Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1887
Complete Left, 30th May, 1888
Complete Accepted, 6th July, 1888
We, TOM LATHAM of Eldon Street Sheffield in the County of York, Engineer,
and WALTER LATHAM, of Robertshaw Street Sheffield aforesaid, Silversmith, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention of improvements in the construction of Buffers, is as follows:-
We use a buffer case of any desired form or construction, having a neck to receive
and guide the plunger, and provided with a shoulder at the bottom of the neck to
engage with the collar upon the buffer rod.
We make the head and plunger preferably in one piece by casting them in steel,
but if desirable we may forge them, and we make a hole through them longitudinally
to receive the buffer rod. This buffer rod or guide rod is made with a solid or
attached collar upon it which abuts against the end of the plunger and when in
position the projecting edge will come in contact with the shoulder of the case before
mentioned. The continuation of the rod is made for a short distance of a size suited
to fit into the top coil of the spring, and is then reduced in diameter to fit into a
short corresponding guide tube which is made solid with or is attached to the base
plate, and projects into the buffer case. The object of the guide tube is to enable the
rod to be shortened sufficiently that it will not project through the base plate when
the buffer is compressed.
The front end of the buffer rod is made of sufficient length to pass through the
hole in the plunger and to enable it to be rivetted over so as to secure the two parts
together or it may be first secured by a nut and further or permanently secured by
rivetting over.
Or instead of the hole in the plunger being made completely through as described,
it may be carried partly through and the rod be secured, by contraction, or by means
of a cross pin or equivalent means.
We do not bind ourselves to the use of a guide tube on the base plate, as that
may be dispensed with if desired.
The object of the invention is to enable the parts of the buffer to be readily
separated for repairs.
Dated the 27th day of August. 1887
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Construction of Railway Buffers.
We, TOM LATHAM of Eldon Street Sheffield in the County of York, Engineer,
and WALTER LATHAM of Robertshaw Street Sheffield aforesaid, Silversmith, 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 :-
The object of this invention is to construct a Buffer in such a manner that its
component parts may be readily separated for repairs or for other purposes.
The annexed drawings illustrate our said invention, similar letters of reference
indicate similar parts in either of the figures.
Fig. 1, is a sectional view of a Buffer, made according to our invention.
Fig. 2, is a similar view of a Buffer the construction being slightly modified.
In carrying out our invention we use a case of any desired form and suitable
construction such as that shown and marked A, having a neck B to receive and guide the
plunger C and provided as is usual with a shoulder D at the end of the neck, for
the collar E, upon the buffer rod F, to abut against.
We make the buffer-head G, and the plunger C, by preference in one piece, by
casting them in steel, but if desirable they may be forged or otherwise constructed,
and we may make a longitudinal hole through them to receive the buffer rod F.
This rod F which is sometimes called the guide-rod is made with a collar E,
which may be welded upon, or otherwise made solid with the rod or it may be attached
. or secured thereto in such a manner that it may revolve, but not move longitudinally
upon the rod.
compress
The said collar fits against the end of the plunger C, and is held against the
shoulder D, of the case by the spring H, until a superior pressure upon the head G
forces the plunger into the case and causes the collar E to
the spring.
The front end of the guide-rod F, fits into the longitudinal hole before mentioned
as passing through the plunger and head, and is secured by simply rivetting, or by
other equivalent means; the back end may be made long enough to pass through a
corresponding hole in the end plate I.
In Fig. 2, which represents a modification of our invention, we make the
longitudinal hole in the plunger only, and not through the head, and we secure the
rod by a cross pin J, or like means. We may also make the back end of the rod
shorter, and use a guide tube K either made solid with or attached to the end
plate I. The object of the guide tube is to enable the rod to be shortened, so that
it will not project through the end-plate when the buffer is compressed; we
may also make the solid collar E, of smaller diameter, and use a detachable washer or
collar L.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be, or may be performed, we declare that
what we claim is :-
:-
1. A Railway Buffer constructed as herinbefore described, and as shown in
Fig. 1 of the annexed drawings.
2. A Railway Buffer constructed as hereinbefore described, and as shown in
Fig. 2 of the annexed drawings.
3. In a Railway Buffer securing the guide-rod and collar, to the plunger and
head in the manner hereinbefore described, and shown in Figs. 1 and 2, of the
annexed drawings, for the purpose specified.
Dated the 20th due of Now 1000
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicants.