An Improved Compensating Railway Buffer.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Apr., 1897-Accepted, 3rd July, 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Compensating Railway Buffer.
I, JOSEPH WALES of 76 Elizabeth Street in Newport in the Colony of Victoria,
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 :-
The object of my invention is to provide a Railway Buffer having a lateral motion or
action working pivotally on a hemispherical cap in a socket which I claim to be an
improvement on the ordinary straight-thrust buffer now in use inasmuch as it will
adapt itself automatically to the position or angle of the trucks or carriages when
passing over curves thus decreasing friction in the vehicles and decreasing the strain
on and wear to the permanent way and as being better adapted to withstand the
shock of sudden and violent impact and back-action and as being less liable to
breakage or damage.
My improved compensating buffer consists of an ordinary shaft or ram
capped or tipped with a shield the shaft encircled by an ordinary spiral
or volute spring seating on a hemispherical cap capable of rocking in a socket
or cup at the head of a castiron or steel buffer-guide box such buffers being affixed
in pairs in the ordinary manner to the end of the railway carriage or Truck.
The buffer guide-box is bored centrally for the reception of the shaft such bore
opening into and terminating in an interior oblong chamber having straight side walls
and curved concaved end-walls converging or narrowing towards the bore. The shaft
or ram passes centrally through the spring (spiral or volute), the hemispherical cap
and guide box through to and projecting (when compressed) into the interior
chamber screwed to the end of such shaft or ram is a check-guide-plate secured
thereon by a nut and pin. When the ram is forced inwards by pressure or impact
on the tip or shield it compresses the spring seated on the hemispherical ball
counter sunk for its retention which the guide-plate is driven back into the interior
chamber sliding between the flat side-walls thereof bearing against one or other of
the end-walls when the shaft is at an angle the converging shape of said end-walls
admitting of a lateral pivotal action of the ram imparted to it by the rocking motion
of the cap in the socket. When the thrust is in true line the check-guide-plate
travels centrally into the chamber free from said end-walls. When released from
pressure the spring and ram resume their normal position the check guide-plate
bearing against the upper portion of the guide box stepped for its reception. In
order that my said invention may be more clearly understood I will describe same
having reference to the accompanying drawings throughout which similar reference
letter serve to indicate similar parts: Figure 1 is a view shewing longitudinal
section of the guide-box socket and cap (in line Y-Y in figure 2) the shaft or ram,
spring (a volute), check-guide plate and connections.
Figure 2 an end view of same. Figure 3 a cross-section of same (in line X-X
figure 1). In figure 1, A is the cast iron or steel guide box or receiver, B the shaft
or ram, C and E the tip or shield, D the volute spring encircling the shaft, B, and
seated on the hemispherical cap, F, the said cap being counter-sunk to retain such
spring and seating in and rocking in the cup or socket (laterally) provided for its

page_text: reception in the head of the guide box, A; G G, the vacant spaces in guide box
admitting of lateral movement of the ram and stepped to form a retention seat for
check-guide-plate when in its normal position. H the check guide plate screwed
on or otherwise fitted to the rear end of the shaft or ram, B, I the nut securing same
thereon. K, K, the curved concaved end-walls of the guide box.
In figure 2, A is said guide-box, B the shaft or ram, H the check-guide plate,
K the said concaved end-walls aforesaid, I the nut securing H on B by an ordinary pin.
In figure 3, A is the guide-box, B the shaft G the vacant spaces stepped as
aforesaid K, the end-walls aforesaid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a compensating Railway Buffer a shaft or ram working pivotally by means
of a hemispherical cap rocking in a socket and capable of yielding laterally only
out of true line when compressed or driven inwards as before described and as
illustrated.
2. In a compensating Railway buffer the combination of a buffer guide box such
as A, G, and K, a shaft or ram such as B C and E a volute spring such as D (or in
substitution therefor a spiral spring), a hemispherical cap such as F, a check guide
plate such as H secured on the ram by a nut such as I fitted applied and working
as before described and as illustrated.
Dated the 0th day of March 1807
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.