IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFER HOOPS FOR PIT TUBS, RAILWAY TRUCKS, WAGONS, AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Robert Ramsey at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1876.
ROBERT RAMSEY, of Carlin How, in the Parish of Brotton, in the County of
York. " IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFER HOOPS FOR PIT TUBS, RAILWAY TRUCKS,
WAGONS, AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Hitherto in constructing pit tubs, railway trucks, and other similar vehicles, it
has been customary to fasten the cleat and sole together either with nails or bolts,
and then nail or screw a plain buffer hoop on to the sole end; but all these
methods are attended with the disadvantage of very ineffectually securing the
buffer hoop, and owing to this it frequently occurs that the buffer hoops are either
torn off or otherwise become displaced, and serious damage is thereby occasioned to
the sole pieces of the wagons or other vehicles, which can only be repaired at con-
siderable expense.
Now the object of my Invention is to obviate these various disadvantages by
employing an improved buffer hoop, which admits of its being thoroughly and
completely secured, so as to avoid all risk of the injurious results before alluded to.
For this purpose I make a buffer hoop of any suitable metal of sufficient size to
embrace the ends of the sole piece and cleat when put together, and preferably sunk
its full depth into the wood all round, so that such buffer hoop does not in any part
project above but lies flush with the surface of the wood itself, whereby all liability
to become entangled by coming in contact with other wagons or objects is totally
avoided. On the two opposite sides of such buffer hoop I form two lugs or ears,
which when such buffer hoop is put on fit over the inside of the cleat and the
outside of the sole piece. Such lugs or ears are formed with holes or orifices therein
to permit of a bolt being inserted therethrough, which bolt I tighten either by
means of a nut in the ordinary way, or if preferred the head of the bolt may be
clunk like a rivet head, or the bolt may be otherwise fastened in any suitable
manner; and by so doing the buffer hoop is so firmly secured to the cleat and sole
piece of the pit tub, railway truck, or other vehicle to which it is applied that it is
impossible it can be either torn off or otherwise become detached therefrom,. while
the lugs or ears of such buffer hoop bending over and embracing the sides of the
cleat and sole piece, as before described, not only hold them together far more
securely than hitherto but also serve most effectually to shield and protect them

page_text: from all danger of fracture and injury arising either from concussion or otherwise,
and thus materially strengthen the structure of the vehicle itself.
If preferred my improved buffer hoop may be formed with more than two lugs
thereon, so as to permit of more than one bolt being used, as by this means an
extra degree of strength would be obtained without departing from the principle of
my Invention.
My improved buffer hoop is capable of being used with equal if not greater
advantage for trucks, corves, and other vehicles which are constructed without
cleats, as owing to the narrowness of the buffers of such vehicles they are very
liable to become interlocked when going round curves, or when they are brought
violently together by concussion, collision, or otherwise, which interlocking
frequently results either in the partial or total destruction of the buffer hoops at
present in use, and consequent injury to the vehicle itself.
Bolts, as is well known, are generally used for holding the soles and sheaths of a
truck, waggon, or other vehicles together; and I would here observe that one object
of my improvements in buffer hoops is to form the lugs or ears before described in
such a manner that they take hold of the bolt, and thus enable it to hold the buffer
hoop and cleat, as also the sole piece, firmly and securely together.
From the simplicity and utility of my improved buffer hoop it is particularly
adapted for application to pit tubs, railway trucks, wagons, and any other vehicles
to which buffer hoops are or might be applied; and by its adoption nine-tenths of
the disadvantages of the present system would be obviated.