Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-03-27
AUTOMATIC CAR BRAKE.
1 Valuable Railroad Inv0nti0n.

Valuable Railroad Invention.
On the 20th of March, 1883, patent
was issued TO Mr.. G. V. Rote, of this city,
and his assignors, for an ingenious and
valuable invention that is destined proba
bly, to have an important bearing on the
| railroad interests Of the world. It is an
| automatic car brake, and is designed for
use on either ireiSh or passenger trains.
1t is entirely unlike any brake now in use
and appears to be admirably adapted
to the purposes for which it is
designed. The invention comprises
two distinct naehanisims, both OF which
are perfectly automatic in their action.
First, there IS bgake-setting or actuating
mechanism, in combination with the
draw bar and the Car frame or body, for
applying the brake. Aud secondly, an
automatic mechanism, in combination with
al axle and its truck, for automatically
setting and releasing the brake actuaIing
mechanism.
The brake actuating mechanism is set or
operated automatically by the compress
sion OF the draw. bar, whenever the speed
of the engine is checked Or reduced to any
riua! way as by tho shutting off of
LEAN, the setting Of tho engine brakes,
Or by reversing the engine, or all com
bined.
If train bs divided or broken in two
by the breaking of coupling, as often
times happens, the breaks on that portion
of the traIu which has broken away and is
detached from the engine may be at once
SET by simply setting single hand brake
on the forward car, or any Of tho forward
cars.
This brake ssttiGg mechanism cper-
ates with a fc:ce proportionate to the
momentum Or weight of the train, ob-
Waiting the sliding of wheels aud avoiding
the consequent loss from flat wheels.
The mechanism whereby tho brake is
made to automatically set and release
itself as occasion may require, consists OF
four similar knuckle- jOinted self-locking
levers attached to the axle, and rotary
with it, which, when the car is at rest, or
moving very slowly IN either direction,
act on a semi -annularly armed lever,
raising out Of position a gravity stop or
pin, and releasing tho brake acsuating
mechanism, rendering the latter inOpera-
tive.
When, however, the car is ut speed,
these jOinted levers are thrown out of ac
tion by the centrifugal force generated by
the rapid revolution Of the axle, aud do
not act upon the semi-annular lever.
whereupon tho gravity stop falls of it's
own weight, locking the brake, setting
mechanism in operative position, when tho
car is being drawn, but ON tho contrary
locking it i'll imperative position when the
car is being backed or moved by pushing
engine. This latter is ono Of tho most i'll
geniouS features Of the invention.
This automatic mechanism, in connec-
tiOn with the axle, may be so arranged as
to act to release the brake setting mech
anism whenever the speed of the car
or train is reduced to a Iate of two miles
an hour, at which speed the train is under
the control OF the engineer without the aid
of brakes.
Thus it will be seen that after a car has
been moving at speed. and is being ''slowed
up" by the application of the brakes, as
soon As the movement is reduced to the
regulated speed the gravity stop will be
withdrawn, no matter how great the press.
ure exerted on the draw bar in slO wing
up, ther. by automatically, and while the
Car is yet moving, releasing or relieving
the back-setting mechanism and adapting
the movement Of the car Or train to bs
instantly reversed without the necessity
OF first taking up slack " Or drawing ont
the draw bars to relieve the brakes
This new brake has many advantages
Ii may DO applied to any car, new or old,
without any change in the usual con-
structiOn. without interfering with the
ordinary brakes if it is deemed advisable
to use them. 1t is simple in construction,
durable, and the brake on each car is eu-
tirely independent Of those on any other
car or Of the engine, thus avoiding the
violent humping so common on freight
trains supplied with the ordinary brake.
Being independent and automatic cars
equipped with it may 10 given any posi-
ton in the train aud intevohanged at
pleasure with cars not So equipped.
Mr.. Rote, the inventor, is 4 mechanical
genius, who has devotes; much time and
study to the perfection of his brake,
which appears in It's present form to be
iau!tless. 1t has received tho highest en-
cOmiuDs from experts in the patent Office
and will no doubt soon attract the atten-
tion of railroad magnates, in all parts of
the country. Mr.. ItOte has assigned
portion Cf his interest in the invention to
JOhn w Holman and Robert NJ Aeuew,
Of this city, and 10 one or two capitalists
in the West. IL is expected that very
soon large nrau,tiactoIy for the prOduc-
tiOm of the brakes will be erected in this
city If sufficient encouragement il offered
the owners OF the ;ttants.
I-CESH.N.rf FIRE.