IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES BUFFERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Lindner, of New York, in the United States
of America, now temporarily residing at Hamburg, Engineer, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES
BUFFERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES"
Sealed the 30th September 1864, and dated the 2nd April 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Lindner at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
2nd April 1864.
I, EDWARD INDNER, of New York, in the United States of America, now
temporarily residing at. Hamburg, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature
of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, BUFFERS, AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention mainly consists in surrounding metal springs by a liquid
enclosed in a box or chamber in which the springs act. As the liquid always
exercises an equal pressure upon the spring, and as every part of the spring is
surrounded by the liquid, all vibration of the spring is obviated. I introduce
into the liquid contained in the box or chamber one or more bags or cases.
of india-rubber, or other suitable material, filled with air; or I introduce a
movable piston, in order that the spring may be free to move in the box or
chamber: The spring and the air act together, that is to say, that the air
by being compressed greatly increases the spring power of the apparatus.
Price &d

page_text: To prevent the liquid escaping from the box or chamber when pressure is
exerted on the spring I employ any thick liquid composition, and make the
closing hermetic by the pressure from within.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Edward Lindner in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st October 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
LINDNER, of New York, in the United States of America, now temporarily
residing at Hamburg, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Second day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and graut unto
me, the said Edward Linduer, Her special licence that I, the said Edward
Lindner, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Edward Lindner, 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 Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SPRINGS APPLICABLE FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES, BUFFERS, AND
OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Edward Lindner, my executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Edward Lindner, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention mainly consists in surrounding metal springs by a liquid
enclosed in a box or chamber, in which the springs act. As the liquid always
exercises an equal pressure upon the spring, and as every part of the spring is

page_text: surrounded by the liquid, all vibration of the spring is obviated. I introduce
into the liquid contained in the box or chamber one or more bags or cases
of india-rubber or other suitable material filled with air; or I introduce a
movable piston in order that the spring may be free to move in the box or
chamber. The spring and the air act together, that is to say, that the air by
being compressed greatly increases the spring power of the apparatus. To
prevent the liquid escaping from the box or chamber when pressure is
exerted on the spring I employ thick liquid and make the closing hermetic
by the pressure from within.
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, of the accompanying Drawings are longitudinal
sectional views of springs constructed according to this Invention, suitable
for the buffers of railway engines and carriages for the reception of the recoil
of cannon and for other similar purposes. The arrangement shewn in Figure 6
is suitable for being placed under the bed of a carriage; Figure 7 is a plan
of the arrangement shewn in Figure 6.
A, Figure 1, is an irou box or framing of the spring; the inner space H,H,
is rendered air-tight by beans of the conical turned cover B, and by india-
rubber packing F; I) is the piston tightened from without by the stuffing
box E and its packing e', and from within by the india-rubber disc F. In the
lower space is a hollow india-rubber ring or cushion G³, the air in which is
used as resisting factor. Upon the inner end of the piston D there are two
metal discs i, i, with perforations or openings through them to allow a free
passage of the liquid with which I fill the box. The liquid is inserted through
a hole provided with a screw thread on the side(not shown in the Figure) and
is kept tight through the packing e, but chiefly by the india-rubber disc F,
which being fastened to the cover B gives way to the inward pressure of the
liquid, and the greater the pressure the tighter the joint. Between the two
discs i and i¹ there is a spiral spring K, K, which retains the piston in position.
The action of this spring is as follows:- -On pressure being applied to the
piston it is driven into the space G, taking with it the disci by means of its
shoulder L, and consequently the spring K, K, resting upon the disc ¹ offers
resistance to the piston. The spring at the moment of compression is pressed
and supported in all its parts by the compressed liquid in the box. The liquid
in the box receives an equal elastic pressure from the compressed air in the
hollow india-rubber ring or cushion G¹. On pressure being removed from the
piston the force of the compressed air within the hollow india-rubber ring
or cushion G, and the power of the spring, will bring the piston into its
normal position.
•
Figure 2 represents a spring somewhat modified in its details from that last

page_text: described. Here the conical spiral spring E¹ is of a different form to the
spiral spring shewn in Figure 1. The spaces between the different coils are
sufficient to allow of the circulation of the liquid, and by that means cause an
equal strain upon the spring. The hollow india-rubber ring or cushion Guis
here of spherical form. The piston N is of considerable diameter, and is
applicable where the pressure to be resisted is very great in consequence of
its large inner surface Q compressing by means of the liquid the air more
suddenly in the hollow spherical india-rubber ring or cushion G¹¹. The
piston N has a channel e bored through it to allow of the space H being refilled
with liquid in case the liquid should in the course of time have diminished;
the channel is closed tight by a packing screw. A stuffing box S, with its
packing S", surrounds the upper part of the piston N.
Figure 3 represents another form of spring, with a different means of
confining the air. Here the air is confined in an air-tight compartment
made of thin sheet iron. The spiral spring h, h, which touches the cover V
of the outer frame of the air-tight compartment U offers resistance to the
pressure of the liquid upon the cover V, and thereby also to the outer
pressure of the piston W, and at the same time brings back into its former
position the frame V of the air-tight compartment U, after the pressure is
withdrawn. The conical spiral spring fis of the same kind as in Figure 2,
and rests upon the forged iron disc c, c; the disc has openings to allow the
liquid to circulate in order to impart the received pressure to the air in the
compartment U. The air-tight coin partment U may be dispensed with
altogether, and altered into a solid cylinder of the same form (U, V,) which
recedes as far as the piston W enters into the box, the small spiral spring h, h,
then brings back the cylinder U, V, into its former place after the pressure is
discontinued. This apparatus thus shews that a metal spring will be proof
against breakage, even when surrounded only by a liquid which takes up
the vibration.
The construction of the apparatus shewn in Figure 4 may be the same
as that represented in Figure 3, and will serve as a substantial spring or
non-recoil apparatus, in its simple form being filled only with air and liquid.
The inner frame or piston i, i, and the outer frame or box K, K, are here
hermetically closed by packing h, h.
Figure 5 represents another form of spring of very simple construction.
A is the box; B', the piston; D', a hollow spherical india-rubber ring or
cushion; and E, a stuffing box.
Figure 6 represents in longitudinal section an elastic resisting apparatus
for use between the bed and upper frame of a railway carriage; Figure 7 is

page_text: a plan of this arrangement. Q¹ is a forged iron piece brought into fixed
connection by screws and shoulders with the bed P¹. The conical spiral
spring which rests upon the shoulders K, K¹, of the apparatus supports partly
the piston F, and the pressure of the upper frame of the carriage which rests
upon it. N is an india-rubber ring or disc, and o' an iron ring or disc which
form a packing for the lower end of the piston. The remainder of the space of
the apparatus has small india-rubber air balls h³, and is filled with a liquid
which circulates freely through and into the chambers. M³, M³, are screw
stoppers. On pressure being applied to the piston F¹ the same actions take
place as are described with reference to the other Figures. The iron discs i³, i¹,
are only intended to retain the india-rubber balls h¹ in their proper places.
The liquid which I prefer to employ is molasses with dissolved glue, which
I have found to preserve the india-rubber, and is not liable to freeze.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim constructing
springs applicable for railway carriages, buffers, and other similar purposes
by using liquid enclosed in a box or chamber, and placing within the said
box or chamber one or more air bags or cases, with or without a metal
spring acting in said box or chamber, substantially as herein-before described
and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Lindner, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
EP. LINDNER. (L.S.)