IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BUPPING AND TRACTION APPARATUS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, the younger, of 230, King's Road,
Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BUPPING AND TRACTION APPARATUS OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS."
Sealed the 19th January 1864, and dated the 30th July 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 30th
July 1868.
I, GEORGE SMITH, the younger, of 230, King's Road, Chelsea, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFING AND TRACTION APPARATUS OF RAILWAY
CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the buffers and draw bars of railway carriages and
waggons.
According to this Invention it is proposed to convert the buffer rods into
traction rods by combining therewith air cylinders and pistons, and coupling
the two buffer rods by a rigid cross bar to which the draw hook is attached ;
the buffers are consequently extended or drawn out when a tractive strain is
applied, and forced inwards when under compression, and these movements
being transmitted to air-tight pistons working in cylinders provided with
stuffing boxes in connection with each buffer rod, the air in the cylinder at

page_text: either end thereof will be compressed, and will act as a cushion. It is only
proposed, however, to confine a portion of the column of air within the
cylinder, the remainder being permitted to escape gradually through small
vent holes, so that the recoil of the buffers will be prevented. Suitable
lubricating cocks are fitted to the air cylinders to facilitate the oiling of the
pistons working therein. A cast-iron box coupling is employed for connecting
the rigid cross bar with the buffer rods, and the ends of the rigid cross bar are
slotted to allow of free play in the buffer and piston rods. To prevent the
box couplings from jarring or jamming against the under framing, cushions or
springs of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable material are placed in
front and rear thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
30th January 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SMITH, the younger, of 230, King's Road, Chelsea, in the County of Middlesex,
Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Smith, Her special license that I, the said George Smith, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Georgo
Smith, my executors, administrators, or 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 THE
BUFFING AND TRACTION APPARATUS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Smith, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and scal, or under
the hand and seal of one of them, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Smith, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the buffers and draw bars of railway carriages
and waggons.
According to this Invention it is proposed to convert the buffer rods into
traction rods by combining therewith air cylinders and pistons, and coupling
the two buffer rods by a rigid cross bar to which the draw hook is attached.
the buffers are consequently extended or drawn out when a tractive strain is
applied and forced inwards when under compression, and these movements
being transmitted to air-tight pistons working in cylinders provided with
stuffing boxes in connection with each buffer rod, the air in the cylinder at
either end thereof will be compressed and will act as a cushion. It is only
proposed, however, to confine a portion of the column of air within tho
cylinder, the remainder being permitted to escape gradually through small
vent holes, or to pass from one side of the piston to the other through a slot
in the cylinder, so that the recoil of the buffers will be prevented. Suitable
lubricating cocks are fitted to the air cylinders to facilitate the oiling of the
pistons working therein. A cast-iron box coupling is employed for connecting
the rigid cross bar with the buffer rods, and the ends of the rigid cross bar
are slotted to allow of free play in the buffer and piston rods. To prevent tho
box couplings from jarring or jamming against the under framing, cushions or
or springs of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable material are placed in
front and rear thereof.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto anuexed, tho
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of my Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical
section (taken along the line 1, 2, in Figure 2) of the under framing of a
railway carriage or waggon, showing one arrangement of buffers and draw
bars according to my Invention; Figure 2 is a corresponding plan of the same.
one-half being shown in horizontal section; and Figuro 3 is a transverse
section of the under framing, and parts connected therewith, taken along the
line 3, 4, in Figure 2.
A, A, represent the under framing of a railway carriage or waggon; B, B,

page_text: are the buffers, and C, C, the buffer rods. These rods are secured by keys or
otherwise with the box couplings D, D, to which are also secured in any con-
venient manner the ends of the piston rods E, E, which form continuations or
prolongations of the buffer rods; F, F, are pistons formed on or fitted to the
opposite ends of the piston rods, and working within the air cylinders G, G,
bolted to the under framing of the carriage. a is a slot or groove made along
the inner side of each cylinder for the passage of the confined air on the
cylinders from one side of the piston to the other, the two ends of the
cylinders being closed air-tight, as shewn in the Drawing. In lieu of the slets
or grooves a, two small vent holes or cocks may be made in or fitted to each
cylinder opening into the atmosphere from opposite sides of the pistons, as shewn
at a, a. By thus allowing the air to be displaced or to escape partially, as the
case may be, the injurious effect of the recoil of the buffers is obvinted. H, H,
are stuffing boxes for the piston rods to work through; the lubrication of the
pistons is effected through the oil tubes and cocks I, I; K, K, are the rigid
cross bars to which the draw hooks L, L, are attached. These cross bars are
slotted at each end, and are connected to the box couplings D by pins b, b,
passing through the box couplings and through the slots in the ends of the
cross bars, as is clearly shown in the Drawings. The draw hook is connected
directly to a box coupling M, which is secured to the middle of the cross bar
by a pin c, and has a guide rod N secured thereto, working through a guide-
hole in one of the cross beams of the under framing. 0, 0, are the cushions
or springs of vulcanized india-rubber or other suitable material, which are
placed in front and rear of the bar couplings D to prevent any jarring against
the under framing, and P, P, are metal washers which protect the springs above
referred to; Q, Q, are the buffer blocks, and R, R, the traction or draw
blocks. When the buffers are pushed inwards by the impact of one carriage
against another, or forced out by the traction strain upon the draw hook trans-
mitted to the buffer rods through the rigid cross bars a column of air will be
compressed in one or the other end of the air cylinders by the movement of
the pistors, and a portion of this compressed air will be allowed to pass slowly
along the slots or grooves a to the opposite end of the cylinders, or to escape
with the atmosphere through the vents a', until such means of escape are
closed by the pistons, as shewn in Figure 2. Air in the meantime enters the
opposite end of the cylinder, filling the void caused by the receding of the S
piston. The air which is imprisoned after the pistons have closed the air
passages or vents, owing to its elasticity acts as a spring, either for buffing
or traction purposes.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 represent in plan three different modifications wherein

page_text: the buffer rods and traction bar are coupled together by a rigid cross bar, as
herein-before described, but in lieu of the air cylinders springs of vulcanized
india-rubber are employed as the elastic medium. In Figure 4 the buffers
B, B, are situate at one end only of the framing A; their rods C, C, pass
through the box couplings D, D, and a key d is driven through them in front
and rear of the box couplings, so that they will move inwards and outwards
with the buffer rods; K is the rigid cross bar connected, as herein-before
described, with the box couplings, and having the draw bar and hook L
secured to the centre thereof by the coupling M; 0, 0, are the vulcanized
india-rubber springs, which are situate in the rear of the box couplings against
which they bear; these springs being carried on guide rods S, S, connected
with the box couplings, and working through one of the cross beams of the
under framing; O' is a spring, similar to the springs O, it is situate on the
front side of the box couplings and in the centre of the rigid cross bar, so as
to take the strain when tractive power is applied to the draw bar; this spring
bearing at one end against the central box coupling M, and at the opposite
end against one of the transverse beams of the under framing.
In the arrangement shewn at Figure 5 (Sheet 2,) the buffers B, B, are
situato at both ends of the framing, the rods C, C, of both front and rear
buffers being connected to the same box couplings D, D, as shewing in the
Drawing. These box couplings are connected, as in the previously described
arrangements, by the rigid cross box K, to which the front and rear draw
bars L, L, are also coupled by the central box coupling M. O, O, are india-
rubber springs situate in the rear of the box couplings D, and O, O, are
corresponding india-rubber springs situate in the front of the box couplings D,
and in the same axial line with the rear springs O. Both these sets of springs
are supported on the guide rods S, S', coupled at one end to the box
couplings D, whilst their opposite ends work in guide holes in the cross beams
of the framing, against which beams the springs O, O', have their bearing.
In the arrangement shown at Figure 6 the buffer rods C, box couplings D,
rigid cross bar K, and draw hook L are all combined in the manner described
in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of my Drawings, but in place of the rods E, E,
being provided with pistons working in air cylinders, as already described, they
work through india-rubber springs 0, 0, which are situate behind the box
couplings D, and bear against one of the cross beams of the framing A. The
guide bar N of the draw book L also works through an india-rubber spring
shown at T, which serves as a draw spring, one end bearing against a nut on
the end of the rod N, and the other against the cross beams of the framing.
It will thus be seen that in all the three modifications, illustrated on Sheet 2

page_text: of my Drawings, the same principle is maintained, namely, the rigid connection
between the buffer rods and the draw hooks or bars, which ensures the simul-
taneous movement of the buffers and draw hooks, and consequently prevents
the separation of the buffer heads when the carriages or waggons are connected
or coupled together.
In these arrangements, however, the non-recoiling action which is obtained
by the escape or displacement of the air in the first arrangement is dispensed
with.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel
and original, and thereforo claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters.Patent, is,-
1st, the general combinations and arrangements of the buffing and traction
apparatus of railway carriages and waggons, substantially as herein-before
described.
2nd, the coupling of the buffer rods in railway carriages and waggons with
the traction rods by means of rigid cross bars, substantially in the manner and
for the purpose herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, the younger, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-ninth day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
GEO. SMITH, JUN². (L.D.)