A New or Improved Buffer Wagon, also Applicable for Braking Purposes.
Year: 1889

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Buffer Wagon, also Applicable for Braking
Purposes.
A communication from abroad by JACOB PAFFENDORF, of Cologne on the Rhine, in
the Empire of Germany, Contractor.
I, WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON F.C.S., M.L.M.E. of the Agency for Foreign
Patent Solicitors 6 Lord Street Liverpool and 6 Bank Street Manchester, both in
the County of Lancaster and 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Civil
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:-
In the case of colliding trains or those running too fast into a terminus, the putting
on of the brakes and reversal of the steam is generally insufficient to check the train
sufficiently to enable it, when the danger is not discovered in time, to be brought
rapidly enough to a standstill to prevent serious accidents. The consequence of the
collision is that the wagon next the locomotivo may be telescoped and so wrecked,
whilst the following ones mount on the heap of ruins, are raised on end or reversed,
and so the following wagon crushes the preceding one.
The object of this invention is to avoid these consequences, or, at least, so to
mitigate them that much damage may be avoided if the speed or weight of the train
be not too great, and it is attained by the new and peculiar buffer wagon shown on the
annexed drawing, in such a way that, the same being attached next to the engine, on
a collision of two trains taking place, it is telescoped into itself, without being thereby
damaged, whereby strongly compressed air, which forms an extremely powerful buffer
of itself, simultaneously and automatically actuates also various Carpenter brakes, so
that every wagon fitted with the same is quite independently braked.
Tho buffer wagon (Figure 1) consists of two cylinders A B, telescopically arranged
with very strong walls which rest. on an under frame divided in two parts (Figure 2),
of which the one part C can be pushed up over the other part D.
For this purpose, the double T-shaped side carriers a of the half frame C rest on
the double T-shaped carriers of the other half frame D, and are rivetted together at
their overlapping ends.
This rivetting is strong enough to withstand the pull of the loaded wagons, and the
shocks received in shunting, but cannot resist a powerful shock without the rivets
being cut. For the same reason, the draw bar of the under frame half is replaced
by a chain E. When the half under frame C slips over the other D, the chain E
merely hangs slack beneath the wagon without the draw look closing its connection
with the middle of the frame d (Figure 1). Beyond this the frame of the wagon is
of the usual form. The telescopic cylinder A B is fixed on this under frame, and in
such a way that the part A, into which the part B slides, is firmly connected by strong
iron bands e with the half under frame C, while the part B, which telescopes into A,
has, at its extreme end, a stud or trunnion resting on an elastic support g which is
arranged in a slot (Figure 3) in the strong back plate F of the wagon frame section D.
The back plate F is stiffened by strong webs or stays G. The part B of the cylinder
rests in a stuffing box H of the fixed part A of the cylinder, in such a manner that the
end of the first projects into the latter.
The fixed cylinder A is preferably closed by a double end i, and has, besides, the
air valves I, I, 1, and the manometer K. The outlets of the various air valves I, II,
are connected with the main pipe of the Carpenter brakes by means of a pipe k. The
cylinder A is now filled with compressed air of an equal pressure to that usually
required from the engine for working the Carpenter brakes. In order that the com-
pressed air contained in cylinder A may retain, in working condition, its required

page_text: pressure, it is advantageous to solder up with soft solder the stuffing box at the place
where cylinder B enters, and also to caulk with soft solder the opening between the
flanges of the stuffing box. This soldering is naturally not absolutely necessary, but
it secures the tightness of the stuffing box without, in the least, impeding the working
of the apparatus. On a journey, the joints of the two cylinders A B are exposed to
shocks which tend to loosen the packing of the stuffing boxes and even when, as
above stated, the back part of the cylinder B is fixed elastically so that, by that means,
injurious concussions are partially avoided, yet still this arrangement will not suffice
to keep the joints permanently close.
By soldering the joints, on the other hand, any leakage is rendered impossible, and,
in the case of a collision, soft solder offers so slight a resistance that the apparatus
works with perfect certainty.
If a collision occurs, the part C of the under frame slides over the part D of the
same, so that cylinder B enters into cylinder A.
It must be taken for granted that the engine driver has already put on the air
pressure brakes in order to prevent the threatened collision as much as lies in his
power. If, in spite of this, the collision takes place, the air in cylinder A is further
compressed, and so actuates, one after another, the various heavily weighted
valves I, 1, 12. If, for instance, cylinder B has entered a certain distance into the
cylinder A, valve I is opened thereby, and the Carpenter brakes are automatically
applied with a strong pressure. By the continued penetration of cylinder B into A,
the air in the latter is always more and more closely compressed, so that, through the
consecutive opening of valves 1112, a pressure always growing stronger and stronger
is applied by the Carpenter brakes. Every single truck is thus braked with a force
corresponding to that of the collision, so that its actual power set in motion for
destroying the preceding trucks is mitigated as far as possible. At the same time
also the buffer wagon forms an elastic cushion, by which the force of the collision is
very much reduced, so that the telescoping of the buffer wagon limits very greatly
the destructive force of the collision.
Even if the train be not fitted with compressed air brakes, the buffer wagon acts as
an elastic bolster, and causes, by this alone, a considerable mitigation of the effects of
the disaster. In this case also compressed air can be dispensed with, and springs,
buffers or spring discs L (Figure 4) can be arranged in the cylinders A B˚ which
are compressed in case of a collision, and thus also form the required elastic
intermediary.
In the annexed representation, the cylinder B is shown open at the hinder end.
This naturally, can also be closed. In this case the cylinder B can be filled with
water and serve as assistant tender. The buffer wagon placed preferably between
the engine and the goods wagons, but, in the case of heavy or very rapid running
trains, a second buffer wagon can also be put behind the goods trucks, and thus
increase the security against the effects of a collision.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A buffer wagon consisting of folding under frame CD on which a telescopic air
tight closed cylinder A B is so arranged that when the aforesaid under frames slide
over or into one another, the cylinder A B telescopes and thus compresses air which
serves as an air cushion, and also, in certain cases, to operate compressed air brakes,
substantially as described.
2. In the buffer wagon such as described, the use of springs, buffers or spring
discs L, within the cylinder A B in combination with or instead of the compressed
air, substantially as described and shown.
Dated this 20th day of 1000
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.