Improvements in Adjustable Railway Buffers.
Year: 1897

page_text: Improvements in Adjustable Railway Buffers.
I, WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK, of Victoria Street, City of Sheffield, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to improvements in the construction of buffers
having means for adjusting the longitudinal position of the buffer plunger and
its head, an improvement upon that described in my former Patent 13594 of 1896,
and refers more particularly to buffers of carriages having central couplings
on the American system which have to be coupled to carriages built on
European system.
the
According to my present invention which has for its object to simplify the
mechanism, and to facilitate the beforementioned adjustment, I use a long plunger
or buffer rod, of which the forward portion is preferably round and the back
portion is square.
A spring preferably of a coiled construction is placed upon the back portion
of the plunger and bears against a cross timber or other support, and the front
part is arranged to receive the thrust of the plunger.
Near the centre of the plunger I fix a collar, preferably at the junction of the
square and round parts, and through which the impact upon the buffer head is
transmitted to the spring through a locking piece which clasps upon the plunger
between the said collar and the head of the spring, when the buffer is in use on
the European system.
When the American system is in use, these buffers are not required in their
extended and ordinary position, the distance between the adjacent carriages being
reduced, it is therefore necessary to close the buffers.
This is accomplished in the following manner: the locking piece beforemen-
tioned, is constructed in the form of a flat hook suspended upon a rod and capable
of being turned so as to become disengaged from the plunger and permit it to
pass backwards through the spring without compressing it.
The hooked locking piece may be turned upon the rod so as to engage with or
become disengaged from the plunger, by means of any suitable arrangement of
levers and rods.
1007

page_text: I, WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK, of Victoria Street, City of Sheffield, Manufacturer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same has
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
My present invention relates to improvements in the construction of buffers
having means for adjusting the longitudinal position of the buffer plunger and its
head, being an advance upon that described in the Specification of my former
Patent No. 13594 of 1896, and it refers more particularly to buffers of carriages.
having central couplings on the American system, and which require to be coupled
from time to time with carriages built upon the European system.
My said improvements are shown in the accompanying drawings, similar
letters refer to similar parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1, represents a plan of the apparatus with a portion of the frame of
vehicle.
Fig. 2, enlarged view of details.
Fig. 3, locking hook.
In carrying out my invention which has for its object to simplify the mechanism,
and to facilitate the beforementioned adjustment, I use a long buffer rod A,
the front portion which carries the head B, and passes through the buffer case C,
being preferably round as is usual, and back portion preferably square and
reduced in size.
A spring D, preferably of coiled construction is placed over and encircles the
back portion of the rod A, it bears against a resistance block E, supported by the
cross timber F, of the vehicle frame or an equivalent support, and its front end is
provided with a thrust block G, to receive the thrust of the buffer rod.
Near the centre of the buffer rod, I secure a collar H, its diameter being such
that it will pass freely through the centre hole in the thrust block G, and between
the coils of the spring D, when required without actuating the spring.
To cause the effect of impact against the buffer to be transmitted to, and be
resisted by the spring, a locking-hook I, is so arranged that it can be turned
upon its axis to engage with both the collar H, and the thrust block G, and thus
cause any movement of the buffer rod to be imparted to the spring.
The hook I, is carried by the rod J, upon which it can slide as well as turn, as
the spring is compressed or returns to its normal position, when in use on the
European system.
When the American system is required the buffer head must be pushed back close to
the case C, the vehicles being much closer together, and I accomplish this in the
following manner :.
The locking hook I, is provided with means by which it can be turned upon
its axis J, and so release the collar H, the buffer rod A, with the head B, can then
be pushed back to the desired position, and a convenient means for operating the
hook is to form a stud K, upon the hook, so situated that it will engage with the
fingers of a slide bar L, which can be moved in both directions by a hand lever M,
carried by the framework.
Other equivalent means may be used to turn the hook as will be well under- 4
stood.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim, is:-
1-An adjustable railway buffer as hereinbefore described and shown.
2 In the construction of an adjustable railway buffer, the combination with
the buffer rod A, of a movable locking hook I, or its equivalent, substantially as
hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated the 3rd day of June 1898
ROBT. F. DRURY, C.P.A.,
Applicant's Agent.