Home | Links | Contact |

Printed from www.nzmeccano.com

Top Home Bottom

Part 63-63d: Couplings

 
63Coupling 1914-13138N°7
63aOctagonal coupling 1919194000n/a
63bStrip coupling 1919-222N°10Octagonal until 1925
63cThreaded coupling 1919-001N°10
63dShort coupling 1954-0
Loading picture Couplings

The parts

Frank Hornby first applied for a patent on the Coupling in September 1913, in which the coupling had only one transverse hole.  In October 1913 he applied for a new patent in which a second transverse hole had been added, which was the version of the coupling first manufactured.  A copy of the US patent (applied for in February 1914, granted in January 1916) can be seen by clicking here.  

The photo to the right shows the various different types of couplings.  The top row shows the earliest type of each part, and the bottom row the latest versions, as used post-war.

In 1940, the useful but expensive octagonal coupling was discontinued.  In 1954, the new short coupling part 63d was introduced, but was never supplied in any outfits.

Chronological variations

Close-up of earliest coupling from patent application
Loading picture Couplingdiagram There are two major changes in the couplings.  The very earliest ones had only two transverse holes, as shown in the patent application (close-up shown right).  From 1919, the coupling gained the third transverse hole, but was still single-tapped of course.  In around 1925, the couplings became double-tapped (earlier than most bossed parts), and this part remained almost identical from that point on.

Stamping on a 1920s coupling
Loading picture Couplingtext The other way of identifying earlier couplings (other than the holes and tapping), is by the stamping that is shown on each part.  A full list of the stampings found to date, by John Nuttall, is given in a table in the "Variations" section below.

Briefly, we can make the following conclusions. Stampings on a coupling date the part from after 1919, but pre-war. There are no stampings on the earliest two-hole couplings. FEA dates a part from 1921 up to around 1929. It also seems that only the single-tapped versions of the coupling are stamped on the end, and perhaps we can try to draw a conclusion that this is the earliest type of stamping (and thus this may help us with dating collars and threaded bosses that are end-stamped).

During the later part of WW1, an 'economy' version of the coupling in a zinc alloy (63.zn below) was produced for a short while.

Couplings with the central transverse hole only part-way through
This image does not belong to the webmasters and is copyright.
Please do not download or copy it for any purpose. It has been
kindly provided for use on this site by the image owner,
Ed Barclay
Loading picture Dodgycoupling

Variations and oddities

Manufacturing error?

Ed Barclay, always one to throw a spanner in the works, sent this picture of what is probably a mistake in a pair of early couplings – the transverse holes only goes to the centre of the coupling, not all the way through.

Stampings

Thanks very much to John Nuttall for starting this list, which has been extended by the author and Clive Weston. Tell us if you have any more!

The following table is an attempt to show some of the different stampings found on pre-war couplings. Please contact us if you find any more, or if you believe one to be more or less common than shown.


PartVariantFrequencyStamping
63Two holesAllunstamped
Three holes,
single tapped
Mostunstamped
SomeMECCANO
PAT NO 22962-13
OneMeccano (on end)
Three holes,
double tapped
MostFABRIQUÉ EN
ANGLETERRE
MECCANO
PAT.NO.22962/13
SomeMECCANO
PAT.NO.22962/13
FABRIQUÉ EN
ANGLETERRE
SomeMECCANO in large text at top
SomeMECCANO in tiny text 1/3 down
63aSingle tappedMostunstamped
SomeMECCANO
SomeFABRIQUÉ EN
ANGLETERRE
MECCANO
PAT.NO.22962/13
SomeFABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE
MECCANO REG. NO 671790
SomeFABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE
MECCANO PAT NO 22962-13
OneMECCANO
PAT NO 22962-13
One
(on flat)
MECCANO
RD
671790
Double tappedMostFABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE
MECCANO. PAT. No 22962-13
SomeMECCANO in large text at top
SomeMECCANO in tiny text 1/3 down
OneMeccano (on end)
Oneunstamped
63bOctagonal
(double tapped)
Mostunstamped
Some (on two flats)Meccano
Rd
671790
One (on one flat)Meccano
Rd
671790
OneFABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE
MECCANO REG. NO 671.790
Cylindrical
(double tapped)
MostFABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE
MECCANO. REG. No 671.790
SomeMECCANO
63cSingle tappedMostFABRIQUÉ EN
ANGLETERRE
MECCANO
RD.NO.683011
TwoMECCANO
RD.No.683011
MECCANO
RD.No.683011
TwoMECCANO
RD.No.683011
Oneunstamped
Double tappedMostFABRIQUÉ EN
ANGLETERRE
MECCANO
REG.NO.683011
SomeMECCANO
REG.NO 683011
SomeMECCANO large, part-way down
OneMECCANO small, at top
OneFABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE
MECCANO Pat.No.22962-13

Dealer spare parts boxes

Spare parts boxes for parts 63b and 63c
This image does not belong to the webmasters and is copyright.
Please do not download or copy it for any purpose. It has been
kindly provided for use on this site by the image owner,
William Irwin
Loading picture Couplingspareparts

Individual part numbers

Part numbers for the parts on this page are as follows:    Unique part numbers
For identification, each variation has been given a suffix to the main Meccano part number. These suffixes consist of a two-character code for the colour, and if there are many variations, a further number and sometimes letter code to identify each variation. See the bottom of the 'Parts' page for further details.

You don't need to worry what the codes are, just click on any one for a photograph.

The button above turns on and off the display of DMS numbers (where they are known). The DMS (Development of the Meccano System, Hauton and Hindemarsh) published in 1972 and added to in 75 and 82, suggested part numbers for every variation of every Meccano part. These numbers aren't perfect, but they are recognised and also referenced in the EMP (Encyclopedia of Meccano Parts, Don Blakeborough).

More about bosses More about stampings More about paint colours
Descriptionfrom63
63a
63b
63c
63d
Brass, only two transverse holes, single-tapped 14.br1    
Grey zinc(?) alloy, only two transverse holes, single-tapped??.zn    
Brass, single-tapped (strip coupling double-tapped) ¹ 19.br2.br1.br1.br1 
Brass, double-tapped, stamped (strip coupling cylindrical)25.br3.br.br2.br2 
Brass, double-tapped, not stamped (post-war) ??.br .br.br.br
ALLALLALLALLALL
Notes:
¹ Strip couplings were double-tapped from the start, in 1919.  Octagonal couplings were always double-tapped in the central octagonal portion, but single-tapped at the two ends until 1927 when all coupling versions were double-tapped throughout.

Please send us pictures of missing parts! Hints and tips for pictures
Take a picture of the part in very good light, preferably on a plain yellow background, without a flash but with a tripod.
Ideally, trim the picture to about 150 pixels per inch of the Meccano part (unless the part is particularly big or small), save it as a reasonably good quality jpg file with a filename of exactly the part number, for example 19b.ni1.jpg, and email it to us by clicking on 'Contact us' at the top of the page. Thanks!

Further information

Mick Burgess      (at 9:27am, Fri 3rd Apr, 15)

Re part 63 with end stamping MECCANO around edge.
Manual for 1922 Model 307 Oscillating Steam Engine shows part 63 (numbered 5 in illustration) with MECCANO around edge, perhaps assisting dating back to 1922 at least?
Mick Burgess

Barry Gerdes      (at 11:39pm, Mon 1st Apr, 13)

The part 63b shown in the parts list at least up to 1924 was shown with a hexagon centre althought the picture of model 631 definitely looks octagonal. Are there any examples of 63b's with a hex centre sectiom?

Barry

NP      (at 7:39am, Tue 1st Jan, 13)

I have just found 6 examples of the end-stamped Pt.63. They are in a small parts box for what i would expect was one of the larger nickel period sets sold in the US (UK production, exported). I don't have the rest of the set, unfortunately.

tarquinias(Rob Pembroke)      (at 12:27am, Fri 19th Mar, 10)

Charles make it 2 for part 63b octagonal and not the one on the flat, as there is another under a magnifying glass in my paw.

Cheers Rob.

Norbert Klimmek      (at 5:45pm, Tue 12th May, 09)

Comment to "Variations and oddities":

The shown coupling is most likely a Maerklin product. Based on the pictures given in the appropriate parts lists, this coupling has been produced from 1919 until 1930/31. I own about a dozen of this type.

It was followed (until the production ceased in 1999) by a Meccano-like coupling with 6 tapped and 6 round holes, however, in the most useless arrangement: whether any transverse hole goes through, nor a fixation with two screws on a strip ist possible, because there are no taps 1/2" apart.

Norbert (Lake of Constance/Germany)


Your name:
Your message:
Security check: (Please type in the text to prove you're a person!)
 

On this page...

Recent stuff going on: