Improvements in Body Cushions for Vehicles such as Railway'. Carriages.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 1st July, 1889
.Complete Specification Left, 1st Apr., 1890-Accepted, 3rd May, 189
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Body Cushions for Vehicles such as Railway'.
Carriages.
1, FREDERICK JOHN BROUGHAM, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Managing Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
t
Between the bodies and the underframes of railway carriages it is usual to interpose
what are known as body cushions, generally made of indiarubber either solid or
recessed or having projections or corrugations, but in all cases, as heretofore made, and
applied, presenting surfaces to be acted upon only in two general planes, namely one
surface or series of surfaces in contact with the underpart of the body of the vehicle
and another in contact with the upperpart of the underframe. Thus it follows with
body cushions as heretofore usually employed that the cushions are liable to be unduly
compressed by the application of pressure through the body bolts, there being no
guide or. indication to enable the workmen engaged in screwing up the nuts to
ascertain readily when the proper amount of compression has been applied. Moreover,
the rubber is liable after a time to attain a permanent set so that the cushioning effect
is largely destroyed.
Now according to this invention for the purpose of obviating the disadvantages
above referred to, the elastic cushions are made.and applied in such a manner as to
afford in three or more parallel planes, surfaces to receive pressure in such a manner
that when the cushions are first applied upon the weight of the carriage body coming
onto the cushions, the application of pressure by screwing up may be arrested when
the first or outermost surface or surfaces in relation to the thickness of the cushion
shall have been forced into the same plane or approximately the same plane as the
second or next inner surface or surfaces and so on, until the last or innermost surface
or series of surfaces shall have been brought under compression which will not occur
until after the carriage has been in use some time it being understood that by this
invention fresh portions of cushion can be brought into use successively as may from
time to time he required in consequence of permanent sitting of portions already
used.
In the construction of body cushions according to this invention various form's
may be adopted. For instance the upper or lower surface may be flat and the reverse
surface formed with two or more series of projections, those of each series terminating
in a different plane from those of the other series and all these planes being
parallel.
The projections forming one series may be used simply to serve as indicators and
in such case need not equal those used as actual bearings, but the combined area may
represent the total surface required.
It will be understood that with the use of graduated body cushions such as described,
an elastic bearing surface may be readily obtained since a clear indication will be
afforded whenever the necessary amount of pressure has been applied.
It will be evident instead of making the cushions with one flat operating surface
they might be made with projections terminating, in different parallel planes both at
the upper and at the lower sides.

page_text: CODE TIME DIELLATION.
Improvements in Body Cushions for Vehicles such as Railway
Carriages.
A communication from abroad by H. E. SPENCER, of 14 Wohlerstrasse, Frankfort-on-
the-Main, Germany.
I, FREDERICK JOHN BROUGHAM, of No. 46 Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Managing Clerk, 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 :-
Between the bodies and the underframes of railway carriages it is usual to interpose.
what are known as body cushions, generally made of indiarubber either solid or
recessed or having projections or corrugations, but in all cases, as heretofore made and
applied, presenting surfaces to be acted upon only in two general planes; namely, one
surface or series of surfaces in contact with the underpart of the body of the vehicle,
and another in contact with the upperpart of the underframe. Thus it follows with
body cushions as heretofore usually employed that the cushions are liable to be unduly
compressed by the application of pressure through the body bolts, there being no
guide or indication to enable the workmen engaged in screwing up the nuts to
ascertain readily when the proper amount of compression has been applied. Moreover
the rubber is liable after a time to attain a permanent set so that the cushioning effect
is largely destroyed.
Now according to this invention for the purpose of obviating the disadvantages
above referred to, the elastic cushions are made and applied in such a manner as to
afford in two or more parallel planes, surfaces to receive pressure in such a manner
that when the cushions are first applied upon the weight of the carriage body coming
on to the cushions, the compression may be arrested when the first or outermost
surface or surfaces in relation to the thickness of the cushion shall have been forced
into the same plane or approximately the same plane as the second or next inner
surface or surfaces, and so on until the last or innermost surface or series of surfaces
shall have been brought under compression which will not occur until after the
carriage has been in use some time, it being understood that by this invention fresh
portions of cushion can be brought into use successively as may from time to time he
required in consequence of permanent setting of portions already used.
In the construction of body cushions according to this invention various forms
may be adopted. For instance the upper or lower surface may be flat as at a in
Figs. 12 and 3 and the reverse surface be formed with two or more series of
projections such as c, d, e as in the same Figs., those of each series terminating in a
different plane from those of the other series, and all these planes being parallel, but
it is to be noted that the relative positions of the parts terminating in the different
planes, as well as the number and form of such parts may be variously modified.
The projections forming one series may be used simply to serve as indicators and
in such case need not equal those used as actual bearings, but the combined area may.
represent the total surface required.
It will be understood that with the use of graduated body cushions such as
described an elastic bearing surface may be readily obtained since a clear indication
will be afforded whenever the necessary amount of pressure has been applied.
It will be evident instead of making the cushions with one flat operating surface
they might be made with projections terminating in different parallel planes both at
the upper and at the lower side as in Figs. 4, 5, and 6.
Fig. 7 is a plan corresponding to Figs. 1 and 4.
Fig. 8 a plan corresponding to Figs. 2 and 5;-and-
Fig. 9 a plan corresponding to Figs. 3 and 6.
The parts marked f (which are shewn circular but might be. of other form) are
projections some of which can correspond to others to I and others to e in Five 3

page_text: and 6; the relative positions of the different thicknesses being determined at will
when making the cushions.
In the case of each of the examples illustrated there is a bolt hole at g; but its
position might be altered and there might be more than one.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. A body cushion such as hereinabove described made at one or at both of its
main sides with portions terminating in different parallel planes, the construction
being such that fresh portions of cushion can be brought into use successively as may
from time to time be required as and for the purpose indicated.
2. The manufacture and use of body cushions of the kind referred to in the
preceding claim as respectively shewn in and described with reference to Figs. 1
and 7, Figs. 2 and 8, Figs. 3 and 9; Figs. 4 and 7; Figs. 5 and 8; and Figs. 6
and 9 of the drawings annexed.
c A
L1000