Patent GB-191415724-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Slack Adjusters for Brakes.
Inventor: ANGER JOHN EDWARD
IPC: B61H15/00
Filed: 1914-07-01
Granted: 1915-07-01
Abstract: 15,724. Anger, J. E. July 1. Compensating for wear ; force - transmitting mechanism.-In means for taking-up slack of the kind comprising an automatically-operated ratchetwheel or nut adapted to turn, or turn upon, a screwed brake rod to adjust the effective length thereof, the ratchet-wheel 5 is formed on a sleeve 4 providing a bearing for a dust-proof housing 7, 8, to and within which the pawl 14 is pivoted. Lubricant in grooves 11, besides lubricating the bearing of the housing, also prevents entry of dust. Lugs 21, 25 are provided on the housing for the operating connexions. The pawl can be disengaged by a thumb-lever 19 to allow hand adjustment. In one arrangement, Fig. 4, the sleeve 4 is rigid with a light and left handed screwed rod 1 screwing into buckles 2, 3 jointed to levers 36, 38, to which the brake beams 30, 31 are connected. The housing 7, 8 is oscillated when the brakes are applied by a chain 22 adjustably connected to the lever 36 by a bolt-and-slot device 42, 43, with serrated gripping-surfaces 44. A spring effects the return movement of the housing when the brakes are released, and the slack, if any, is then taken up. According to Fig. 6, the brake lever 56, having brake rods 60, 62 connected thereto or to an arm 61 rigid therewith, is pivoted at 54 to a link 55 swinging from a fixed pivot 54<1>. The sleeve 4 of the slack-adjuster screwed on to the end of the brake rod 62 is operated by rod 65 connected to lever 61, bell crank 66, and chain 67 and returned by a spring attached to the truck by a member 71. The adjuster for the brake rod at the other side of the truck may be operated by connexions from the bell crank 66 or the connexions 65, 66 may be duplicated. Fig. 8 shows an arrangement for a maximum traction truck in which the lever 82, when operated by the pull-rod 85, swings about the pin 99 on a link 97 pivoted to the truck frame at 98, whereby the brakes 76 are applied by the rod 79. Movement of the lever 82 also takes place about the pin 81 as a fulcrum swinging the link 97 about the pivot 98 and applying the brakes 93 by means of bolts 96. The pull-rod 85 has a roller connexion with an arc-shaped member 83 to accommodate the turning movement of the truck. The slack-adjuster 4, 7 is arranged on the brake rod 79 and operated by the rod 86 connected to the lever 82, and connexions 87, 22. The slack-adjuster on the other side of the truck may be operated by similar connexions, or the pair may be connected by a rod 100, Fig. 10. A curved link 101 is here shown bolted to the lugs 21, 25 of the slack-adjuster for the attachment of the operating connexions. Fig. 11 shows the application to a single-track car, the arrangement being similar to that described in Specification 521812. The brake lever 106 fulcrumed at 108 to a bracket 107 fixed to the equalizing-beam 111 has a crank-piece 115 for the operating-rods 116 of the slack-adjusters 7 on the brake rods 105. Adjustment is provided for by a bolt-and-slot connexion 117 and serrated coacting surfaces on the crank-piece 115 and the bolt washers.