IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFERS AND OTHER SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES." AND OTHER
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Chrimes, of Rotherham, in the County of
York, Brass Founder, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUFFERS
AND OTHER SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
AND OTHER SPRINGS POR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES.
Sealed the 26th September 1856, and dated the 9th April 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Chrimes at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 9th
April 1856.
I, RICHARD CHRINES, of Rotherham, in the County of York, Brass Founder,
-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
obtaining an elastic buffing action, and for breaking the shocks arising from
the inequalities of the road or the tractive power of the engine, whereby a
cheaper and more simply constructed spring is obtained than has hitherto
been effected.
I
The improvement consists in placing two or more helical springs in a
suitable spring box, in which works the inner head of the buffer rod or ram,
or the rod or ram which receives the shocks to be deadened. The springs
are of a helical construction, and are arranged concentrically one inside the
other, the inner springs being made of smaller diameter for that purpose.

page_text: As the springs are contained in one common spring box, without any parti-
tions to divide or separate them from each other, it is necessary, in order to
prevent one spring from becoming entangled or foul of another, to make them
of contrary twists, that is, right and left springs alternately. To obtain a
gradually increasing resistance, and render the springs compensating, they
may be made of varying lengths, so that as the pressure increases the springs
will be successively called into play, and offer a corresponding amount of
resistance.
This arrangement of springs is obviously applicable not only to buffers, but
also to bearing or draw springs for railway or other carriages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Chrimes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th October 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
CHRIMES, of Rotherham, in the County of York, Brass Founder, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the nineteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Richard Chrimes, Her special license that I, the said Richard Chrimes,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
Richard Chrimes, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any
time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after during the term thercin 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
BUPPERS AND OTHER SPRINGS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES,"
upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Chrimes, by an instru-
ment in writing under my hand and seal, 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 Richard Chrimes, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, 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, and for breaking the shocks arising from
the inequalities of the road or the tractive power of the engine, whereby a
cheaper and more simply constructed spring is obtained than heretofore.
The improvement consists in placing two or more helical springs of the
same or different lengths in a suitable spring box, in which works the inner
head of the buffer rod or ram, or the rod or ram which receives the shocks to
be deadened. The springs are of a helical construction, and are arranged con-
centrically one inside another, the inner springs being made of smaller diameter
for that purpose. As the springs are contained in one common spring box,
without any partitions to divide or separate them from each other, it is neces-
sary, in order to prevent one spring from becoming entangled or foul of
another, to make them of contrary twists, that is, right and left springs
alternately. To obtain a gradually increasing resistance, and render the
springs compensating, they may be made of varying lengths, so that as the
pressure increases more springs will be successively called into play, offering an
increasing amount of resistance corresponding with the increased pressure.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout both
Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a side elevation of an improved engine
buffer, with a portion of the spring boxes broken away to shew more clearly
the helical springs inside; and Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of a
truck buffer constructed on the same principle, namely, with two helical
springs.
The helical springs 1, 2, and 3 are contained in one common spring box A,
without any partitions to separate them from each other. The outer spring is
both longer and of larger diameter than the second spring 2, which is placed
inside it, which latter spring is longer and of larger diameter than the third
spring 3 (see Figure 1), which is placed inside 2; and in order to prevent the
springs from locking or becoming foul of each other, I use a spring which is
twisted or turned in a right-hand direction alternately with a spring twisted or
turned in a left-hand direction, so that two having the same direction of twist
are never placed together. By this simple arrangement I obviate all chanco

page_text: of their becoming locked with each other, which would be the case if two
springs, twisted in the same direction, were placed together without some
division piece to keep them separate from each other.
It is obvious that any convenient number of springs may be used, so that one
is placed inside another, and by making them of various lengths I obtain a
gradually increasing resistance, which is brought into play as the pressure
increases, the combined springs having a compensating action, as they will
come into action successively, that is to say, the longer ones first, and 'then the
shorter ones, according to their several lengths. I may here observe, however,
that I wish it to be distinctly understood that I lay no claim to the use of
helical springs of different lengths, or to the use of helical springs placed one
inside another and arranged to come into succéssive operation when subjected
to compression; but what. I consider the main feature of my said Invention is,
the employment of two or more helical springs of the same or different lengths,
and arranging them concentrically one inside another in one common spring
box, such helical springs being turned or twisted in opposite directions, and
being arranged so that no two springs having the same direction of twist are
placed together. The spring box, by this arrangement, not needing partitions
to divide the springs. one from another, will be obviously reduced in weight,
and the manufacture of the same will be much more economical. The arrange-
ment of springs, herein-before described, is obviously applicable not only to
buffers, but also to bearing and draw springs for railway and other carriages..
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
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.
:
In witness whercof, I; the said Richard Chrimes, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Seventh day of October, One thousand eight hundred
and fifty-six.
RICHARD CHRIMES. (L.S.)