IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Gustav Hambruch, of Elbing, Prussia, but at
present residing at Morley's Hotel, Charing Cross, in the City of
Westminster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
Sealed the 29th July 1873, and dated the 4th February 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Gustav Hambruch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 4th February 1873.
I, GUSTAV HAMBRUCH, of Elbing, Prussia, but at present residing at
Morley's Hotel, Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is so to construct railway carriages as to
render the bodies of such carriages as independent of the lateral oscilla-
tions and longitudinal jerks of the under framing as of the vertical
motion. To this end I erect upon the under framing vertical columns,

page_text: say twelvo in number, which are so disposed as to pass up through the
partitions which divide the carriages into compartments. These columns
or uprights carry two longitudinal beams. These upper longitudinal
beams are connected by means of cross licads and by horizontal diagonal
strut braces.
•
The under carriage is fitted at its ends with sheet iron uprights, which
are connected the one with the other by means of strut braces, and
which secure the upper longitudinal beams against displacement either
in a longitudinal or transverse direction. On the raised framing thus
arranged rest three transverse girders, which project beyond the sides of
the longitudinal beams to the full width of the body of the carriage, and
are connected to the same by means of trusses or bracket pieces, and
they are made capable of bearing a considerable weight at their outer-
most ends. These transverse beams carry bearing springs, from which
depend rods jointed to the body of the carriage at about the line of
cquilibrium.
Between the under framing and the floor of the carriage at about one
third of the length from each end of the body depend two trussed
brackets, which are firmly secured to the floor and at corresponding parts
of the longitudinal girders of the under framing bracket supports arc
provided. The space between the trussed brackets is filled up by india-
rubber buffer springs, which are strung upon a centre rod, and interposed
between the springs is a wrought-iron disc, provided at its periphery
with a pair of coupling pins. Link rods from cross heads affixed to the
longitudinal girders connect with these pins, and thus clastic lateral
conncotions are made between the base framing and the carriage rods.
The pairs of trussed brackets are connected with one another in a
longitudinal direction by means of tic rods provided with eyes to receive
the ends of the centre rods of the buffer springs. These rods also
connect with other rubber springs secured on the buffer irons. Thus the
body of the carriago is secured against sudden displacements (oscillations)
both in a longitudinal and transverse direction. The point at which it
is brought into connection with the under framing is arranged as low as
permissible, so as to reach the position which causos the smallest sideway
deviation on the lower framing.
To prevent great shocks and oscillations of the framing affecting the
body of the carriage through the columns or uprights additional side

page_text: buffers and end buffers may be employed. These columns will have
sufficient room for play between the double partitions of the body of the
carriage to allow the latter to move up to the additional buffers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Gustav Hambruch in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 4th August 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GUSTAV
HAMBRUCH, of Elbing, Prussia, but at present residing at Morley's Hotel,
Charing Cross, in the City of Westminster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of February, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth ycar of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Gustav Hambruch, Her special licence that I,
the said Gustav Hambruch, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Gustav Hambruch, 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, usc, 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 CONSTRUCTION OF
RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Gustav Hambruch, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and scals, 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Gustav Hambruch, 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, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto

page_text: annexed and to the letters and Figures marked thercon (that is to
say) :—
The object of this Invention is so to construct railway carriages as to
render the bodies of such carriages as independent of the lateral oscilla-
tions and longitudinal jerks of the under framing as of the vertical
motions. To this end I crect upon the under framing columns, say
twelve in number, which are so disposed as to pass up through the
partitions which divide the carriage into compartments. These columns
or uprights carry two longitudinal beams, which are securely braced
together.
The under carriage is fitted at its ends with sheet-iron uprights, which
are stiffened by means of strut braces bolted to the under carriage, and
which secure the upper longitudinal beams against displacement, cither
in a longitudinal or transverse direction. On the raised framing thus
arranged rest three transverse girders, which project beyond the sides of
the longitudinal beams to the full width of the body of the carriage, and
are so connected to the beams as to be capable of bearing a considerable
weight at their extremitics. These transverse beams carry bearing
springs, from which depend rods jointed to the carriage body at about
the line of equilibrium.
From the floor of the carriage and between the under framing depend
two pairs of trussed brackets at points opposite thereto, and the longitu-
dinal girders of the under framing are provided with bracketed cross
heads. Interposed between the trussed brackets are india-rubber buffer
springs, which are strung upon a centre rod, together with a wrought-
iron disc, which is inserted between the springs. This disc is provided
at its periphery with a pair of coupling pins, to which link rods from the
bracketed cross heads are connected, and thus elastic lateral connections
are made between the base framing and the carriage rods. The pairs
of trussed brackets are connected with one another in a longitudinal
direction by means of tic rods provided with cycs to receive the ends of
the centre rods of the buffer springs. These rods also connect with other
rubber springs secured on the buffer irons. Thus the body of the carriage
is secured against sudden displacements (oscillations) both in a longitu-
dinal and transverse direction. The point at which it is brought into
connection with the under framing is arranged as low as permissible, so

page_text: as to reach the position which causes the smallest sideway deviation on
the lower framing.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shown in several views my
improved construction of railway carriage.
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation of the carriage, one half of the figure
representing the carriage in side view, and the other half in section ;
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, one half shewing the top of the
carriage, and the other representing an irregular section taken in the
line 1, 2, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end clevation, partly in section, of the
carriage; and Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the framing, within which
the body of the carriage is suspended.
The under framing of the carriage is formed of U shaped iron a, to
which are secured by rivets a series of columns or uprights b, made of
Tiron. These uprights 6 serve to carry two longitudinal beams c, which
beams are connected together by means of cross heads d, and horizontal
diagonal braces e. bare pairs of sheet-iron uprights, fitted to the
opposite ends of the under carriage, and stiffened by means of the strut
braces f. These uprights are intended to secure the longitudinal beams c
against lateral or longitudinal displacement. 9, 9, 9, are three transverse
girders, which overlic the framing just described, and extend beyond it
on both sides thereof to the full width of the body of the carriage, as
shown best at Fig. 3. To give stiffness to these overhanging ends.
bracket picces g' are provided, which bracket pieces are made fast to thic
framing. To the ends of the transverse girders are attached bearing
springs (Fig. 1), and from the ends of these bearing springs depend
rods i, which are jointed to the body of the carriage. The uprights & it
will be seen pass through the body of the carriage, and their position is.
so arranged that they come within the partitions which divide the
carriage into compartments, spaces being left within the partitions for.
that purpose. The end uprights b'are arranged outside the body of
the carriage, which therefore hangs freely within the iron framing above
described.
In order that the carriage body should not swing to and fro on the
rocking of the framing the following horizontal connection is provided
between the under framing and the floor of the carriage:-At a distance
from cach end of the carriage, equal to about one third of the length of

page_text: the body, depend two trussed brackets k, which are made fast to the
floor of the carriage, and at corresponding parts of the sides of the under
framing bracket supports are provided. The space between the trussed
brackets & is occupied by the india-rubber buffer springs m, which consist
of discs strung upon a centre rod. Interposed between these clastic
discs is a disc of wrought iron n, which is furnished at its periphery with
a pair of coupling pins. These pins are each intended to receive the eyes
of a pair of link rods o, which are made fast to the supports l. The
pairs of trussed brackets are connected with one another in a longitu-
dinal direction by means of tie rods p, and they are also connected with
india-rubber buffer springs by means of rods 7. The side rods o and
the longitudinal rods 9 are each to bo provided with nuts for tightening
them up. The connection of the carriage body with the under framing
in the longitudinal direction by means of the buffers & serves materially
to reduce the shocks at starting and stopping, and the connection of
these parts through the buffers m serves to neutralize or materially

page_text: tions and longitudinal jerks of the under framing as of the vertical
motions of such framing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Gustav Hambruch, have hereunto set
my hand and scal, the First day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three.
GUSTAV HAMBRUCH. (L.s.)