IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFING. AND DRAWING APPARATUS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gibson, of Paddington, in the County of
Middlesex, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFING.
AND DRAWING APPARATUS."
Sealed the 29th May 1857, and dated the 1st December 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gibson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
1st December 1856.
I, JOHN GIBSON, of Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUPPING AND DRAWING APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing buffing and drawing apparatus with
a combination of two or more spiral, helical, or coil springs, disposed at equal or
other suitable distances from the axis or centre line of the buffer or draw bar,
and at equal or other suitable distances from each other, instead of being placed
upon the buffer or draw bar, or within each other, as ordinarily practised; and
my Invention further consists in constructing buffing apparatus, which consists
of two principal cylinders or parts forming telescope cases for buffing springs,
with one of such parts furnished with one or more snugs or projections, and
the other with one or more grooves, channels, or notches, the snug or snugs on
the one, and the groove or grooves in the other, being so made and disposed;

page_text: that the one of the said cylinders or parts may be placed in or upon the other
cylinder or part when fixed or secured to a carriage (the snug or snugs passing
through the groove or grooves) and slightly turned round within or upon the
other part, and, while holding them together, allow of the necessary sliding or
movement of the one part in or upon the other, and, on being turned back
again, allow of the one part being removed from the other without taking off
or removing either part from the carriage.
It is to be understood that the Invention comprises the improved arrange-
ment of coil springs, and the improved construction of the cases or framing
with snugs or projections, and with grooves, chases, or notches, either in com-
bination or independently of each other, as above set forth.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gibson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 30th
May 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
GIBSON, of Paddington, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the First day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Gibson, Her special licence that I, the said John Gibson, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Gibson, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFING
AND DRAWING APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said.
John Gibson, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Gibson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement theroof:-.
My Invention consists in constructing buffing and drawing apparatus with
a combination of two or more spiral, helical, or coil springs, disposed at equal
or other suitable distances from the axis or centre lino of the buffer or draw
bar, and at equal or other suitable distances from each other, instead of being
placed upon the buffer or draw bar, or within each other, as ordinarily practised;
and my Invention further consists in constructing bufling apparatus, which
consists of two principal cylinders or parts forming telescope cases for buffing
springs, with one of such parts furnished with one or more snugs or projections,
and the other with one or more grooves, channels, or notches, the snug or
snugs on the one, and the groove or grooves on the other, being so made and
disposed, that the one of the said cylinders or parts may be placed in or upon
the other cylinder or part when fixed or secured to a carriage, (the snug or
snugs passing through the groove or grooves) and slightly turned round within
or upon the other part, and, while holding them together, allow of the necessary
sliding or movement of the one part in or upon the other, and, on being turned
back again, allow of the one part being removed from the other without taking
off or removing either part from the carriage.
It is to be understood that the Invention comprises the improved arrange-
ment of coil springs, and the improved construction of the cases or framing
with snugs or projections, and with grooves, chases, or notches, either in coin-
bination or independently of each other, as above set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which the same is to be
and may be performed.
In the illustrative Drawing marked Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a half section and
half elevation of two principal cylinders or parts forming telescope cases for
buffing springs constructed in accordance with my Invention, the outer case, A
being formed of cast iron, and the inner case being formed partly of a cast-
iron cylinder B, and partly of a wrought-iron buffing head and rod C and C*,
the latter being screwed into the end plate of the cylinder B.
No buffing
springs are represented, as the Figure is given as a general illustration of the
mode of construction, and any suitable springs, as, for instance, vulcanized india-
rubber or steel coil springs, may be inserted in the space between the end
plates of the cases. It is, however, specially to be noted that the inner case
is furnished with a number of snúgs or projections, one only being represented
in the Figure, namely at c, and that the case is furnished with a corresponding
number of longitudinal grooves, channels, or notches, into which the snugs fit.

page_text: These are not visible in the Figure, but are represented distinctly in the
sectional end view, Figure 3; and when the inner case is placed or slided
within the outer, and slightly turned round therein, as indicated by the dotted
lines in the Figure 3, the snugs not being in line with the grooves, will prevent
the separation of the two parts from each other by bearing against the
shoulder or projection at a, represented in the Figure 1, an india rubber or
leather cushion, washer, or ring D being interposed, to prevent their becoming
broken from any sudden recoil of the buffing springs; and for the purpose of
preventing separation when accidentally turned round, tap screws and fillets or
filling pieces are to be used, or other equivalent provision is to be made, as
hereafter explained with reference to the Figure 2. The sliding surface of the
two cases are turned so as to fit and work properly together. d is a cushion
or packing of wood, which may or may not be used.
The Figure 2 is a view generally, similar to the Figuro 1, of a modification
of the buffing apparatus already described, but having the inner case con-
structed entirely of wrought iron, excepting the back portion of the buffer head,
which is of wood. The section is supposed to be taken across or through the
grooves of the outer case. E is a stop screw, inserted through the outer case
and projecting into a fillet or filling piece in one of the grooves, for preventing
the accidental separation; but any other equivalent provision for the purpose
may be substituted. This must of course be removed when a separation is
desired, which it is evident may be effected without removing or unfixing the
outer case from the under frame of the carriage to which it may be attached.
The Figures 4, 5, and 6 are views of buffing cases generally, similar to those
represented at Figures 1, 2, and 3 respectively, but slightly modified in con-
struction, for receiving a series of steel coil buffing springs. In the Figure 4
the springs are represented as disposed at the buffer head end of the apparatus,
and in Figure 5 as disposed at the opposite end. In each Figure, F denotes
the springs, of which there are three in number, each disposed upon and
around a rod or tube, one end of which is fixed, and the other slides within a
hole or passage in the wooden block G whenever the springs are compressed.
I is a plate upon one end of the block G, for the springs to bear against. I
consider that three is the most convenient number of springs to employ in this
description of buffing apparatus, but four or any other convenient number may
be employed. I would remark that the buffing cases represented in these
Figures are to be provided with screws and fillets, or other convenient equiva-
lent, for preventing accidental separation, as before explained, and that east or
wrought-iron hollow blocks may be substituted (if preferred) in place of the
wooden blocks G; and further, that the outer form of the several buffing cases

page_text: described and represented in the Drawings may be varied either to a cylindrical
or other suitable form, if preferred.
The Figures 7 and 8 are illustrations of another description of buffing appa-
ratus, consisting of a buffer head, &c., and a long buffing rod passing through
and bearing against springs situate some distance within the under frame of a
carriage. In these Figures, K is the under frame, and L and M the buffer
head and buffer rod, all constructed generally in the same manner as here-
tofore; but instead of the rod M bearing against springs as ordinarily arranged
(whether C springs or coil springs upon the rod itself), it bears against a pair
of coil springs N, N, disposed at equal distances from the centre line or axis of
the buffer. The former of these two Figures exhibits the arrangement when
the two lines of springs and the buffer rod are disposed in a horizontal line, and
the latter Figure the arrangement when they are disposed in a vertical line.
Either arrangement, or any intermediate inclination or arrangement, may be
employed. n is a plate, screwed on to the end of the buffer rod, and by means
of which the pressure is transmitted to the springs by rods bolted to the said
plate, and passing through the springs and also pulling or drawing against a
plate n*, which presses on the opposite ends of the springs. The buffing appa-
ratus represented being intended more especially for passenger carriages (in
which more play is required than in other carriages), two lengths of coil
springs are represented as threaded upon each bolt or rod, and a sliding plate
n2 is interposed for equalizing the action. n³ is an indian-rubber cushion or
ring, for deadening or lessening the shock or blow which would result from a
sudden recoil. Instead of these arrangements represented, the plate n* may
be fixed to the buffer rod and press directly against the springs, in which case
the plate n will serve simply to connect the rods together and to take the
recoil. And I would remark, that more than two coils may be employed in
this description of buffer (if preferred).
pass,
In the illustrative Drawing, marked Sheet 2, Figure 9 is a sectional view of
an improved drawing apparatus, constructed in accordance with my Invention,
consisting of a cast-iron case O, enclosing four coil steelsprings N, N, disposed
at equal distances from the axis or center line of the draw bar, and at equal dis-
tances from each other. P, P, are two U-shaped rods, the arms of which
as shewn, through the coil springs and through cast or wrought-iron plates
Q, Q*, between which the compression of the springs takes place, the loops of
the rods being presented in opposite directions, and the coils being secured by
nuts p, p, and keys q, q, passed through the rods; R, R, are eyes or loops,
screwed and keyed on to the draw rods r, r. The Figure 10 is an additional
view of one of these eyes and draw rods, shewing also the loop of one of the

page_text: rods P passing through the eye, and secured by a cotter instead of a screw.
The shoulder O* formed upon the case O (see Figure 9) limits the action of
the apparatus, by not allowing the sliding plate Q to approach too near to the
plate Q, such limitation preventing injury to the springs.
The Figures 11, 12, and 13 are a longitudinal section, an end view, and a
transverse section respectively, of a modification of the above-described drawing
apparatus, and illustrate the construction when the case O is of wrought iron.
In this instance there is no shoulder O*, but the action is limited by means of
a bar S, having the sectional form of a cross and of the required length (see
Figure 13, in which Figure only it is represented.).
The Figures 14, 15, and 16 are corresponding views (partly in section),
representing a further illustration of this portion of my Invention, the principal
features of difference from the drawing apparatus above described being that
there are six coil springs instead of four, that there is no case or covering over
them, that separate bolts or rods P pass through each coil spring, that the
limit of action of the apparatus is effected by means of the stop piece or key T
passed through one of the draw bars, and that the draw bars have nuts screwed
on to their ends and pull directly against the plates U, U, which together with
the plate U* serve to space out and keep the rods and springs at the same
distance from the axis of the apparatus and at an uniform distance from each
other, the compression of the springs being also effected between one of tho
plates U and the plate U*.
The Figures 17 and 18 are corresponding views, representing a modification
of the drawing apparatus lastly above described, two coil springs only being
employed, through which an U-shaped rod passes, the ends of which are
secured to the other parts of the apparatus, in the manner above described
when referring to the Figure 9. If preferred to increase the play, two or
more coils may be threaded on each bolt or rod with sliding plates between
them, as shewn in the buffing apparatus represented at Figures 7 and 8 in the
Sheet 1.
The Figure 19 is a sectional elevation, and the Figure 20 a transverse section,
illustrating a modification of the buffing apparatus represented at the Figures 4,
5, and 6, the principal feature of difference in construction being that the caso
forming or carrying the buffer head is external to and slides over or upon the
case fixed to the under frame of the carriage, instead of sliding within the same.
In this instance the snugs or projections marked care, more correctly, broad
feathers upon the fixed case, having their surfaces turned, and forming bearing
The
or working surfaces for sliding against the interior of the above case.
Figures represent the one case so turned round as to become locked upon the

page_text: other, accidental separation being prevented by means of the stop screw and
filling piece E inserted through the outer case into a channel or groove in one
of the feathers, so as to allow the sliding motion, but to prevent a twisting or
turning motion.
I would here remark generally that the steel coil springs of both the
improved buffing apparatus and the improved drawing apparatus need not
necessarily have the rectangular sectional shape, which is represented in
several of the Figures, but that they may be of any convenient sectional form.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gibson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-seven.
J. GIBSON. (L.B.)