IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MODE OF CONNECTING AND WORKING RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND WAGGONS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Chamberlayne, of Cranbury Park, near
Winchester, Hampshire, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MODE OF CONNECTING AND WORKING RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND WAGGONS."
Sealed the 8th September 1864, and dated the 15th March 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Chamberlayne at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th March 1864.
I, THOMAS CHAMBERLAYNE, of Cranbury Park, near Winchester, Hamp-
shire, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MODE OF CONNECTING AND WORKING-
RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND WAGGONS," to be as follows:-
Instead of the usual form of buffer head or similar form of projection upon
the outer end of each buffer bar, at each end of each railway carriage or
truck, and instead also of trusting solely to the links or screw couplings,
both, and the hooks of the draw bars for keeping the carriages of a train
together in line, I so form and construct the buffing parts of a railway carriage
or truck, as whilst the necessary amount or elasticity or yielding action is

page_text: obtained, a means of supporting the end of one carriage to the next adjoining
carriage is provided, so that in case of a wheel, or one or more pairs of wheels,
or one or more of the axles breaking, such carriage or truck would be sup-
ported, and the passengers or goods would remain uninjured. I effect this in
the following manner:-At each end of each carriage or truck I make one
male and one female projecting piece or continuation of the buffing bar, the
two male projections being at the diagonal corners and the two female pro-
jections at the other diagonal corners of each carriage or truck, so that when
any carriage similarly fitted is brought up to it for the purpose of being
coupled to form part of a train, the male projection of one carriage fits into
the female projection of the next carriage, irrespective of which end of the
carriage is presented for that purpose, and both the male and female pro-
jections being compressible or sliding in and out under increased pressure, the
requisite yielding amount of buffing or ability of receiving concussion is
afforded, whilst the extent to which the male projection enters into the female
portion of the apparatus enables any carriage which may break down to be
supported between the preceding and following carriage of the train, the male
and female projections being formed of sufficient strength for that purpose.
The spring may either be a spiral spring placed before or behind the end
framepiece of the carriage, and be directly acted upon; or it may be of elliptic,
flat, or any other form placed in any convenient position within the under
carriage or frame, and be operated upon by means of a rod.
The buffer rods of the buffing apparatus, in accordance with my Invention,
may,
instead of being formed solid, be made hollow, and serve as tubes through
which may be led signal wires or rods, or other means of communication
between the guard or guards and engine driver, or the passengers and engine
driver, or the passengers and guards.
of
For the purpose of enabling carriages, fitted with buffing apparatus accord-
ing to my Invention, to be coupled and run with carriages having the ordinary
buffer. heads and apparatus, I construct and provide plugs for the purpose
fitting into the female projections or blocks of the buffer board or end frame
of the carriage; these plugs may either be sufficiently long to project, and so
come into direct contact with the buffer head of the next carriage, or each
plug may be bored up along its axis, and be fitted with a short spindle or rod,
having a buffer head at its outer end, whilst the inner end is so formed as to
act upon the spring or interior part of the buffing apparatus.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Chamberlayne in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th September 1864.
TÓ ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
CHAMBERLAYNE, of Cranbury Park, near Winchester, Hampshire, Esquire,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the 27th year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Chamberlayne, Her special license that I, the said
Thomas Chamberlayne, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Thomas Chamberlayne, my executors, administrators, or
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands; and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND MODE OF CONNECTING AND WORKING
RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND WAGGONS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Thomas Chamberlayne, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, or under the
hand and seal of one of them, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
përformed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letter's Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Thomas Chamberlayne, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Sheet of Drawings:-
Instead of the usual form of buffer head or similar form of projection upon
the outer end of each buffer bar at each end of each railway carriage. of
truck, and instead also of trusting solely to the links or screw couplings and
the hooks of the draw bars for keeping the carriages of a railway train
together in line, I so form and construct the buffing parts of a railway
carriage or truck, as whilst the necessary amount of elasticity or yielding

page_text: action is obtained, a means of supporting the end of one carriage is also pro-
vided, so that in case of a wheel, or one or more pairs of wheels, or one or
more of the axles breaking, such carriage or truck would be supported, and
the passengers or goods remain uninjured. I effect this in the following
manner: At each end of each carriage or truck I make one male and one
female projecting piece or continuation of the buffing bar, the two male pro-
jections being at the diagonal corners and the two female projections at the
other diagonal corners of each carriage or truck, so that when any carriage
similarly fitted is brought up to it for the purpose of being coupled to form
part of a train, the male projection of one carriage fits into the female pro-
jection of the next carriage, irrespective of which end of the carriage is
presented for that purpose, and both the male and female projections being
compressible or sliding in and out under increased pressure, the requisite
yielding amount of buffing or ability of receiving concussion is afforded, whilst
the extent to which the male projection enters into the female portion of the
apparatus enables any carriage which may break down to be supported
between the preceding and following carriage of the train, the male and female
projections being formed of sufficient strength for that purpose. The spring
may either be a spiral spring placed before or behind the end framepiece of
the carriage, and be directly acted upon, or may be elliptic, flat, or any other
form, placed in any convenient position within the under carriage or frame,
and be operated upon by means of a rod.
The buffer rods of the buffing apparatus, in accordance with my Invention,
may instead of being formed solid be made hollow, and serve as tubes through
which may be led signal wires or rods, or other means of communicating
between the guard or guards and engine driver, or the passengers and engine
driver, or the passengers and guards.
For the purpose of enabling carriages fitted with buffing apparatus,
according to my Invention, to be coupled and run with carriages having the
ordinary buffer heads and apparatus, I construct and provide plugs for the
purpose of fitting into the female projections or blocks of the buffer board or
end frame of the carriage; these plugs may either be sufficiently long to
project, and so come into direct contact with the buffer head of the next
carriage, or each plug may be bored up along its axis, and be fitted with a
short spindle or rod having a buffer head at its outer end, whilst the inner
end is so formed as to act upon the spring or interior parts of the buffing
apparatus. And I also in such case substitute for the male buffer pins or
pistons, employed when only carriages having the buffing arrangement

page_text: according to my Invention have to be coupled and run together, those having
at their outer extremity a projection or buffing piece of a size to correspond
with that of the buffing pieces of the carriages having the ordinary buffing
arrangement.
In the accompanying Sheet of Drawings Figure 1 is a horizontal section of
the female buffer head or projection from the buffer board or end frame of
the carriage, showing the male portion of the buffer apparatus, according to
my Invention, in dotted lines, in its position when the carriage is coupled up
tight.
Figure 2 is a horizontal section of a form of male buffer, which may
be of wrought iron, and securely bolted to the end frame or buffer board of
the carriage, having a buffer pin of wrought iron or steel and a spiral spring.
introduced in the hollow cylinder behind the buffer pin or piston; and,
although the end of the cylinder of the main buffer head is here shewn as
closed, and a short spiral spring applied in manner exhibited, yet the buffer
pin may pass through the male buffer head, and an elliptic or other spring
may be applied behind the buffer or within the under carriage or frame, as.
herein-before mentioned.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of Figure 2, taken on the line a, b, and,
although the plate or flange of the buffer head is shewn circular, it may be
square and be made to clip the end frame or buffer plank, or to extend along
its length.
Figures 4, 5, and 6 are modifications of Figures 1, 2, and 3 respectively,
but both the male and female buffers are shewn as having an opening or
passage through their longitudinal axis for the purpose of enabling a rod,
electric wires, or other means of communication between the guard or guards
and engine driver, or the passengers and engine driver, or the passengers and
guards, to pass therethrough; and I wish it to be understood, that wherever
the buffers shewn in the accompanying Drawing are solid or closed they
may be made hollow to allow of a rod or wires being passed there-
through.
For the purpose of adapting carriages fitted with buffers according to my.
Invention to be coupled and run in combination with carriages fitted with.
the ordinary buffers, I fit conical plugs into the hollow of the female buffer
beads of the form shewn in Figure 7, or of that shown at Figure 8. In the
former Figure the cavity of the buffer head is fitted tight with a conical plug-.
piece bored through the line of its longitudinal axis to allow of the buffer pin
playing therethrough, the outer end of this pin being fitted with a buffer.

page_text: similar to the ordinary buffers, the inner end of the pin being acted upon by
a spring, as before described. In Figure 8 the plug is shewn as being a
solid wood plug free to move back and forth in the cavity, whilst it is made
sufficiently long to project and come in contact with the ordinary buffer head
of the next carriage. And for adapting the male buffer head, I withdraw
the buffer pin or piston, and substitute therefor a pin or piston having at its
outer extremity, as shewn in Figure 9, buffer head or buffing piece similar
to those in ordinary use.
.
Figures 10 and 11 shew two different arrangements of female buffer heads
according to my Invention. In Figure 10 the cap piece at the extremity of
the spiral spring contained within the cylindrical portion of the buffer head is
acted upon directly by the pin or piston of the male buffer; whereas, in
Figure 11 a semi-elliptic spring is shewn as being employed, and is intended
to be placed within the under carriage or frame, the spring being acted upon
through the intervention of a rod, the one end of which is attached to the
spring, whilst to the other end is attached the cupped piece which receives the
action of the pin or piston of the male-buffer.
Figure 12 is a plan view in outline and to a reduced scale of the lower
body or frame of two railway carriages or wagons A, B, fitted with buffers
according to 'my Invention, but which are not coupled up close, and shewing
also a portion of a third railway carriage D, fitted with buffers of the ordinary
kind or description. This portion of this Figure is intended to illustrate the
way in which carriages fitted with the ordinary buffing arrangement are
adapted to those having the buffing apparatus according to my Invention.
In this Figure the male buffer of the carriage D is shewn as being fitted with
a modification of the arrangement described when referring to Figure 9, and
which modification consists in substituting for the pin or piston with the
buffing piece at its extremity, as shewn in Figure 9, a muffle or cap piece
intended to be placed upon and free to move back and forth on the projecting
cylindrical portion e (Figures 1 and 2) of the malo buffer.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner of putting the same
into practice, I wish it to be understood that what I claim is,―
First, constructing the buffers of railway and other carriages in the manner
herein described, and as shewn in the several Figures in the accompanying
Sheet of Drawings.
Second, the node or method herein described of supporting the railway
carriages comprising a train in case of a wheel or axle breaking.
Third, the combination of a means of communication between guard and

page_text: engine driver, or between passengers and guard, or passengers and driver, with
the buffing and supporting apparatus, as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Chamberlayne, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Tenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
THOMAS CHAMBERLAYNE. (L.S.)
TANKERVILLE CHAMBERLAYNE,
Cranbury Park,
Winchester.