IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING THE STOPPING OF RAILWAY TRAINS AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Heron Hudson, of Clifton Terrace, Wolver-
hampton, in the County of Stafford, Gentleman, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING THE STOPPING OF RAILWAY TRAINS AND
OTHER ROLLING STOCK, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN."
Sealed the 1st April 1869, and dated the 14th October 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Heron Hudson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th October 1868.
I, HERON HUDSON, of Clifton Terrace, Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING THE STOPPING OF RAILWAY TRAINS
AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK, AND IN THE MACHINERY OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED
THEREIN," to be as follows:-
Upon the engine or other part of a train I fix a buffer between the
ordinary buffers and protruding beyond them to the desired extent; this

page_text: buffer I arrange so that it may be drawn inward when it is intended to
"back" the train. Each carriage is provided with a horizontal rod or its
equivalent running the whole length of the carriage, and protruding beyond
the buffer beam at each end. To the ends of this rod are attached discs
or buffer heads, and the rod is in a line with the supplementary or first-
mentioned buffer, and is so acted upon by springs or their equivalent
that on being pushed in either direction and the pressure being removed
the rod shall return to its former position. This rod may be connected
with ordinary breaks by gearing, and it is so arranged by a spring or its
equivalent that upon a certain pressure acting upon the breaks the rod
may pass on, retaining the pressure but not increasing. it. The discs or
buffer heads on the ends of these rods may protrude beyond the buffer
beams about the same distance as the ordinary buffers do when com-
pressed. The first-named or supplementary buffer is pressed out until
it touches the disc or buffer head of the rod of the carriage immediately
next to it; when the breaks are applied to the engine, its velocity being
thus retarded, the momentum of the carriages behind will cause the
ordinary buffers to become compressed, and the rod of the first carriage
is then pressed backwards, thereby applying the breaks to that carriage;
the end of the rod which is farthest from the engine being pressed out-
wards will meet the disc or buffer head on the end of the rod which is
connected with the carriage immediately next it, and presses it back-
wards, thus "putting on" the breaks of the second carriage. This arrange-
ment may be continued throughout the train or to as many carriages as
desirable. In long trains however I prefer to place a buffer upon a
guard's van in some central position of the train. By these means the
greater the momentum of the carriages the greater will be the power
applied to the breaks, though the gearing is so arranged that the breaks
cannot be pressed beyond a given point. When the train is to be
backed" the first-named buffer will be drawn inwards, and the discs or
buffer heads on the carriages (mentioned as protruding about the same
extent as the ordinary buffers) when compressed will not be affected by
the compression of the last-named buffers; but if the first-named or
supplementary buffer be pressed out it will push back the whole
line of rods.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Heron Hudson in the Great Scal Patent Office on
the 14th April 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HERON
HUDSON, of Clifton Terrace, Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Heron. Hudson, Her special licence that I,
the said Heron Hudson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Heron Hudson, 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 Ircland, the Channel Islands,
and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN FACILITATING THE
STOPPING OF RAILWAY TRAINS AND OTHER ROLLING STOCK, AND IN THE MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Heron Hudson, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
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 Heron Hudson, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, that is to say :-
My Invention has for its object improvement in facilitating the
stoppage of railway trains and other rolling stock.
Upon the engine or other convenient part of the train I fix a buffer
in any convenient position between the ordinary buffers, such first-

page_text: named buffer, which I call a supplementary buffer, protruding such
distance beyond the ordinary buffers as may be deemed most desirable.
This supplementary buffer I arrange in such manner that it may be
drawn inwards when it is intended to "back" the train."
Each carriage is provided with a horizontal rod or its equivalent
running the length of the carriago and protruding beyond the buffer
beam at each end thereof. To the ends of this rod are attached discs or
buffer heads, and the rod is in a line with the supplementary or first-
mentioned buffer placed upon the engine or other suitable part of the
train, and it is so acted upon by springs or their equivalent that on
being pushed in either direction and the pressure being removed the rod
shall return to its former position. This rod may be connected with
ordinary breaks by gearing, and is so arranged by means of a spring or
its equivalent that upon a certain pressure acting upon the breaks the
rod may pass on, retaining the pressure but not increasing it. The
discs or buffer heads on the ends of these rods may protrude beyond the
buffer beams about the same distance as the ordinary buffers do when
compressed. The action of these apparatus is as follows:-The first-
named or supplementary buffer, which is placed either on the engine or
on other convenient part of the train, is pressed out until it touches tho
disc or buffer head of the rod of the carriage immediately next to it
when the breaks are applied to the engine, its velocity being thus
retarded, the momentum of the carriages behind will cause the ordinary
buffers to become compressed, and the rod of the first carriage is then
pressed backwards, thereby applying the breaks to that carriage; the end
of the rod which is farthest from the engine being pressed outwards will
mcct the disc or buffer head on the end of the rod which is connected
with the carriage immediately next it, and presses it backwards, thus
"putting on "the breaks of the second carriage. This arrangement may
be continued throughout the train or to as many carriages as may be
deemed desirable. In long trains however I prefer to place a buffer
upon a guard's van in some central position of the train. By these
means the greater the momentum of the carriages the greater will be
the power applied to the breaks, though, as before mentioned, the
gearing is so arranged that the breaks cannot be pressed beyond a given
point. When the train is to be "backed" the supplementary or first-
named buffer on the engine or other part of the train will be drawn
inward, and the discs or buffer heads (on the carriages), mentioned as

page_text: The part of my apparatus required for an ordinary railway carriage is
shown in plan, Figure 1, and in clevation, Figure 2; one end of the
carriage is left out for convenience, but it is the same as the other.
A, A, are two rods running the length of the carriage and terminating
at either end in discs or buffer heads some distance beyond the licadstocks,
but of such length that the train may be "backed" without causing
the buffer heads on the rods A, A, of one carriage to interfere with
similar buffer heads on the rods of the next carriage to it. These rods are
carried on friction rollers turning in brackets C, C, C, C, C, C, bolted to
the framing of the carriage. D, D, are bracing pieces for the rods A, A,
and they are also used to impart motion to the sliding bar E when the
rods A, A, are in motion. The sliding bar just mentioned is arranged
quite straight on the lower side, but descends gradually from near cach
end on the upper side, the descent increasing rapidly towards the centre,
at which point it is curved out to about the same radius as the roller G.
F is a double-sided link having the friction roller G before mentioned at
the upper end, but connected with the lever H at the lower end; it
is provided with a slotted hole in each side for a purpose herein-after
mentioned. K is a lever forked at one end but plain at the other end,
and carried by a bracket L bolted to the framing of the carriage. The
forked end of the lever K is sufficiently wide to embrace the double-sided
link F, and a pin M is passed through its sides and through the slots in
the double-sided link F, in the middle of which pin and between the two
checks of this double-sided link F is carried a friction roller N, which

page_text: bears against the under side of the sliding bar E. O is a weight on the
plain end of the lever K. P is a guard provided with lock nuts to
regulate the height of the friction roller N by preventing the weight
from descending beyond a given point. I is a lever connected with the
lower end of the double-sided link F at one of its extremities, and fixed
to the rocking shaft R at the other extremity. The rocking shaft R, as
also the break blocks and connection between the break blocks and the
rocking shaft, form that part of the present or ordinary arrangement on
carriages to which my Invention is applied, and therefore they are not
claimed as of my Invention.
The action of the above apparatus is as follows:-Sufficient pressure
is applied in manner herein-after mentioned to either end of the frame
composed of the rods A, A, and the bracing pieces D, D; such pressure
being applied in the direction of the length of the frame it will cause the
frame to move in the direction of the pressure, taking with it the sliding
bar E, when the double-sided link F, being prevented from moving
sidewise by the pin in the forked end of the lever K passed through the
slotted holo in its checks, will therefore be raised by the friction roller G
when this roller moves upward out of the curved part in which it rested:
and rolls up the incline on the top side of the sliding bar E. The double-
sided link F will continue to rise until it has raised the end of the
lever H sufficiently to move the break blocks against the tyres of the
wheels, which will prevent the lever rising higher, and the sliding
bar E will descend, pressing down the friction roller at the end of the
lever K, and thus raising the weight O on the other end of the lever K,
which weight will now be acting through the two levers K and H upon
the rocking shaft R, and will consequently also act on the breaks.
The slotted hole in the double-sided link F is to allow the forked end of the
lever K to be pressed down by the sliding bar E. The weight on the
lever K may be so adjusted as to skid the wheels or not as may be
deemed desirable, and for first-class carriages the breaks need not be
used at all; the rods used in that case are merely to communicate to the
rods of the carriages beyond them. When the pressure is removed from
the end of the frame before mentioned the sliding bar E, which is tapered
towards the centre, and being pressed between the two friction rollers G
and N by the action of the weighted lever K, will continue to move
towards its former position, carrying the said frame with it, until the
weight O has reached its lowest point, when the pressure from the

page_text: breaks will be removed, and the roller G having arrived at that point
where the descent of the sliding bar E becomes more rapid the weight of
the lever H and the double-sided link F will draw the friction roller G
down into its former position, pulling the breaks a little way from the
tyres, and pushing or impelling the sliding bar E and the frame the
remaining distance they have to travel in order to take their former
position. If the weight of the lever and link is not sufficient a weight
may be fixed on the lever. The sliding bar E may be of such length as
to prevent the possibility of its being accidentally pushed too far. The
guard P is to be used in conjunction with the ordinary means used for
taking up the wear of the blocks.
Figure 3 is an elevation, and Figure 4 a plan of an arrangement for
working the break gearing before mentioned, and it is shown as applied-
to a locomotive tender. For convenience a part only of the tender is
shewn. A, A, are two rods running the greater length of the tender
and carried by the brackets F, F, and G, G; they are braced together
towards one end by the picce B and terminate at the other end in two
discs or buffer heads D, D, provided with an elastic substance at the
back for a purpose herein-after mentioned. With the centre of the
bracing piece B is connected one end of a rod C, the other end of which
is fixed to a piston working in the cylinder E. The cylinder may be
supplied with steam from any suitable place on the boiler or its con-
nexions by the valve which is worked by a handle placed in any
convenient position for the engine man or stoker. H, H, are two loose
picces sliding in the brackets F, F; they may be raised or lowered at
pleasure by means of a rod L, L, connected with the lever on the
rocking shaft K.
The action of this apparatus is as follows:-Steam being admitted
behind the piston in the cylinder E and the rods A, A, thus being
pressed forward sufficiently to allow the sliding picces H, H, which are
arched out to drop over the rods in order to descend, they will be
lowered by the person on the engine and the valve for admitting steam
to the cylinder may be closed. It will then be evident if pressure come
against the buffer heads D, D, the clastic substance at their backs will
be pressed against the sliding pieces H, H, and thus prevent undue jar
upon the rods A, A. The sliding pieces H, H, will also prevent the
rods A, A, from being pushed back into their former position. The
lengths of the rods A, A, will be such that when the backs of the buffer

page_text: heads are pressed against the sliding pieces H, H, the points of the
buffer heads will touch the corresponding buffer heads on the nearer
extremities of the rods of the first carriage. The breaks on the tender
now being applied by the ordinary means, and the speed of the engine
thereby retarded, the momentum on the carriages behind will cause the
ordinary buffers of the first carriage and the tender, as also all the
ordinary buffers except the last one, to spring up and bring the tender
and carriage closer together, when the rods for communicating to the
breaks of the first carriage will be pushed backwards and the breaks will
thus be applied to that carriage. The ends of the rods which are farther
from the tender on the first carriage will now be moved towards the ends
of the like rods on the second carriage, and if the momentum of the
train be sufficient the breaks of the second carriage will be likewise put
on and the apparatus will be thus far self-acting, but if the momentum
of the train be not sufficient to put on the breaks of the desired number
of carriages, or if the train is required to be stopped very speedily, steam
may then be admitted behind the piston in the cylinder E, when the
breaks of the other carriages will be at once applied. When it is
required to back the train the sliding pieces H, II, are raised and a
little steam admitted in front of the piston in the cylinder E, when the
buffer heads D, D, will thus be drawn backwards and will remain out of
action, and, as before stated, the lengths of the horizontal rods on the
other carriages will be such as to permit of the train being backed. It
is evident that the rods A, A, may be worked by hand somewhat in the
ordinary way of working the breaks of the tender and guard's van, and
where they are applied, as may be deemed desirable in some cases to a
guard's van only, such an arrangement may be used, and also where
required to a tender only, although the cylinder is preferred, for the
tender being near the boiler of the engine is both speedy and powerful
in action.
The application of my Invention to "other rolling stock" consists in
using a spring or springs, or its or their equivalent, connected with the
shafts, pole, splinter bar, or any other convenient part of the forc
carriage of a conveyance travelling either by road or tramway, with
which spring or springs, or its or their equivalent, are connected the break
blocks which are arranged either to bear against the tyres of the front or
back wheels. The part or parts with which the spring or springs, or its or
their equivalent, is or are connected is or are arranged with a slot or slots,

page_text: or its or their equivalent, so that when the motive power is pulling the
part or parts just mentioned will be drawn forwards to the front cud of
the slot or slots, or its or their equivalent, and the breaks are pulled
from the tyres of the wheels, but when the motive power is "pulling
up" or being "pulled up" the part or parts before mentioned will be
pushed to the back end of the slot or slots, or to its or their equivalent,
and thus the breaks will be pressed against the tyres of the wheels.
When the carriage is required to be backed one or more loose pieces or
their equivalent may be introduced into the back part of the slot or
slots or their equivalent, thus preventing the shafts, polc, splinter bar, or
fore carriage, as the case may be, from being pressed backwards and the
breaks applied.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I claim the construc-
tion and application of machinery or apparatus arranged and combined
substantially as above described for the purpose of facilitating the
stopping of railway trains and other rolling stock.
In witness whereof, I, the said Heron Hudson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
GEO. JON. ROBINSON,
Patent Office,
Nottingham.
HERON HUDSON. (L.S.)