CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Simpson, of Wood Mill, near Todmorden,
in the County of York, for the Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 25th April 1865, and dated the 7th November 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Simpson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
November 1864.
I, GEORGE SIMPSON, of Wood Mill, near Todmorden, in the County of
York, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for " CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON
RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention is designed for the purpose of diminishing the force of con-
cussion in railway trains when they come into collision with any impediment
which suddenly retards or stops their progress.
The improvements consist in the novel employment and use of sliding shafts.
or rods attached to each carriage, and held or supported in brackets secured
to the carriage frame above the axles, and on a line with the coupling links;:
each rod projects beyond the ends of the carriage to which it is attached, and
terminates in buffers or discs which are in contact when the carriages are
coupled up, thereby forming one continuous connection, throughout the whole
length of the train. In the brackets secured to the framework of each carriage

page_text: projections or shoulders are placed, having fixed collars bedding against them
placed at equal distances from the ends of each shaft, which hold sliding collars
that are kept apart by a spring coiled around the central portion of the shaft
about half way between the discs or buffers. Thus, when any undue or
irregular pressure is exerted upon one end of the shaft (or shafts), the said
projections or shoulders fixed to the said brackets act upon the collars and
springs, and thereby transfer the force of the concussion (through the rods and
buffers) to all the springs throughout the train, whereby the force or shock of
the collision becomes distributed, and consequently diminished. The chief
feature of the Invention being the continuation of the buffer shafts in com-
bination with helical or coiled springs.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Simpson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th May 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SIMPSON, of Wood Mill, near Todmorden, in the County of York, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Simpson, Her special license that I, the said George Simpson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
George Simpson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 "CERTAIN
IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM OR APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON RAIL-
WAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Simpson
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to
be performed, 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. George Simpson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (and accompanying Drawings (that is to say):
-
My Invention is designed for the purpose of diminishing the force of con-
cussion in railway trains when they come into collision with any impediment
which suddenly retards or stops their progress.
The improvements consist in the novel employment and use of sliding shafts
or rods attached to each carriage, and held or supported in brackets secured
to the carriage from above the axles, and on a line with the coupling links;
each rod projects beyond the end of the carriage to which it is attached, and
terminates in buffers or discs which are in contact when the carriages are
coupled, thereby forming one continuous connection throughout the whole
length of the train. On the brackets secured to the framework of each
carriage projections or shoulders are placed having fixed collars bedding
against them, and placed at equal distances from the ends of each shaft, which
hold sliding collars that are kept apart by a spring coiled around the central
portion of the shaft about half-way between the discs or buffers. Thus, when
any undue or irregular pressure is exerted upon one end of the shaft (or
shafts), the said projections or shoulders fixed to the said brackets act upon
the collars and springs, and thereby transfer the force of the concussion
(through the rods and buffers) to all the springs throughout the train, thereby
the force or shock of the collision becomes distributed, and consequently
diminished. The chief feature of the Invention being the continuation of
the buffer shafts in combination with helical or coiled springs.
In order that the Invention may be better understood and explained in
detail, I have hereunto attached a Sheet of Drawings, made upon a scale of
about one inch and a half to the foot, similar letters of reference being marked
upon corresponding parts of the apparatus. Fig. 1 represents a plan view
of the base or foundation framing of a railway waggon or carriage, shewing
the improvements applied thereto, and shewing more particularly the arrange-
ment of apparatus in connection with the draw and "buffer bars"; Fig. 2
represents a detached sectional view of one of the chambers or recesses con-
taining the apparatus in connection with the draw and "buffer bars" to shew
the internal construction; Fig. 3 is an end sectional view of the chamber or
recess through the line A, B; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view, representing the
position of the apparatus when extreme pressure (through concussion or
otherwise) is exerted upon the "buffers."
In Figs. 1. 2. 3. and 4, a, a, is the framing of the carriage, to which is

page_text: secured the chambers or recesses b, b', and c; within these chambers are con-
tained springs d encircling the "buffer" and "draw bar" shafts e, e, e; these
shafts extend the whole length of the carriage, and to that portion contained
within the chambers 6, 6', grooved collars fare firmly secured of the form
shewn in section at Fig. 3; 9, 9', are loose collars which prevent a further
expansion of the springs d, d, by pressing or being retained when at rest
against the shoulder of the slide h. When undue pressure upon the "buffers'
or a concussion takes place, the grooved collars f, f, secured to the "buffer
shafts exert a force (and assume the position as seen in Fig. 4) against the
loose collars g, g, driving them nearer to the collars g', g³, which are prevented
from going in the same direction by the shoulders of the slide h, the spring d
confined between the collars 9, 9', at this time is compressed, and exerts and
transfers the force of the concussion through the rods and buffers to all the
springs throughout the train, distributing thereby the force or shock of the
collision.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, together with the
method of carrying the same into practical effect, I wish it to be distinctly
understood that I claim the employment and use of the sliding shafts or rods
terminating in buffers, and extending the whole length of the carriage, and
the combination of the springs, collars, and brackets therewith, for the purpose
of distributing any concussion throughout a train of carriages as herein-
before described, set forth, and fully illustrated in the Drawings attached.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Simpson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.