IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE CARRIAGES, AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITE
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Samson Thomas at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th January 1869.
I, FREDDRICK SAMSON THOMAS, of 352, City Road, Islington, in tho
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND LOCOMOTIVE CARRIAGES,
AND IN MACHINERY AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITE," to be as
follows:-
1st. Railway Passenger Carriages.-My Invention in this respect
consists in constructing carriages which embrace the capability of
limited but of sufficient compression in all parts and positions of the
vehicles to provide safety without disrupturo under all incidents of
collision or pressure to which railway carriages may be subjected,
together with the property of elasticity or expansiveness, which will
enable the same vehicle to revert to and to sustain its original position
in the absence or upon the subsidence of any disturbing influence, as
further described at page 6.*
2. The Carriages of Railway Locomotives.-My Invention in this
respect consists in constructing the carriage portion of the locomotives

page_text: in such a mechanical form as to make them flexible longitudinally by
being jointed transversely between each pair of wheels, so as to convey
the rigid portion of the steam machinery upon flexible carriages; for
which purpose each compartment of the carriage is provided with an
axle which revolves at its centre, and is controlled by guide arms and
wheels, so that the locomotives are not disposed to run off the rails nor
to grind against them at the curves, but to render easy obedience
thereto.
3. Railway Travelling Buffers.-I construct buffers of two descrip-
tions. Firstly, I construct for each train two travelling preparative
buffers which take the form of separate carriages, one of which I place
in the front of every train, and one in the rear thereof. These carriages
I denominate "travelling buffers" or "travelling shields." I construct
their framework upon the principle of compressibility under pressuro
and of expansibility to its original form upon the subsidence of any
disturbing accident similar to those described in page 6, before referred
to. In these "travelling buffers" I construct a safety chamber for a
guard (therefore I also call them "guard carriages"), wherein the guard
has under his control mechanical means of applying at will a break
to the wheels of this travelling buffer, for the purpose of abating or
of arresting its progress, and who has there also under his control
the means of applying a clip to attach this carriage to the rails at will.
4. Suspended Buffers.-I also construct " suspended buffers,"
which are to be attached to and placed between every carriage of every
description which composes the train. These buffers fill up the whole
space which is in our present trains left between the carriages, and aro
constructed of springs, and of cushions, and of tubes with springs
capable of compression and expansion; and these suspended buffers
have connected with them sympathetic mechanical arrangements,
whereby they (being acted upon by the buffer) simultaneously put on
or take off pressure against the breaks which are attached to them and
to the wheels of their respective carriages, as also set in operation or
relievo therefrom certain rail clips which are attached to their
respective carriages,
5th, Railway Axles.-I construct for all my carriages' axles which
revolve at their centres, and I connect therewith pressure transferring
arms and guide wheels which cause their axles at all times.to
stand at right angles with that part of the line which they are
traversing.

page_text: 6. I convey the carriages which I so construct, if I so elect, upon
wheels which are placed underneath the carriages as at present; but I
also convey some or all of my carriages upon wheels which have greater
diameters than any now used, and which extend laterally beyond the
body of the carriagos.
7. I provido and affix at the back of cach passenger's seat a flexiblo
Having provisionally stated these particulars I explain generally that
I carry the whole of my Invention into effect by avoiding the present
weight, and the present rigidity, and the present inflexibility, both of
material and mechanism, and the consequent brittle character of the
present railway vehicles; and I substitute carriages which are of lesser
weight, are flexible, compressible, and expansive in such degrees as may
be considered to be needful to provide indestructibility to them and safety
to the passengers under collisions; and I carry this flexible quality into
effect by using materials which are some of them infloxible, such as
wood, or iron, or other similar materials, and some of them clastic, such
as india-rubber, leather, or webbing, but I so adjust these materials
mechanically that they co-operato, the one yielding to the blow from
texture, and the other by referring the shock to a portion which yields
mechanically to pressure, and sustains and breaks the concussion,
whereby I secure the desired result of this Invention, the principles of
which are the giving of lightness, of flexibility, and of clasticity to
every portion of my train, as opposed to the present qualitics of
ponderosity, of rigidity, and of brittleness of all the railway vehicles,
thus producing, by mechanical means and texture, safety to passengers
under collisions by, providing indestructible passenger carriages, and
by the giving to all tho vehicles of the train a mechanical disposition
and a power to adhere to the lines rather than as at present an
inclination to overrun the rails or to depart therefrom.
Having in some parts of the foregoing Inventions provided for the
indestructible quality of my carriages in the event of a collision, other
portions of my Invention are made to lessen tho liability to their
occurrence, to reduce the wear and tear and costs of passenger transport,
and to present the capability of greater speed.