
The removal of the plug K by reason of an accident is generally very quick and
violent and may often result in the breakage of the tube for a larger portion of the
housing and A to prevent which we provide two opposite sides of the plug with flat
curved springs which by means of their tension against the inner surfaces of the
tube hold the plug in position without giving way to the ordinary tugs of the cord or
chain k¹, and allowing the plug to be pulled out in a direction either conforming with
or not to the axis of the tube f.
If it is desirable to not only notify the engineer but also the other railroad officials
on the train, each carriage may be supplied with an ordinary electric alarm gong,
such as shown in Figure 13, which will be suitably connected with the circuit wires
of the battery and electric alarm gong in the engineer's cab. And in order to further
develop this invention I contemplate putting a small battery at the rear end of
a train and connecting it with the described appliances and a bell, same
as with the battery on the engineer's cab, and by this means, if a train
becomes derailed, the conductor can, if on a
parts, or
car in rear of the
derailed or partel portion of the train, be made aware by a signal in the same manner
and at the same time as the engineer, of the fact that the train has parted or become
derailed, and have the brakes applied at once I further contemplate connecting a bell
in each car to the appliances so that the engineer can signal the conductor or
conductors whenever he desires.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The electric signalling coupling, comprising the separated coupling head
portions B B¹, switch spring 66, and guiding ribs, and the coupling portion C
having an insulating handle portion with circuit wires secured to it, two separated
conducting portions c¹ c² formed with guiding grooves or corrugations, and a switch
spring with non-conducting circuit opening button extending into one of the
corrugations or grooves, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Second. The combination of the coupling head composed of two parts, with a spring
contact device composed also of two parts, one of which comprises a spring arm
arranged upon one part of the coupling head and the other a spring stop arranged
upon the other part of the coupling head, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Third. The combination with the signalling coupling, comprising portions B B¹,
and C, and springs 66 and c³, of a switch spring 63 and a spring contact device 6,
substantially as and for the purpose described.

page_text: Fourth. The combination of the electrical signalling coupling apparatus, comprising
parts B B, and C, provided respectively with switch springs, and one with circuit
wires, of the switch spring 63 spring 62 and pull rope E, substantially as and for the
purpose described.
Fifth. The automatically separating electric coupling, comprising the portions BB¹
and C, which are respectively provided with a switch spring as b³ and c³, whereby
when the cars of a train separate or become derailed, a continuous signal can be
sounded, substantially as described.
Sixth. In the described electric signal apparatus, the switch spring b³ having
handle and spring contact device 62, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Seventh. The switch spring 63 of the signal apparatus, provided with a hook e and
pendent handle 64 in combination with the contact spring 62 and pull cord E,
substantially, as and for the purpose described.
Eighth. The combination of the pull rope E, the contact switch 63 63, coupling B B' C,
circuit wires, and a signal gong or an alarm whereby the ordinary pull rope can be
used for operating the apparatus, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Ninth. A railroad train provided with my described coupling circuit-wires, an
ordinary battery, an electric alarm, and the special alarm forming a clock-work switch,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Tenth. In a railroad train provided with my described couplings, the combination
of branch wires X X¹ of a train circuit, the frame f¹³, escape wheel h², contact wheel H
operated by suitable clock work, contact spring J, check spring I, plug K and chain
or connection k¹, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Eleventh. In the electric coupling and alarin mechanism described, the combination
of a suitable clock mechanism, a contact wheel H, and a speed regulating weighted
escape h¹ h² 3 h h h, substantially as and for the purpose described.
Twelfth. In the electric coupling and alarm mechanism described, the combination
of the starting plug K with an electric alarm mechanism and pull cord or chain
operated either by hand or automatically, substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Thirteenth. In the electric coupling and alarm mechanism described, the alarm
starting plug K having lateral springs k² substantially as and for the purpose
described.
Dated this 15th day of November 1887