Improvements in the Arrangement of Buffers for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 8th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1899
Date of Application, 11th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 8th Dec., 1898-Accepted, 21st Jan., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement of Buffers for Railway Vehicles.
I, FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB, of Chester Place, Crewe, in the County of Chester,
Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My improvements consist in constructing & arranging the buffers of railway
rolling stock in such a manner as to prevent undue pressure on the inner buffers
of coupled vehicles when passing round curves. In carrying out my improve-
ments, instead of using a fixed stop against which the ordinary coil or other spring
of the buffers is butted, I place a moveable bell crank on either side of the frame
at each end of the vehicle, using one arm of each bell crank for the abutment of
the springs; & the other arms of the bell cranks I couple across the frame with
one or more rods in tension, so that when the vehicles take a curve, those buffers
in contact the inner ones-being sent further home, act through the springs
upon their bell cranks & they through the tension rods act upon the others & so
equalize the pressure exerted by the buffers when two vehicles are coupled
together. In another arrangement for attaining the same object I use a laminated
spring placed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, the ends of
which spring are connected in a suitable manner to the buffers, the spring itself
being pivoted at a point in the centre of its length, the effect being the same
as in the bell crank arrangement.
WIDDIE
OFEULTICATION.
Improvements in the Arrangement of Buffers for Railway Vehicles.
I, FRANCIS WILLIAM WEBB, of Chester Place, Crewe, in the County of Chester,
Mechanical Engineer, 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:—
My improvements consist in constructing & arranging the buffers of railway
rolling stock in such a manner as to prevent undue pressure on the inner buffers
of coupled vehicles when passing round curves. In carrying out my improve-
ments instead of using a fixed stop against which the ordinary coil or other spring
of the buffers is butted, I place a moveable bell crank on either side of the frame
at each end of the vehicle, using one arm of each hell crank for the abutment of
the springs &, the other arms of the bell cranks I couple across the frame with
[Price 8d.1

page_text: one or more rods so that when the vehicles take a
curve, those buffers
in contact the inner ones being sent further 'home, act through the springs
upon their bell cranks & they through the rods act upon the others & so
equalize the pressure exerted by the buffers when two vehicles are coupled
together. In another arrangement for attaining the same object I use a laminated
spring placed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vehicles, the ends of
which spring are connected in a suitable manner to the buffers, the spring itself
being pivoted at a point in the centre of its length, the effect being the same
as in the bell crank arrangement. My invention will be clearly understood by
reference to the accompanying drawing. Fig. 1 is the plan of the ends of two
carriage frames coupled together & fitted with my equalizing buffer arrangement.
Fig. 2 is a cross section through the frame showing the bell cranks & connecting
links in position. A, A are the carriage frames; B, B, B, B, the buffers. C, C,
C, C, are the buffer castings which may be of any convenient type; D, D, D, D,
are the bell cranks pivoted at P, P, P, P, in corner plates securely fixed to the
frames. These bell cranks are coupled together by rods E, E which are always
in tension when the buffers are in action. Springs S, S, S, S, are placed on the
buffer stems to take the shock whilst shunting in the usual way & are kept central
on the stem by means of washers W, W₁ both of which fit the buffer stem, the
former bearing against a shoulder formed on the stem & the latter, having a
convex face, bearing against one arm of the bell crank D. The buffer B is pre-
vented from falling out of the casting C by a collar F fixed on the stem, the inner
end of which is or may be guided & steadied in a bracket G fixed in any con-
venient way to the carriage frame. As shown on the drawing two carriage
frames are coupled together on a straight road & therefore in that position all
the buffers would project equal distances from the buffer castings & equal pressure
will be brought to bear on each of the springs against the bell cranks. But sup
posing the carriages were passing over or standing on a curved road; with the
ordinary arrangement of buffers in common use on railway rolling stock, the
buffers on the inner side of the curve might be pressed home against their respec-
tive stops, whilst the buffers on the opposite side of the frames would be quite
clear of each other & for the time being inoperative & useless, & consequently a
great amount of unsteadiness would be experienced in passing round a
With my arrangement herein described, this defect is overcome, because, as soon
as the inner buffers are forced home in going round a curve they cause the bell
cranks against which they press, through the spring, to move, & by means of the
connecting links E, E, communicate this action to the bell cranks on the opposite
side of the frames, & thus, as the buffers on one side of the vehicles are pressed
'home," those on the opposite side will be extended by a like amount & therefore
all the buffers in a train fitted according to my arrangement would be kept con-
tinually in contact with each other & thus ensure greater steadiness when running
& less friction when passing round curves.
66
curve.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
The method of arranging the buffers of railway & other vehicles in such a
manner as to equalize the pressure on the buffers in all positions substantially
as described & shown in the drawing.
Tid J 11