An Improved "Ship's Buffer" for Preventing Damage to Ships by Collision.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Sept., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 12th June, 1890-Accepted, 19th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved "Ship's Buffer" for Preventing Damage to Ships
by Collision.
I, JOSEPH HANNINGTON BENNETT, No. 3 Clifton Terrace Forest Hall Newcastle-on-
Tyne Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows, namely:-
"
An Improved "Ship's Buffer so arranged as to prevent damage to ships by
collision, and render a safety to life and property at sea; the aforesaid Buffer being
constructed of wrought iron, cast steel and brass or other metals. It works with
an arrangement of springs and hydraulics, all inside of a round casing of cast steel
and brass or other metals, the steel case being screwed into an eye formed on the
stem post of ship, inside of which works the "Buffer Ram" with a combination
of springs and hydraulic ram, with hydraulic cylinder and ball head, formed, to act
as a support against concussion when vessels are in contact, likewise to allow of
oscillation of ram by action of the sea, the whole arrangement being strengthened
by wrought iron end plate, screwed on to the end of brass castings that form
around the ball head of the cylinder, from which end plate and tie rods with
adjusting nuts, are connected to the ships bows.
Dated this 16th day of Santambar 1880
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved "Ship's Buffer" for Preventing Damage to Ships
by Collision.
I JOSEPH HANNINGTON BENNETT No. 3 Clifton Terrace Forest Hall Newcastle on
Tyne Mechanical Engineer 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 :-
"
In "An Improved 'Ships Buffer' for Preventing Damage to Ships by Collision
and thereby render a safety to life and property at sea, the aforesaid Buffer will be
placed in an eye formed on the stempost of ships above water line, and work
automatically with an arrangement of hydraulics and springs combined, offering a
resistance when engaged with another vessel proportionate to the safe pressure on
plates of the opposing vessel (covered by face of the Buffer ram) on the aforesaid
vessels disengaging again the Buffer is quickly brought into its normal position by
the action of spring 9 in Fig. 1.
In order to more clearly explain my invention, and the manner it is to be performed,
I refer to the accompanying sheet of drawings in 5 Figures.
Fig. 1. is a sectional elevation of Buffer with an eye a, formed on stempost of ship,
into which is screwed case b, connected to case b by clip joint is half cases c. c, that
takes ball headed cylinder dd, the said ballhead acting as a support for cylinder against
concussion, also serving the purpose of oscillation of Buffer when brought into action
by collision, the aforesaid cylinder d d being filled with a non-freezeing liquid
forming an increased power of resistance when the piston or ram e is brought into
action, the said liquid passing through holes i. i along conveyance chamber d' from
one side of the piston or ram e to the other, the said piston or ram passing through
the stuffing box m until stopped against the face of case 6 by Buffer Ram F, the face
of the Buffer ram at this time forming a cushion or fender between the vessels; on
the said vessels disengaging again the Buffer is automatically brought into its normal
position by action of spring g, and stopped against spring h-a temporary cone

page_text: plate is provided on front of case to prevent water or other matter washing inside
of case b, but which, will easily break away when a collision takes place with Buffer.
Fig. 2 is a part plan of half cases c c, shewing coupling flange with bolts and nuts.
Fig. 3 is a section through A A of ballheaded cylinder dd, shewing ribs of ball
and face of stuffing box m.
Fig. 4 is a section through B B, shewing pin e' for connecting hydraulic ram and
Buffer ram together and Fig. is a view looking on end plate, or ring J, that is
screwed by bolts on end of half cases c. c. (as shewn in Fig. 1) in this view is also
shewn about the position the tie rods k. k. k. k. will be in, for connecting to ships
sides or bows.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I desire it to be distinctly
understood, what I do not claim is, the principle of a hydraulic cylinder or press,
which may previously have been in use for gun carriages or buffers, but I declare that
what I do claim is-
Claim 1st. That in the combination of "An Improved 'Ships Buffer' for Preventing
Damage to Ships by Collision" there is a hydraulic ballheaded cylinder combined with
springs and rams all substantially the same as, and for, the purpose hereinbefore
described and shewn by drawings herewith.
Claim 2nd. In the aforesaid Buffer, I have the combination of case with half
cases c. c supported by end plate, or ring J, and tie rods k. k. k. k. the whole arrange-
ment forming "An Improved Ships Buffer" for the purpose herein before set forth and
shewn.
Dated this 11th day of June 1890
JOSEPH HANNINGTON BENNETT, (L.S.)
Patentee.