Improvements in Spring Buffers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Apr., 1891-Accepted, 30th May, 1891
Improvements in Spring Buffers.
1, PERCY WHEELER, of The Oldbury Carriage Works, Oldbury, Worcester-
shire, Manager, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention has reference to spring buffers of that class in which are used a
plunger partly contained within a case containing a spring which acts upon a collar
or projection on the plunger the said collar or projection taking against an internal
shoulder or projection formed in the case.
By my invention the construction of the collar or projection on the plunger is
simplified and increased facilities are afforded for removing the plunger from the
case for repairs.
According to one method of carrying out my invention I make the said collar on
the plunger in two or more parts which fit in an annular groove in the plunger.
This collar is by preference either of rectangular or of L-section. A cupped
washer of L-section fits around the said divided collar and upon the plunger spindle
and maintains the parts of the divided collar in place. The said washer is
maintained in place by the spring pressing it against the enlarged part of the
plunger and thus does not require to be shrunk or driven on to the divided collar
and therefore can very readily be removed when required.
Instead of the divided collar above described I may use a cotter which passes
through a slot in the plunger and takes against the internal shoulder in the case.
The cotter is prevented from moving endwise by the said washer on the plunger
spindle which also fits around the ends of the cotter.
According to another arrangement I make the said collar in the form of a nut
which is screwed upon the plunger and locked in position by a divided washer
which fits in an annular groove in the plunger and thus constitutes a flange against
which the nut bears. The parts of the said divided washer are maintained in place
by the said cupped washer which fits around them and on the plunger spindle.
In another arrangement of this invention the said removable collar which
engages with the annular groove in the plunger is made in one piece instead of
being made in parts and the fixed collar at the back of the annular groove in the
plunger has cut away parts corresponding with inwardly projecting parts on the
said collar. When the said removable collar is turned round so that its inwardly
projecting part or parts correspond with the cut away part or parts of the fixed
collar of the plunger, the said collar can be removed; but when turned so that its
inwardly projecting parts correspond with the solid portions of the fixed collar the
removable collar will resist an endwise thrust and it is locked in this position by
the said washer on the plunger spindle which said washer is in this case made with
a side projecting part or parts which fit into the recesses in the fixed and removable
collars and prevent the latter turning round.
Dated this 21th deve of November 1800

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Spring Buffers.
1. PERCY WHEELER, of The Oldbury Carriage Works, Oldbury, Worcester-
shire, Manager, 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 has reference to spring buffers of that class in which are used a
plunger partly contained within a case containing a spring which acts upon a collar
or projection on the plunger the said collar or projection taking against an internal
shoulder or projection formed in the case.
By my invention the construction of the collar or projection on the plunger is
simplified, and increased facilities are afforded for removing the plunger from the
case for repairs, as the parts of the said collar or projection do not have to be
shrunk or fitted tightly together.
One method of carrying out my invention is illustrated on the accompanying
drawings by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of which Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of the
buffer complete, Fig. 2 shews part of the plunger, and Figs. 3 and 4 represent
details of the buffer separately.
In all the figures of the drawings A is the buffer casing, B is the plunger, C is
the plunger spindle formed with the plunger, D is the spring and a is the collar
of the case A against which the collar or projection on the plunger is pressed by
the spring.
According to this first method of carrying out my invention I make the said
collar on the plunger B in two or more parts which fit in an annular groove b' in
the plunger B. This collar is by preference made in halves and of ☐ section as
shewn separately by Fig. 3 where the two halves are marked respectively eles, or
it can be made in three or more parts and instead of being of L section it may be
of rectangular or other suitable cross section. A cupped washer F of L section
on the plunger spindle C fits around and. maintains in place the parts e² of the
divided collar. The washer F is kept in place by the spring D pressing it against
the enlarged part of the plunger B and thus does not require to be shrunk or
driven on to the divided collar e e² and therefore can very readily be removed
when required.
Instead of employing the divided collar el e² above described I may, as shewn by
Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, use a cotter G (shewn separately by Fig. 7) which, passes
through a slot in the plunger B and takes against the internal shoulder a' in the
The cotter G is prevented from moving endwise by the said cupped
washer Fon the plunger spindle C fitting around the ends of the cotter (as shown.
a² is a slot hole in the case A through which the cotter G can be. inserted or
removed.
case A.
According to another arrangement, which is illustrated on the accompanying
drawings by Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 I make the said collar on the plunger B in
the form of a nut H (shewn separately by Fig. 11) which at 3 is screwed upon the
plunger B against a shoulder and locked in position by a divided washer I (shewn
separately by Fig. 12) which latter fits in an annular groove 6 in the plunger and
constitutes a flange against which the nut H bears. The parts. of the divided
washer I are maintained in, place by the cupped washer F fitting around them. The
nut H may have notches or be otherwise formned so as to be readily turned by
a spanner.
61
In another arrangement of this invention which is illustrated by Figs. 14, 15, 16
and 17 the removable collar e (shewn separately by Fig. 16) which engages with
the annular groove 6' in the plunger is made in one piece instead of being made in
parts and the fixed collar at the back of the annular groove in the plunger
has cut away parts 66 66 corresponding with, inwardly projecting parts ees on the,
་

page_text: collar e.
When the removable collar e is turned round so that its inwardly pro-
jecting parts e³ correspond with the spaces 66 in the fixed collar 6 of the
plunger, the collar e can be removed; but when turned, as shewn in Fig. 14, so
that its inwardly projecting parts e³ ³ correspond with the solid portions 6 6, the
removable collar e will resist an end wise thrust and it is locked in this position by
the washer F which in this case is made with side projecting parts which fit
into the recesses in the fixed collar 6 and in the removable collar e and thus
prevent the latter turning round. The washer F is kept in place by the spring D
bearing against it as in the other arrangements hereinbefore described. I have
shewn two internal projections e³ e³ on the collar e and corresponding recesses 66 66
in the collar and projections on the washer F as I have found these to
answer well in practice but it will be evident that the number of these parts may
either be increased or diminished if desired.
I wish it to be understood that I do not make any exclusive claim to the divided
collar ele fitting in the groove b' in the plunger as I am aware that this construc-
tion of these parts is not new, but,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. Retaining the plunger of a spring buffer in the case by means of a removable
collar made in two or more parts such as e¹ e engaging in an annular groove b¹ in
the plunger in combination with a cupped washer such as F surrounding the said
removable collar and fitting between the end of the plunger and the spring, all
substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. Retaining the plunger of a spring buffer in the case by means of a removable
cotter such as G passing transversely through a slot in the buffer plunger in
combination with a washer such as F engaging the said cotter and fitting between
the end of the plunger and the spring, all substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated by Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.
3. Retaining the plunger of a spring buffer in the case by means of a compound
removable collar consisting of the collar H screwed on the plunger and the divided
locking collar I fitting in an annular groove b¹ therein in combination with a washer
such as F surrounding the divided collar I and fitting between the compound collar
and the spring, all substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by
Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of the accompanying drawings.
4. Retaining the plunger of a spring buffer in the case by means of a removable
collar such as e furnished with inwardly projecting parts such as e³ ³ engaging with
a corresponding partial collar 6 of the plunger, said removable collar being
retained in place as described by side projections such as fl of the washer F which
latter fits between the end of the plunger and the spring, all substantially as
herein before described and illustrated by Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 17 of the accom-
panying drawings.
Dated this 27th day of April 1891.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.