Improvements in Central Buffer and Draw Gear Apparatus for. Railway and like Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 15th June, 1898
Complete Specification Left, 12th Jan., 1899-Accepted, 4th Mar., 1899
Improvements in Central Buffer and Draw Gear Apparatus for.
Railway and like Vehicles.
.
1
I, WILLIAM RICHARD SUMPTION JONES, of 4, Whitehall Court, Whitehall, in the
County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be
as follows:
*
This invention has reference to improvements in central buffer and draw gear
apparatus for railway and like vehicles whereby vehicles that are of greatly
different lengths and of different heights can not only be readily coupled together
when on straight portions of track but also when on curves of comparatively short
radius when the distances of the buffer heads on the adjacent ends of two
uncoupled vehicles would be at different distances from the centre of the curve
owing to the difference in length of the two vehicles.
For this purpose each buffer head is provided at its front end or face with two
vertical flange-like extensions which are arranged at opposite sides of a vertical
plane passing through the axis of the buffer head and are for part of their length
preferably parallel to such plane or approximately so, and for the remainder of their
length are inclined outwardly and laterally therefrom. One of the extensions is
arranged below the horizontal plane containing the axis of the buffer and has its
upper edge inclined forwardly. and downwardly whilst the other extension is
arranged above the said horizontal plane and has its lower edge inclined forwardly
and upwardly. One of the said edges of the two extensions may however be
horizontal, i.e. parallel to the said horizontal plane. The arrangement is such that
should two vehicles of greatly different lengths and provided with buffers according
to this invention be brought together on a sharp curve that flange-like extension on
each buffer head that is nearest to the centre of the curve will slide along that edge
portion of the other buffer head that is unprovided with a flange-like extension and
so move the buffer heads relatively to one another as to bring them into a position
in which they will be practically equally distant from the centre of the curve, whilst
should the buffer heads be at different heights, the adjacent edges of the said two
extensions will slide the one over and in contact with the other in such a way that
the two buffer heads will be moved vertically with reference to each other in such
a way that the axes of the two buffer heads and draw rods will be brought into the
same common plane, thereby, in each case, enabling the buffer heads to be easily
and readily coupled together.
My invention may advantageously be applied in connection with the buffer heads
of central buffer and draw gear apparatus of the kind described in the Specification
of my Patent No. 217 of 1897.

page_text: Improvements in Central Buffer and Draw Gear Apparatus for
Railway and like Vehicles.
I, WILLIAM RICHARD SUMPTION JONES, of 4, Whitehall Court, Whitehall, in the
County of London, Engineer, 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 improvements in central buffer and draw gear
apparatus for railway and like vehicles whereby vehicles that are of greatly
different lengths and of different heights can not only be readily coupled together
when on straight portions of track but also when on curves of comparatively short
radius when the distances of the buffer heads on the adjacent ends of two uncoupled
vehicles would be at different distances from the centre of the curve owing to the
difference in length of the two vehicles.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan showing central buffer heads of ordinary construction on the
adjacent ends of two uncoupled vehicles of different lengths, the buffers being in
relative positions such as they would occupy if the vehicles were on a curve of
short radius, and
Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevation showing the buffer heads in different
horizontal planes as they would be if the vehicles were of different heights or were
not equally loaded.
It will be understood from the these figures that the coupling hooks or links of the
buffers, which are not shown, could only with difficulty be caused to couple the
buffer heads together.
Now according to this invention each buffer head is constructed as shown in
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 which are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a pair of
buffers in their coupled positions, and an end or front elevation of one of the buffer
heads.
Each of the buffer heads 1 is provided at its front end or face with two vertical
flange-like extensions 2 and 2ª which are arranged at opposite sides of a vertical
plane passing through the axis of the buffer head and are for part of their length as
shown at 2x preferably parallel to such plane or approximately so, and for the
remainder of their length are inclined outwardly and laterally therefrom. The
extension 2 is arranged below the horizontal plane containing the axis of the buffer
and has its upper edge 3 inclined forwardly and downwardly whilst the extension 2*
is arranged above the said horizontal plane and has its lower edge 4 inclined
forwardly and upwardly. One of the said edges of the two extensions may how-
ever be horizontal, i.e. parallel to the said horizontal plane. The arrangement is
such that should two vehicles of greatly different lengths and provided with buffers
according to this invention be brought together on a sharp curve so that the axis
of the buffer heads are in such relative positions as are indicated by the dotted
centre lines in Fig. 1, that flange-like extension on each buffer head that is nearest to
the centre of the curve (that is to say, those extensions which are shown in the
lower part of Fig. 3) will slide along that edge portion 5 of the other buffer head or
face that is unprovided with a flange-like extension and so move the buffer
heads relatively to one another as to bring them approximately into the position
shown in Fig. 3 in which position they will be practically equally distant from the
centre of the curve. Should the buffer heads, when brought together, be at
different heights, as indicated by the dotted centre lines in Fig. 2 the adjacent
edges 3 and 4 of the said two extensions will slide the one over and in contact with

page_text: the other in such a way that the two buffer heads will be moved vertically with
reference to each other in suchwise that the axes of the two buffer heads and
draw rods will be brought into the same common plane as shown in Fig. 4. The
means described thus enable the buffer heads to be easily and readily coupled
together when the axes of the vehicles are not in line. By forming each of the
extensions 2, 2* of each buffer head with portions 2x that are parallel with the axis
of the head, and the extension 2 with a part 3* of its upper edge 3 and the
extension 2 with part 4 of its lower edge 4 also parallel to the axis of the buffer
head, as shown, the buffer heads are prevented from resuming their normal positions
during uncoupling whilst the vehicles are on a curve.
The invention may advantageously be applied in connection with the buffer heads
of central buffer and draw gear apparatus of the kind described in the Specification of
Letters Patent No. 217 of 1897, and, in order that the draw bars may be capable
of swivelling or turning to the extent required to enable vehicles to be readily
coupled when on curves as herein before described, the combined buffer and draw
bar, which passes loosely through a hole in the headstock 6, is preferably provided
with two guide plates 7 arranged one on each side of the headstock between which
and each of the plates 7 a spring 9 is interposed, the said plates 7 being connected
by bolts 8 so that they cannot move apart, as described in the Specification of
another Patent No. 2492 of 1898. By this means the plates 7 are held out of
contact with the headstock, and the draw bar and its attached parts can swivel or
turn in an angular manner in any direction relatively to the centre line of the
vehicle against the action of the springs 9, which will, when the turning force is
removed, return the bar to its normal positions.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. Central buffer and draw gear apparatus in which the buffer head is provided
at its front end or face with two vertical flange-like extensions which are arranged
at opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the axis of the buffer head and
are inclined outwardly and laterally therefrom, one of the extensions being
arranged below the horizontal plane containing the axis of the buffer and having
its upper edge inclined forwardly and downwardly whilst the other extension is
arranged above said plane and has its lower edge inclined forwardly and upwardly,
substantially as described.
2. Central buffer and draw gear apparatus in which the buffer head is constructed
with extensions as referred to in Claim 1 but only one of which is formed with
an inclined edge, substantially as described.
3. Central buffer and draw gear apparatus constructed with buffer heads
substantially as described with reference to and shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the
accompanying drawings.