CERTAIN IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1850

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDMUND
SHARPE, of the Town of Lancaster, in the County Palatine of Lancaster,
Master of Arts, 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 Fifth day of June,
One theusand eight hundred and fifty, in the thirteenth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
Edmund Sharpe, my exors, admors, and assigns, Her especial licence, full
power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said Edmund Sharpe, my exors,
adiñiors, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Edmund Sharpe, my exors,
adors, 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, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES;" in which said Letters Patent is contained a
proviso that I, the said Edmund Sharpe, shall cause a particular description.
of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be.
performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand seal, to be inrolled.
in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent,
as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at..
large appear.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Edmund Sharpe, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed and carried into effect, are
particularly described and ascertained in and by the present Specification
thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
figures and letters marked thereon (that is to say):-
My Invention consists,―
Firstly, of a novel arrangement of and method of constructing the frame-
work of railway carriages, such arrangement being more especially adapted
to that class of railway carriages for the accommodation and conveyance of
passengers and goods, the frames of which are lower or closer to the ground
than is commonly the case.
Secondly, my Invention consists of a novel design for a buffing apparatus,
including several modifications thereof as applied to low carriages, such buffing
apparatus being so arranged and constructed as to obviate the inconvenience
and danger likely to arise from the centre of the buffer rods and buffer heads
of high and low carriages not coinciding when such carriages are intermixed
in one and the same train.
In describing the first part of my Invention, namely, that which relates to
the framework of low carriages, it should be premised that I have had two
objects in view, firstly, to construct the framework in such a manner as to
receive the body of a carriage which is capable of containing a greater
number of passengers than carriages of the ordinary construction, and thereby
reducing the number of carriages in trains, as also the number of trains;
secondly, to construct the framework as light as may be, and at the same time
strong and rigid to bear the superincumbent weight of carriage body and the
increased number of passengers, and to withstand any shocks to which it may
be subjected. The guards for the axle boxes and tension plates for the springs
are likewise arranged and secured with a due regard to simple and inexpensive
construction.
In Sheet No. 1 of the annexed Drawings are represented several views of
portions of a low carriage frame, the body not being shewn, as the first part
of my Invention does not relate to any particular arrangement of internal
accommodation for passengers or goods, but to the construction of the frame-
work only, and the method of rendering that portion, which on reference to
the transverse sections in the Drawing, will be perceived to overhang the
wheels, considerably rigid and secure. Various old and well-known portions of
railway carriages are shewn in the annexed Drawings as necessary to explain
more fully those parts which have more especial reference to my Invention.

page_text: In order the more fully to distinguish the latter parts from the former, I have
caused such parts as relate to my improvements to be colored, the remainder
being in outline only.
In Sheet No. 1, Figure 1, is a sectional elevation on the line A, B; Figure 2,
a sectional elevation on the line C, D; Figure 3, a plan looking at the top of
the framework; Figure 4, a plan of the framework inverted; Figure 5, a
transverse section of the frame on the line E, F; and Figure 6, a transverse
section on the line G, H. The same letters of reference are illustrative of
similar parts throughout the different views. A, A, are two longitudinal
beams which form the sole for the support of the carriage body. These beams
or soles extend from end to end of the carriage frame, terminating at and
being secured at each end to the buffer beams B. Parallel to the soles A, A,
I introduce the beams C, C, which, for the sake of distinction, I denominate
guard pieces." These guard pieces likewise extend from end to end of the
frame, and are fastened to the buffer beams B. The cross beams or stays
D, D, D, D, are bolted or secured in the usual or any other convenient
manner to the soles A, A, and guard pieces C, C. The whole is rendered
secure and rigid by the introduction of the diagonal beams or stays E, E..
On the top of the soles A, A, I fasten the planks E, F, which form the under
rail of the carriage body, and which extending from one buffer beam B to the
other, and being secured to the top of the soles A, to the sides of the guard
pieces C, and to the cross stays D, make the carriage frame additionally strong
and rigid, and especially that portion of it which overhangs the wheels. This
arrangement will be better understood on reference to the transverse sections
Figures 5 and 6, Sheet 1. I, I, are the guard plates or hangers in which
slide the axle boxes J, J, in the usual manner. The guard plates are secured.
to the guard pieces C, C, in the manner usually adopted in fastening guard
plates to the outside beam or sole of ordinary railway carriages. The buffers
K, K, buffer rods L, L, and the manner of their action on the springs M, M,
differ little in their shape and situation from those of common high carriages.
The wheels N, N, and axles O are likewise of the ordinary construction, and
require no explanation. Although in the above views I have shewn the
carriage frame as supplied with ordinary buffers, I should in all low carriages
prefer making use of my improved buffing apparatus herein-after described,
and which constitutes the second part of my improvements in railway
carriages.
Without further reference to this part of my Invention, it will be easily
perceived that by the above arrangement I construct carriages of greater
extent in width than usual, thereby affording room for a greater number of

page_text: passengers; while at the same time the framework is rendered additionally
strong and rigid by the uniting of the sole guard piece and under rail of
carriage, as described, so as, in fact, to form a girder for the reception of the
carriage body.
The second part of my improvements in railway carriages relates to the
buffing apparatus. In all railway carriages, the frames of which are lower or
nearer to the ground than is ordinarily the case, it is requisite to have the
centre of the buffers, buffer rods, and buffer springs likewise proportionally
low. Great inconvenience is likely to arise from this circumstance, inasmuch
as it is frequently a matter of convenience to unite high and low carriages in
the same train. Now, as the centre of the buffing apparatus in high and low
carriages frequently varies so much that the buffer heads of the former would
pass over those of the latter without ever coming in contact, which would be
the case on the low carriage (part of which has been described above) coming
in contact with an ordinary high carriage, it would be found impossible to
unite carriages of such a difference in height in the same train without
involving the necessity of using separate and distinct sets of buffing apparatus
to suit both or some new arrangement of buffer altogether. Other high and
low carriages again vary less in the different heights of their buffer heads,
the latter meeting and touching each other, but far from coinciding in their
centres. The sudden stoppage of, or slight collision occuring to, a train of
such high and low carriages intermixed would seriously affect their safety as
well as that of the passengers. Now in order to prevent the necessity
of using separate and distinct sets of buffing apparatus, and as a means of
securing an uniform, parallel, and central pressure through each high and low
carriage, however they may be intermixed in the same train, I have contrived
an arrangement of buffing apparatus and modifications thereof, which I will
proceed to describe, reference being had to Sheet No. 2 of Drawings hereto
annexed.
Figure 1 represents in elevation a portion of a railway carriage, the
frame of which is of the usual height from the ground, and which is furnished
with an ordinary buffer head.
Figure 2 shows a portion of my improved low carriage frame, described in
the first part of this Specification; but instead of having an ordinary buffing
apparatus, as there shown, it is in this case supplied with one of my improved
construction.
Figure 3 is a section of part of my low carriage frame, which shews more
distinctly the manner in which my improved buffing apparatus is constructed
and carried into effect.

page_text: Figure 4 is an end view of the same carriage, shewing the face of my
improved buffer head.
Figures 5 and 6 are likewise sections of part of my improved carriage
frame, shewing in elevation different modifications of my improved buffing
apparatus.
Figures 7, 8, 9, and 10 are detail views of these modifications.
On reference to Figures 2, 3, and 4, A is the framework of the carriage;
B, the buffer rod, which at its extremity (not shewn in the Drawing) bears.
against the buffer spring in the usual manner. This rod passes through a
guiding bush C in the cross bar of the frame, and thence through the buffer
block D to the head or disc E, near the lower extremity of which it is secured
in the ordinary or any other convenient manner. The buffer head E
is of peculiar shape (Figure 4), being much longer than ordinary buffer
heads, but about the same width. Parallel with the rod B is another rod
F, one end of which is fastened near the upper extremity of the head E,
the other end terminating at and being secured to the vertical bar or link Q,
the lower end of which is firmly attached to the rod B. In order to render
the two rods as rigid as may be, and uniform in their parallelism and action, a
cross stay H may be introduced between and secured at its four extremities to
the rods B and F. The buffer block D, as well as the buffer beam J, has a
longitudinal hole or slot I for the reception of the bush K, which serves as a
guide for the rods B and F. The shape of the bush is indicated by dotted
lines, Figure 4; it is secured to the buffer block and beam in the usual
manner. By this arrangement I obtain a rigid and compact buffing appa-
ratus, and that of such a form and construction, that should a low carriage
furnished with the same meet a high carriage of the ordinary construction, as
sbewn in Figures 1 and 2, the effect produced upon the buffer rods, buffer
springs, &c., throughout both carriages would be precisely the same as that
occurring to two high or two low carriages supplied with ordinary buffers
whose centres exactly coincided. Similar desirable ends may be obtained by
the adoption of the modified plans shewn in Figures 5 and 6, which differ
from the others in point of construction only, the general effect produced
being the same. In Figure 5, E is the buffer head of the same elongated form
as the one just described. This head is secured to the metal bracket B, which
has cast on or otherwise fastened to it the strengthening piece or web C, the
more effectually to withstand the force of a high buffer of an ordinary carriage
coming in contact with the upper portion of the head E. The rounded
portion 6 of. the bracket B passes through and is guided by the lower end of
the bush D in the buffer beam and block I and J, the upper portion of the

page_text: bush having a slot c for the reception of the web C, which, bearing against
the sides of the slot, prevents the buffer from any tendency to turn round.
The rounded portion of the bracket B is fitted on to the end of the buffer
rod F, and abuts against the collar G, being more securely pressed thereto by
means of the tightening key c'. The buffer rod F passes through a guide in
the cross bar, and thence to the buffer spring, in the usual manner.
Figure 7 is a section through the bracket B and web C, shewing the flanch
for securing it to the back of the buffer head E.
Figure 8 is a section through the guiding bush D, which shews the peculiar
form of the slot c for the reception of the bracket and web.
Figure 6 is another modified plan of applying elongated buffer heads to
low running carriages. This is so arranged that the centre of the rod through
which the force occasioned by the meeting of two carriages is transmitted to
the ordinary buffer rod and thence to the spring coincides with the centre of
the elongated buffer head instead of being attached to the lower extremity of
the latter, as in the instance last described. The rod A has two projections
a, a, one of which is fastened near the upper, the other near the lower
extremity of the buffer head E. B is the buffer rod, which is connected to
the forked rod A by means of the link C, both rods being securely fixed thereto
by screws, tightening keys, or other convenient means. The link C likewise
serves as a slide for guiding the apparatus through the segmental bushes D and
E. These pass through and are secured to the inner and outer buffer blocks
G and H, and buffer beam I, their inner ends being held firmly to the wood-
work by means of the small projections e, e, on the washer plate J.
Figure 9 shews an end view of the link C, bushes D and E, and washer
plate J, with its projections e, e.
Figure 10 indicates the manner in which the forked end of the rod A is
secured to the back of the longitudinal buffer E.
Having now fully described the nature of my Invention of Certain Improve-
ments in Railway Carriages, and the manner in which the same is to be
performed and carried into effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not
confine myself to the exact details herein described so long as the principal
features and characteristics of my said Invention, or any part or parts thereof,
be retained; and what I especially claim are,-
Firstly, the herein-before described method of constructing the framework of
low carriages as far as regards the outside beams or sole guard pieces and
under rails of carriage bodies, and the mode in which the same are connected
and bound together to give additional strength to the framework.
Secondly, the buffing apparatus before described, in so far as regards the