IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE BUFFING APPARATUS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND THE MODE OF APPLYING THE BUFFER AND DRAW SPRINGS TO SUCH CARRIAGES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Racster, of the Royal Military
Academy Woolwich in the County of Kent Mathematical
Master, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE BUFFING APPARATUS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
AND THE MODE OF APPLYING THE BUFFER AND DRAW SPRINGS TO SUCH
CARRIAGES."
Master, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE BUFFING APPARATUS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
AND THE MODE OF APPLYING THE BUFFER AND DRAW SPRINGS TO SUCH
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 18th April 1854, and dated the 4th November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Racster
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 4th November 1853.
I, WILLIAM RACSTER, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF
THE BUFFING APPARATUS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND IN THE MODE OF
APPLYING THE BUFFER. AND DRAW SPRINGS TO SUCH CARRIAGES," to be as
follows:-
My Invention of improvements in the construction and arrangement.
of buffing apparatus has for its object to so construct and arrange the
several parts that the buffer rods may extend back beyond the centre
of the carriage, and also when several carriages are coupled together

page_text: that the buffing apparatus may; when submitted to a given amount of
pressure, form one continuous frame throughout the whole train, so that
when a blow is given to any of the buffers it will distribute throughout
the continuous buffer frame without injuriously affecting the carriages
in which the passengers may be sitting, and which, according to the
present arrangements, are liable to shocks and jolts whenever the train
is suddenly stopped.
The buffer rods are arranged in pairs, and extend back considerably
beyond the centre of the carriage. The ends of one pair of rods are
made to slide in slots or sockets made in or attached to the pair at the
other end of the carriage, vulcanized india-rubber or coiled metallic
springs being adapted to the ends of one of the pair, in order to neu-
tralize the effects of sudden concussion. The rods of each pair of buffer
rods are connected together at their inner ends by cross rods, so that
they are made to act simultaneously. These cross rods are jointed to
the parallel buffer rods in a peculiar manner, so as to allow a certain
amount of play to the pins at the joints, in order to allow the cross
rods to assume a diagonal position according to the working of, the
parallel rods. By this means, in going round curves, and under other
circumstances that may arise, one rod may be forced in a little more
than the other rod, but in so doing it must inevitably push out its
fellow rod, so that when the carriages are coupled up properly any
tendency to a jolting or lateral oscillating motion would be to a great
extent obviated. Besides the coiled metallic springs or the vulcanized
india-rubber springs at the ends of the buffer rods, there are other flat
metal springs of the ordinary construction placed at or near the centre
of the buffer frame of the carriage. These springs are intended to
act as draw springs as well as buffer springs, and are acted upon by the
buffer rods at or near their ends by means of levers or arms, which are,
connected by links to the cross arms which are jointed to the ends of
the buffer rods as before mentioned. These flat springs are attached by
their centres to blocks, which are made to slide in grooves or sockets
fixed to the framing of the carriage. The hinder buffer rods.cause a
pressure against the ends of the forward springs, and the forward buffer
rods against the hinder springs, while the forward draw rods are secured

page_text: to and made to act upon the centre of the forward spring, so that when
the carriages are pulled forward by the forward draw rods the hinder
buffer rods which are connected with the draw spring will, if
perly screwed up, be forced back against the buffers of the succeeding
carriage.
pro-
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Racster in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
WILLIAM RACSTER, of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, in the
County of Kent, Mathematical Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of November, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto inc, the said William Racster, Her special
licence that I, the said William Racster, my executors, administra-
tors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Racster, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with,
and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise,
and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND ARRANGEMENT OF THE BUFFING APPARATUS
OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES, AND IN THE MODE OF APPLYING THE BUFFER AND
DRAW SPRINGS TO SUCH CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that 1, the said William Raester, by an instrument in writing under
my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature
of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be per-
formed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent..

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Raester, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manuer the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon
(that is to say):
My Invention of "Improvements in the construction and arrange-
ment of the buffing apparatus of railway carriages, and in the mode
of applying the buffer and draw springs to such carriages," has for its
object to so construct and arrange the several parts that the buffer rods
may extend back beyond the centre of the carriage, and also when
several carriages are coupled together that the buffing apparatus may,
when submitted to a given amount of pressure, form one continuous
frame throughout the whole train, so that when a blow is given to any
of the buffers the shock will be distributed throughout the continuous
buffer frame without injuriously affecting the carriages in which the
passengers may be sitting, and which, according to the present arrange-
ments, are liable to shocks and jolts whenever the train is suddenly
stopped.
The buffer rods are arranged in pairs, and extend back considerably
beyond the centre of the carriage. The ends of one pair of rods are made
to slide in slots or sockets made in or attached to the pair at the other
end of the carriage, and vulcanized india-rubber or coiled metallic
springs are adapted to the ends of one of the pair in order to neutralize
the effects of sudden concussion. The rods of each pair of buffers are
connected together at their inner ends by cross rods, so that they are
made to act simultaneously. These cross rods are jointed to the
parallel buffer rods in a peculiar manner, so as to allow a certain amount
of play to the pins at the joints in order to allow the cross rods to
assume a diagonal position according to the working of the parallel rods.
By this means, in going round curves, and under other circumstances
that may arise, one rod may be forced in a little more than the other
rod; but in so doing, it must inevitably-push out its-fellow-rod, so that
when the carriages are coupled up properly, any tendency to a jolting
or lateral oscillating motion would be to a great extent obviated; and

page_text: when a carriage has its two pairs of buffers pressed upon at both ends
by other carriages, this pressure at both ends will act on the draw rod,
and produce the effect of two pulls on the carriage instead of simply
two pushes; and these pulls will act at points beyond the centre of the
carriage. This double action I denominate a double stable action.
Besides the coiled metallic springs or the vulcanized india-rubber
springs at the ends of the buffer rods there are other flat metal springs
of the ordinary construction placed at or near the centre of the buffer
frame of the carriage. These springs are intended to act as draw
springs as well as buffer springs, and are acted upon by the buffer
rods at or near their ends by means of levers or arms, which are con-
nected by links to the cross arms which are jointed to the ends of the
buffer rods as before mentioned. These flat springs are attached by
their centres to blocks, which are made to slide in grooves or sockets
fixed to the framing of the carriage. The hinder buffer rods cause a
pressure against the ends of the forward springs, and the forward buffer
rods against the hinder springs, while the forward draw rods are
secured to and made to act upon the centre of the forward spring, so
that when the carriages are pulled forward by the forward draw rods,
the hinder buffer rods which are connected with this draw spring will,
if properly screwed up, be forced back against the buffers of the
succeeding carriage.
Fig. 1, in the accompanying Drawing, is a plan view of the simplest
arrangement of buffing apparatus constructed according to my improve-
ments. In this instauce the buffer rods a, a, a, a, act directly against
the ends of the semi-elliptical springs b, b, which are as usual placed at
the central part of the buffer frame c, c, c, c. The draw rods d, d, have
slots made in them for the purpose of receiving a pin or stud attached
to the springs, as shewn at e, e. The draw rods are also provided with
vulcanized caoutchouc or metallic springs at ff; and the buffer rods
are also to be provided with similar springs as at g, g. The elliptic
springs b, b, are provided with two guide pins h, h, which work in slots
as shewn in the Figure, and act as centres, round which the springs
move according as the pressure upon each of the buffer heads varies.
It will now be seen that upon applying a tractive force to the draw

page_text: rod d, in the direction of the arrow, the hinder spring
will be flat-
,tened and compressed, and will consequently bear against and drive
out the forward ends of the buffer rods a' against the binder ones of
the carriage immediately preceding. The buffers of the succeeding
carriage will press against and push in the hinder buffer heads of the
carriage shewn in the Drawing, and cause the rods a to press against
the ends of and compress or straighten the forward spring b, without
interfering with the draw rod d. When tractive force is applied to the
draw rod d, the spring f will be compressed against the buffer frame,
and will consequently relieve the semi-clliptic spring behind. The
above arrangement of buffing apparatus I intend to employ principally
for goods waggons or third-class carriages.
At Figures 2 and 3, I have shewn a more complete and somewhat
different arrangement, which I intend to employ for first-class carriages.
Fig. 2, is a plán view of the buffer frame; and Fig. 3, is a longitudinal
vertical section. a, a, a, a, are the buffer rods; b, b, the semi-elliptic
buffer and draw springs; c, c, c, c, is the carriage framing; d, d, the draw
rods; ff, cross bars for connecting the ends of the pairs of buffer rods;
9. 9, 9, 9, are levers mounted on centres fixed in the buffer frame
c, c, and jointed at one end to the cross bars f. f, by the links h, h, h, h,
the opposite ends of the levers g, g, being made to bear against the ends
of the semi-elliptic springs b, b.
The inner ends of one of the pairs of buffer rods are slotted or forked
to receive the inner ends of the other pair of buffer rods, which are
made to slide therein, as shewn in the Figure.
It will now be seen that upon pulling the draw rod d forward in the
direction of the arrow, it will compress the forward spring *, and
through the intervention of the latter will force back the ends of the
levers g, g, and thereby pull back the cross bar or rod f*, and the
hinder buffer rods a, a, which will thus press the binder buffer heads
against the front buffer heads of the succeeding carriage. When
pressure is applied to the whole of the bufling apparatus, as in the
stoppage of a train; the buffer rods at-both-ends are-driven-in, and-
consequently compress the two elliptical springs band *, and when
these have been compressed to a certain extent, the ends of the

page_text: rods a, will come against the vulcanized india-rubber or coiled
metallic springs i, i.
Having now described my Invention of improvements in the
construction and arrangement of the buffing apparatus of railway
carriages, and in the mode of applying the buffer and draw springs
to such carriages," I claim the general arrangement or construction
of parts herein shewn and described, or any mere modification thereof,
in which the buffer rods are extended back, and made to act against
springs placed beyond the centre of the carriage. I also claim
arranging and connecting the buffer rods and springs together, as
above described, so that when one of the rods is pushed in or out to a
greater extent than its fellow rod, as in passing round curves, the
fellow rod may be pushed out or in to a corresponding extent, thereby
always causing all the buffer heads throughout the train to be held in
contact.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Racster, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Second day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
20 Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. RACSTER. (L.B.)