IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BUFFERS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Charles Taite and Thomas William Carlton, both of
63, Queen Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING BUFFERS."
Sealed the 5th August 1879, and dated the 9th May 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Charles Taite and
Thomas William Carlton at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
9th May 1879.
JOHN CHARLES TAITE and THOMAS WILLIAM CARLTON, both of 63, Queen
Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineers.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING
BUFFERS."
Our improvements in spring buffers have for object to reduce the number of parts
composing such buffers, and afford increased facility for repair or renewal of
parts.
According to one part of our Invention we combine with a case and a plunger
having its back portion of larger diameter than the front portion so as to form a
shoulder, a piece or pieces of metal forming a ring with two external flanges or
projections, one of which enters a groove or recess formed around the outer part of
the case near its front end, and the other acts as a stop which serves to keep the
plunger in the case and prevent it being forced out by the recoil of the spring.
The ring may be a piece of metal of suitable section which when the plunger
has been inserted in the case may be 'heated and bent round the case so that
the two ends meet or nearly so, but are not joined; or the ring may be in
parts each able to be turned on a suitable hinge pin or joint, and held together at
the free ends by screws or bolts.
In some instances we dispense with the groove in the front of the case and form
thereon a conical face, the smallest diameter of which is furthest from the front of
the case. Upon the cone thus formed we bend round and shrink in the manner
described a piece of metal of an angular section, having one of its sides thicker on
the edge than at the angle and forming a ring as described.

page_text: According to another part of our Invention we use in combination with a case
formed or provided with an internal projection or shoulder a plunger formed with
a groove in which we insert a metal ring made in parts of angular or L section.
Around the smaller diameter of this compound ring when in its place (the plunger
being in the case) we shrink a collar which holds the parts of the compound ring in
place around the plunger and in the groove. The larger diameter of the compound
ring forms a collar the front part of which constitutes a shoulder, which coming
against the internal shoulder of the case prevents the plunger being forced out of
the case by the recoil of the spring. The arrangement is such that the effects of
the recoil are taken by the compound ring and groove side, not by the collar shrunk
on the compound ring.
In some cases we may dispense with the groove in the plunger and with the
compound angular ring, and substitute a collar shrunk on to the plunger. The
form of the plunger is such that when the compound ring or the collar, as the case
may be, which is used to form the shoulder is removed the plunger may be with-
drawn through the front end of the buffer case.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Charles Taite and Thomas William Carlton in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 8th November 1879.
JOHN CHARLES TAITE and THOMAS WILLIAM CARLTON, both of 63, Queen
Victoria Street, in the City of London, Engineers. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRING
BUFFERS."
Our improvements in spring buffers have for object to reduce the number of parts
composing such buffers and afford increased facility for repair or renewal of
parts.
According to one part of our Invention we combine with a case and a plunger
having its back portion of larger diameter than the front portion so as to form a
shoulder, a piece or pieces of metal forming a ring with two internal flanges or
projections, one of which enters a groove or recess formed around the outer part of
the case near its front end, and the other acts as a stop which serves to keep the
plunger in the case, and prevent it being forced out by the recoil of the spring.
The ring may be a piece of metal of suitable section, which, when the plunger has
been inserted in the case, may be heated and bent round the case so that the two
ends meet, or nearly so, but are not joined; or the ring may be in parts each able
to be turned on a suitable hinge pin or joint and held together at the free ends
by screws or bolts, or may be arranged (being made of steel or suitably nicked)
to be sprung into place on the end of the case and have its free ends secured
together.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings shews in longitudinal section part of a
buffer according to this part of our Invention. a is the case; b, the plunger having
its back portion 6' of larger diameter than the front portion so as to form a shoulder
at 62; c is a ring with two internal flanges or projections, one of which, c¹, enters a
grove or recess formed around the outer part of the case a, near its front end as
shewn, whilst the other c acts as a stop which serves to keep the plunger b in the
case a and prevent it being forced out by the recoil of the spring d.
The ring c may be formed as shewn in Fig. 2 so as to be sprung into position on
the front end of the case a, and have its free ends secured together, as shewn
at c³.
Figure 2 shews a modified arrangement of buffer in which the same form of ring
is employed to keep the plunger in the case and prevent it being forced out by the
recoil of the spring, but in this case the plunger 6 is turned with a slight taper and
has a ferrule b' driven tightly on, after which the back of the plunger is enlarged
as shewn at bs.
In some instances we dispense with the groove in the front of the case and form
thereon a conical face, the smallest diameter of which is furthest from the front of
the case. Upon the cone thus formed we bend round or place and shrink or secure
in the manner described a piece of metal of an angular section which may have
one of its sides thicker on the edge than at the angle, and forming a ring as
described.
This arrangement is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. In Fig. 3, a is the case; b, tho
plunger; b¹, its enlarged part; b, the shoulder; a', the conical enlargement on the
case a; c, the piece of metal of an angular section forming the ring whose part c²
forms a lip or stop to the buffer as described.
In Fig. 4 a modified section of angular ring is shewn in which one of the sides c³
is thicker on the edge than at the angle.
Figs. 5, 6, and 7 shew a modified form of enlargement on the case a³ for retaining
in place the ring c whose part c² forms a lip or stop which serves to keep the
plunger b in the case a and prevent it being forced out by the recoil of the spring d³
as already described. Although in the foregoing arrangements we have shewn

page_text: rings arranged to be sprung into position on the case a, and to have their free ends
connected or secured at c³, it will be evident the rings may be heated and bent
round the case, so that the two ends meet or nearly so, but are not joined, or that
the rings may be in parts each able to turn on a suitable hinge pin or joint as
indicated by dotted lines at in Fig. 7, and held together at the free ends by
screws, bolts, or rivets, as at c³. It will be evident that by the use of a ring
according to our Invention for retaining the plunger in the case the removal of
the plunger from the case when required may be readily effected.
According to another part of our Invention we use in combination with a case
formed or provided with an internal projection or shoulder, a plunger formed with
a groove in which we insert a metal ring made in parts of angular or L section.
On to and around the smaller diameter of this compound ring when in its place
(the plunger being in the case) we shrink or drive a collar which holds the parts of
the compound ring in place around the plunger and in the groove. The larger
diameter of the compound ring forms a collar the front part of which constitutes a
shoulder, which coming against the internal shoulder of the case prevents the
plunger being forced out of the case by the recoil of the spring.
The arrangement is such that the effects of recoil are taken by the compound
ring and groove side, not by the collar on the compound ring.
Figs. 8, 9, 10, and' 11 illustrate a buffer embodying this part of our Invention.
a is the case; a², its internal projection or shoulder; b, the plunger; e, the groove
therein, the metal ring made in parts, as shewn in Fig. 10, of angular or L section
as shown in Fig. 9; g³, g³, (Fig. 11) are recesses formed in the flange of the ring g
to enable it to be caught hold of, and drawn off the compound ring f when required
to get the said compound ring f out of the groove e and remove the plunger b.from
the case a.
It will be evident this part of our Invention, whilst very securely
retaining the plunger in place, enables it to be very readily removed from the case
when required.
Having described the nature of our said Invention, and explained in what
manner the same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, we
hereby declare that what we consider to be novel and original and therefore claim
as secured to us under the Letters Patent herein before in part recited is,-
1. The method of retaining the plunger in the case of a spring buffer by the
application on the outside of the buffer case of a removable ring formed with a
flange lip or part arranged in front of a shoulder or enlargement of the plunger,
substantially as hereinbefore described and as illustrated in Fig. 1, in Fig. 2, in
Figs. 3 and 4, and in Figs. 5 to 7. inclusive, of the accompanying Drawings.
2. The method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 9
to 11 inclusive of the accompanying Drawings, of retaining the plunger of a spring
buffer in the case by means of a compound ring arranged in a groove formed in the
plunger and held there by a collar shrunk or driven on to and around the smaller
part or diameter of the said compound ring.
i
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas William Carlton, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eighth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight. hundred and seventy nine.
THO. W. CARLTON. (L.S.)