IMPROVE- MENTS IN PNEUMATIC SPRINGS, BUFFERS, PUMPS, AND STUFFING BOXES
Year: 1850

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TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME; I, JULIAN
BERNARD, of Buchanan Street; in the. City of Glasgow, North Britain; Artist,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her'
Royal Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the Fourth day of
October, in the fourteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs:
and successors, give and grant unto me, the said Julian Bernard, Her especial
licence, full power, sole privilege and authority; that I, the said Julian
Bernard, my exors, admors, and assigns, and such others as I, the said Julian
Bernard, my exors, adiñors, or assigns; should at any time agree with, and >
no others,. from time to time and at all times during the term of years.
therein expressed, should, and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, within the
Islands of Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and Man, and also. within all
Her Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad, my, Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN PNEUMATIC SPRINGS, BUFFERS, PUMPS, AND STUFFING BOXES;". in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso requiring that I, the said Julian
Bernard, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, shall particu-
larly describe and ascertain the nature of my.said Invention, and in what :
manner the same is to be performed, and shall cause the same to be enrolled
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months;

page_text: next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the
said Julian Bernard, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by this present instrument in writing as follows,
reference being had to the Drawings hereunto attached, and to the letters and
figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
My said Invention relates to the application of a flexible tube or tubes,
in the construction or formation of springs, buffers, pumps, stuffing boxes, and
other mechanism, whereby such mechanism or apparatus is made more effective
in its action and generally more economical in first cost than by the existing
modes of construction. The chief feature of my improvements consists in the
adaptation of such flexible tubes so that one or both ends of the tube shall fold
inside or outside the remaining length of tube in such a manner as to give
peculiar facilities for the expansion or contraction of the space enclosed by
the tube, when used as a transmitting cylinder, or for other purposes which I
shall herein-after explain. And in order that my said Invention may be
readily understood, I shall now proceed to describe the various Figures on the
Sheet of Drawings hereunto attached, as illustrative of two applications of my
improvements.
Figure 1 on my Sheet of Drawings represents a front elevation of a portion
of a hydrostatic press, having its compressing cylinder and ram fitted according
to my improvements; Figure 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken at
right angles to Figure 1 or looking upon the side or end of the press; and
Figure 3 is an elevation of the bottom flange or end of the cylinder detached.
The metal cylinder A, which, with its internal flexible cylinder or tube B, is in
this application substituted for the ordinary hydrostatic cylinder, is cast open
at both ends and rests by an upper flange C upon the girders or beams D, D,
forming the base of the press. The bottom of the cylinder which is formed
with a slight internal cone is closed by a flanged end E, cast with a projecting
cone F and bolted on to the cylinder by its flanges. The projecting cone F
enters the cylinder end, and has one or more grooves turned or formed on its
exterior surface, as at G in the detail, Figure 3. The flexible cylinder or
tube B, which may be made of caoutchouc, gutta percha, or other suitable
material, combined or not with any stout fabric as a body, is of about the
same diameter as the bore of the external metal cylinder A, and its lower
end is held down to the end of the cylinder A by being interposed between
the exterior surface of the cone F and flange of the end E and the interior or

page_text: corresponding portion of the cylinder A. Thus, when the end is so interposed
as represented in Figure 2, the pressure of the cone F when forced in close
contact with the cylinder causes the flexible material to be firmly held down,
the grooved surface of the cone having the effect of biting into it, and this
effect is further assisted by forming similar holding grooves in the interior of
the cylinder end. The upper end of the cylinder A is closed in by a flanged
cover H bored out to admit the ram I, through which the power derived
from forcing water into the cylinder is transmitted to the moveable pressing
table J. It is to the end of this ram that the upper or opposite end of the
flexible tube. B is attached. The conical end K of the ram being entered
into the end of the flexible tube, the ferule or ring L, which is bored out
conically, is passed over the tube encircling the ram, and is forced to a hard
bearing to squeeze the end of the. tube firmly upon the ram by the set
screw M. This screw is tapped into the end of the ram, and is passed
through the small conical washer N. When the screw is driven home it
forces the conical periphery of the washer N hard up against the interior
of the end of the flexible tube, which is thus held against the corresponding
narrow interior conical surface formed on the lower end of the ferule L. To
ensure still greater security of connection, the end of the ram and the interior
of the ferule L may be grooved, as described in reference to the bottom end
of the cylinder.. In fitting up this apparatus the ram is first passed through
the flexible tube to the end, and the attachment being made, as already
described, the loose end of the tube is turned back over the fastened end on
the ram, as represented in the section, Figure 2, thus turning the tube inside
out. The loose end of the tube so turned over is then attached to the bottom
of the cylinder A by screwing on the coned end. The force pump supplying
the pressure cylinder with water is in communication with the pipe O shewn
broken away. This pipe has a screw coupling on its end, by which it is
connected to the bottom of the cylinder A. The water enters into the
interior of the flexible tube B by the small bore P, which is guarded by a
conical valve Q held down by a slight spring. The external metal cylinder A
answers simply as a guide or retainer for the internal flexible tube B, which
receives the actuating water. Thus, when water is forced in by the pump
the internal pressure so obtained acts against the end of the ram, and distend-
ing the flexible tube causes it. to unfold by the combined pressure upon the
ram and the annular part R, R, of the tube, whilst the ram I rises and elevates
the table J. The injected fluid is discharged from the tube by a suitable valve
placed. in the bottom of the cylinder. In this arrangement of hydrostatic
press, the greatest portion of the friction arising in an ordinary press is avoided,

page_text: the only frictional resistance in the working of the cylinder being that due to
the bending and gradually unfolding of the flexible tube and the sliding of the
ram through the cylinder cover. Similarly, leakage is entirely prevented, as
the injected fluid is retained within the flexible tube and is not in contact
with any sliding joint, the flexible tube itself acting as the stuffing box of the
ram. I also propose to use the same general arrangement or adaptation of a
flexible tube as a pneumatic spring or buffer, or for other similar purposes,
where concussions are to be mitigated or removed. Figure 4 on my Sheet of
Drawings represents an external longitudinal elevation of the apparatus, as
arranged for a railway waggon or carriage buffer. Figure 5 is a corresponding
longitudinal section of the buffer. As delineated in these Figures, the buffer
is supposed to be at the extremity of its outward travel, as the common buffer
would be when not screwed up. The details of the external-metal cylinder S
and the flexible tube Tare similar to the same parts herein-before described
in reference to my plan of hydrostatic press. 'The front cover U of the cylin-
der S, through which the buffer rod V projects, is recessed or sunk into the
inner face of the buffer beam W of the carriage or waggon to which it is
attached. In setting this buffer in action, the mode I prefer is to push the
buffer quite home, so as to turn inwards the end of the flexible tube T to its
fullest extent, the air in the tube being allowed to escape either by keeping
open the small valve X in the cylinder bottom or end cover Y, or by perform-
ing this part of the operation before the cover is bolted on. When this is
done, as much water or other liquid is poured into the tube T as will fill up the
entire annular space which is left filled with air. The buffer is then again
drawn out to the position delineated in my. Drawings, allowing atmospheric
air to enter the tube T as it expands and fill up the remaining space.
buffer is thus ready for use, the air enclosed in the tube T acting as the elastic
medium for receiving the shocks given to the buffer, as when the latter is
forced inwards the traverse of its rod V turns inward the end Z of the tube
and contracts the air space. As a guide and support for the buffer rod, a
spindle a is bolted into the centre of the end cover Y, so as to stand directly in
the axial line of the cylinder S, and projecting far enough to reach the front
cover U. The set screw b, by means of which the tube T is attached to the
end of the buffer rod V, is bored out to admit the end of the guide spindle a
to pass through it and enter the buffer rod, which is also bored out or made
tubular to receive it. In this way the buffer rod has a continuous guide
throughout its stroke.. The object of introducing a fluid to the tube T is to
provide a stop for the inner end of the buffer rod, as from the incompressible
nature of liquids the buffer under such circumstances can never be driven
The

page_text: home so as to come in contact with the bottom end of the cylinder S.
When the buffer is prepared for use in this manner, it is obvious that the
flexible tube T will contain air at the ordinary atmospheric pressure, but if
necessary a considerable initial pressure or resisting power may be given to
the buffer by forcing in either air or a fluid to a certain extent by the small
inlet valve X. It will be obvious to practical men that pneumatic springs
may be made on this principle for adaptation to various other useful purposes.
Flexible tubes turned inwards in the manner which I have described are also
applicable, when fitted with proper inlet and discharge valves, as air or water
pumps, the tubes being either enclosed by metal or other cylinders or cases, or
left uncovered. When employed for air pumps, water may be admitted into
the tubes for the purpose of displacing any air contained therein, so that, in
its action in expelling air during pumping, the supply of air taken in at each
stroke will be entirely expelled. In all the arrangements to which I have
made reference, it is obvious that the turning-in or folding-over action of the
flexible material of which the tubes are made allows them to act as substitutes
for the ordinary stuffing boxes; and the same adaptation of flexible tubes may
be used for a great variety of purposes where a rod or other body is to be
passed air or fluid-tight through any other body.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I may 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 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 application and use
of flexible tubes turned in or folded over for the purposes herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Julian Bernard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-one.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the Fourth day of April, in the
year of our Lord 1851, the aforesaid Julian Bernard came before our said
Lady the Queen in Her Chancery, and acknowledged the Specification afore-
said, and all and every thing therein contained and specified, in form above
written. And also the Specification aforesaid was stamped according to the
tenor of the Statute made for that purpose.
Enrolled the Fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-one.