A Means for Equalizing the Pressures on the Buffers of Rolling Stock, and for Effecting the Coupling of Vehicles through the Agency of the Buffers.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Feb., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 15th June, 1899-Accepted, 5th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Means for Equalizing the Pressures on the Buffers of Rolling Stock,
and for Effecting the Coupling of Vehicles through the Agency
of the Buffers.
We, GEORGE HARRISON SHEFFIELD, Civil Engineer, and JAMES DENIS
TWINBERROW, Civil Engineer, both of 13, Mosley Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
We connect the buffers at one end of a vehicle by means of a transverse hori-
zontal beam or laminated spring pivotted at or near its centre in such manner
that a pressure applied to one buffer will cause the beam to rotate on its pivot,
advancing the buffer at its other extremity until the latter meets with an external
obstruction, or reaches the limit of the travel permitted; thus when pressure
is communicated from one vehicle to another upon a curved line of way the
pressures upon the buffers at each side of the longitudinal centre line will be
sensibly equal, though the adjacent buffer beams will not be parallel to each other.
In order that the transverse spring may be initially compressed, we arrange
same to be cottered or bolted into a rigid saddle, which bears with long span on
the front plate and reduces the camber by the required amount; the saddle is
bored to receive the pivot pin which is also connected to the draw hook and to
the continuous draw bar if required.
We fit a draw spring or springs to the forward side of the saddle to limit its
motion when pulled by the draw hook and to cushion the force of traction on
the frame of the vehicle; the continuous draw bar is fitted with sufficient slack
on its cradle spring to prevent the load coming on the latter until the draw
spring in front of the saddle has been compressed by the required amount.
When it is desired to make the vehicles couple automatically we modify the
construction of the buffer head by fitting it with a pivotted hook or knuckle
at one side; we fit this knuckle with a tail piece and an abutment pin, with which
it is kept in contact by means of a light spring, which yields when the buffer of
another vehicle meets the knuckle, but which causes it to spring back behind
the buffer head when the latter has passed forward into contact with the face
of its own buffer. The buffers will now be held in contact by the knuckle which
cannot open out to release the buffer until the abutment pin is removed.
A vehicle which is fitted with buffers having coupling knuckles will thus
couple to buffers of the ordinary standard description, and it will also couple
o buffers similar to those described because the knuckles are placed uniformly
owards the same side of the head and hence when meeting will engage with
pposite edges of the respective buffers.
We do not confine our claim to any one particular design of knuckle or hook
ut may adapt any known arrangement, working on either a vertical or hori-
ontal pivot to effect the coupling of side buffers, substantially in the manner
escribed.
We couple the buffer spindles to the extremities of a pivotted beam as before

page_text: described, the pivot being guided to travel longitudinally and to act upon springs
suitably placed to receive the buffing and drawing strains. When a transverse
laminated buffing spring is employed in place of a beam, we secure same to a
pivotted saddle as before described, and to the same saddle we attach a second
transverse spring, in the reverse direction to that of the buffing spring, to receive
the drawing strains from the buffer shoes, with which its extremities engage.
and to transmit same from its centre to the pivotted saddle.
. ת
1000
A Means for Equalizing the Pressures on the Buffers of Rolling Stock,
and for Effecting the Coupling of Vehicles through the Agency
of the Buffers.
GEORGE HARRISON SHEFFIELD, Civil Engineer, and JAMES DENIS TWINBERROW,
Civil Engineer, both of 13, Mosley Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, 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: ---
This invention consists of improved means for equalising the pressures on the
buffers of rolling stock, and for effecting the coupling of vehicles, through the
agency of the buffers.
In order that our invention and the carrying of the same into effect may be
the more readily understood we append hereunto four sheets of explanatory
drawings to be hereinafter referred to:--
On Sheet 1 Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 an elevation with part in section,
representing our means for equalising the pressures on a pair of buffers of the
ordinary type.
Figure 3 is a side elevation representing an automatic coupling buffer con-
structed in accordance with our invention. Figure 4 is a sectional end elevation'
of the coupling buffer on the line a b (Figure 3), and Figure 5 a sectional view
on the line c d (Figure 4) showing the pivotted hooks in their open position ready
for embracing the flange or head of an adjacent buffer. Figure 6 is a similar
view to Figure 5 but representing the pivotted hooks in their closed position and
in actual engagement with the flange or head of an adjacent buffer.
Figure 7 is a plan and Figure S a sectional elevation representing a pair of
our automatic coupling buffers arranged with our means for equalising the
pressures on the buffers.
The same reference letters in the different views indicate the same parts.
Referring to Figures 1 & 2, the two buffers A & A¹ at one end of a vehicle
are connected by means of a transverse horizontal beam or laminated spring as B,
pivotted at B in such a manner that a pressure applied to the buffer at one
extremity will cause the spring beam to turn or rotate on its pivot and so to
advance the buffer at its opposite extremity until it meets with an obstruction or
reaches the limit of its movement. Thus when pressure is communicated from
one vehicle to another upon a curved line of way the pressures upon the buffers
will be approximately equal, though the adjacent buffer beams of the vehicles
will not be parallel.

page_text: In order that the transverse spring beam B may be initially compressed, we
-cotter or otherwise secure the same in a rigid saddle as B2, which is bored to
receive the pivot pin B¹, and is preferably connected to the draw hook C and to
the continuous draw bar D as illustrated. The draw spring Cat the forward
side of the saddle B serves to limit its motion and that of the attached laminated
spring B when pulled by the draw hook C, and also to cushion the tractive force
on the frame of the vehicle. The cradle spring D¹ of the continuous draw bar D)
is provided with sufficient slackness to prevent the load from coming upon it
until the front draw spring C' has been compressed.
Referring to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6, we fit the specially formed buffer E with
a pivotted hook or hooks or knuckles, preferably arranging a pair of hooks
as FF on the one buffer at an inclination such as shown in order that they
shall clear a similar pair of hooks which if arranged at a similar inclination with
respect to the centre of the vehicle, will appear at an opposite inclination when
meeting the buffers of an adjacent vehicle. In Figure 5 we have represented by
dotted lines another buffer E in the act of passing through the pivotted hooks F F
on the buffer E. In so passing through the hooks the buffer E' will raise them
from their normal position (which position is indicated at Figure 6) to the posi-
tion shown at Figure 5. On further movement of the buffer E' in the direction
indicated by the arrow at Figure 5 (or a movement of the buffer E in the opposite
direction) the central stem or tail piece G will be forced back against the action
of the spring H, to the position shown at Figure 6. At the same time, by means
of a second spring J the stem G tends to force back a sleeve K and so causes the
projecting wings of such sleeve to act upon the tail pieces or short arms of
the hooks F F for the purpose of forcing the forward or long arms of such
hooks into engagement with the buffer head E¹ as shown at Figure 6. The
return or opening movement of the hooks whilst the buffers E and E¹ are in
contact is prevented by the abutment of the outer ends of the wings or projec-
tions from the sleeve K, against the flat extremities of the hook tail pieces or
short arms as shown at Figure 6.
To uncouple or disconnect the buffers E and E' we slightly rotate the sleeve K
until the wings or projections are carried away from the tail pieces of the
hooks; by then drawing one buffer away from the other the pivotted hooks will
be opened or released from engagement and the stem G will be forced out by
the action of its spring H. We effect the necessary rotation of the sleeve K
by means of a handle L fixed to a rod M which connects the sleeves of the pair
of buffers employed at one end of a vehicle. The connection between each end
of the rod M and the adjacent sleeve is formed by an angle bracket N having one
end secured to the rod and the other end connected with a projection from the
sleeve K. On sliding the rod M by means of the handle L the necessary rotative
movement is imparted to the sleeve K. Accidental movement of the rod is pre-
vented by the abutment of the handle against a projecting lug as e from the
buffer; before the rod can be caused to slide it is necessary to rotate it sufficiently
to enable the handle to clear such lug.
Referring to Figures 7 and 8, the rear or inner ends of the automatic coupling
buffers E are connected to a rigid frame or cross girder O having a draw spring
arranged on its forward face and bearing upon the laminated buffing spring P,
the initial compression of such spring being ensured by means of a link P¹
which clamps it to the girder 0. The central seating Q of the spring P is tied
to the fulcrum pin R by means of rods as $ which also form guides for the travel
of the girder O when under buffing or drawing duty. The forward ends of the
buffers are connected by the cross piece T. The complete rectangular frame
formed by the two buffers with the cross pieces and T and the springs as
described, can oscillate upon the pivot pin R for the equalisation of the pres-
ures upon the buffers. By suitably fixing the position of the fulcrum pin the
lateral movement of the buffer heads due to their rotation may be such as to
bring them into line with the standard buffers of a contiguous vehicle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said in-
vention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. Means for equalising the pressures on the buffers of rolling stock, substan-
tially as described.
2. The combination with a rolling stock buffer of a coupling hook or hooks
or knuckles, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a pair of rolling stock buffers of a spring as B secured
to a pivotted saddle B2 pivotted at B3 and arranged with a draw bar and other
parts, substantially as and for the purposes described and as illustrated at
Figures 1 and 2.
4. A rolling stock buffer having a pair of automatic-coupling hooks as F F
pivotted thereon and arranged in combination with an independent sliding stem
or tail piece arranged with springs and other parts, substantially as and for the
purposes described and as illustrated at Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.
5. The combination with a pair of automatic coupling buffers of cross pieces
as O and T arranged with buffing springs P and other parts about a fulcrum R,
substantially as and for the purposes described and as illustrated at Figures 7
and 8.
TX L J 11
141
1
c T
1000
MARKS & CLERK,
18, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
13, Temple Street, Birmingham, and 25, Cross Street, Manchester,
Agents for the Applicants.