AN ATMOSPHERIC BUFFER TO BE APPLIED TO CARRIAGES, AND ALL OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1847

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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WEBSTER, of Sneinton, in the County of Nottingham, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Nineteenth day of
August, One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, in the eleventh year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said James Webster, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial
license, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said James
Webster, my exors, admors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Webster, my exors, admors, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, my Invention of
"AN ATMOSPHERIC BUFFER TO BE APPLIED TO CARRIAGES, AND ALL OTHER VEHICLES
TRAVELLING ON RAILWAYS;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a pro-
viso that I, the said James Webster, shall cause a particular description of
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, to be inrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso. I, the said
James Webster, do hereby declare that the nature of my said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, are fully described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had
to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the figures and letters- marked 5
thewoon that is to com
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS..
of
The Drawing, Figure 1, shews a longitudinal section of an atmospheric buffer
constructed according to my Invention. a is a strong cylinder which is to be
securely fixed to a carriage, so as to come in the proper position, and in place
of an ordinary buffer now in use; b is the cover of the cylinder; c is the
piston working within the cylinder, d being a cupped leather, which is
important in preventing the air passing in that direction when the air is being
compressed in the cylinder. This cup d is held between the parts c', c², the
parts c', c², being held together by means of the pins es, which are screw-tapped
at one end for that purpose, as shewn; and the cup leather d is caused to
fit the cylinder more or less closely by means of a piece of vulcanized or
otherwise converted india rubber c, which is retained in. its place by means
of the nut c, which screws on to the end of the piston rod e, as shewn;
and it will be seen that the nut c is guided by the pins c³, so that the parts
c¹, c, c, being held stationary, and the piston rod e turned in one direction,
the parts c² and c will be brought together, and the cylindrical surface
india rubber will be forced outwards, expanding the leather d; or, if the rod
e be turned in the reverse direction, the cup leather will be allowed to contract:
e is the piston rod having the buffer head f fixed thereon. In the piston rod,
and through the end thereof, there is a passage g, closed by a valve which is at
all times pressed into its seat by a spring h, as is shewn. i is a spring which
tends to force the piston back, so that it may be ensured standing correctly
even should some of the air escape when in a state of compression. This
spring also acts in aid of the air as an elastic resistance to the piston. By
this arrangement of atmospheric buffer it will be evident that, when the buffer
head is pressed on, it will drive the piston into the cylinder, and thus
compress the air and offer a very elastic buffer, and the strength of the elastic
resistance will increase as the compression becomes greater; and when the
buffer head is released, the air, assuming its natural state, will drive back the
piston; but in the event of any air having escaped when the air is in a state
of compression the spring behind the piston will return it correctly, the valve
through the piston giving way to allow the air to enter freely.

page_text: Figure 2 shows a modification of the above which I prefer to use when
applying my arrangement of buffer either to a locomotive engine or a tender,
where greater strength. is required than with the ordinary carriages. The
parts being for the most part similar to those described with respect to
Figure 1, I have whenever they occur made use of the same letters of refe-
rence. In order to contract or expand the piece of india rubber c' it will only
be necessary to hold the parts c³ and c³ stationary whilst the parts e are turned
in one or the other direction.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in
which I perform the same, I would remark, that I am aware that it has before
been proposed to use air as an elastic medium for buffers. I do not, there-
fore, claim the same, but only the novel mode of arranging apparatus, as
herein described. What I claim is the mode of constructing the piston, and
applying thereto a valve, as herein described, and also a spring for bringing
back the piston.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Webster, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.