IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1866

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Kochs at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th
July 1866.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD KOCHS, of Tichborne Street, Edgware Road, in the
County Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to
be as follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to adapt railway carriages for moving
round sharp curves with safety and expedition. Instead of connecting as
hitherto the ends of the carriage springs above the axle boxes in a direct
way, or by links with the rigid framing under the body of the carriage, I employ
a new arrangement of bogie frame which will allow of the outer pair of wheels,
when the carriage is running round a curve, receiving a greater lateral motion
than the hinder pair without causing any sudden jerk upon any part of the
framing or carriage body. This is effected by connecting the bogie frame with
the rigid framing under the body of the carriage by means of a main central
pivot, the exact position of which will depend upon the distance of the wheel
axles from each other, but which will be nearer the hind than the fore axle.
The pairs of springs for the axle boxes of the bogie are independent of the
body of the carriage, but they play freely in the bogie frame. At the middle
of the length of the bogie frame above the springs on either side is secured a
hird or intermediate spring forming a connection between the bogie frame

page_text: and the framing of the carriage, whereby the shocks to which the bogie frame
is subjected are transmitted in a greatly reduced measure to the body of the
carriage, whilst the lower or axle box springs follow the motion of the
wheels in curves (remaining always parallel to the same). The upper springs
have each a motion round a central pivot, and their ends bear through
antifriction rollers the weight of the carriage body, and permit of its receiving
a longitudinal motion without any strain being put on the springs. The axle
boxes slide correctly within the bogie framing, the axles are therefore at liberty
to lift by any unevenness of rails without violence being caused to the framing.
The weight of the carriage body will thus be borne partly by the wheel
framing on the main pivot, and partly by the four main springs; the latter
being proportionately stronger than those over axle boxes will balance and
equalize the entire weight and motion of the whole and put itself into the exact
position required by the motion of wheels and carriage body. The longitudinal
force transmitted by the buffers is taken by the two strong central beams
placed longitudinally underneath the carriage, whilst the buffers themselves
are in connection with the framing only by means of three spiral steel springs
so that no sudden blow or shock can prove to be directly fatal to the framing.
The two buffer rods are connected transversely by a balance beam, having
as a fulcrum a strong central spring between the others; if then one of the
two buffers is pushed in the other will be forced out. The central or middle
spring being stronger than either of the two others will act as a safety spring
only in the moment of any sudden collision of two trains, thus the damage to
the carriage will be reduced.