Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons and Carriages.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 16th June, 1900-Accepted, 21st July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons and Carriages.
I, JAMES LEACH, of 16, Hollinshead Street, Chorley, in the County of Lan-
caster, Railway Rolling Stock Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The improvement which forms the subject of this invention consists in provid-
ing means for coupling or uncoupling railway wagons or carriages from either
side of the vehicle with the object of dispensing with the necessity of a railway
servant passing in between or under the buffers to couple or uncouple said
vehicles when shunting or making up a train.
For the purpose of this invention I fit a rod or bar transversely at each end
of the vehicle and supported in brackets that are fixed to the sole bar or other
convenient part of the under frame; said transverse rod is cranked in the centre
so that the draw bar hook may project between the cranked portion which hangs
down when the vehicle is uncoupled each of the outer ends of the bar are
provided with a suitable handle: The end link of the draw chain is connected
to the crank in the aforesaid transverse rod by a swivel link: A narrow plate
covering the draw bar hook is hinged to the body of the vehicle a short dis-
tance above the draw bar, the free end of said plate resting on and projecting
a little beyond the end of the hook from which it slants up to the end of the
vehicle at a vertical angle.
In applying my invention when two vehicles are required to be coupled the
cranked portion of the transverse rod herein before described is raised on one
vehicle by either of the handles at one of the ends of said transverse rod
which thereby raises the coupling link; the free end of the link catching under
the end of the plate covering the draw bar hook on the adjacent vehicle lifts said
plate and permits the coupling to drop on to the hook and by these means
coupling the vehicles, the covering plate falling into its previous position on
the hook.
In order to uncouple the vehicles, the aforesaid cranked portion of the trans-
verse rod is raised sufficiently to lift the link from the hook of the adjacent
vehicle and come outside the cover plate hereinbefore described which falls onto
the hook and prevents the link re-entering the hook, the link sliding down the
plate and hanging loose.

page_text: Improvements in Couplings for Railway Wagons and Carriages.
I, JAMES LEACH, of 16, Hollinshead Street, Chorley, in the County of Lan-
caster, Railway Rolling Stock Agent, 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:-
The improvements which form the subject of this invention consist in provid-
ing means for coupling or uncoupling railway wagons or carriages from either
side of the vehicle with the object of dispensing with the necessity of a railway
servant passing in between or under the buffers to couple or uncouple said
vehicles when shunting or making up a train.
two
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of the ends of
wagons with
my invention applied and showing said wagons coupled;
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, Fig. 3 is an end view of one of said wagons with
my improved coupling attached.
Fig. 4 is a side view of two ends of wagons the same as Fig. 1, but showing
the position of the links when raised for the purpose of uncoupling the wagons.
Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively sectional side view, and end view showing a
modification. In these views similar letters refer to similar parts.
9
as
For the purpose of this invention I fit a rod or bar as b transversely at each
end of a vehicle and supported in brackets as c that may be fixed to a convenient
part of the frame; said transverse rod is either cranked in the centre as shown
in Fig. 3 or a crank is formed thereon as shown in Fig. 6, so that the draw bar
hook may project between the cranked portion e which hangs down when the
vehicle is uncoupled. Each of the outer ends of the bar b are provided with a
handle or an equivalent: the end link g of the draw chain is connected to the
crank e in the aforesaid transverse bar 6 by a pair of swivel links f, the middle
link of the coupling chain is filled or bent inwards in' the centre so
to retain the adjoining links at each end of said link. A narrow plate j cover-
ing the draw hook is hinged or affixed to the body of the vehicle a short dis-
tance above the draw bar, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 or to the bar bas shown in
Figs. 5 and 6, the outer end of said plate projecting a little beyond the end
of the hook from which it slants up at an angle towards the end of the vehicle.
In applying my invention when two vehicles are required to be coupled the
cranked portion of the transverse rod b on one vehicle is raised by either of
the handles at one of the ends of said transverse rod which thereby raises the
coupling link g: the free end of said link passes under and raises the end of the
plate that is placed over the draw hook on the adjacent vehicle and is dropped
on to said hook thereby coupling the vehicles without requiring any person to
pass between or under the buffers.
In order to uncouple the vehicles, the aforesaid cranked portion e of the trans-
verse rod is raised sufficiently to lift the end of the link g from the hook of the
adjacent vehicle and on to the upper side of the plate j as shown in Fig. 4:
the crank e is then lowered which causes the free end of said link to be tilted
up and the link to slide down the plate j and fall down free of the hook.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improved mechanism for coupling and uncoupling railway wagons, car-
riages and like vehicles from outside the buffers consisting of a combination

page_text: with the ordinary form of wagon coupling and draw hook of a rod or bar as b
fitted transversely at the end of a vehicle, said bar being cranked or having a
crank formed thereon in the centre and provided with a handle or an equivalent
at each end of the bar, swivel links as f for connecting the end link of the
draw chain to the aforesaid crank, and a plate as placed above the draw
hook, all substantially as and for the purpose herein before described.
Dated this 15th day of Tune 1000
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
Agents for the Applicant, 4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester: