Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Jan., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 19th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1888
I, ALEXANDER SPENCER, of 77, Cannon Street, in the City of London, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to outside buffers for railway vehicles whether constructed with
solid or with hollow rods or plungers, and has for its object the more efficient guiding
of the rod or plunger, for which purpose I provide behind the springs a sleeve that
passes through a hole in the headstock of the vehicle, and is furnished with a plate that
forms a base for the spring or springs within the buffer case; the buffer rod or plunger
works through this sleeve and is retained in position by suitable means such as a nut
or cotter on the outer end.
By my invention I am enabled to dispense with springs such as usually provided for
effecting the rebound of the buffer rod or plunger, the momentum being with my
arrangement transmitted through the before mentioned sleeve direct to the buffer
spring or springs within the case.
ALEXANDER SPENCER.
W Lloyd Wise,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Buffers for Railway Vehicles.
I, ALEXANDER SPENCER, of 77 Cannon Street, in the City of London, 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:-
My invention relates to outside buffers for railway vehicles whether constructed with
solid or with hollow rods or plungers, and has for its object the more efficient guiding
of the rod or plunger, for which purpose I provide behind the springs a sleeve that
passes through a hole in the headstock of the vehicle, and is furnished with a plate
that forms a base for the spring or springs within the buffer case; the buffer rod or
plunger works through this sleeve and is retained in position by suitable means such
as a nut or cotter on the outer end. By my invention I am enabled to dispense with
special springs such as usually provided for absorbing the rebound of the buffer rod or
plunger, the momentum being with my arrangement transmitted through the before
imentioned sleeve direct to the buffer spring or springs within the case. On the
accompanying sheet of drawings there are shewn two arrangements of outside buffers
for railway vehicles according to this invention the springs, however, being omitted.
Fig. 1 shews a buffer with a cast case.
Fig. 2 shews a buffer with a forged or pressed case.
A. is the buffer head, B the rod, D the buffer case, E a plate closing the end of the
case, and connected to it by screws or rivets (not shown).
The springs are placed between the plates F and G on the buffer rod.
The plate G has a sleeve G¹ extending through the headstock of the vehicle, and
encircling the rod B, which cannot escape from the sleeve on account of the nut Cat
its extremity. When a vehicle equipped with buffers according to my invention
comes in contact with another vehicle or a fixed buffer, the buffer head A, with
its rod D, will move inward compressing the spring between the plates F and G. If
the buffer head and rod should rebound, on account of the second vehicle being driven
forward or the first vehicle backwards, it will not suffer a violent shock, for the nut C
will strike against the end of the sleeve of the plate G, which takes an elastic bearing
against the spring in the case. The blow of the nut C will thus be received by a
yielding object and be softened.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In a buffer for railway vehicles a movable sleeve forming a guide for the buffer
rod and furnished with a plate that constitutes a base for the spring or springs, the

page_text: said sleeve passing through a hole in the headstock and the arrangement being such
as to admit of dispensing with a special spring for absorbing the rebound of the buffer
rod or plunger substantially as described.
2. The improved buffer constructed arranged and operating substantially as
described with reference respectively to Fig. 1 and to Fig. 2 of the drawings.
11
10/1 1
1000
ALEX. SPENCER.
W. Lloyd Wise,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.,
Agent for the Applicant.