IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BUFFERS AND SPRING DRAW BARS OF WAGGONS OR OTHER RAILWAY PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Joseph Haley, of the City of Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE BUFFERS AND SPRING DRAW BARS OF WAGGONS OR OTHER RAILWAY
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Joseph Haley at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th November-1855.
I, JOSEPH HALEY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE BUPPERS AND SPRING DRAW BARS OF WAGGONS OR OTHER RAILWAY
VEHICLES, AND IN THE APPLICATION OF THE SAME," to be as follows:-
My improvements are chiefly applicable to the various short stroke buffers,
by which I mean those having a ram working within a cylindrical casing.or
guide, and pressing against india-rubber or coiled steel springs (cylindrical
or conical), or any other elastic substance. .It has been found in practice that
the various buffers here alluded to, when struck in passing round a curve, or on-
being shunted on to a siding, are subject to severe wear and tear, and frequent
destruction of the casings, by reason of the lock or violent side action which
results from a blow of one waggon against another in an oblique direction,

page_text: the shortness of the bearing of the ram in the casing not being sufficient to
resist such destructive tendency.
The main feature of my improvements consists in connecting the two
buffers at each end of the waggon together by means of a cross plank or
suitable piece of timber, the buffer being secured on each end, and the whole
held in proper position by a casing or guide of cast or wrought iron attached
to the carriage fraine in the usual-manner, and-passing round the ends of the
connecting piece named in such a manner as to allow.it: freedom of action.
The said casing may, if preferred, pass over the entire of the connecting
plank, so as to protect it from injury, and also afford a step entirely across.
The buffers are held in the casings, and the first or slight fixed pressure given
by means of the eye bolts which carry the side chains, the collars of which
being drawn to the required distance by a nut inside the framing, as shewn at
a. Figs. 1 and 2. A modification of the buffer casing is shewn at Figure 3,
where the cross piece as before referred to connects two hollow buffers, which
work loosely on a ram at each end fixed to the end of 'the waggon, the elastic
substance being placed inside the buffers. It will be perceived: that when the
waggons are brought in contact at an angle one end of the pair of buffers
will be forced inwards, as shewn at b, Figs. 1 & 2, in the same manner as if
the other end of the connecting piece moved on a joint, thus avoiding the
injurious cross or side action, before referred to.
The second part of my improvements relates to the draw bar, for which I
refer to Fig. 1. I pass a bar longitudinally through the frame of the waggon,
and also through each of the cross pieces which carry the buffers, having a
collar at each end bearing against the outsides, the bar being connected in the
centre by any suitable coupling to adjust the length. It will be seen that
when the bar is drawn at either end, the collar pressing inwards against the
cross piece at the opposite end acts on the elasticity of the springs behind the
buffers; which is shewn in Fig. 1 as if being drawn in the direction indicated
by the arrow, the buffers at the opposite end being shewn drawn inwards.
--
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said Joseph Haley in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th May. 1856.
May-1856.
.....
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE "PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSEPH
HALEY, of the City of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of November, in the year of our
Lord. One thousand eight, hundred and fifty-five, in, the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Joseph Haley, Her special licence that I, the said Joseph Haley,
my executors,, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Joseph Haley, 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
THE BUFFERS AND SPRING DRAW BARS OF WAGGONS OR OTHER RAILWAY VEHICLES,
AND IN THE APPLICATION. OF THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Joseph.Haley, 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 said 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 Royal Letters Patent..)
...
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Joseph Haley, do hereby declare the
nature of. the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly. described and ascertained in and by the following
statement (that is to say):-
,'ין
My improvements are applicable to the various short stroke buffers, by
which I mean those having, hitherto a ram working within a cylindrical casing
or guide, and pressing against india-rubber or coiled steel springs, cylindrical
or conical, or any other elastic, substance.. It has been found in practice that
the various buffers here alluded to, when struck. in. passing round a curve, or
on being shunted. on to a siding, are subject. to, severe wear and tear, and
frequent destruction of the casings, by reason of the, lock or violent side
action which results from a. blow of one, waggon against another.in., an
oblique direction, the shortness of the bearing of the ram. in, the casing not
being sufficient to resist such destructive tendency.
The main feature in my improvements. in buffers consists in connecting
together by means of a cross plank the two buffers at the same end of the
carriage, having their separate and distinct springs of any elastic substance.
The buffers, are firmly secured to each end of the plank, and held in the
proper position by a casing or guide of. cast. or wrought iron, attached to the
carriage frame in the usual manner, and passing round the ends of the con-
necting piece named in such a manner as to allow the ends freedom of action

page_text: in the slight radius which it describes on being forced inwards at one end
only. The parts of the casing which are in contact with the upper and under
sides of the buffer or cross piece are made so as to resist the tendency of the
buffer to twist in the casing, by which I mean the inclination of the buffer
head to rise or sink on being struck by an opposing buffer above or below its
centre. The spring or elastic substance is placed within the casing. between
the buffer plank and the frame of the carriage..
My improvements in spring draw bars consist in an arrangement by which
the complication and expense of separate springs and fittings are avoided; and
the buffer springs made to serve the additional purpose of springs to the draw
bar. The nature of my improvements will be clearly understood by reference
to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are plans of
the frames of a railway carriage or waggon. At each end of Fig. 1 is shewn
a different modification or application of the buffer. At end A are casings or
guides of cast or wrought iron, being of a square form within, and secured to the
end of the carriage by flanges in the usual manner; the side inwards is open,
allowing the buffer plank to pass freely; the front part of the guide has a bolt
passed through to unite the lower and upper parts, and to confine the buffer
within its limit of expansion. The buffer is square, as shewn by the end
view, Fig. 3, and being of the same width as the connecting plank; the iron
plating with which it is covered above and below can be extended out to the
buffer head, which I propose to be endwise of the grain, and merely hooped
with iron. At the other end B, Fig. 1, is shewn another mode of application,
viz., instead of a casing or guide, a hollow cylindrical or square ram b. is
secured to the end of the frame by flanges as before, and the casing c being
of iron, hollow, is secured to the cross plank, and made to slide freely on the
ram, the spring or elastic substance being placed inside the ram. A bolt d
passes through the centre of the casing, ram, and carriage frame to confine
the buffer within the limits of expansion. Fig. 2 shews another form of guide
or casing C and D, which are similar to the mode A, except that it is of a
semicircular form outside, as shewn at e, e, that portion of the buffer which does
not enter the casing being round. The buffer plank is confined to its position
by the eye bolts f. f, which also serve for the side chains if required. In
Fig. 2 is shewn the draw bar as when drawn in the direction indicated by the
arrow. It will be seen that the buffer plank g is drawn inwards, a similar
action being produced on the buffers at the other end when the rod is drawn
in the contrary direction. A screw coupling his placed in the middle of the
draw rod for the purpose of adjusting it to the proper length.
Having now fully described the nature and particulars of my said Inven-

page_text: tion, and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to
be understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein set
forth, but I claim the application of the cross piece or connecting plank in
combination with the short stroke buffers acting independently of each other
together with the draw rod, in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Joseph Haley, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of May, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six.
Signed, sealed, and delivered by the within-
named Joseph Haley, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES, Patent Agent,
Manchester.
JOSEPH HALEY. (L.S.)