IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFING SPRINGS AND PARTS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Lee Corlett, of Incbicore, in the County of
Dublin, Associate of the. Institution of Civil Engineers, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFING SPRINGS AND PARTS CONNECTED
THEREWITH."
.
1.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Lee Corlett at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th March, 1867.
Jo To
Do
I, HENRY LEE, CORLETT, of Inchicore, in the County of Dublin, Associate
of the Institution of Civil Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFING SPRINGS AND PARTS CONNECTED THERE
WITH," to be as follows
:
.
Whereas, hitherto, the various parts of buffing springs known as the casing
or external cylinder, the plunger or piston, and the head, or cap have been
insecurely connected together, thereby causing a great amount of wear and
tear, and not unfrequently being the direct cause of accident, now I
propose to remedy these, defects by making the plunger or piston either
plainly cylindrical, or, with an external or internal projection or both at the

page_text: front end next the head or cap, to which it will be welded or rivetted. The
cylindrical portion of the plunger or piston being afterwards inserted in the
casing or external cylinder an external flange is formed on the inner end of
the cylindrical portion of the plunger or piston corresponding with the internal
flange at the front end of external cylinder, thus securely retaining all the
parts together; or the external flange at inner end of piston cylinder may,
as hitherto, be formed before inserting the piston cylinder in the external
cylinder, and the head or cap and piston cylinder being welded together, the
external cylinder or casing may be sprung or bent over the piston cylinder,
and welded or secured in any suitable manner.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Henry Lee Corlett in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
26th August 1867.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
LEE CORLETT, of Inchicore, in the County of Dublin, Associate of the
Institution of Civil Engineers, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven, in the thirtieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Henry Lee Corlett, Her special license that I, the said Henry Lee Corlett,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry
Lee Corlett, my executors, administrators, and 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 BUFFING SPRINGS AND PARTS CONNECTED THEREWITH," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Henry Lee Corlett, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly 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 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 Henry Lee Corlett,.do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: י
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My said Invention relates to an improved buffing spring, which buffing
spring consists of three principal parts, the spring, the casing or cylinder in
which the spring is contained, and the piston or plunger impinging on the
spring.
In the first part of my Invention the casing or cylinder is welded longitudinally
into a solid cylinder and is formed with an internal flange or flanges at the
front end, and the piston or plunger is formed in the first instance plainly
cylindrical at the inner end, but after being inserted in the casing or cylinder
an external flange or projection is formed by any suitable means on the inner
end of the piston or plunger, corresponding with the internal projection at
the front end of the external casing or cylinder, rendering it impossible for
the two parts thus described to become seperated.
The second part of my Invention consists in forming the external projection
on the inner end of the piston or plunger as hitherto before inserting it in
the external casing or cylinder, and the head or cap and piston being welded
together the external casing or cylinder formed with the internal projections
or rings as already described, but not welded longitudinally into a solid
cylinder, is bent or sprung over the piston or plunger, and is then welded
longitudinally from the edge of base towards the front end as far as is found
practicably attainable, and a ring or rings may be shrunk on the front end of
the external casing or cylinder to retain that portion of the external cylinder
in position. By another method the welding longitudinally of the external
cylinder or casing may be dispensed with, in which case, after being bent or
sprung over the piston or plunger it is kept in position by a ring or rings
shrunk on or otherwise secured.
And my Invention is fully described by the following Specification, and by
the aid of Drawings bereunto annexed, that is to say :-
Figure 1 illustrates in longitudinal section the external casing or cylinder
A, the head or cap B welded to the piston or plunger C, which is inserted
in the external casing or cylinder A, and is still plainly cylindrical at its
inner end; Figure 2 is also a longitudinal section of the external casing or
cylinder A, which bas internal projections or flanges a, a; C is the piston or
plunger which has now the external flange or projection c, c, formed round
its inner end, corresponding with the internal flange or projection a, a, in
the external casing or cylinder A; Figure 3 illustrates a buffing spring
complete, the external casing or cylinder A, the piston or plunger C, the
spring D, and the base plate E being all in their respective positions as

page_text: when at work; Figures 4, 5, and 6, relate to the second part of my Invention;
Figure 4 represents in elevation the head or cap B, and the piston or
plunger C, on which the external flange or rib c is formed in the usual
manner previous to inserting the piston or plunger C in the casing or
cylinder A; Figure 5 illustrates in external elevation a buffer in which the
external casing or cylinder A has not been welded longitudinally, but has
been bent or sprung over the piston or plunger C, the lines G, G, show. the
unwelded longitudinal joint in the external casing or cylinder, and F, F;
the rings shrunk on or otherwise secured on the external casing or cylinder A';
E is the base plate, and H, H, rivets securing it to the external casing or
cylinder A; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through a buffer in which
similar letters refer to similar parts, the external casing or cylinder A being
welded after being bent or sprung over the piston or plunger C from the
edge of base I forward towards l' as far as is found practically attainable; F, F,
are rings shrunk on or otherwise secured on the external casing or cylinder A
after the insertion of the piston or plunger C into the external casing or
cylinder A.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would, observe in conclusion that what I consider to be
novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to.me by the
herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general arrangement and construction of buffers so as to keep
the different parts in secure and accurate adjustment with each other as
herein-before described and delineated in the accompanying Drawings.
Second, the forming on the internal end of the piston or. plunger an
external flange or projecture, the said piston or plunger having been previously
inserted in the external casing or cylinder, as herein-before described and
shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Third, the bending or springing on the external casing or cylinder over
the piston or plunger, on the internal end of which said piston or plunger an
external flange or projection has been previously formed, and the securing of
said casing or cylinder over said piston or plunger by means of rings shrunk
on or otherwise secured as herein-before described and shown in the accompany-
ing Drawings.
. Fourth, the bending or springing on the external casing or cylinder over
the piston or plunger, on the internal end of which said piston or plunger an
external flange or projection has been previously formed, and the subsequent
welding of the said external cylinder or casing without or in combination

page_text: with rings shrunk on or otherwise secured to said external casing or cylinder
as herein-before described and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Lee Corlett, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-seven.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by
the within-named Henry Lee
Corlett, in the presence of
HENRY WANSEY,
50, Moorgate St.
London, Sol'.
HENRY LEE CORLETT. (L.B.)