New or Improved Means to be employed in connection with Rolling Stock for the purpose of Avoiding or Lessening Disastrous Results from Collision.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 7th Mar., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means to be employed in connection with Rolling
Stock for the purpose of Avoiding or Lessening Disastrous
Results from Collision.
I, CHARLES DUNDAS GRANT, of 523, Commercial Road, London, E., L.R.C.P.,
L.R.C.S., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to new or improved means or apparatus to be employed
in connection with rolling stock, for the purpose of avoiding or lessening disastrous
results from collision.
According to one method of carrying out my invention, I employ two trucks,
mounted on suitable wheels, and each carrying one two or more cylinders arranged
side by side, the cylinders of one truck being disposed in line with those of the
other. Within each cylinder slides a closely fitting piston, which is connected
with the piston of the corresponding cylinder on the other truck by a piston
rod, which should be of sufficient length to permit each piston to travel the full
length of its cylinder. Each cylinder is provided with an aperture or valve for
permitting the exit and inlet of air.
The said trucks are preferably placed between the engine and the first vehicle,
and may be connected therewith in the ordinary manner.
In their normal
position, these trucks are some distance apart, the piston rods being drawn out
to their full extent, so as to bring the pistons close up to the stuffing box ends
of their respective cylinders, but in the event of collision, the trucks will be
forced towards one another, thus causing the pistons to travel along their cylinders,
and compress the air in front of them, and drive it out slowly through the before
mentioned apertures or valves; most of the shock of the collision will thus be
taken up by an air cushion, and its disastrous effects upon the vehicles avoided
or considerably lessened.
By another arrangement, I may employ only one, in lieu of two trucks carrying
cylinders, and may provide each cylinder carried thereby with two pistons in lieu
of one, the piston rods of such pistons being connected at their free ends with
the vehicles composing the train which are situate next to and on either side of
such truck, preferably the engine and first vehicle. In this arrangement the
apertures or valves for the exit and inlet of air should be situate about the centre
of each cylinder.
If desired in lieu of placing the apparatus between the engine and the first
vehicle it might be situate in front of the engine, or two or more sets of apparatus
might be employed disposed between different vehicles.
By another arrangement I mount the air cylinders upon some or all of the
vehicles themselves in lieu of upon special trucks; in this case the piston rods
before referred to should be divided, in lieu of being made in one, and so con-
structed as to be capable of ready connection and disconnection, thus serving as
couplings also. Where this arrangement is employed, the ordinary couplings and
buffers may be dispensed with if desired.
If preferred the cylinders may be filled with compressed air, in place of air at
the ordinary atmospheric pressure; in this case powerful safety valves, or apertures
closed tight by covers of weaker material than that composing the body of the
cylinders would be employed, for permitting the air to escape and preventing the
cylinders from bursting should the pressure of the air become increased in
the event of collision or otherwise.
Dated this 15th dox of Marsh 1900.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Means to be employed in connection with Rolling
Stock for the purpose of Avoiding or Lessening Disastrous
Results from Collision.
J, CHARLES GRAHAM GRANT, heretofore known as Charles Dundas Grant, of
523, Commercial Road, London, E., L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., 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:-
This invention relates to new or improved means to be employed in connection
with rolling stock for the purpose of avoiding or lessening disastrous results from
collision, and consists essentially in providing one or more of the leading vehicles of
a train with what may be termed pneumatic buffers, the plungers of the buffers
passing through stuffing boxes into closed cylinders filled with air, and carrying at
their opposite ends pistons which closely fit the interiors of the said cylinders.
In their normal position the plungers or piston rods, (which are of considerable
length as compared with the plungers of ordinary buffers) are drawn out to their full
extent, so as to bring the pistons close up to the ends of their respective cylinders, but
in the event of a violent shock, as from a collision, the piston rods or plungers will be
forced inwards, and the pistons caused to travel along their cylinders and compress
the air therein, the greater part of the shock of the collision will thus be taken up
by an air cushion, and its disastrous effects upon the vehicles avoided or considerably
lessened.
The air within the cylinders may be either at or above the ordinary atmospheric
pressure, as found most convenient in practice, and, if desired, the cylinders may be
provided with powerful safety valves, or with apertures closed by weaker material
than that composing their bodies, to prevent them from bursting when the pressure
of the air within them is suddenly increased.
In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to corresponding
parts in all the figures,
Figures 1 and 2 are diagram views illustrating in elevation and sectional plan one
mode of applying my invention.
a is a railway truck provided with pneumatic buffers, the truck being indicated
in dotted lines. bb are the air cylinders. ce are the pistons and d d the plungers
or piston rods which pass through stuffing boxes at opposite ends of the cylinders bb
and carry the buffer heads e e. I prefer that the truck which is provided withi
the pneumatic buffers should be placed next to the engine, with which, and with
the adjacent truck or carriage, it may be coupled in the ordinary manner.
cylinders should be of sufficient length to permit the plungers or piston rods d to
be thrust in to their full extent.
The
Figures 3 and 4 are diagram views shewing in elevation and sectional plan a
modified arrangement wherein two trucks each furnished with pneumatic buffers are
placed next to one another. In this case I prefer to connect the pistons e contained
within the air cylinders of one truck, with those contained within the corre-
sponding air cylinders of the other truck, by continuous piston rods d as shewn. If
desired, however, each piston may have a separate piston rod provided with buffer
heads e e as shewn in dotted lines Figure 3.
In this modification only one piston and plunger is shewn in each cylinder, but it
will be readily understood that if desired each cylinder may be provided with two
pistons and plungers as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.
It will be understood that the pneumatic buffers herein described and illustrated,
must be so disposed upon the vehicles as to correspond in position with the buffers
ordinarily employed.
If desired all the vehicles composing the train may be furnished with pneumatic
buffers, in this case I prefer to dispense with the ordinary couplings, and to connect
the pneumatic buffers of adjoining vehicles with one another by means of some

page_text: simple clutch or fastening device provided upon the plungers or piston rods
thereof.
In some cases it may be found convenient to provide the upper as well as the
lower portions of the vehicles with pneumatic buffers.
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 :―
For the purpose set forth, the use in combination with rolling stock of pneumatic
buffers constructed and arranged substantially as described and illustrated in
annexed drawings.
Dated thin 15th day of Danamba 1900
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON, Fels. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.
E. P. ALEXANDER & SON, Fels. Inst. P.A.,
19, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents.