OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR CUSHIONING AND ABSORBING SHOCKS IN RAILWAY TRAINS DURING COLLISION
Year: 1884

page_text: We ROBERT HILL of Glasgow in the County of Lanark North Britain Writer to
Her Majestys Signet and JOHN DARLING of Glasgow aforesaid Engineer do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CUSHIONING AND ABSORBING SHOCKS IN RAILWAY TRAINS DURING COLLISION
be as follows:-
to
This Invention which relates to new or improved apparatus for absorbing shocks
in railway trains during collision has for its object to locate at any required intervals
between the vehicles composing a train an elastic body or structure capable of a
considerable amount of compression in a longitudinal direction that is to say, a
body or structure which has a considerably greater amount of horizontal com-
pressibility than what is due to the buffers ordinarily employed.
The apparatus for effecting this consists of a compressible frame which may or
may not be carried upon wheels. When carried upon wheels it travels on the rails
and when not carried upon wheels it rests upon or is suspended upon the ends of
the framings of any two adjacent vehicles in a train.—The said framing is so
constructed that its parts slide longitudinally in or upon or side by side of each
other and between the said portions of the frames so made capable of thus sliding,
powerful spiral springs or equivalent springs are placed which when the train is
under the influence of a collision become suddenly compressed and are retained in
that position by automatically acting hooks or catches.
The draw-bars used in connection with the aforesaid compressible or elastic
apparatus are also arranged to slide longitudinally and are provided with springs
and catches for absorbing the shock or a portion thereof and retaining them in the
requisite position due to their compressibility and the said draw-bars may be made
sufficiently strong with their relative hooks or catches to retain the entire com-
pression and absorption of the shock by the springs in or upon the said framing in
which case the retaining hooks or catches for acting upon the springs in the framing
may be partly or wholly dispensed with.
After the apparatus has been compressed by a collision it is gradually released to
its normal condition.

page_text: With reference to the equivalent of spiral springs which are hereinbefore
mentioned we mean by such equivalent compressed air springs each consisting of a
piston working in a cylinder and acting elastically against compressed air on one or
both sides of the piston and with or without a communication for the passage of
air from one side of the piston to the opposite side or from the cylinder to a
receiver or by means of a valve which when opened by the compression of the air
due to the force of collision allows a portion of the compressed air to escape into
the atmosphere. When air springs are used they may be gradually released by
means of a connection with the pump forming part of the air brake apparatus with
which trains are now usually provided.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Petitioners' Agents,
115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.

page_text: We ROBERT HILL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Writer
to Her Majesty's Signet, and JOHN DARLING, of Glasgow aforesaid Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention for NEW OR IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR
CUSHIONING AND ABSORBING SHOCKS IN RAILWAY TRAINS DURING COLLISION and
in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our Invention, which relates to new or improved apparatus for absorbing shocks
in Railway Trains during collision, has for its object to locate in front or at the rear
of the locomotive or at any required intervals between the vehicles composing a
Train, an elastic body or structure capable of a considerable amount of compression
in a longitudinal direction, that is to say, a body or structure which has a
considerably greater amount of horizontal compressibility than what is due to the
buffers ordinarily employed.
In order that our said Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the drawings hereunto annexed.
Figures 1, and 2, represent respectively in side elevation and in plan one form of
compressible frame, in its normal extended position constructed according to and
constituting our present Invention.
Figures 3, and 4, represent respectively in side elevation and in plan, a more
simple form of such fraine.
Figures 5, and 6, are respectively a plan and a longitudinal section of a com-
pressible frame wherein air springs are employed for cushioning or absorbing the
shocks of collisions.
In carrying our present Invention into practice, we arrange the parts of the
telescopic or compressible frame, as represented on the annexed drawings, to bo
carried upon the wheels a, which admit of the said frame running upon rails-
This frame, preferably of cylindrical section, is constructed with the central.
portion b, either provided with one or more pairs of wheels a, or each or any
section of the said framing may be provided with bogics. Into the ends of this
central portion b, the tubes c, are free to slide, and into the outer ends of these
tubes c, the tubes or pistons d, secured to the buffer or end beams e, are free to
Blido.
Within this telescopic arrangement of framing, there is provided a series of
springs as represented in dotted lines at f-Theso springs are or may be of
progressive strengths, that is to say, the springs at the outer ends are weaker than
those at the centre of the framing, the approach from the minimum to the
maximum of strength being gradual, a series of springs of increasing strength
being provided from the outer springs inwards to the central spring or that having
the bigbest resistance to compression; or vice versa, the graduation of the springs
may be from the weakest at the centre to the strongest at the extremities.-The
springs at the centre bear or rest against the rigid block g.
With reference to the compressible frame represented at Figures 3, and 4, this
frame is constructed of the two parts h, and i, arranged each, upon a pair of
wheels a, or upon bogies, and also to slide telescopically one within the other.
This frame is provided with a series of springs analogous to the springs f
herein before mentioned with reference to Figures 1, and 2.-For the purpose of
retaining the springs f, in the position corresponding to the degree of compression

page_text: into which they have been forced by the effects of a collision, or in other words, to
prevent the effects of a recoil which is commonly produced in a train not provided
with a compressible frame or structure such as that which constitutes our present
Invention, these springs f, are retained, in the compressed position, by means of
hooks or equivalent catches.-An arrangement of mechanism such as is suitable
for so retaining the springs, is represented at Figures 6, and 7, of the drawings
filed with our Complete Specification No 4457, dated March 6th, 1884.
The draw-bars used in connection with our improved compressible frame, may
be similarly formed telescopic, with their corresponding complements of springs
and a retaining device, but we prefer to connect the coupling hooks to the beams e,
in the ordinary manner, that is to say, with the usual draw springs between the
nut and washer, upon the draw-bar of the said hook, and the inner side of the said
beam.
With reference to the equivalents of spiral springs f, which are hereinbefore
mentioned, we mean by such equivalents, compressed air springs such as are
represented as applied to the compressible frame shewn at Figures 5, and 6.-This
construction of cushioning apparatus consists of the pistons j, (Figure 6) working,
or free to work, within the cylinders k, and acting elastically against compressed
air at the back of the pistons j.-Under this arrangement the motion of the
pistons j, in the cylinders k, during a collision, transfers the air to the opposite sides
of the said pistons, either through the passage l, communicating with both ends of
the said cylinders, or through small holes in the pistons themselves.-The displaced
air may be led from the said cylinders k, to a receiver, or discharged through spring
or equivalent valves which, when opened by the compression of the air due to the
forcing inwards of the pistons j, allow a portion of such compressed air to escape
into the atmosphere.-The outer ends of the piston rods m, are attached to one of
the beams e, of the compressible frame, while the cylinders k, are secured to the
opposite beam e, thereof.-It will be seen with reference to these Figures 5, and 6,
that the sides of the two parts of the compressible frame are arranged to slide, side
by side, the outer part n, and the inner part each being provided with the
shoes p, carrying the pins q, or their equivalent. These pins q, on the frames n,
and o, being caused to move longitudinally towards cach other, travel along the
slots 7, represented in dotted lines at Figure 6.
When air springs are used, the air spring apparatus may be charged with
compressed air from the air brake receiver which, also, after a collision, enables the
compressible parts of the apparatus to be restored to their normal position by
turning on, into the cylinders, a quantity of compressed air to supply the place of
that which has been caused to escape or has been transferred by the collision.
The apparatus hereinbefore described, in place of being used as forming one or
several parts of a train, may also be used to prevent or to lessen the injurious
effects of collisions which sometimes accidentally occur to trains running into
stations having dock platforms or in sidings where a stationary block with or
without buffers is frequently used for arresting the motion of trains or vehicles
which are run thereinto. In such case the compressible frame constructed as
hereinbefore described is placed at the end of the dock platform or in front of the
stationary block, as the case may be, so that it is always in position to meet a
collision caused either by a too-quick running in of a train or by the shunting of
railway vehicles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is:-
First. Apparatus for absorbing shocks in Railway Trains during collision, or
from other causes, consisting of a frame in which the essential feature is, that it is
so constructed as to be capable of considerable longitudinal elastic compression at
the instant of a shock or collision whereby the mechanical force, due to the blow
of collision, is absorbed by the springs of such frame as they are longi:udinally

page_text: compressed, substantially as herein before described with reference to the annexed
Drawings, such frame not being part of a railway carriage or vehicle provided with
compartments or spaces for carrying goods or passengers.
Second. Combining with the apparatus, such as is claimed in the preceding
claiming clause, mechanism for preventing the recoil, and providing for the retaining
of the springs f, in their compressed state, and allowing of their gradual release
substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
D-1 L
1004