IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BUFFER CASES AND RAMS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Grindley Craig, of Gorton, near Man-
chester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of
D..
D.
Sealed the 22nd June 1855, and dated the, 8th January 1855..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Grindley Craig
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th January 1855.
I, WILLIAM GRINDLEY CRAIG, of Gorton, near Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BUFFER CASES AND RAMS" to be as follows:-
Instead of the usual iron cases, I propose to make them of wood, and hoop
them with iron or other suitable metal, so that when the buffer is pressed in
by contact with other bodies, and the spring or springs become compressed, the
bodies striking against each other will both be of the same material (that is,
wood), which I find will be very advantageous. I do not intend to confine
myself to any particular, kind of spring, as any of the ordinary.ones will answer
the purpose.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Grindley Craig in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 7th July 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GRINDLEY CRAIG, of Gorton, near Manchester, in the County of Lancaster,
Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Royal
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Grindley Craig, Her special licence that I, the said William
Grindley Craig, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Grindley Craig,-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, 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 RAILWAY BUFFER CASES AND RAMS," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said William Grindley Craig, 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 Royal Letters Patent.
.:
;
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Grindley Craig, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
My Invention consists, firstly, of an improved method of forming the
plungers or rams to compress the buffer springs, with an improved mode of
forming the cases.
Secondly, of an improved mode of fixing the buffer head to the plunger or
ram, so as to form a hoop for the buffer head, to prevent it splitting, and to
allow the wood to come in contact with the timber of the case when undue
pressure is brought to bear. I accomplish this object by using a block of wood
bored out, or otherwise, as may be required, suitable for any, description of
spring. This block of wood..is placed_endways_of..the grain, and is hooped

page_text: with iron to support it. It is also so arranged, that, after the spring action
is used up (which may be limited to any extent), the head of the plunger
will strike on the said block' of wood, when the two, being in close contact, will
form or act as solid blocks when the spring is compressed to its limit, or what
is technically called "dumb buffer." The buffer spring will thus be protected
from any damage when excessive blows or concussions occur in railway
transit.
Thirdly, of an improved method of fixing to railway vehicles the said buffer
spring, plunger, and spring bed or seat, so that when the whole is completed,
it is effectually cased up and protected from external damage. The extent of
range for the plunger is effectually secured without deteriorating the spring,
and the reaction of the plunger is also secured, so that it cannot break down
or get lost, which so frequently happens with buffers now in use. These my
said 'improvements will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying
two Sheets of Drawings, and the letters of reference thereon: In Sheet 1,
Fig. 1 is an external elevation of a buffer, shewing my said improvements;
Fig. 2 is a section; Fig. 3, an external elevation, shewing another arrange-
ment of the same; Fig. 4 is a section, and Figs. 5 and 6 transverse and
vertical sections thereof. In Sheet 2, Fig. 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a vertical
section, and Figs. 3 and 4 transverse and vertical sections, shewing the
adaptation of my improvements to different kinds of springs and cases.
A represents a block of wood of sufficient thickness, the outside of which
forms the head of the plunger, and the inside reduced down at B, to receive
the wrought-iron hoop a, a, seen at Figs. 4 and 6, which is sunk or not, as
may be found desirable, and is further secured by spikes or screws passing
through the iron hoop a, a, into the wood block at B, as shewn at m, Fig. 4.
This wrought-iron hoop when so connected to the wood block forms the
plunger and spring case. On each side of the said hoop are slot holes, cut
the required length to allow for the collapse of the buffer "spring, and placed
or made in such a position that the reaction of the buffer spring can be
limited by means of the eccentric-headed bolts ff, or what are usually called
bolts, which are hereafter described. In Figs. 2, 4, and 6 are shewn the
second part of my improvements; in which, c represents a block of wood bored
out endways of the grain to any depth required to suit any description of
spring, for the purpose of protecting the spring from severe concussions or
collisions, which would damage the 'spring if not so protected; and in order to
give it additional support, I hoop the said block with iron, as shewn at b, b,
Figs. 2, 4, and 6, which hoop forms the wearing surface for the plunger to
'

page_text: work on, and which combination of the iron hoop and timber seat forms the.
second part of my said improvements.
I will now describe my improved method of fixing the buffer spring, plunger,.
and spring seat or bed to railway rolling stock, for the purpose of limiting the
reaction of the buffer spring. In the first place, I bore an inch hole through
the centre of the spring bed or seat, and also through the head stock n, or
frame end of the vehicle; I then put an inch (or other suitable sized) bolt
through the whole, and screw them up firmly on the inside of the head stock,
or frame end, by which means the spring seat or bed is screwed to the vehicle;
I then on each side of the centre bolts in the diameter line bore two other
holes through the spring seat or bed and head stock, for the purpose of
receiving the two eccentric or L bolts f & e, and each of these bolts also
secures the spring seat or bed to the head stock, and the plunger to the spring
seat or bed, by means of slots cut in the plunger, as shewn at Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
and 6, Sheet 1, into which the heads of the eccentric or bolts pass through,
to limit the reaction of the spring, and prevent the plunger from coming off,
which frequently happens with buffers now in use.
It will be understood, from the foregoing description, that it is necessary to
place the plunger with the spring and the two eccentric-headed bolts over the
spring seat all at once, and when the eccentric-headed or L bolts are screwed
up to the head stock, or frame end, the whole is completed, and combines the
following advantages:-In extreme buffing or collision, the spring is protected
from damage by reason of the two wooden blocks coming in contact, neither
can the spring case be damaged, as the two blocks form a solid buffer.. The
compression to the buffer spring and the reaction is also limited by means
of the eccentric or L headed bolts passing through the slot holes formed in
the plunger, and the arrangement of the wood forming the buffer head with the
plunger coming in contact with the wood of the spring seat or bed.
Having thus fully described the nature and particulars of my said Invention,
and the manner of carrying the same into practical effect, I desire it to be
distinctly understood that I do not confine myself to the exact details herein
set forth, as such may be varied or modified without departing from the
principle thereof; but I claim as my Invention, and which, to the best of my
knowledge and belief, has not been hitherto used within this realm,-
Firstly, the mode of making buffer spring plungers partly of wood and
partly of metal, wrought iron being preferred, which forms a hoop to encircle
the buffer head.
Secondly, the spring bed or seat composed of a metal hoop fixed to a wooden
block

page_text: Thirdly, the mode of fixing the buffer spring, plunger, and the spring bed
or seat, so as to protect the spring from injury in case of severe concussion or
collission, by reason of the two wooden blocks coming in contact.
And, fourthly, the use of the eccentric or L headed bolts for securing the
ram or plunger to the spring seat or bed, as well as the bed to the engine
tender or vehicle, as all such improvements are herein described and illustrated
in the accompanying two Sheets of Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Grindley Craig, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-five..
WILLIAM GRINDLEY CRAIG. (L.S.)
Signed, sealed, & delivered by the .within-named
William Grindley Craig, in the presence of
E. J. HUGHES,
Patent Agent,
Manchester.