IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFERS AND OTHER STATNOS AINUS FOR AILWAY AND VIHER CARRIAG KIAGES.
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Myers, of Rotherham, in the County of
York, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFERS AND
OTHER
STATNOS
AINUS FOR AILWAY AND VIHER
CARRIAG
KIAGES.
Sealed the 30th October 1855, and dated the 21st July 1855.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Myers at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 21st
July 1855.
I, EDWARD MYERS, of Rotherham, in the County of York, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFERS
AND OTHER SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of helical springs for obtain-
ing an elastic buffing action, or for breaking the shocks arising from the
inequalities of the road or the traction power of the cugine. The improve-
ments consist in fitting two or more helical springs in a suitable spring box or
casing, each spring being placed in a separate and distinct compartment of its
own, such compartments being concentrically arranged, so that the inner springs
will be of smaller diameter than the outer ones. The inner end of the buffer
rod, or other portion receiving the shocks, has a number of projections formed
on it or fitted thereto, such projections corresponding to and fitting into the
chambers containing the springs. The springs are made of gradually increasing

page_text: or decreasing lengths, so that the bufler, if applied thereto, will first be
brought in contact only with one spring, and then with a second, and so
on, thus mecting with greater resistance the further it is pushed inwards, by
which means the shocks of the buffers will be more gradually deadened than
by the existing arrangements. It is proposed to apply this arrangement
of differentially sized helical springs to draw bars and bearing springs of
railway or other carriages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Edward Myers in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st
January 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
MYERS, of Rotherham, in the County of York, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of July, 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 Edward Myers, Her special license that I, the said Edward Myers, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edward
Myers, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agrec
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 BUFFERS
AND OTHER SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Edward Myers, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and scal, 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 Edward Myers, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to a peculiar arrangement of helical springs for
obtaining an elastic buffing action, or for breaking the shocks arising from the

page_text: inequalities of the road or the tractive power of the engine. The improve-
ments consist in fitting two or more helical springs in a suitable spring box or
casing, cach spring being placed in a separate and distinct compartiment of its
own, such compartment being concentrically arranged, so that the inner springs
will be of smaller diameter than the outer ones.
The inner end of the buffer rod, or other portion receiving the shocks, has
a number of annular projections formed on it or fitted thereto, such projections
corresponding with and fitting into the chambers containing the springs. The
springs are all made of gradually increasing or decreasing lengths, so that the
buffer, if applied thereto, will first be brought into contact with only one spring,
and then with a second, and so on, thus meeting with greater or increased
resistance the further it is pushed inwards, by which means the shocks sustained
by the buffer are more gradually deadened than by the existing arrangements.
It will be obvious that this arrangement of differentially sized helical springs
in concentric chambers is also equally applicable to draw bars and bearing
springs for railway and other carriages.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood, I shall
now proceed to describe the Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto
annexed.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of a buffer of my
improved construction; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section; and Figure 3 is a
transverse section of the same. A, A, is the outer casing or spring box, in
which the buffer rod B, B, slides; C, C, is the bottom of the spring box, bolted
to the timber D, D, of the carriage. This spring box is divided into three
annular compartments by the projections E, E, and in each of these compart-
ments is placed a spiral spring F', F, F. The inner end of the buffer rod is
provided with three concentric projections G, G, G, corresponding to the recesses
in the spring box. When the buffer rod is pressed inwards, the outer spring F
first receives the shock. The pressure next comes upon the second spring F³,
and if that is not sufficient, lastly, the spring F3 comes into operation. Thus
it will be perceived that the resistance increases in proportion to the pressure
or shock sustained. Figure 4 is a section, showing the application of my
Invention to a draw bar, in which the only alteration consists in reversing the
parts, so as to bring them into action by means of traction instead of pressure.
Figure 5 shews the application of my Invention to bearing springs, the spring
box A, A, being attached to the framing, and the buffer bar B, B, to the axle
box. Figure 6 shews a section of a more powerful arrangement of buffer, in
which a double set of variable length springs is employed.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said

page_text: Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of my said Invention; but what
I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is, the
concentric arrangement of helical springs increasing or decreasing in length,
so that they shall be brought into successive operation when subjected to
compression.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Myers, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Eighteenth day of January, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.
EDWARD MYERS. (L.S.)