Patent GB-190309808-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Emergency Brakes for Railway and Tramway Vehicles or Trains
Inventor: CAROLAN EDGAR ALFRED
Filed: 1903-04-30
Granted: 1904-04-14
Abstract: 9808. Carolan, E. A., [General Electric Co.]. April 30. Electric locomotives and motor vehicles.-An arrangement f o r automatically controlling the motors and power-actuated brakes of railway and tramway vehicles or trains in case of emergency, which is an improvement o n the device described in Specification No. 19,562, A.D. 1902, is intended especially for use with electrically - propelled vehicles or trains having brakes actuated by fluid pressure. The motor circuit is broken and the brakes applied when the driver releases the controller handle E in any of its operative positions. The brakes are released when the handle is returned to the 'off' position. A shaft D is secured in the handle E and connected to the main controller B by spur-wheels. A loose spring. controlled sleeve F on the shaft D is adapted to be locked thereon by a key E<5>, Fig. 2, when the knob E<1> is pressed down in the off ' position. Should the driver remove his hand from the knob in -any of the operative positions, the key E<5> will be raised by the spring E<3> and the sleeve forced by the spring F<1> back to its initial position. A cam f on the sleeve, by engaging an arm h on a shaft H, will then rock this shaft so as to allow the motor circuit to be broken at the contacts I by means of a spring, and remove the arm p from the spindle 20, Fig. 4, of the emergency valve to apply the brakes. The rotation of the handle from the off' position operates first to close the contacts I and then to actuate the main controller B. The arrangements for operating the air brake are described with reference to the system in which the train-pipe is exhausted to the atmosphere to apply the brakes. The motor-driven compressor 5, Fig. 3, communicates with a reservoir 6 which is connected to the engineer's valve 8. A pipe 9 leads from this valve to the train-pipe 10. The brake cylinder 12 is connected to the reservoir 13 and to the train-pipe through the usual triple valve 11. The emergency valve G, Fig. 3, is mounted on the back A of the controller casing, and may be connected to the train-pipe either directly or through a relay valve K in the pipe 9. When the arm p is removed from the spindle 20, as described above, the valve 18 is raised from its seat by the spring 22, acting against the collar 21, which overpowers the spring 25, and the train-pipe is exhausted to the atmosphere through the port 19. The valve is closed, when the controller handle is returned to the 'off' or other predetermined position, by a cam 23 on a collar D<1> on the shaft D. The spindle 20 comprises two telescoping parts, and the valve is retained upon its seat while the spindle is passing from engagement with the cam 23 to engagement with the arm p, as the controller is operated, by the spring 25. The emergency valve may be connected to the supplementary reservoir instead of to the train-pipe directly. The relay valve K is adapted to close the communication between the engineer's valve 8 and the train-pipe, and open the latter to the atmosphere through the port 28 when the emergency valve is opened. This port is normally closed by a, valve 26, Fig. 5, connected to..a a piston 32 which is slightly larger than the valve. Compressed fluid can pass from the trainpipe to the chamber 34 through a small hole in the piston. When the emergency valve G is opened, the chamber 34 is exhausted to the atmosphere through the pipes 16, 14, and the valve 26 forced on to the seat 29. When the emergency valve is closed, the air which flows through the engineer's valve will pass through the hole in the piston and equalize the pressures on its two sides, and the valve 26 will then be returned to its normal position, to close the port 28, by the spring 35. If the emergency valve is connected directly to the train-pipe, the valve K is replaced by a single-seated valve which serves merely to close the communication between the train-pipe and the engineer's valve when the former is being exhausted. The brakes may be operated from any type of controller.