AN AUTOMATIC BUFFER BREAK FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES OF ANY KIND, AS WAGONS, CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, &c
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Conradi, of 8, Lower James Street, Golden Square,
in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "AN AUTOMATIC BUFFER
BREAK FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES OF ANY KIND, AS WAGONS, CARRIAGES, TRUCKS,
&c." A communication from abroad by Carl Speidel, of Carlsruhe, in the Grand
Dukedome of Baden in Germany.
aled the 29th April 1878, and dated the 31st October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Conradi at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st October 1877.
HENRY CONRADI, of 8, Lower James Street, Golden Square, in the County of
Middlesex. " AN AUTOMATIC BUFFER BREAK FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES OF ANY
KIND, AS WAGONS, CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, &C." [A communication from abroad by
Carl Speidel, of Carlsruhe, in the Grand Dukedome of Baden, in Germany.]
The formidable and destructive consequences experienced by the collision of trains
would probably not take place, or would at any rate be greatly reduced, if by the
construction of the rolling material greater care would be taken to build it on the
principles of the elasticity in the direction of the shock, as this has been the case
till now in regard to the disposition of the buffers. The present design shall complete
in this direction the necessary want, and effect an automatic break of the wagon,
carriage, or truck, &c., as soon as its greater elasticity has been consumed by the
shock.
Fig. I. & Fig. II. represent the iron bottom frame of a railway truck, which differs
from the usual construction only in the disposition of the moveable front pieces A, A,
to which the buffer a, a, are fixed instead of being screwed directly to the fixed
front piece B, B, as usual. The moveable front piece A, A, rests on the plate E, E,
which is carried by the brackets b, b, and which is fixed to the front piece B, B.
Between the moveable and the fixed front piece are placed the springs c, c, which
keep the distance between it, two of which are placed above and two underneath
the tie rod d. If now a great shock takes place the springs c, c, are in the first
instance compressed, and the effect of the shock is hereby reduced if then the

page_text: spirals are further compressed, the fork-shaped pieces e, e, placed in the centre of the
buffers press against the inferior buffers f, f, placed on the inside of the buffer box,
which through their compression spring elastically back. The shock is therefore
reduced three times, and its destructive effect therefore reduced to a minimum,
If the shock is still so great as to compress the inferior buffers f, f, it will then be
completely annihilated through the automatic break.
The automatical breaking.is effected by the rods of the inferior buffers, which
act though a rod on the lever C, C, and press hereby the rollers g, g, against the
rails. These rollers move difficultly between the levers h, h, as the above-mentioned
levers by tightening the bolts i, i, upon which they revolve, press against them, and
the so produced friction renders their motion difficult. The rollers act therefore like
a sledge break, but in a more effective manner, as through their motion they
produce a continued friction, always absorbing the power of the shock.
The lever system C, C³, is connected by the rods D, D, on both sides of the vehicle
in such a manner that the shock from whatever side it may come is always counter-
acted by both systems. The destructive effect of the mechanical movement of the
vehicle in motion produced by the shock is therefore by this arrangement prevented,
as it is firstly reduced, and then through the break entirely annihilated.
The present arrangement of the buffer boxes has further the advantage of playing
easily when the train runs in curves, as the relative points of the outside buffer lay
in the radius of the corresponding curves, producing a soft motion.
Another danger occuring by collisions is the throwing of of the vehicles from the
rails, which danger will be greatly reduced by the arrangement hereafter described,
consisting in the automatic uncoupling of the vehicles. For this purpose the hook k
is fixed to the tie rod by means of the hinges 7, besides the supplementary chains m, m,
which ends in knuckles n, n, fastened to a claw-shaped hook o, o, open at the top
and the bottom.
In order to keep the hook in a straight position, and to prevent the knuckles n, n,
of the supplementary chains from leaving the claw, a plate p, p, is fixed to the shaft q
by means of the hook-shaped levers r, r, and the fasteners 8, 8, which are provided
wtih a boss.
In the case of heavy shocks where the secondary buffers begin to act, the hooks
of the lever r, r, slide underneath the boss of the fastener 8, 8, and become free, so
that the plate p, p, drops by its own weight, revolving upon the axis q. The claws
on which the supplementary chains rest become open at their bottom, whereby the
hook looses its support and drops as well as the supplementary chains and the
coupling slides from the hook.
To connect the wagons or trucks again, the fasteners 8, 8, kept in place through
the spiral springs t, Fig. III., have to be turned back, in order to let the hooks
of the lever r, r, pass, and the plate can again be brought in its position.
The improvements on which the claims are based consist;-
1. In the arrangement of separate buffer boxes on the front part of the vehicle,
and the application of bent springs to increase the elasticity, and producing by it
an easier run in the curves.
2. In the arrangement of secondary buffer acting on a break.
3. In the construction of this break arrangement acting equally from whatever
direction the shock may come.
4. In the automatic disengaging of the screw coupling and the supplementary
chains to isolate the vehicles in the case of heavy shocks.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Henry Conradi in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 7th May 1878.
HENRY CONRADI, of 8, Lower James Street, Golden Square, in the County of
Middlesex. "AN AUTOMATIC BUFFER BREAK FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES OF ANY
KIND, AS WAGONS, CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, &C." A communication from abroad by
Carl Speidel, of Carlsrulie, in the Grand Dukedom of Baden, in Germany.
The formidable and destructive consequences experienced by the collision of trains
would probably not take place, or would at any rate be greatly reduced, if by the
construction of the rolling material on railways greater care would be taken to build
it more in conformity with the principles of the elasticity in general, and especially
so as to preserve their elasticity in the direction of the shock, as this has been the
case till now in regard to the disposition of the buffers. The present design shall
complete in this direction the necessary want, and besides effect an automatic brake
of the vehicle or wagon, carriage or truck, &c., as soon as its greater elasticity has
been consumed by the shock.
Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 represent the iron bottom frame or under frame of a railway
truck, which differs from the usual construction only in the application and dis-
position of the moveable front pieces A, A, to which the buffer a, a, are fixed, instead
of being directly screwed to the fixed front piece B, B, as usual. This moveable
front piece A, A, rests on the plate E, E, which is carried by the brackets b, b, and
which is fixed to the front picce B, B. Between the moveable and the fixed front
pieces are placed the springs c, c, which act as distance pieces between, two of which
are placed above and two underneath the tie rod d. If now a great shock takes
place, the springs c, c, are in the first instance compressed, and the effect of the
shock is hereby reduced, while by the still continuous action of the shock, the spirals
are further compressed, and the fork-shaped projecting pieces, straps, or brackets e, e,
which are placed in the centre of the buffers press against the inferior buffers f, f,
placed inside the buffer box, and which becoming compressed spring elastically back.
The shock is therefore reduced three times during the corresponding consecutive
periods, and its destructive effect therefore reduced to a minimum. If the shock is
still continuing its effect and is so great as to compress further the inferior or
secondary buffers f, f, it will then be completely annihilated through the automatic
break of the vehicle itself.
The automatic breaking is effected by the rods of the inferior buffers being
pressed inwards, and which act through a connecting rod or guide bar on the
lever C, C, pressing thereby the rollers g, g, against the rails. These rollers move
difficultly between the levers h, h, as the above-mentioned levers by tightening the
bolts i, i, upon which they revolve press like springs against them, and the so
produced friction renders their motion difficult. The rollers act therefore like a
sledge break, but in a more effective manner, as they produce by their motion a
continuous friction, always absorbing of the power.
The lever systems C, C, are connected by the tie rods D, D¹, placed on both sides
of the vehicle, in such a manner that the shock from whatever side it may come is
always counteracted by both systems, one of the tie rods being always compelled
to act, bringing therefore at the same time the action of the whole system into
effect. The destructive effect of the mechanical momentum of the vehicle in
motion, taking all its constituents in consideration, even in the case of heavy
shocks, is by the present arrangement prevented, as it becomes successively reduced
into several less powerful parts, which become first dissolved through the action of
the elasticity brought into play to act against, and finally being annihilated through
the action of the brake.
The present arrangement of the buffer boxes has further the advantage when the
train runns in curves that they play very easily, as the relative points of contact of

page_text: the outside buffer lays in the radius of the corresponding curves, thus producing by
running through curves a softer motion.
i
PA
Another danger occuring to the train by collisions is the throwing off of vehicles,
wagons, or trucks, &c., from the rails to which the wagons are so much the more
exposed, as in consequence of the fixed steady coupling the springing of the wagons
ending in a throwing of is directly communicated through it from one to the other.
This danger will be reduced by the arrangement hereafter described, consisting in
the instantaneous and automatic uncoupling of the vehicles in the moment the
automatic break acts. To this purpose the book k is fixed to the tie rod by means
of the hinges 1, besides the auxiliary or safety chains m, m, form at their ends
tongues n, which are fastened to a claw-shaped hook o, o, which is open at its
top and at its bottom part.
In order to keep the hook in a straight position when the train is running and
to prevent the tongues n, n, of the safety chains from leaving the claw, a plate p, p,
is fixed to the shaft q by means of the hook-shaped lever r, r, fixed to the same
shaft, and the bend fastener 8, s, and which is kept in position.
In the case of heavy shocks, where the auxiliary or inferior buffers begin to act,
the hooks of the lever r, r, slide underneath the bend of the fastener. 8, 8, and
become free, so that the plate p, p, drops by its own weight, revolving upon the
axis q. The claws in which the safety, chains rest become consequently opened at
their bottom part, whereby the book looses its support and drops, as well as the
auxiliary or safety chains and the coupling slides, from the hook.
To connect the wagon or trucks again the fasteners 8, 8, kept in position
through the spiral springs t, Fig. 3, have to be turned back, in order to give free
passage to the hooks of the lever r, r, and the plate can again be brought in its
former position.
The improvements upon which the claims are principally based consist,—
1. In the disposition and arrangement of separate buffer boxes on the front part
of the railway carriage or truck, &c., and the application of bent springs, in order
to increase the elasticity, and producing also an easier run in the curves.
2. In the application and disposition of auxiliary or secondary or inferior buffers
acting upon a break.
3. In the construction of this brake arrangement which acts equally from whatever
direction the shock may come.
4. In the automatic disengaging arrangement of the screw coupling and the safety
or supplementary or auxiliary chains, in order to isolate the wagons, &c., in the case
of heavy shocks.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Conradi, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight
H. CONRADI. (L.S.)
T