IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU- FACTURE OF BUFFER BOXES FOR DEAD-STOPS AND VEHICLES OF RAILWAYS, AND FOR OTHER CUSHIONING APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, JOSEPH TORDOFF, of Leeds Forge, Leeds, in the County of York, Manager, do
hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MANU-
FACTURE OF BUFFER BOXES FOR DEAD-STOPS AND VEHICLES OF RAILWAYS, AND
FOR OTHER CUSHIONING APPARATUS," 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 Sheet of Drawings,
(that is to say) :-
Buffer boxes such as heretofore in use have been produced by casting to form or
by bending and welding a malleable plate of metal. The former are very liable to
fracture by percussive and other forces to which they are sometimes subjected, and
the latter are very costly by reason of the labour required to produce them.
Now my improvements in the manufacture of buffer boxes relate to the manner
of making that class which are of a ductile material, as wrought iron or steel, as
to obviate welding, and at the same time to produce a better article at less cost.
For this purpose such buffer boxes are according to my Invention produced by
stamping, striking or pressing a heated metallic plate successively by means of a
series of punches and dies of varying form, until such plate is caused to assume the
desired configuration with a flange thereon, and removing the superfluous part
from the smaller end thereof. Thus I take a plate of ductile metal and subject it
while in a heated state to a pressing or stamping process similar to that described
in the Specification of Letters Patent granted to me under date the 2nd day of
October 1883, No 4695. The plate is pressed by means of a conical punch into a
female die of suitable configuration for the partial formation of the desired article.
Then while the metal is still in a heated state, or after it has, if necessary, been
reheated, the partially formed box is pressed by means of a suitably formed punch
or punches into a number of correspondingly shaped dies until the desired form of
the body of the box is completed, after which, by means of suitable male and
female dies I form a flange at the large end thereof, which is trimmed to the
desired form, then bolt holes are formed through it for enabling the box to be fixed
in position, I next remove the part which closes the small end of the box by
turning or otherwise, for admission of the movable part of the buffer.

page_text: .
Referring to the accompanying.Drawings, Fig. 1. is an edge view of a circular
ductile metallic plate a, ready for manufacture into a buffer box according to my
Invention. Fig. 2, illustrates in sectional elevation the first stamping or pressing
process, a, being the ductile metallic plate referred to in Fig. 1. 6, the female die,
and c, the conical punch or male die. Fig. 3, shews a succeeding operation wherein
the smaller end of the partially formed box is, for a certain portion of its length,
caused to assume as near as possible a parallel or cylindrical form by means of the
female die d, and the male die e.-Fig. 4. illustrates in sectional elevation the
process by which the flange f, is formed on the large end of the box by means of
the punch or male die g, pressing the partially formed box into the last mentioned
female die d, or one similar thereto, and turning over the said flange f,. by means of
the projecting head g 1, of said punch or male die g, the flange f, being afterwards
trimmed to the desired form, and bolt holes formed therein for fixing it in position.
The superfluous part h, is next removed by turning or otherwise ready for the
admission of the movable part of the buffer above referred to. Fig. 5. shews the
box with the part h, removed. If preferred the said part h, may be removed
immediately after the formation of the flange f, has taken place.
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:
_
The manufacture of buffer boxes in the improved manner hereinabove described
with reference to and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings (that is to say) by
stamping, striking or pressing a heated ductile metallic plate successively by means
of a series of punches and dies of varying form, until such plate is caused to assume
the desired configuration and afterwards removing the superfluous part h, from the
smaller end of the box as above set forth.
Dated this 20th day of Inly 1884