Improvements in Buffers.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 10th May, 1892
Complete Specification Left, 10th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 18th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buffers.
I, BOB JONES of Oaklands Lynton North Devon Engineer and Contractor do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to the manner in which I construct and arrange buffers for
use upon vertical or incline lifts, railways, and other similar purposes, my object
being to arrest the motion of any vehicle or moving body, and to cause the buffer
to make the same length of stroke whether it be struck a heavy or light blow so
that the striking body may always be brought to rest at exactly the same spot
In carrying my
which is not possible with the ordinary systems at present in use.
invention into effect I preferably employ two of my buffers in connection with each
other, one being fixed at each end of the track or line of rails on which an engine
car or other vehicle travels, or at the bottom and top of a vertical lift where a
cage travels up and down, but where two vehicles travel alternately upon separate
but adjoining tracks or lines of rails, or where two cages travel alternately up
and down, I then fix one of my buffers at one and the same end of each track or
live of rails, or at the bottom or top of the vertical lift so that each buffer may be
alternately struck by the engine, car, vehicle, or cage whose motion it is intended
to arrest. I construct that portion of my buffer which is to be struck as a hollow
sliding piston or ram, closed at the outer end, which works through a gland packing
or other contrivance into a water and air tight cylinder, this cylinder being
connected by a pipe or other means to the cylinder of another buffer fixed in the
position previously described. The pipe connecting the two cylinders has a suitable
"by pass" valve or valves which can be adjusted so as to allow water to pass from
The pair of buffers being
one cylinder to the other at any required rate of speed.
thus fixed and connected I open the "by pass" valve or valves, pull out the hollow
piston or ram of one buffer, and push in the piston or ram of the other buffer, and
then pour or cause to flow through a suitable hole, cock, or valve into the cylinders
as much water as these will contain, the atmospheric air previously inside these
two buffers being by this means slightly compressed up into the hollows of the
pistons or rams. "I then close the filling hole cock or valve, adjust the "by pass
valve or valves, and when that piston or ram which is pulled out to the length of
its stroke is struck by a vehicle or other moving body, the first effect of the blow
is to further compress the air contained within the hollow piston or ram, and then
the water immediately begins to flow from the cylinder of the buffer struck, into
that of the other buffer, and forces its hollow piston or ram out into the proper
position to receive a blow from the vehicle or other moving body it is intended to
arrest, and there being no leakage of water or air, this action is repeated whenever
either of the buffers is struck the object of the air contained within the hollow
piston being to obtain an elastic blow and to cause a gradually increasing resistance,
and that of the water to allow of the striking body being brought always to rest
O at a predetermined rate of speed and at the same spot. Instead of the hollow
piston or ram 1 sometimes employ an air vessel connected to the cylinder, and in
this case I sometimes form the piston or ram solid or I use the hollow piston and
an air vessel combined, and in place of water I sometimes use glycerine and water,
Where it is not convenient to use two of my
oil or other anti-freezing mixture.
5 buffers in connection with each other I construct a small cistern or container on the
"valve between the cylinder
top of the buffer cylinder, and arrange the "by pass
and cistern or container, so that when the piston or ram is struck the water is forced
up into the cistern or container, from whence it returns by force of gravity into
the cylinder after the pressure of the vehicle or other striking body is removed;
0 and I use a light spring or a system of weighted levers to counteract the weight
"

page_text: of, and friction caused by, the piston or ram, and to assist in causing it to slide out
in readiness for another blow. I also sometimes fix the hollow piston or ram and
cause the cylinder to be the moving portion which receives the blow, and in order
to prevent possible leakage and to always make use of the elasticity of air as a
spring, I sometimes insert within the hollow piston or ram the ordinary and well
known arrangement of air chambers, formed with india rubber rings and metallic
plates, or I cover the mouth of the hollow piston or ram with an elastic diaphragm,
which is stretched and partially forced up into the hollow of the piston by the
force of the blow struck, returning by its own elasticity and the pressure of the air
contained within the hollow piston to its normal position when the pressure of the
vehicle or moving weight is removed.
Dated this 9th day of May 1899
BOB JONES,
Oaklands, Lynton, North Devon.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buffers.
I, BOB JONES of Oaklands, Lynton, North Devon, Engineer and Contractor,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the 'same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to the manner in which I construct and arrange buffers for
use upon vertical or incline lifts railways and other similar purposes my object
being to arrest the motion of any vehicle or moving body and to cause the buffer
to make the same length of stroke, whether it be struck a heavy or light blow so
that the striking body may always be brought to rest at exactly the same spot,
which is not possible with the ordinary systems at present in use. In carrying my
invention into effect I employ two hydraulic buffers in connection with each other,
one being fixed at each end of the track or line of rails on which an engine car or
other vehicle travels, or at the bottom and top of a vertical lift where a cage travels
up and down.
But where two vehicles travel alternately upon separate adjoining
tracks or lines of rails or where two cages travel alternately up and down 1 then
fix one of my buffers at one and the same end of each track or line of rails
or at the bottom or top of the vertical lift so that each buffer may be alternately
struck by the engine, car vehicle or cage whose motion it is intended to arrest. In
all cases the fact of one buffer being struck causes its ram to be quite run in while
the ram of the other buffer is run out to the same extent. In a modification I
employ one hydraulic cylinder only but in connection with an air vessel -like
reservoir.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure is a longitudinal section of such a construction of buffer. I construct
that portion of my buffer which is to be struck as a sliding piston or ram' A closed
at the outer end and with a hollow space or chamber A* which works through a
gland packing of U section or cup leather packing B' or other packing contrivance
into a water and air tight cylinder B this cylinder being connected by a pipe C or
other means to the cylinder of another buffer fixed in the position previously
described. The pipe C connecting the two cylinders has a suitable "bypass" valve
or valves which can be adjusted so as to allow water to pass from one cylinder to
the other at any required rate of speed. In Figure 1 is shewn a spindle valve D
which is formed to take a box spanner for regulating this amount. The pair of
buffers being thus fixed and connected I open the "byepass" valve D or valves pull 5
out the hollow piston or ram A of one buffer and push in the piston or ram of the
other buffer and then pour or cause to flow through a suitable plug hole'say E' or
cock or valve into the cylinders as much water as these will contain the atmospheric
air previously inside these two buffers being by this means slightly compressed up

page_text: into the hollows of the pistons or rams A. I then close the filling hole E or cock
or valve, adjust the "bypass" valve D or valves and when that piston or ram which
is pulled out to the length of its stroke is struck by a vehicle or other moving body
the first effect of the blow is to further compress the air contained within the hollow
piston or ram and then the water immediately begins to flow from the cylinder of
the buffer struck into that of the other buffer and forces its hollow piston or
ram out into the proper or out position shewn in Figure 1 with its shoulder A¹
against the metal ring F or ready to receive a blow from the vehicle or other
moving body it is intended to arrest and there being no leakage of water or
air, this action is repeated whenever either of the buffers is struck, the object
of the air contained within the hollow piston being to obtain an elastic blow
and to cause a gradually increasing resistance, and that of the water to allow
of the striking body being always brought to rest at a predetermined rate of
speed and at the same spot.
Instead of the piston or ram with hollow space or chamber A× I sometimes
employ a solid piston or ram A and an air vessel as shown in Figure 2 such
air vessel A being connected to the cylinder. Or I use the hollow piston as well
as an air vessel.
Where it is not convenient to use two of my buffers in connection with each
other I construct as shown in Figure 3 a small cistern or container on the top of
the buffer cylinder or connected thereto in any other suitable manner and arrange
the "by-pass" valve between the cylinder B and cistern or container A* as shown
at D so that when the piston or ram is struck the water is forced up into the cistern
or container from whence it returns by force of gravity into the cylinder after the
pressure of the vehicle or other striking body is removed and I use a light spring
such for instance as G or a system of weighted levers to counteract the weight of
and friction caused by the piston or ram and to assist in causing it to slide out in
readiness for another blow. I also sometimes fix the hollow piston or ram and
cause the cylinder to be the moving portion which receives the blow. And in
order to prevent possible leakage, and to always make use of the elasticity of air as
a spring. I sometimes insert within the hollow piston or ram the ordinary and well
known arrangement of air chambers formed with india rubber rings and metallic
plates, or I cover the mouth of the hollow piston or ram with an elastic diaphragm
which is stretched and partially forced up into the hollow of the piston by the force
of the blow struck, returning by its own elasticity and the pressure of the air con-
tained within the hollow piston to its normal position when the pressure of the
vehicle or moving weight is removed.
Instead of water sometimes use glycerine and water or oil or other frost
resisting liquid.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. A compound hydraulic buffer consisting of two connected hydraulic
cylinders with chambered rams or provided with other device for containing air
or other elastic medium the cylinders being so arranged at termini of cage lifts
or rail tracks, that when the ram in one cylinder is forced in the ram of the
other is forced out and the strokes of the rams being constant irrespective of the
force of blow substantially as set forth.
Second. In a buffer arrangement as firstly claimed the application of means for
regulating the rate of passage of liquid from a cylinder when its ram is
forced in.
Third. The constructions of buffer described with reference to the drawings.
of February 1893.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.