IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Clemens Reifert, of Frankfort-on-the-Main, Ger-
many, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 11th February 1868, and.dated the 19th, August 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Clemens Reifert at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th August 1867.
I, CLEMENS REIFERT, of Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
Many attempts have been made to do away with the noisy and for the
public very tedious concussions of railway carriages which are repeated con-
stantly at every joint of the rails, and other unevenness of the line. By
improved frames, and more careful construction of the carriages, as well as by
application of longer frame springs with improved parts of suspension a softer
motion.of the carriages has been attained by degrees. To diminish the very
noisy and disagreeable clink of the windows, springs or gutta percha, felt,
cloth, and leather stripes have been employed. These palliative remedies did
not however answer permanently, as those defects made themselves felt more
or less after a lapse of time. It was also impossible to do away completely
with the constant vibration of the bottoms of the frames of the carriages, which
is very troublesome for nervous travellers on long distances, and proves that

page_text: the cause of the evil is not yet known and not been taken at its root. In the
journal for the progress of railway concerns I have already drawn the atten-
tion of the public on this circumstance in the year 1846 (Band 1, page 52),
and I have discerned the seat of the evil in the construction and application
of the holders of the axletrees, which are destined as well to give the wheels
a sure guidance as to guarantee to the carriages a greater safety in the event
of the fracture of the axletrees and springs. As the holders of the axletrees
form a part of the frame, which is screwed tightly together in many places
with the upper part of the carriage, all vibrations communicated to the wheels
from the rails through the constant contact of the holders of the axletrees
with the journal boxes reposing on the axle pins are transferred directly to the
frame as well as to the carriage. That I have not erred in my point of view
will be seen in the circumstance that I have built carriages without axle
holders, employing parallelogram connections between the axles; these car-
riages have been exempted from the concussions and vibrations, but another
disadvantage arose which induced me to quit this kind of construction: The
carriages mentioned run in the beginning very smoothly and noiselessly, but
after being in use for a long period the bearings of the grease- boxes were
worn out. In fast runnings at intervals a perceptible side movement remained
to be done away with. Later I satisfied myself by leaving the axle holders a
small, play, and -manufacturing the journal boxes for the middle axles of six-
wheel carriages without folds or with wider folds, so that the middle axle
could slide laterally when running on curves; thus a good result was attained,
especially when the axles were well and accurately constructed. The disasters
arising from the meeting of two trains resulting often in the death and very
severe injuries of a great number of passengers caused me to make essential
alterations in the construction of the passenger carriages, affording to the
passengers in similar accidents more security than hitherto, and at the same
time preventing the disagreeable noise and vibrations of the carriages when
the train is in motion. I think I have solved this problem by isolating the
carriage from the frame, the former being suspended in a system of springs,
which render the carriage independant of the frame. It was perceptible
however in the trials which were made with layers of gutta percha under the
frame that the transferring of the vibrations was not altogether prevented by
this kind of fastening, the anticipated advantage being partially counteracted
by the iron guiders, especially as the gutta percha loses its effect through the
constant load on it, and through the current of air which hardens it.
To attain the object which I had in view I have chosen a combined system
of an English and American carriage, out of which I construct an improved

page_text: four-wheeled intercommunication carriage. The frame is altogether constructed
of iron in a solid angular form, the long bearers of double I iron, the buffer
beams and the diagonal connections of ☐ iron, and the frame bearers of
single T iron. The frame bearers and diagonal connections of the frame form
at the same time the platforms which project on both sides of the frames, and
support the steps for entering, and leaving the carriage, the buffers, and the
columns for the brake shaft. By this construction the carriage is not exposed
to the shocks received on the buffers, being carried by an especial system of
.springs; four of these springs are placed in short-four-wheeled carriages and
six springs in longer carriages suspended over the frame. All the disagreeable
concussions caused by the operation of the brakes are also avoided, as the
carriage is not in a direct communication with the brake. The noisy vibrations
usually caused through the contact of the axle holders with the journal
boxes are rendered impossible by applying my double system of springs. The
frame reposes on four powerful springs furnished with adjustable sliding
puppets; the axle holders are fixed behind this and fastened pretty closely to
the folds of the journal boxes to avoid the lateral vibrations. The body of the
carriage is furnished in the lower frames on both sides with strong sleepers,
and above these with other sleepers made of pine wood, which are firmly
screwed together and connected by means of tenons and wedges. The frame-
work of the carriage is constructed of young. straight fibrous oak, and united
at the side of the lower mortisings of the square sleepers with the upper
square sleepers by strong wood screws, so that the tenons have not to bear
alone the shocks or concussions; between the pillars of the frames are fixed,
where it is possible to arrange, them, uniting spars and stays with corresponding
iron angles or draw screws. The roof and the floor are double to resist the
effects of heat and cold, and the durability of the carriage is thereby greatly
increased; they reach however only from one end of the frame to the other,
as the fore roofs which reach beyond the platforms are especially constructed
and of as light. a workmanship as possible; they are borne by two slightly
ornamented cast-iron angle pieces, and are a little sloping at the place where
they meet the roof over the head wall, and are fastened in such a manner as
to slide over each other in case of a collision of two trains where the fore
roofs: meet, or are pressed together and protect the carriage. In most cases
the platforms which reach over the frames will prevent the total destruction
of the carriages. In passenger carriages I make the outer tin facing bent in
an angle round the lower frame sleepers and fasten it below, which increases
considerably the durability of the partitions. When the first shock against
the iron frames is received by the buffers the first force acting upon them is
.
.

page_text: naturally broken, and is reduced by every 'following counter shock; it is 'the'
same with the injurious influences of a hard shock, which beginning at the
frame is communicated to the carriage, and is received by the second system
of springs, and thereby very much.softened. In regard to the inner arrange-
ments of my improved intercommunication railway carriage the same is
furnished with a small first-class compartment with four movable easy chairs.
After this compartment follows a passage with waterclosets and washing tables,
and then a ladies' compartment with eight seats, which can be arranged in the
night as beds; from this ladies' compartment is an entrance into a second-
class compartment with sixteen seats; all these seats have high bolstered back
and arm supports, over which are fixed net frames for small luggage and
"hooks fór hats; in winter' a small stove can be fixed in the partition wall
'which separates the ladies' compartment from the smoking compartment. "
SPECIFICATION; in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Clemens Reifert in the Great Seal: Patent Office on the
15th February 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CLEMENS
REIFERT, of Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, send greeting.
WHEREAS' Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Clemens Reifert, Her special licence that-I, the said Clemens Reifert, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or 'such others as I; the said Clemens
Reifert, 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. RAILWAY
"CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Clemens
Reifert, 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.
1. ...

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Clemens Reifert, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
to be particularly described and ascertained in, and by the following state->
ment, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings forming a part of,
this Specification :-
Many attempts have been made to do away with the noisy and for the public
very tedious concussions of railway carriages which are repeated constantly at
every joint of the rails and other unevenness of the line. By improved frames!
and more careful construction of the carriages, as well as by.application of
longer frame springs with improved parts of suspension, a. softer motion of the.
carriages has been attained by degrees. To diminish the very noisy and dis-
agreeable clink of the windows, springs or gutta percha, felt, cloth, and leather:
strips have been employed. These palliative remedies did not however answer:
permanently, as those defects made themselves felt more or less after a lapse.
of time. It was also impossible to do away completely with the, constant.
vibration of the bottoms of the frames of the 'carriages, which is very trouble-
some for nervous travellers on long distances, and proves that the cause of the,
evil is not yet known, and not been taken at its root: In the journal for the
progress of railway concerns I have already drawn the attention of the public,
on this circumstance in the year 1846, and I have discerned the seat of the
evil in the construction and application of the holders of the axletrees, which,
are destined as much to give the wheels a sure guidance as to guarantee to the
carriages a greater safety in the event of the fracture of the axletrees and springs..
As the holders of the axletrees form a part of the frame, which is screwed tightly:
together in many places with the upper part of the carriage, all vibrations,
communicated to the wheels from the rails through the constant contact of the,
holders of the axletrees with the journal boxes reposing on the axle pins are,
transferred directly, to the frame as well as to the carriage. That I have not
erred in my point of view will be seen in the circumstance that I have built
carriages.without axle holders, employing parallelogram connections between
the axles. These carriages have been, exempted from the concussions.and:
vibrations: But another disadvantage arose which. induced me to quit this
kind of construction. The carriages mentioned run in the beginning, very
smoothly and noiselessly, but after being in use for a longer period the bearings.
of the grease boxes were worn out. In fast runnings at intervals a perceptible
side movement remained to be done away with. Later I satisfied myself by,
leaving the axle-holders a small play, and manufacturing the journal boxes for.
the middle axles of six-wheeled carriages.without folds or with wider folds, so:
that the middle axle could slide laterally when running on curves... Thus a

page_text: good result. was attained, especially when the axles were well and accurately.
constructed. The disasters arising from the meeting of two trains, resulting
often in the death and very severe injuries of a great number of passengers,
caused me to make essential alterations in the construction of the passenger.
carriages, affording to the passengers in similar accidents more security than
hitherto, and at the same time preventing the disagreeable noise and vibrations
of the carriages when the train is in motion. I think I have solved this
problem by isolating the carriage from the frame, the former being suspended
in a system of springs which render the carriage independant of the frame.
It was perceptible however in the trials which were made with layers of
gutta percha under the frame that the transferring of the vibrations was not
altogether prevented by this kind of fastening, the anticipated advantage being
partially counteracted by the iron guiders, especially as the gutta percha looses
its effect through the constant load on it and through the current of air which
bardens it.
To attain the object which I had.in view I have chosen, a combined system-
of an English and American carriage, out of which I construct an improved.
four-wheeled intercommunication carriage. The frame is altogether con-
structed of iron in solid angular form, the long bearers of double I iron, the
buffer beams and the diagonal connections of iron, and the frame bearers of
single T iron. The frame bearers and diagonal connections of the frame
form at the same time the platforms, which project on both sides of the frames:
and support the steps for entering and leaving the carriage, the buffers, and
the columns for the brake shaft. By this construction the carriage is not.
exposed to the shocks received on the buffers, being carried by an especial system
of springs; four of these springs are placed in short four-wheeled carriages,
and six springs in longer carriages, suspended over the frame. All the disagree-
able.concussions caused by the operation of the brake are also avoided, as the
carriage is not in a direct communication with the brake. The noisy vibrations
usually caused through the contact of the axle holders with the journal boxes
are rendered impossible by applying my double system of springs. The frame
reposes on four powerful springs furnished with adjustable sliding puppets.
The axle holders are fixed behind this, and fastened pretty closely to the folds
of the journal boxes to avoid the lateral vibrations. The body of the carriage
is furnished in the lower frames on both sides with strong sleepers, and above
these with other sleepers made of pine wood, which are firmly screwed.
together and connected by means of tenons and wedges. The framework of
the carriage is constructed of young straight fibrous oak, and united at the
side of the lower, mortisings of the square sleepers with the upper square

page_text: sleepers by strong wood screws, so that the tenons have not to bear alone the
shocks or concussions. Between the pillars of the frames are fixed, where it
is possible to arrange them, uniting spars and stays with corresponding iron
angles or draw screws. The roof and the floor are double to resist the effects:
of heat and cold, and the durability of the carriage is thereby greatly increased.;
they reach however only from one end of the frame to the other, as the fore
roofs which reach beyond the platforms are especially constructed and of as
light.a workmanship as possible. They are borne by two slightly ornamented
cast-iron angle pieces, and are a little sloping at the place where they meet
the roof over the head wall, and are fastened in such a manner as to slide over
each other in case of a collision of two trains, where, the fore roofs meet
or are pressed together and protect the carriage. In most cases the platforms
which reach over the frames will prevent the total destruction of the carriages.
In passenger carriages I make the outer tin facing bent in an angle round
the lower frame sleepers and fasten it below, which increases considerably the
durability of the partitions. When the first shock against the iron frames is
received by the buffers the first force acting upon them is naturally broken,
and is reduced by every following countershock. It is the same with the
injurious influences of a hard shock, which beginning at the frame is com-
municated to the carriage, and is received by the second system of springs,
and thereby very much softened. In regard to the inner arrangements of my
improved intercommunication railway carriage the same is furnished with.a
small first-class compartment, with four movable easy chairs; after this
compartment follows a passage with waterclosets and washing tables, and
then a ladies' compartment with eight seats, which can be arranged in the
night as beds.
From this ladies' compartment is an entrance into a second-
class compartment with sixteen seats; all the seats have high bolstered back
and arm supports, over which are fixed net frames for small luggage, and
hooks for hats. In winter a small stove can be fixed in the partition wall
which separates the ladies' compartment from the smoking compartment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Plate 1, Figures 1 to 6, show the construction of my improved intercom-
munication carriage with a system of double springs; Figure 7 is a plan of
the frame, which consists throughout of I-shaped and [-shaped iron. The
buffers, the couplings, and the brakes are fastened to the said frame: The
springs F have regulating screws. The body of the carriage is so strong that
it can be suspended freely without bending, see Figure 6. On each side of
the frame are two plate springs K, K, under the longitudinal parts of the

page_text: frame, secured opposite to each other by plates fastened to the rings, a, a,, see:
Plate 2, Figures 12; 12, and 12. The ends of these springs are secured by
hinges and regulating screws. The supports for the springs are angle pieces
formed with welded eyes; the said supports are screwed upon the I-shaped
iron sleepers and to the L-shaped transverse pieces D, the latter being rivetted
to the 'diagonal stays. Between the transverse pieces D pieces C, C, are
arranged, which prevent the displacement of the body by violent shocks which
break the fastenings of the springs. The gentle and noiseless motion of the
carriage, which is felt only in a vertical direction, is caused by the free up-and-
down motion of the upper springs; a lateral vibration is never felt.however great
the speed of the train. The platforms E, Plate 1, are securely connected with
the frame, and between these. platforms and the wall of the body a space is
left. The spindle for the brake and its supports are fastened to the platform
and the balustrade. By, this arrangement the strongest force may be exerted
by the brake without being felt in the carriage. By the above-described
construction of the double springs all violent shocks received by the frame
are exhausted in causing the vertical vibrations of the body of the carriage,
and are not felt by the travellers in the said carriage. In 'accidents by which
the carriages are not thrown off the line the destruction of the body of the
carriage is prevented.
The application of the double spring system to coupé-carriages with side
doors is illustrated in Plate-2. Figure 8 shows a carriage with the double
spring system in the side view. Figure 9. is a transverse section of the same:
The under frame has longitudinal I-shaped iron girders. The end beams;
transverse, pieces, and stays, are of oak. The carriage body has in the sides
four doors, and its construction differs but little from an ordinary compartment
carriage. The inner part is divided into two double compartments of the
same size; these two compartments communicate by means of a door in the
middle. The body is strengthened by a rt-shaped iron girder m, which is
screwed on under the girders of the body, Figures 10ª, 10, and 10°: This
mode of construction prevents the vibration of the carriage. In this F-shaped
girder are fitted the plates n and the bands o for the springs of the body; the
supports p of the springs are screwed on outside of the I-shaped girders;
these supports also hold the spring puppets with the regulating screws and
hinges for the springs r, and are of the same construction as the under springs
of the frame. At the ends of the r-shaped girders are fastened the angle
pieces s with regulating bolts and small india-rubber pads, by which means
the displacement of the body by violent shocks on the frame which break the
'spring connections is prevented. Beside this I prefer to employ the hooks'c, €,

page_text: Figures 12, 12, and 12, like those on the intercommunication carriage, and
I further employ gutta percha dises, fastened at one side between the end and
buffer beams at the four corners of the carriage to limit the play of the upper
spring. But the latter must not be in contact with the body, as otherwise the
shocks which the under carriage receives are communicated to the body of the
carriage.
Figures 11, 11, and 11° illustrate a mode of construction in which the
upper springs t have the same position as the under springs u. On the sides
of the longitudinal beams are fastened strong angle pieces v, which serve to
bold the parts w and the springs t. The supports for the springs and the
regulating puppets and hinges are constructed similar to those for the under
springs, and are screwed to the r-shaped girder Z of the body, and is
supported at eight points to the wooden beam of the body, while when the
upper springs are arranged the other way it has only four points of support.
Having thus fully described the said improvements, and shown how the
same may be conveniently and advantageously carried into practice, I claim,-*
First. The double spring system for railway carriages, substantially as
shown in Plate 1, Figures 1 and 2.
Second. The double spring system for railway carriages, substantially as
shown in Plate 2, Figures 8 and 11*.
In witness whereof, I, the said Clemens Reifert, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
Witnesses,
GEORGE HEERDS.
CLEMENS DELKERKAMP.
CLEMENS REIFERT. (L.s.).