IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES.
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Fortunato Gaetano Pietro Maria Vittorio Maneglia,
of the Turin and Genoa Railway, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY CARRIAGES.'
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Fortunato Gaetano Pictro
Maria Vittorio Maneglia at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents,
with his Petition, on the 16th February 1855.
I, FORTUNATO GAETANO PIETRO MARIA VITTORIO MANEGLIA, of the Turin
and Genoa Railway, do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in connecting the bodies of railway carriages with
the frame, to which the wheels and axles are attached by means of lovers,
which are arranged so that the weight of the body compresses discs of
vulcanized india-rubber, contained in a tube, and separated from each other
by discs of metal; thus the necessary clasticity is obtained in the connection
between the body and the frame. In a similar manner the traction hooks
are arranged, so that the strain thercon is caused to compress discs of

page_text: vulcanized india-rubber, also contained in tubes and separated from cach
other by metal discs, and the same arrangement of clastic discs receive the
shocks on the buffer through the buffer rod, which compresses the discs within
the tube.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Fortunato Gaetano Pietro Maria Vittorio Maneglia in the
Great Seal Patent Office on the 3rd May 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FORTUNATO
GAETANO PIETRO MARIA VITTORIO MANEGLIA, of the Turin and Genoa
Railway, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her reign,
lid, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Fortunato Gaetano Pietro Maria Vittorio Maneglia, Her special licence that
I, the said Fortunato Gaetano Pietro Maria Vittorio Maneglia, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Fortunato Gaetano
Pietro Maria Vittorio Maneglia, 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, usc, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Fortunato Gaetano Pietro Maria Vittorio Maneglia, by an instrument
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 Fortunato Gaetano Pictro Maria
Vittorio Mancglia, 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 thereof (that is to say):-
This Invention consists in connecting the bodies of railway carriages with
the frame (to which the wheels and axles are attached) by means of levers,

page_text: which are arranged so that the weight of the body compresses discs of
vulcanized india-rubber, contained in a tube and separated from each other
by discs of metal; thus the necessary elasticity is obtained in the connection
between the body and the frame. In a similar manner the traction hooks
are arranged, so that the strain thereon is caused to compress discs of
vulcanized india-rubber, also contained in tubes and separated from each
other by metal discs, and the same arrangement of elastic discs receive the
shocks on the buffer through the buffer rod, which compresses the discs within
the tube.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood and
readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
My Invention consists, firstly, of an improved method of suspending the
bodies of railway carriages. I suspend the body of the carriage by means of
links or suspending bars, which are connected with levers so arranged that
the weight of the body compresses discs or rings of vulcanized india-rubber,
contained in a tube, and separated from each other by plates of metal.
Figure 1 of the annexed Drawing shows a side view, partly in section, of
the apparatus, arranged according to one of three methods which I propose
to describe for carrying out this part of my Invention. Figure 2 shows an
under side view of the same; and Figure 3 shows a front view of the same.
T is an iron tube, cast on a foundation plate F, which is fixed to the carriago
by bolts. This tube has at the end nearest to the axle a firm bottom, in the
centre of which is a hole, through which the rod C passes; within the tube
are contained the discs or rings of vulcanized india-rubber, separated from
each other, as shown, by metal plates, which plates are made thicker round
the central hole than elsewhere, so as to keep the elastic rings in position.
On the top of all the discs or rings there is a plate G, through which also the
rod C passes, and it is secured beyond by two nuts, by which the pressure on
the discs is adjusted.
The other end of the rod C is attached by the pin D, between the two
plates of the lever L, which is connected at one end by the pin II, to the
foundation plate F, and the other end of the lever is pin-jointed to the link
or suspending rod E, which is similarly connected to the bar I, which is
connected at its other end with a similar arrangement of apparatus on the
other side of the axle. The bar I rests on the saddle piece A, which is
supported by the bearing B. Thus it will be seen that as the weight of the
body causes it to approach the axle, the ends of the lovers L will be drawn

page_text: together, and the elastic rings will be compressed between the plate G and
the bottom of the tube.
my
Figures 4, 5, and 6 shew another arrangement for carrying out Inven-
tion, differing but slightly from that already described. The links E, E,
which are double, pass over hooks X on the levers L, which are centered to
the standards F, and which at their other ends press directly on the elastic
discs in the tubes T, which are here placed vertically. The pressure on
the discs is regulated by the screws V, which traverse the hooks X, on the
levers L.
Figures 7, 8, and 9 show a third arrangement of the apparatus, which is
also very similar to that first described; the form of the lever L is changed,
and the tube T has its open end towards the axle, so that the end of the
lever L is brought to act directly on the plato G, and to compress the discs
within the tube.
Secondly, my Invention consists in arranging the traction hooks and buffers,
so that the strain and shocks thereon compress the discs of vulcanized india-
rubber, contained in tubes, and separated by metal discs.
Figure 10 shows a plan, partly in section, of the apparatus arranged accord-
ing to this part of my Invention; and Figures 3 and 9 show elevations, partly
in section, of the same. N, N, are four tubes, containing discs of india-rubber,
and similar in the tubes before described; they are cast on foundation plates O,
by which they are bolted to the frame. R, R, aro rods passing through the
tubes and discs, and secured by nuts beyond the plates G. The rods R are
connected to the frames X, Y, X, and Z, Y, Z, which are connected with
the traction hooks at Y; thus the strain on the traction hooks is caused to
compress the discs in the tubes N. In those places where the frames X, Y, X,
and Z, Y, Z, cross each other, one of them is divided into two parts, so as to
allow the other to pass. The discs in the same tubes N are also acted on by
the buffer rods Q, which pass through the bearings V, and beyond which
bearings the plungers S are keyed on to the buffer rods. These plungers act
directly on the plate G, and compress the discs when a blow is received by
the buffer.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I am aware that
vulcanized india-rubber in various forms has been used as springs for railway
carriages; I do not therefore claim the same generally; but what I claim is,―
First, the combinations of levers with vulcanized india-rubber springs, as
herein described.

page_text: And, secondly, I claim the combination of the mechanical parts with
ulcanized india-rubber as springs, for the traction hooks and buffers of
ailway carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said Fortunato Gaetano Pietro Maria Vittorio
Maneglia, have hereunto set my hand and seal, this Fourteenth day
of April, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five.
0 Witness,
T. BASSET,
2, Rue Drouot.
FORTUNATO GAETANO PIETRO (L.S.)
MARIA VITTORIO MANEGLIA.