A NEW BUFFER BREAK-FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Dalton Smith, of No. 7, Hertford
Street, May Fair, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention
of "A NEW BUFFER BREAK-FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 28th April 1854, and dated the 2nd November 1853..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Dalton
Smith at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd November 1853.
>
I, EDWIN DALTON SMITH, of No. 7; Hertford Street, May Fair, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said, Invention
for "A NEW BUFFER BREAK FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
The application of which Invention will have the effect of putting
the break upon all the wheels of the carriages at -nearly. the same.
moment. The amount of resistance being therefore so great will check
the train in the shortest possible time, the break being self-acting, and
independent of the guard of the train, will always infallibly act upon the
wheels. The advantage of this description of break is, that immediately
the engine receives any check the buffers of all the carriages are
partially driven in, the breaks then come in. contact with the wheels;
the greater the force against the buffers the more firmly will the wheels
be locked, thus the train will be stopped almost immediatly, supposing

page_text: the steam be shut off' from the engine. The following is an expla-
nation of the Drawing:-(a) rod of one buffer, driven nearly home
against the spring, forces the lever back, and raises and presses the
break against the wheel. (4) rod of the other buffer standing out
and allowing the lever break to fall free of the wheel. (c, c,) the
bolt upon which the lever turns. (d, d,) pins to keep the break from
falling too low. (e, e,) the framework of the carriage laid open to shew
the parts.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edwin Dalton Sniith in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 2nd May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
EDWIN DALTON SMITH, of No. 7, Hertford Street, May Fair, in the
County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Second day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, Her
special licence that I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edwin Dalton
Smith, 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
"A NEW BUFFER BREAK FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, by an instru-
ment 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of my said 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 in a new buffer break for railway carriages,
the application of which Invention will have the effect of putting the
breaks upon all the wheels of the carriages at nearly the same moment,
the amount of resistance being therefore so great will check the train
in the shortest possible time. The breaks being self-acting, and
independent of the guard of the train, will always infallibly be
depended upon. The advantage of this description of break is, that
immediately the engine receives any check the buffers of all the
carriages are partially driven in, the breaks then come in contact with
the wheel; the greater the force against the buffers the more firmly.
will the wheels be locked, thus the train will be stopped almost imme-
diately, supposing the steam to be shut off' from the engine.
Having thus stated the nature of my said Invention, I will now
proceed to describe the manner of performing the same.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
No. 1. The under part of the carriage, shewing the situation of
the new buffer break "a, a;' buffer springs "b, b; tube for the
coupling chain "c, c." A strong frame of iron or wood "d, d," which
is kept in its place by the rods that slide in the frame of the carriage,
having a pulley working in it, round which the chain passes to the
guard or engine. The same description of framework (without a
pulley) being attached to the last carriage has the chain fastened to it
by means of a strong hook or other contrivance suitable for the purpose.
"e, e," a portion of the fastening through which the buffer rods pass, as
seen in Plan No. 3, "e, e."
No. 2. The outside of a carriage or tender, shewing the appearance
of the breaks, and the hanging plate which carries them, with the nuts
and bolts upon which they work.
No. 3. A section of the same, shewing the action of the buffer
rods, one being pressed in brings the break up against the wheel.
"f,f," are the ends of the buffer springs, as seen in Plan No. 1, “b, b.”

page_text: are the springs inserted in the upper part of the lever or buffer
break, being fastened in a box forined in the solid part of the break by
clamps and bolts can be replaced at a moment's notice. "h, h," are
bolts to keep the break from falling too low, or being, acted upon too
soon by the buffer rod, as seen in the. buffer that is not driven in. i,i,"
portion of the tube for the coupling chain. " the same as seen
in Plans, Nos. 1, and 2, markedd, d."
a
.
No. 4. A section of the centre of the carriage, shewing the tube for
the coupling chain with its enlarged opening at either end. " the.
clasp, that holds the buffer springs "b, b, in Plan No. 1, fixed to the
under part of the carriage. "," the iron rod which acts upon a rack
with a cogged lever at each end of the. tender of carriage to enable a
heavy train to back without putting on the breaks. This iron rod is
-coupled to the next by means of a short chain, as seen in the section..
One lever being moved on one side in box "," places the cogged portion
of it out of the action of the rack "m," the. rod of iron being drawn
forward brings the lever at the other end (by means of the rack and
the cogged portion of it) down against the corresponding portion of it
in the next carriage, which has a strong support at its back "n, n," to
resist the pressure.
0," is a spring under the rack which keeps it in
its place-ready to be acted upon by the cogged lever. "p," is a front
view of the iron box which contains the lever and carries tlie rack.
which slides in it. It also shews the lever placed on one side in the box
to be free from the-action of the rack:
This application may be applied to two or three of the carriages next
the engine, so that the guard-may be able to prevent the buffers pressing
in when backing the train. The guard, by means of a wheel, may
work. a rod of iron (upon the lower part-of which, a cogged wheel is
fixed) to work through the bottom of his carriage on a rack fixed on
the iron bar, one turn of the wheel having the effect of bringing-down
the lever, when the bar of iron will return to its place by means of- a
strong spring fixed to the end of the last bar which has to be drawn in,
or it may be acted upon by means of a chain passing over a pulley,..
and so into his carriage, or to the engineer. Though this break be
self-acting by the momentum of the train or by the speed of the
engine being checked, yet by means of the chain which passes through.

page_text: the tube the guard or engine driver has it in his power to put all the
breaks on at nearly the same moment. The chain which passes round
the pulley in Plan No. 1, being fixed to the frame on the last carriage,
will be acted upon by suitable machinery connected with the engine; or,
if it be only four or five carriages, then the power of the engine may be
dispensed with, and the guard, by suitable contrivance, may wind up the
chain so as to put on the break. By the carriages being drawn together
the buffer rods will gradually be brought against the spring of the lever
break; the breaks will relieve themselves immediately the guard wishes
by the force of the buffer springs. This description of break having a
set of springs at its head causes a gradual pressure upon the wheel, so
that at no time will it "skid" upon the rail, and avoiding the flattening
of the wheel. The breaks being on each side will have the effect of
preventing any danger of the axle of the wheel being twisted; and
another advantage is, that upon any one getting out of order, the con-
trivance being so simple, it can be corrected in a moment at any
station, or the failure of any one or more breaks will not prevent the
others from acting.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner of performing the same, I wish it to be understood that I do
not claim the parts separately; but what I claim is, the combination of
the several parts to accomplish the more readily the stopping of a
railway train.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edwin Dalton Smith, have here-'
unto set my hand and seal, this Second day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four
years
EDWIN D. SMITH. (L.S.)
Witness,
DUN. MCLAUCHLAN,
of 18, Fludyer Street, Westminster.