IM- PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BUFFERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Cammell, of Cyclops Steel Works, Sheffield,
in the County of York, Steel Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BUFFERS."
Sealed the 16th November 1858, and dated the 9th June 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Cammell at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
9th June 1858.
I, CHARLES CAMMELL, of Cyclops Steel Works, Sheffield, in the County of
York, Steel Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BUFFERS," to be as follows:-
The object of my Invention of improvements in railway buffers is to so
construct and arrange the parts of buffers that the springs shall not be liable
to be damaged by undue compression when they are suddenly and forcibly
collapsed. To this end the coiled or helical spring of the buffer head is
enclosed in a cylindrical case, which is attached either to the end framing or
to the buffer head, and is of such a length as will prevent the spring from
being collapsed to such an extent as to drive home the several coils against
cach other. By so constructing the spring case, the end or edge of the latter
will, when the buffer is collapsed, be driven. against the solid end frame or
against the buffer head, as the case may be, and will thereby prevent the coils

page_text: of the spring from being driven against each other. The same object may be
effected by placing a strong rod or cylinder within the coiled spring, and
causing the same to work up and down within the spring, or the spring to
work thereon. This strong rod or cylinder may be attached either to the end
framing or to the buffer head, as may be considered most desirable. Some-
times I propose to place between the metallic coils of the spring discs or
rings of some soft or yielding material which will prevent the coils from
being brought into direct contact, and if desired, a cushion of some yielding
material may be adapted to receive the pressure of the cylindrical case or the
inner cylinder or strong rod.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Cammell in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th December 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CAMMELL, of Cyclops Steel Works, Sheffield, in the County of York, Steel
Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of June, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Cammell, Her special license that I, the said Charles
Cammell, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Cammell, 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 RAILWAY BUFFERS," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Charles Cammell, by an instrument in writing under my hand
and seal, 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 Charles Cammell, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following

page_text: statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):
The object of my Invention of "Improvements in Railway Buffers" is to.
so construct and arrange the parts of buffers, 'that the springs shall not be:
liable to be damaged by undue compression when they are suddenly and
forcibly collapsed. To this end the coiled or helical spring of the buffer head.
is enclosed in a cylindrical case, which is attached either to the end framing
or to the buffer head, and is of such a length as will prevent the spring from:
being collapsed to such an extent as to drive home the several coils against
each other. By so constructing the spring case, the end or edge of the latter
will, when the buffer is collapsed, be driven against the solid end frame or
against the buffer head, as the case may be, and will thereby prevent the coils
of the spring from being driven against each other. The same object may be
effected by placing a strong rod or cylinder within the coiled spring, and
causing the same to work up and down within the spring, or the spring to
work thereon. This strong rod or cylinder may be attached either to the end
framing or to the buffer head, as may be considered most desirable. Some--
times I propose to place between the metallic coils of the spring discs or rings
of some soft or yielding material which will prevent the coils from being
brought into direct contact, and, if desired, a cushion of some yielding material
may be adapted to receive the pressure of the cylindrical case or the inner
cylinder or strong rod.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn three views of a railway
buffer constructed according to one of the plans above mentioned, and which
is the construction of parts I prefer for effecting the object of my Invention.
Fig. 1 is an external elevation of one of the improved railway buffers;
Fig. 2 is a vertical section, shewing the coiled spring inside its case or
cylinder. a, a, is the buffer box; b, the sole plate of the same; c is the
buffer head; and d, d, a hollow plunger, which is secured to the buffer head,
and bears against the end of the coiled spring e, e, through which passes tho
central rod or bar f. The coiled spring e and hollow plunger are enclosed
within a cylindrical case g. 9, which in this instance is secured to the buffer
head, and when the spring is collapsed or compressed, by applying pressure to
the buffer bead, the lower end of the cylindrical case g, g, will be brought
down upon or against the sole plate b, b, as seen at A, A, in the sectional
view, Fig. 3, which represents the spring compressed. It will now be under-
stood that by the cylindrical case or plunger being made to bear against the
sole plate the spring will be protected from further compression. It will be
evident that a similar effect would be produced if the cylindrical case g were

page_text: attached to the sole plate or end framing instead of the buffer head, and the
plunger d made to move in the cylindrical case.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements in Railway
Buffers," and having explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I would observe that, although in the Drawing I have shewn the construction
of parts I prefer for effecting the object of my Invention, I do not mean or
intend to confine myself thereto, as the other plans above mentioned will also
answer the purpose; in conclusion, I claim, as the Invention secured to me
by Letters Patent as aforesaid, the mode herein described and shewn, of
preventing railway buffer springs from being damaged by undue compression
when they are suddenly and forcibly collapsed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Cammell, have hercunto set my
band and seal, the Third day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
CHARLES CAMMELL. (L.S.)