IMPROVEMENTS IN CUSHIONS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. Samuel Newington, of Ridgeway, Ticehurst, in the
County of Sussex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CUSHIONS FOR
RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Newington at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st March 1881.
SAMUEL NEWINGTON, of Ridgeway, Ticehurst, in the County of Sussex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CUSHIONS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
Great inconvenience is experienced by many people when making long journeys
by railway from the effects of the constant jarring and vibration to which the
spine is exposed however well stuffed in the ordinary way the cushion may be.
To obviate this I place below an ordinary stuffed cushion a cushion formed of
two parallel boards or frames, one below the other, with elastic hollow balls
of vulcanized india rubber between them. The two boards are linked or coupled
together in such manner that the balls are always somewhat compressed between
the boards, but yet that the boards can move nearer together and further compress
the balls whenever an increased weight or pressure comes on to the upper board.
In this way the transmission to the upper cushion upon which the person is seated
of small jarring vibrations. which are the most injurious in their effects upon the
spine is completely prevented.
Or in place of the above arrangement I enclose within the cushion an elastic bag
or bags which may be charged with air or water. I make the bag or bags of india
rubber, and especially if they are to be filled with air I paint them over with a;
compound of gutta percha and pitch, and so I render the bag or bags perfectly.
impervious. To protect the bag or bags from mechanical injury I cover them with
a sheet of thin metal on one or both sides; besides I stuff the cushion with horse
hair or other stuffing ordinarily employed. The metal plate is perforated to admit
of the stuffing being tied in, and I cover the whole with leather or cloth in the
usual way

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
the said Samuel Newington in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
21st September 1881.
SAMUEL NEWINGTON, of Ridgeway, Ticehurst, in the County of Sussex,
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CUSHIONS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
Great inconvenience is experienced by many people when making long journeys
by railway from the effects of the constant jarring and vibration to which the
spine is exposed however well stuffed in the ordinary way the cushion may be.
To obviate this I place below an ordinary stuffed cushion a cushion. formed of
two parallel boards or frames, one below the other, with elastic hollow balls of 1
Fulcanized india rubber between them. The two boards are linked or coupled
together in such manner that the balls are always somewhat compressed between
the boards, but yet that the boards can move nearer together and further compress
the balls whenever an increased weight or pressure comes on the upper board. In
this way the transmission to the upper cushion upon which the person is seated of 1
small jarring vibrations which are the most injurious in their effects upon the
spine is completely prevented.
Cushions formed of india rubber balls under compression may in like manner be
used for preventing sudden jars being transmitted to packing cases used for
conveying in railway or other, carriages glass or fruit or such like articles, which 2
are readily broken or injured by suddén jars.
•
For a cushion for a single seat I place, say, 4 balls about 3 inches in diameter
made of stout vulcanized india rubber between two boards of the size of the seat;
the boards I press together so as to flatten the balls to about 1, their original
diameter, and whilst the boards are thus pressed together I secure around them a
strong bands of canvas, which subsequently serve to hold the boards together and
keep the balls in compression.
Upon the top of a cushion formed in this manner I place the ordinary stuffed
cushion of a carriage seat. Cushions formed in the above manner may also be used
as foot stools to prevent jars being transmitted upwards through the feet and legs a
of passengers.
Cushions formed in the above way may also be placed under the cushions or
mattrasses of railway carriages fitted up for night travelling or on board ship.
In applying a cushion formed in the above manner to supporting packing cases
containing glass or articles that are readily bruised or broken by jars, I place the
packing, case in which the articles are packed inside a second and larger case. At
the bottom of the larger case I place four or more of the stout india rubber balls,
and place the smaller packing case on to them. On each side of the smaller case
I also press in one or more of the india,rubber balls between it and the outer case.
Upon the top of the inner case I also place other balls of vulcanized india rubber.
When the lid or top of the outer case is put on, these balls and also the balls at
the bottom of the case are compressed and made to form an elastic cushion, which
will act just in the same way as the cushion first described. Or in place of the
inner packing case being held down by a lid on the outer case it might be held
down in other ways. By employing a cushion formed in the above manner for
sustaining crates or packing cases containing articles which are readily broken or
bruised, such articles may be conveyed by railway or other carriage with but little
risk of being injured.

page_text: Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I claim the construction of cushions for
use in railway or other carriages, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Newington, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.