IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR- RIAGES, AND IN THE BUFFERS AND OTHER APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH SUCH CARRIAGES
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CHABOT, of Skinner Street, Snow Hill, in the City of London, Zincographer
and Engraver, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at
Westminster, the Second day of September, in the eleventh year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Charles Chabot, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that I, the said Charles Chabot, my executors, administrators, and assigns, and
such others as I, the said Charles Chabot, my executors, administrators, 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 mentioned, should and lawfully
might, make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town
of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR-
RIAGES, AND IN THE BUFFERS AND OTHER APPARATUS CONNECTED WITH SUCH
CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a proviso, obliging
me, the said Charles Chabot, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, and to cause the same 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

page_text: Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more
fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Charles Chabot, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, is particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following description thereof, reference being
had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked
thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists, firstly, in certain arrangements of brakes or other
apparatus for retarding and stopping the progress of railway carriages;
secondly, in certain improved arrangements of buffers and locking apparatus,
for bringing the whole train into one compact mass, whereby the safety of the
carriages will be more secured when a quick or sudden stoppage of the train
is effected, and also if an axle should break when the train is in motion;
thirdly, in an improvement in mounting the axle boxes of carriages; fourthly,
in certain coupling or connecting links for joining one carriage to another.
In Sheet I. of the accompanying Drawings one of the arrangements of
brake is shewn in several views; Fig. 1 being a plan view of the framing of a
carriage, with the apparatus for retarding and stopping the progress of the
carriage applied thereto; Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section, taken in the
line 1, 2, of Fig 1; and Fig. 3, a cross section, taken in the line 3, 4,
of the same Figure.
A, A, is the main framing of the carriage; B, B, is a rod, passed through
the cross bars of the carriage, and extending from end to end thereof.
Each end of this rod B is made tubular, to receive a flat-sided bar C, which
is capable of sliding freely lengthwise into its recess. The outer ends of the
rod B are closed by cap pieces, suitable openings being made for the insertion
of the sliding bars C. D, D, are tubes, which respectively surround the
ends of the rod B, and slide in sockets attached to the cross bars A*, A*,
of the carriage framing. The outer end of each of these tubes D embraces
a flange on the ends of the rod B, B, and is thereby prevented from being
drawn out of its place. Its outer end is closed with a cap piece, a hole
being cut in it to receive a pin or key when a bar C of the next adjoining
carriage is to be attached thereto. On the periphery of each tube D, coiled
feather edges, somewhat similar to the thread of a screw, are attached. These
feather edges work in the metal sockets which support the tubes, and when
these tubes D, D, receive a progressive horizontal motion, as will be here-
after described, they will partially rotate, by reason of the coiled thread on
their periphery.

page_text: I will now explain how this horizontal motion, which in the first instance
emanates from the guard or brakesman of a train, is made available to the
braking of a single carriage, and I will afterwards shew the method of
communicating this motion to all the carriages of a train.
The peculiar
construction of brake which I employ in connection with the parts above
mentioned consists of two annular friction surfaces a, a, (shewn in section
at Fig. 3,) which are made to embrace or bind upon the sides of a disc or
circular plate 6, keyed on to the axle c of a pair of carriage wheels. Fig. 4
represents this improved brake detached, and in plan or edge view; and
Fig. 5 is a view of the inner side of one of the annular friction pieces,
both views being on an enlarged scale. d, d, d, are springs attached to
their respective annular friction pieces a, and through their slotted ends
(see Fig. 5) bolts projecting from the pieces a are passed, the object being,
that these bolts, which severally carry a nut on their threaded end, shall
be made to draw the springs in an opposite direction to that they would
naturally take by screwing up the nuts in contact therewith, and thus producing.
an elastic pressure of the pieces a on the sides of the disc or plate b. Imme-
diately above the brake is a pair of guide rods E, which slide in sockets in the
cross bars of the carriage framing. These rods each carry one of a pair of
pendant arms F, which are capable of rocking on their centres, and are allowed
to take a vertical position when the brake is required to be put on.
e is a
cam piece, mounted on the rod B, and intended to keep the arms F from
falling into contact with studs ff, projecting from the outer side of the annular
friction pieces a. 9, 9, are pins, which project from a collar mounted loosely
on the rod B, but prevented from sliding thereon. These pins enter holes in
the pendant arms F for the purpose of receiving a horizontal motion therefrom
and communicating it to the rod B. It should now be understood that when
the brake is not required to be applied to the carriage, the annular pieces a, a,
and disc will revolve together without any friction taking place between
them; but as soon as the brake is put on, the rotation of the pieces a, a, is
stopped, and friction between them and the disc or plate 6 (in exact proportion
to the speed at which the carriage is travelling) immediately takes place.
This operation is effected, as before stated, by the guard or brakesman, who,
being seated in the carriage called the guard's carriage," has command of a
vertical shaft G, mounted in suitable bearings, and carrying at its lower end a
bevelled pinion h, which gears into a bevilled pinion i, keyed on a hollow
shaft H, turning in bearings in the cross bars of the framing of the carriage;
through this shaft a rod B* (similar in its object to B of the brake carriage)
passes, and to the rod B* the bar C of the adjoining carriage is attached, as

page_text: shewn in the enlarged sectional view at Fig. 6. In the hollow shaft Ha
longitudinal groove is cut to receive the feather edge, with which the rod B is
provided, to make the rod and shaft turn simultaneously. On turning the
vertical shaft G a portion of a revolution, a similar movement is communi-
cated to the shaft H, to the rod B*, thence to the bar C, and through it to
the rod B. The partial revolution of the rod B brings the smaller diameter
of its came into contact with the arms F, F, and allows those arms to fall
into the position shewn by dots at Fig. 3. By this means, on the next
revolution of the disc 6 the studs f, f, will come into contact with the edge of
the arms F, F, and the revolution of the annular friction pieces a, a, will
cease. A slight forward movement is, however, allowed by the arms F being
mounted on the sliding rods E, whereby the dead blow, which would otherwise
be caused on the studs suddenly coming in contact with a rigid substance,
will be prevented; this forward movement, by means of the pins g, carries the
rod B forward in the direction of the arrow, and effects the compression of the
spring I, which is coiled round the rod B, and acts in an opposite direction
for the purpose of returning that rod to its original position. It will thus be
understood that the disc b is rotating under great friction, which friction must
continue until the cam e is caused to partially rotate and throw the arms F, F,
out of contact with the studs f, f, of the friction piece a, a, while the brake
on the carriage adjoining the guard's carriage is being brought into action.
A similar effect will be produced on all the carriages of the train which are
provided with like apparatus; for a bar C being drawn out of its recess in a
rod B of another carriage, and attached by a pin to the tube D* at the left-
hand end of the carriage just described, the same motion will be com-
municated to the brake apparatus of that carriage as was given to the first-
mentioned carriage by the brakesman. From the above description it will be
evident that the brakes will work with precisely the same effect, whether the
train is proceeding to the right or the left hand, and also that carriages may
receive their brake motion from either end of the guard's carriage. It should
also be remarked that both ends of the rod B of every carriage but the guard's
carriage should be recessed, and provided with a bar C, to be attached, if
required, to the tube D of the next adjoining carriage, or pushed home into
its recess when not wanted to be used; this I find convenient in order to
"turn ends" with each carriage, as is now commonly done.
A modification of my improved rotating brake is shewn in Sheet II. of the
Drawings; it consists of a flanged wheel, round which a metal strap is bound,
an adjusting screw and spring being applied to the ends of the strap to
produce an elastic binding of the friction surface. By referring to Fig. 3,

page_text: Sheet II., this modification will be seen in front elevation.
a, a, is a flanged
wheel, keyed to the axle of a pair of carriage wheels, and round the wheel a
a strap bis placed; this strap is tightened to any required degree on the
periphery of the wheel a, by means of a screw and nut, and it is provided with
a stud or pin c, which projects on either side, and comes in contact with the
pendant arms d, d, (similar to those marked F, F, in the before-described
arrangement,) when they are allowed to fall into a vertical position, by which
means the strap or friction piece is prevented from rotating with the wheel,
and thus the requisite friction for the retardation of the carriage is effected.
At Figures 1 and 2, another arrangement for setting the rotary strap brake in
action is shewn, which arrangement may be also applied to the rotating disc,
or circular plate brake, if thought desirable. Fig. 1 is a plan view of the
framing of a carriage, with the apparatus attached; and Fig. 2 is a sectional
elevation, taken through the line 5, 6, of Fig. 1.
The carriages are coupled together by means of rods A, A, with which each
carriage is provided, in addition to the ordinary draw rods B. The ends of the
rods marked A are provided with hooks, and they are capable of a sliding
movement distinct from the part A, to which they are attached in the manner
shewn in the Drawing. In the guard's carriage, the rod B*, which is to be
used as the ordinary draw rod, is made capable of a slight vertical movement
for the purpose of releasing a catch (with which its end is provided) from a
notch cut in a sliding bar C, which forms the termination of the draw rod, and
carries the hook to receive the coupling chain D. The inner end of this
sliding bar C is provided with a guide piece or fork, which embraces and slides
on the rod B, and prevents the bar C from being displaced. E is a strap
piece, embracing the end of the rod B*, and connected to a vertical rod F,
which is suitably mounted for the guard to have the command thereof. The
lower end of this rod is provided with a screw, which enters the strap E, and
when the rod is turned round, the strap E will be raised or depressed. By
this means the notch of the rod B is withdrawn from the catch of the bar C
when required, and the connection between the guard's carriage and the
adjoining carriage is at once slackened. The object of thus slackening the
connection between the carriages is to allow the drag to fall on the rods A, A*,
which will thus be slidden longitudinally either to the right or left hand, as
the case may be, and draw a wedge or inclined plane, which is mounted on the
bar A, from between the pair of arms or stopping pieces d, d. These arms
are supported on stationary horizontal rods, and are allowed to fall into a
vertical position and intercept the rotation of the friction strap b, as before
explained, when the wedge is withdrawn from between them. The like effect

page_text: will be produced on the remaining carriages, the whole of which will
experience the draw of the guard's carriage, which may be supposed to be in
the middle of the train. If the guard applies an ordinary brake to slacken the
speed of his carriage, and at the same time slackens the connection between
the draw rods B and B*, the braking of all the carriages will be more quickly
produced. When the train is brought to a stand the engine must be slightly
backed to allow the various springs to return the brake apparatus to its
quiescent position; the bar C of the guard's carriage will then be drawn in
by means of a coiled spring confined in a barrel C* (Fig. 1), the bar being
connected to the barrel by a chain or strap. This kind of return spring I
prefer when a small space only is available for the location of the spring; its
peculiar construction will be seen at Figs. 6 and 7 (Sheet II.), and will be more
particularly explained hereafter. Figures 1 and 2 also shew the mode of
throwing an ordinary brake into action on the periphery of one of the running
wheels by the employment of the additional draw rods, just described
To the
rod A, at about the middle of its length, a lever G is jointed; its lower end
passes through an axle H, supported in bearings at the lower part of the
carriage framing. Upon this axle H, is mounted an excentric I, furnished
with an excentric strap and lever, which connect it with a brake piece K.
When the rod A is drawn either to the right or left hand it will pull over the
lever G, which will cause the axle H to rock, and bring the increasing diameter
of the excentric into a position for forcing the brake piece K against the
periphery of the running wheel. It will be readily understood, on inspecting
the Drawing, that the action of the excentric will be the same, whether the rod
A is moved to the right hand or to the left, and if required, a pair of excentrics
may be mounted on the axle H to actuate a brake piece for each wheel.
The second part of my Invention, which refers, as before stated, to improved
arrangements of buffers and locking apparatus, is shewn in several views in
Sheets I. and II.; but I will first describe the improvement as exhibited at
Figures 1 and 2, Sheet I.
The buffer rods K, K, are placed in the usual position on the framing of
the carriages, and are kept up to their quiescent position by the ordinary
springs provided for that purpose; attached to the ends of the rods K are
respectively a cup or trumpet mouth-piece, and a piece of suitable shape to
be inserted or to lock in such cup piece.
The shape which I prefer for the
ends of the buffer rods is shewn in the detached sectional view at Fig. 7,
which represents the outer ends of two buffer rods as driven home in their
locked position. When the buffer rods are thus furnished with the hollow and
pointed ends, if from any sudden cause the train is brought to a dead stand,

page_text: the buffers being respectively locked together, will be driven home and form
one continuous line of framing, the carriages will then not be able to ride over
each other (as is at present the case when the flat buffers have lost contact)
and convey the shock to the more fragile parts of the carriage, but the direct
thrust will be received by the lines of buffer rods, and the whole train will be
kept on the line of rails, thereby greatly mitigating the evils which might
arise from a collision; in case also of a carriage axle breaking, the carriage
will still be kept on the line of rails, as the buffers will tend to sustain it in
its erect position. At K* (Sheet 1, Fig. 1,) a double joint is made in the
buffer rod, as shewn, allowing play only to that part of it which passes through
the cross bar A*.
On. referring. to Figure 1 of the Drawing, it will be seen that a carriage is
provided with four buffer rods as usual, and that the ends of the buffer
rods, which protrude from the same end of the carriage framing, are dif-
ferently. provided, one having a cup and the other a pointed piece, this
is for the purpose of allowing the buffers of all the carriages to fit when
the carriages are "turned ends," a hollow and pointed buffer by this arrange-
ment always coming together. The lip of the cup or trumpet mouth-piece k
(see Fig. 7) wholly receives the thrust of its pointed buffer, and forms a
seat for the convex block of wood 7, the point ensuring the entrance of the
solid to the hollow buffer, even if the adjoining carriages, by being differently
laden, or from any other cause, do not present the buffers on the same
level, and also preserving the carriages, when locked, in one continuous
level. m is a hollow stopping piece, attached to the framing, and intended to
take the shock after the buffer rods have been driven home; n is one of the
metal sockets through which the buffer rods slide; it is kept in its place by
a block of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable elastic substance, which
is confined in the hollow stopping piece m.
This elastic block is intended to
allow a slight lateral play to the buffer rods in case of need. Fig. 8 shews, in
section, a modification of Fig. 7, the difference being that the elastic_block is
let into the framing.
In Figures 1 and 2, Sheet II., I have also shewn a mode of locking those
carriages together which are provided with the ordinary buffers. On the
under side of the framing, just below the buffer rods, a metal socket O, and a
pin P suitably formed to fit such socket, are securely fixed, a pin and a socket
being applied to each end of every carriage for the purpose of turning ends, as
before explained. When the speed of the train is slackened, and the buffers
are driven into the position indicated by dots in Fig. 2, the pieces O and P of

page_text: the adjoining carriages will have locked together, and thus the whole train will
be one firm and compact mass.
Another modification of my locking apparatus is shewn in sectional elevation
at Fig. 4, Sheet II. A, A, are portions of the end framing of two carriages,
and 0, 0, are two metal sockets attached thereto; P is a conical rod,
capable of sliding in the socket O*, but secured from being drawn out of con-
nection therewith by a collar at its inner end. The other end of the rod P is
attached by a pin to the socket O, which pin is removed when the cariages are
required to be detached. It will thus be understood that a kind of telescope
connection is made between the carriages, which connection is capable of
adjusting itself in length, according as the distance between the buffers varies,
and yet is capable of locking the carriages firmly together in case of a collision,
the increasing diameter of the conical rod P in that case fitting tightly into
the socket O*. When the locking apparatus is not required to be used, the
rod P may be disconnected from the socket O and slidden under its own
carriage.
A further modification of my improvements in locking the adjoining carriages
of a train together is shewn at Fig. 5, Sheet II. This arrangement is also
intended to form the draw coupling of the carriages. Q, Q, are the draw rods
of the respective carriages A, A, and to their outer ends the plates R, R, are
secured. From the face of each of these plates a threaded bolt projects, for
the purpose of being inserted into a female screw formed in one end of the
conical coupling rods S, S; at their other ends these rods are secured respec-
tively to one of the plates R; but they are allowed to slide freely in an opening
made therein. When, therefore, this coupling is in operation as a draw
coupling the parts are in the position shewn at Fig. 5; but in case of a colli-
sion, the rods S, S, will slide through the plates R to allow of the compression
of the buffers, and at the same time prevent one carriage from rising above
the other; they will also serve to partially support a carriage in the event of
an axle breaking. In Figures 1 and 2, Sheet II., I have shewn the mode of
applying to the buffer rods a coiled spring, enclosed in a box, similar to that
employed for returning the bar C of the last-described brake apparatus to its
original position. The mode of constructing this spring will be readily under-
stood by reference to the detached Figures 6 and 7. 1 is the spring, coiled
up in the box 2, which is mounted loosely on a shaft 3, extending accross the
framing of the carriage. One end of the spring 1 is attached to the box, and
the other end is secured to the shaft 3, which is stationary. 4 is a lever,
attached to the box 2, for the purpose of connecting it by an arm 5 to the
buffer rod, as shewn at Figures 1 and 2. By this means the inward thrust of

page_text: the buffer causes the box 2 to wind up the spring 1, which spring will return
to its expanded position immediately that the pressure is removed from the
buffers. A similar application of the enclosed spring is shewn in Figures 1
and 2 in connection with the draw rods, but further explanation of its action
will be useless. The improvement in mounting the axle boxes of railway
carriages is shewn at Figures 8 and 9, Sheet II., Fig. 8 being a longitudinal
vertical section, and Fig. 9 a plan view of the box. The novelty consists in
applying between the axle box and inner edges of its guide plate a layer of
vulcanized india-rubber, or other elastic substance, the object of which is to
allow of easement to the axles and wheels when the carriages are travelling
over curves, and also when the carriages are locked together, by my improved
arrangement of buffers.
If the elastic packing for the buffer rods, as above mentioned, is not
employed, this mode of mounting the axle box will be most desirable to
prevent the straining of any part of the buffing apparatus. In the Figures,
6 is the axle, turning on brasses in its box 7, and 8 is the ordinary guide
plate. Within the vertical grooves in the sides of the axle box a strip of
elastic substance 9 is placed; 10, 10, are brasses for confining the elastic
substance in its place. When the axles are required to take a line other
than a right angle to the length of the carriage the elastic substance will give
to any extraordinary pressure, and by elongating be reduced sufficiently in
thickness to allow of a slight backward or forward motion (as the case may be)
of the axle box in its guides, and thus the axle will be able to adjust itself
to the required position, and prevent the strain of the buffing apparatus.
The last part of my Invention refers, as before stated, to certain improved
coupling or connecting links for attaching one carriage to the other. These
connecting pieces are shewn at Figures 10 and 11 in Sheet II. Figures 10
represent an arrangement which I propose to use in connection with the
additional draw rods A*, Fig. 2, Sheet II. A*, A*, Figures 10, are the ends
of the additional draw rods, and they are each provided with links a, a, which
are retained in their places by collars, as shewn, but are capable of turning
independently of their rods; a female screw is cut in these links a to receive
the ends of the rods A", which have a thread cut on them to fit the female
screw. In connecting these rods together it is only necessary to insert their
ends in the links and to screw them up, as shewn. The end of every rod A*
in the train being similarly provided, it will be obvious that no difficulty will
occur in the fitting of the parts when connecting the carriages together. At
Figures 11 another arrangement of connecting link is shewn. In this the

page_text: pieces to be connected are each provided with a screw, which enters a tapped
hole in its fellow piece provided to receive it, and the pieces are attached to
chains, the links of which receive the coupling hooks of the draw rods.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in railway carriages,
and in the buffers and other apparatus connected therewith, and having also
explained the manner in which the same are to be carried into operation,
I wish it to be understood that I claim, under the above in part recited
Letters Patent,-
First, the general arrangement of apparatus capable of giving motion to
the brakes of a series of carriages, as explained with reference to Sheet I. of
the accompanying Drawings; and particularly I claim the construction and
application of rotating brake, as shewn in Sheet I. of the Drawings, parts of
which brake may be stopped in their rotation, as before explained, to produce
the amount of friction required to retard and stop the progress of railway
carriages.
Secondly, I claim the arrangement of apparatus, as described with reference
to Sheet II. of the Drawings, for actuating a series of brakes by employing the
draught or a portion of the draught of the train; and particularly I claim
the construction and application of a rotating drum or wheel and strap,
when the strap is allowed to revolve with the drum or wheel, and is capable of
being stopped to produce the required friction of surfaces for effecting the
retardation and stoppage of railway carriages, as shewn in Sheet II. of the
Drawings.
Thirdly, I claim the peculiar construction of buffers which are capable of
locking into each other, as shewn in Sheet I. of the Drawings; also I claim
the elastic bearing for the buffer rods; I likewise claim the stationary locking
pieces for keeping the carriages in one continuous line, as explained with
reference to Sheet II. of the Drawings; and I further claim the application
to railway carriages of the coiled spring and box, for the purposes before
mentioned.
Fourthly, I claim the application to axle boxes of vulcanized india-rubber,
or other elastic substance, for the purposes above described.
And, lastly, I claim the construction of coupling links, shewn and described
with reference to Sheet II. of the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Chabot, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
CHARLES (L.S.) CHABOT.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the same Second day of March,
in the year above mentioned, the aforesaid Charles Chabot came before our
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained, in form above written. And
also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the tenor of the
Statute in that case made and provided.