IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFER, DRAW, AND BEARING SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Richardson, of Craigs Court, Charing Cross,
in the County of Middlesex, Merchant, and Contractor for Railway
Plant and Stores, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFER, DRAW,
AND BEARING SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS."-A com-
munication.:
Sealed the 2nd May 1856, and dated the 28th November 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Richardson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
November 1855.
I, GEORGE RICHARDSON, of Craigs Court, Charing Cross, in the County of
Middlesex, Merchant, and Contractor for Railway Plant & Stores, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFER, DRAW,
AND BEARING SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," a communication
from abroad, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of
springs, composed of caoutchouc or gutta percha, either separately or in com-
bination with each other, or with other suitable elastic guins: or materials,. for
railway carriages and waggons, whereby a 'saving of 'material will be effected;
and the size of the containing chambers or cases considerably reduced, and
the amount of elasticity increased.
The improvements consist in the employment of one or more hollow cylinders
of vulcanized india-rubber or gutta percha, either separately or in combination
with each other, or with other suitable elastic guns or inaterial; sucli cylinder

page_text: or cylinders having a concave circumference, that is to say, the diameter of
the cylinders at each extremity is greater than at the middle, by which means
the outward bulging of the cylinders when under compression is obviated,
and the boxes or cases enclosing them may therefore be made of smaller
diameter for the same strength of spring than hitherto, as less space will be
filled up by the cylinders when under compression than in the ordinary existing
india-rubber buffers.
The cylinders, when more than one are used, have metal discs interposed
between them, and the whole are contained in suitable sliding boxes or cases,
somewhat similar to those in ordinary use for this class of springs. It is
proposed to adopt the peculiar concavo-cylindro form of clastic cylinders,
herein-before described, in constructing the bearing springs for railway
carriages and waggons, as well as the buffer and draw springs for the same.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Richardson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th May 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
RICHARDSON, of Craigs Court, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex,
Merchant, and Contractor for Railway Plant and Store, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George Richardson, Her special license that I, the said George Richardson,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Richardson, 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 terin 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
BUFFER, DRAW, AND BEARING SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND WAGGONS," a
communication, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George
Richardson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the. same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the

page_text: Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately
after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said George Richardson, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to bo per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, referenco being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
The said Invention relates to an improved construction and arrangement of
springs, composed of caoutchouc or gutta percha, either separately or in com-
bination with each other, or with other suitable clastic gums or materials, for
railway carriages and waggons, whereby a saving of material will be effected,
and the size of the containing chambers or cases considerably reduced, and the
amount of elasticity increased.
The improvements consist in the employment of one or more hollow cylin-
ders of vulcanized india-rubber or gutta percha, either separately or in com-.
bination with each other, or with other suitable elastic gums or materials,
such cylinder or cylinders having a concave circumference, that is to say, the
diameter of the cylinders at each extremity is greater than at the middle, by
which means the outward bulging of the cylinders when under compression is
obviated, and the boxes or cases inclosing them may therefore be made of
smaller diameter for the same strength of spring than hitherto, as less spaco
will be filled by the cylinders when under compression than in the ordinary
existing india-rubber buffers.
The cylinders, when more than one are used, have metal discs interposed
between them, and the whole are contained in suitable sliding boxes or cases,
somewhat similar to those in ordinary use for this class of springs. It is
proposed to adopt the peculiar concavo-cylindro form of elastic cylinders,
herein-before described, in constructing the bearing springs for railway
carriages and waggons, as well as the buffer and draw springs for the same.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts on both Figures.
Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section and partial elevation of a buffer
constructed according to this Invention; and Figure 2 is a transverse section
of the same, taken along the line 1, 2, in Figure 1, with a portion of the
bolting flange broken away.
A, A, are hollow cylinders of vulcanized india-rubber, in combination
or not with other suitable elastic gums, or gutta percha. These cylinders,

page_text: in place of having their outer sides parallel, as is ordinarily the case in
buffers or springs of this class, have their sides. slightly concave, that is to
say, the diameter of the cylinders at each extremity is greater than at the
middle, by which means the outward. bulging of the cylinders" when under
compression, as shewn by.the red dotted lines in Figure 1; is obviated, and the
boxes or cases: B and C, enclosing them; may, therefore, be made of smaller
diameter for the same strength of spring than hitherto, as less space will be filled
by the cylinders when 'under: compression than in the ordinary existing india-
rubber buffers, which are made with 'parallel sides; as shewn by the full red
lines. These cylinders, when more than one: are used, liave metal dises D, D,
interposed' between them, and the whole are contained in the sliding boxes or
cases B, C, similar to those in ordinary. use for this class of springs, but the
central spindle is dispensed with; the metal discs D having shoulders or pro-
jections. E, E, formed, on each side, to fit into the hollow or interior of the
respective rings or cylinders.. This peculiar concavo-cylindro form of "clastic
cylinders is obviously applicable in constructing the bearing springs of carriages
and waggons; as well as the draw springs for the same. As this simple
application will be obvious to the practical mau, I havo not considered it
necessary to illustrate it by Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have' had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as tho Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the appli-
cation and use of springs composed of india-rubber or other elastic gums in the
form of cylinders, such cylinders having a greater diameter at the two ends
than in the middle, in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Richardson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twenty-eighth day of May, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.