IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR- RIAGES
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
KNOX, of Moorgate Street, in the City of London, Secretary to the Shrews-
bury and Birmingham Railway Company, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of March
(One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine), in the twelfth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me; the said
George Knox, my exors, adñiors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full power,
sole privilege and authority, that I, the said George Knox, my exors, admors,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said George Knox, my exors, admors,
or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, usc, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR-
RIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that I, the said
George Knox, shall cause a particular description of the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled in Her Majesty's High
Court of Chancery within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same,
reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large appear..

page_text: NOW KNOW I, that in compliance with the said proviso, 1, the sam
George Knox, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, are fully described
and ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters marked
thereon, that is to say :-
My Invention consists,―
First, of a mode of manufacturing certain descriptions of railway carriages in
such manner that they may collapse, offering encreased elastic resistance to a
concussion, and at the same time so as to put on breaks to the wheels.
Secondly, my Invention consists of improvements in the buffing apparatus
used with trucks and other railway carriages.
Thirdly, my Invention consists of a mode of constructing an elastic draught
hook or link for railway carriages.
Fourthly, my Invention consists of improvements in ventilators of railway
passenger carriages.
Fifthly, my Invention consists of improvements in the naves of wheels of
railway carriages.
Sixthly, my Invention consists of improvements in the arrangement of levers
of screw couplings of railway carriages; and
Seventhly, my Invention consists of a mode of constructing railway carriages
and waggons.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows an elevation of a railway carriage partly in section, con-
structed according to my Invention. Figure 2 shows a plan thereof, also
partly in section. The carriage has three bodies arranged for receiving
passengers' luggage or other goods, but the bodies may be suitably arranged
for other purposes, this part of my Invention not depending on the character of
the bodies of the carriages used, so long as they are at a distance apart to allow
of their moving through a space without coming in contact in case of con-
cussion. Each body has a pair of wheels, and the several bodies are connected
together by means of screw couplings A, A, and they are to have buffing
apparatus between their framings; that which I prefer are those which consist
of a series of rings of vulcanized india rubber B, B, having plates. C, C,
between them placed on. rods D, D, but this arrangement may be varied.
E,E, are sliding bars which are respectively fixed to the carriages or framings
of the first and last bodies, as shown, and they are capable of sliding in the
bearings F fixed to the framing of the middle body, there being brasses G, G,

page_text: within the bearings F, F, as shown. H, H, are breaks fixed to springs T, I,
these springs being coupled by suitable screws or nuts, as shown. By this
arrangement if, by reason of any concussion the bodies of the combined
carriage are caused to approach each other, the breaks will be put on, and the
springs I will offer a resistance to the coming of the bodies more closely
together; but this arrangement for putting on the breaks may be varied so
long as the coming together of the several bodies cause the breaks to be put
on. In order to prevent a rebound of the parts of a carriage so constructed
after a concussion, means are to be provided for retaining the parts into the
position into which they may have been driven by the first shock, and this may
be done by means of strong stops or catches J, J, falling into and taking hold
of the notches or teeth formed into the bars K, which are connected to the
framing of one body of the carriage, and slide through the framing or bearings
fixed to the framing of the other body.
I will now describe the second part of my Invention, which consists of
improvements in the buffing apparatus to be used with trucks and other
railway carriages where a large extent of elasticity is not required. Figure 3
shows the section of a buffing apparatus constructed according to part of my
improvements. A is a cylinder in which the hollow'stem B of the buffer head
slides, such cylinder A spreading out and forming a chamber for the play of
the springs C, C, several of which are placed around a circular plate D, and
they and the part A are secured to plate D, as shown, the ends of the springs
converging so as to come against the end of the hollow stem B of the buffer
head. The buffing apparatus is fixed to the plank E by means of screw bolts
and nuts, as shewn. I make the parts A, B, and D, of wrought iron for
lightness and strength. Figure 4 shews the section of another arrangement
of buffing apparatus. In this arrangement three coiled springs are used, one
within the other, which come successively into action, offering greater and
greater elastic-resistance, which, however, is not new separately. These springs
are placed within a cylindrical chamber A of wrought iron, within which the
wrought-iron hollow stem. B of the buffer head slides, as shewn, there being a
fixed bar C which prevents the springs expanding and driving out the stem B
too far.
Figure 5 shows the section of means of obtaining elasticity to a draught
hook or link of railway carriages. A is the plank through which the stem C
of the hook or link passes, and on its end is fixed a disc C' which moves in
the cylinder B as a piston, and within the cylinder B are three coiled springs
one within the other, which offer an elastic resistance to the stem C being
drawn out. The separate springs come into action in succession, and when

page_text: hard pressed on they act in conjunction to resist the drawing out of the
stem C.
The fourth part of my Invention consists of improvements in ventilators for
railway passenger carriages. Figure 7 is a plan; Figure 8 an internal view,
with some of the parts removed to shew the internal construction; Figure 9
is a section; Figure 10 is an external view; and Figure 11 shows the plate
with a slot in it through which the knob of the wedge comes. D is the
moveable shutter, having slots in it to correspond with the slots in the fixed
shutter E. The moveable shutter is constantly pressed on by springs F, F,
and the moveable shutter is raised with facility by means of the sliding wedge
G, the knob of which (H) passes through the slot in the plate I, and accord-
ing as the knob is at one end or other of the slot so will the ventilator be open
or shut, as indicated on the Plate.
The fifth part of my Invention consists of improvements in the construction
of the naves of railway carriages, and consists of forming the inner end thereof
open, of a bell or conical form, by which the axles will be found to be less
liable to break off at the point behind the nave, as heretofore. Figure 12
shows this part of my Invention, A being the axle partly in section, and B the
conical or bell-formed ends of the naves.
I will now describe the sixth part of my Invention, which is shewn at
Figures 14 and 15, and consists of applying three weighted arms to the screw
couplings of railway carriages, and which arms I make of such a length
as not to require a man to get in between the carriages to screw up the
couplings.
I will now describe the seventh part of my Invention. Figure 16 shows a
view of the under part of the framing of a railway truck, waggon, or carriages,
and the novelty consists in dispensing with the use of tenons and mortices, and
using in place thereof iron sockets. The other Figures show various views of
the sockets employed. A, A, is the sole or under frame. B, B, the cross
heads or end pieces. C, transverse bearers. D, D, diagonals. F, F, longi-
tudinals. G, G, sockets attached to the ends of the cross heads and to the
sole. H, H, are the sockets for the diagonals. The other sockets marked
N, O, P, and Q, are similar to those shown at Q.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I do
not confine myself to the details as herein described, so long as the peculiar
character of any part of my Invention be retained; but what I claim is,-
First, the mode of constructing railway carriages described in respect to
Figures 1 and 2.

page_text: Secondly, I claim the construction of buffers described in respect to Figures
3; and I also claim the construction of buffer Figure 4.
Thirdly, I claim the mode herein described of giving elastic resistance to the
draught links or stems of railway carriages.
Fourthly, I claim the mode of arranging and combining the parts of venti-
lators of railway passenger carriages, described in respect to Figures 7, 8, 9,
10, & 11.
Fifthly, I claim the forming of the inner ends of the naves of railway wheels
bell or coned shape.
Sixthly, I claim the application of three arms to screw couplings of railway
carriages; and
Seventhly, I claim the mode of constructing the framework of waggons and
other railway carriages by dispensing with mortices and tenons, and employing
iron sockets.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Knox, have hercunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine
GEORGE (L.S.) KNOX.
AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Nineteenth day of Septem-
ber, in the year of our Lord 1849, the aforesaid George Knox came before
our said Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Speci-
fication aforesaid, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in
form above written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped
according to the tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Nineteenth day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-nine.