GB191019803A - Improvements in Automatic Air and Steam Pipe Couplers. - Google Patents

Abstract

19,803. Haddan, H. J., [Robinson, J. V.]. Aug. 24. Couplings, disconnectible, for the air and steam pipes of railway vehicles. A bracket 6, Fig. 2, connected to the ordinary draw-bar 5, has a ball-socket 7 adjustably secured thereto by bolts 36, 37 passing through slots in the bracket. The socket is in two parts 7<a>, 7<b>, Fig. 8. A ball 28, housed in the socket, has its motion limited by dowels 45, 46. The couplerhead 10 has alining-jaws 22, and is supported by a conical spring 11, secured to the head 10 and to the member 7 by dogs 49, 50. The metal of the spring tapers towards the apex of the cone to give a more rapid increase in pressure. The head has ports 13, 14, 15 with suitable gaskets. A tubular extension from the port 13 is mounted to slide through, but not rotate in, the ball 28. Short flexible tubes 30 leading to the ports 13, 14, 15 may connect directly to the train pipes, or may have coupling-members 32, 31, 33 of ordinary construction, so that train pipes having corresponding flexible tubes and coupling-members may be connected to the coupling- head 10, or may, if necessary, be directly coupled to the pipes of an adjacent vehicle, which is not provided with a coupling-head 10. The coupling - head may have spring - pressed electric contacts 26, Fig. 7, for the lighting- circuit &c. of the train, housed in casings 27 of insulating-material. In a modification, each fluid-way in the coupler is bifurcated and provided with two ports, Fig. 11. In a further modification for use on freight cars, there is one central brake airway only, and cavities are provided to prevent damage to the gaskets of the signal - air and steam ports of an adjacent coupler when a train is mixed.