GB128702A - Improvements in Buffers for Railway Vehicles and the like. - Google Patents

Abstract

128,702. Woolley, A. May 27, 1918. Buffers.-Relates to buffers for railway, &c., vehicles of the kind comprising a cylindrical headed buffer A, a casing B, a base-plate E, main and supplementary buffing-springs G, F respectively, and a plate D separating the springs and adapted to engage a shoulder K on the casing so as to limit its forward movement and also to determine the initial compression of the supplementary spring. According to the invention, the supplementary spring F is located in a cylindrical cage C with slotted sides secured to the base-plate E and provided at its inner edge with lugs H adapted to engage lugs J on the plunger, which is also formed with slots L, the plate D passing through both sets of slots in the assembled condition of the buffer to engage the shoulder K. A hole P is located in the centre of the base-plate E and cage C, and a corresponding screw-threaded hole Q or a T-shaped aperture is provided in the plate D, so that the plate D can be drawn back against the pressure of the spring F by means of a screwed bolt or other tool. In assembling the buffer, the strong volute spring F is placed in the cage C, which has been secured to the base-plate E, and the plate D is arranged across the slots in the cage and drawn back by the bolt to compress the spring F and allow the cage to be engaged bayonet-fashion with the plunger A, in which the weaker spring G has already been placed. The bolt is then withdrawn, and the plate D allowed to engage both sets of slots and to abut against the shoulder K. The combined length of the plunger A and cage C is such that both springs G. F are slightly compressed, but the base-plate E projects slightly from the rear of the casing. When, therefore, the buffer is bolted to the headstock, the stronger spring F obtains a greater degree of compression. The extent to which the weaker spring A can be compressed in action is limited by the engagements of the plate D with the ends of the slots L. In dismantling the buffer, the plate D has to be drawn back by use of the bolt against the action of the spring G, so as to remove it from the slots L and thus permit the cage C and plunger A to be disengaged.