Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-24
ABOUT THE AIRBRAKE.
Several MOOted Phases of the
Recent Decision.
THE ORIGINAL INVENTION.
Mr.. 3. q. Westinghouse Describes in
Detail the Dixon Patent,
TIE COMPANY NOT YET AFFECTED

The terse, modest and apparently unim-
portant telegraphic announcement from
Washington, printed in all the morning
papers, in regard to the Westinghouse-Dixon
suit, has created an interest here.
The fact that the Commissioner Of Patents
had decided against the Westinghouse
Airbrake Company and lin favor of one
Dixon, claiming prior patent was widely
talked of among well informed railroad
men yesterday, and some experts opinions
were given.
The engineers were interested in the decision
until it was learned that the engine valves
were not included in the case, but something
ess important 70 them.
THE SYSTEM EXPLAINED.
The Westinghouse triple air-brake system, to
explain il in a searching, scientific technical
way is as easy as rolling off log-when it is
understood. 1t is based entirely upon the elias
tic quality Of air, and most anybody could have
had fortune out of it if they had only thought
of it first
In the first place when train of cars is prop
erly ''hitchedh together, the engineer pulls
throttle. and drives an air pressure through the
pipes on every car into a regular storage bat
teIy or tank. With the pressure thus equalized,
the brakes are all OF. If, however, he wishes to
stop the engineer lessons the pressure from
the engine, when, of course, the pressure from
the storage battery in each car is the greater,
and valve is pushed back, when vent allows
the air TO act upon the brakes, closing them IN
stantly.
This is the automatic system, and without the
tank il is thought to be useless and 1t is this
tank or storage battery fight that Dixon Is said
to have won.
is IT VERY IMPORTANT?
The relative importance of this suit will
4 81, 81, E-osr
car airbrakes are also involved. The freight
car airbrakes are an improvement on the orig
inal stylelonIy, however, in their instantaneous.
OF as the experts say, 'gunboat action" This
quick action is accomplished merely by the use
Of larger vents and larger supply pipes Two
years ago sensation was felt in rail-
road circles when these brakes were
publicly stested, and the WESTINGHOUSE
freight brake pronounced the peer of all.
They are now being placed on freight cars as
rapidly as possible. also upon baggage and long
train cars. As a railroad man said yes
terday, however, the Westinghouse Company
has rivals since it is the largest in the coun-
try, and is rapidly usurping everything in Can
ada, France and England.
A RAILRoADER's OPINION.
A Pennsylvania Railroad man, who talks
what he knows about and knows what he talks
about was asked opinion upon the decision,
and he gave 1t without the slightest hesitation.
''The invention Of the Westinghouse Air
brake" said he, is secret, dead and buried
now probably, as II has been used for nearly IL
years. Its inception is shrouded in mystery, and
The real name of the inventor will never be
known. 1 am no lawyer, but consider this de-
aision Of great importance"
II do not think much Of the decision. /" sa id
another railFoadeI, when spoken to; "it will be
just like all these great cases-either years of
delay or compromise, or one party will buy
the other out Why, case like that if well
managed, could be dragged through the Su-
preme Court for ten years. By that time, prob
that would discount them both. 1 wouldn't
give penny for decision from the Commis-
sioner of Patents these trying times. There are
too many vents both in airbrakes and courts
for such decision to be final"
h. II. wESTEG EGHoUSE TALKS.
George Westinghouse, Jr., left last evening
for New York, and could not be interviewed,
but his brother, b. h Westinghouse General
Manager of the Westinghouse Airbrake
Company, was seen at his home at Edgewood
last evening by a DISPATCH representative
and when shown the telegram which had been
sent from Washington SAID:
These are evidently sent out by parties who wish
to scare the stockholders Of the airbrake COM
pzny. 1 cannot see for what motive except per-
hsps to cause a decline in the market, by which
spectators viii be enabled to buy at low figure
and afterward sell at fair, if not at an enormous
profit. All these statements which you have
shown me are exaggerated to the highest degree.
This man Dixon Is patent lawyer who lives in
Chicago and never invented thing in his life ]
that anyone knows of. If you will remember the |
through the country experimenting with the air
brake, and on the trip trial was made Of it at |
That Is where Dixon saw it. At that time we
were trying to perfect a scheme by which |
The The al as.1 could could Ss be-. emitted al each
but even this was unsatisfactory, because the |
friction Of the air on the pipes while passing |
from the engine to the rear end of train, which
perhsps was GEO feet long was so great that all
the force would be expended and a terrible |
humping and jarring would be the result.
A SUBSEQUENT PATENT.
Subsequently we perfected a patent BY which |
the afr, instead Of being emitted was forced back
into a reservoir. and could be used again. |
This was a great saving, and after concluding
attention to the former machinery. Dixon how
ever, did, and the first thing we knew he had |
applied for a patent for cur idea which we had |
considered entirely secondary. We entered what /
Is known as an interference and have fought the /
inventors Of the eontrtyance anS snoHld mere tRe
been given .he patent
But the Commissioner of Patents, although
acknowledging that we were the originators of |
the idea, stated that We had been dilatOry in ap-
plying for patent and therefore he should give
the the patent to Dixon: We are not through with
the case yet by any means, and intend to appeal /
from the decision OF the Commissioner of Patents.
TALK ABOUT ROYALTIES
This talk about future royalties and the pav-
ment of royalties for the past II years is all bosh
DISon-could not collect royalties for the past II
years. All he could do would be to 20 into court
and sue for damages but in such an event do /
not apprehend that he could give us the least
trouble because the invention on which he claims
q patent is a subsidiary one to ours, and entirely
supplementary.
Il has no connection with the airbrake which
now using. 1t is simply one of our iuven- |
ticns on which we neglected to take out a patent !
am very glad you came out to see me this even
Ing for can state to you positively that the COM
pany will not be affected In the least by the decj-
sion, whereas some Of the stockholders might get
frightened and sell outat the earliest Opportunity |
We Will go along just the same ever, ana even |
fl Mr.. Dixon's patent holds good he cannot in |
any way trouble the Westinghouse Airbrake
Company.