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Part 63-63d: Couplings


63	Coupling	1914	-	13	13	8	N°7
63a	Octagonal coupling	1919	1940	0	0	n/a
63b	Strip coupling	1919	-	2	2	2	N°10	Octagonal until 1925
63c	Threaded coupling	1919	-	0	0	1	N°10
63d	Short coupling	1954	-			0

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

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

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

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.

Part	Variant	Frequency	Stamping
63	Two holes	All	unstamped
	Three holes, single tapped	Most	unstamped
		Some	MECCANO PAT NO 22962-13
		One	Meccano (on end)
	Three holes, double tapped	Most	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO PAT.NO.22962/13
		Some	MECCANO PAT.NO.22962/13 FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE
		Some	MECCANO in large text at top
		Some	MECCANO in tiny text 1/3 down
63a	Single tapped	Most	unstamped
		Some	MECCANO
		Some	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO PAT.NO.22962/13
		Some	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO REG. NO 671790
		Some	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO PAT NO 22962-13
		One	MECCANO PAT NO 22962-13
		One (on flat)	MECCANO RD 671790
	Double tapped	Most	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO. PAT. No 22962-13
		Some	MECCANO in large text at top
		Some	MECCANO in tiny text 1/3 down
		One	Meccano (on end)
		One	unstamped
63b	Octagonal (double tapped)	Most	unstamped
		Some (on two flats)	Meccano Rd 671790
		One (on one flat)	Meccano Rd 671790
		One	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO REG. NO 671.790
	Cylindrical (double tapped)	Most	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO. REG. No 671.790
	Cylindrical (double tapped)	Some	MECCANO
63c	Single tapped	Most	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO RD.NO.683011
		Two	MECCANO RD.No.683011 MECCANO RD.No.683011
		Two	MECCANO RD.No.683011
		One	unstamped
	Double tapped	Most	FABRIQUÉ EN ANGLETERRE MECCANO REG.NO.683011
		Some	MECCANO REG.NO 683011
		Some	MECCANO large, part-way down
		One	MECCANO small, at top
		One	FABRIQUÉ 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

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).

Description	from	63	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
		ALL	ALL	ALL	ALL	ALL

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!

A greyed-out box shows that no part exists for that colour combination.
Part number codes with a green background have an attached picture of the part, just click once on the code to show a photograph of that part in a separate window.
Parts marked "†" were temporary or economy parts, or existed only within specific themed outfits. The previous part continued throughout or afterwards.

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)

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