Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-09-07
BATES BRAKE
A New Invention That Will Interes
Railroad Men

The car brake In Its primitive form haC
a beam placed crosswise under the frame
OF the vehicle. and supporting two curved
blocks OF wood. one at each end, which
could be firmly pressed against the peri.
phery OF the wheels. So little importance
was attached TO brakes by the inventors
prior TO 1888 that only one patent for a
brake was granted by the United States
Until the advent of the atmospheric
brake, the car brake was actuated by a
winding drum, connecting chains and
levers, the power of the brakemen being
applied to a hand wheel on car plat
form; This system is still in popular use,
but the air-brake is gradually crowding
II out. Since the adoption of high speed
ON the railroads the brake question has
become very important matter. There
are two kinds used ON railway carriages.
the ordinary brake for stopping the train
at stations and the safety brake which
may be applied instantaneously TO the
wheels of all the carriages ON "A train for
the purpose OF bringing IL To a sudden
halt.
The Westinghouse air brake is known
all over the world, and its fortunate in
ventor is now classed among the richest
men In the world. By this invention he
sprung from poor man TO the positio of
one OF the money kings OF this country
The operation of the Westinghouse
brake Is as follows: Under each carriage
there is placed cylinder about 20 inches
In length. and inches indiameter, which
IL connected by metallic pipes and India
rubber tubing with reservoir Of com
pressed air attached TO the engine. and
which by force pump receives pres
sure OF about 90 pounds To the square
inch. When the engineer wishes to bring
the train to sudden stop. he opens a
valve leading from the air chamber TO
the various cylinders under the carriages.
The air PUSHES Though the tubes and
pressing upon the piston heads, moves
them. BY a connection with the piston
rods the friction blocks are forced against
the wheels simultaneously throughout
the whole train. This Westinghouse
patent Is 50 broad that the inventor has
been able to largely control the market,
and has become famous and rich.
Among the new patents In brakes we H.
lustrate one that Is novel In design and
viii, interest all railroad men. Ii was in
vented aud patented by August +. Baatz
OF Fairhaven. Washington. and consists
OF mechanism adapted to be- employed In
connection with the solid trucks now
used on freight and other ears. whereby
the weight OF the car aud its contents
are utilized for setting the brakes.
The center of the truck Is pro-
vided with pair Of hangers 80 connected
with the bottom Of the car and with a
system Of bell crank levers, that the
wheels Of the car will depress the bolster,
thereby actuating said levers and setting
the brakes. This vertically movable boil
ster and it, cooperating mechanism is so
connected with the train that when the
latter starts the weight of the ear Is
raised from II and the brakes liberated.
When the train Stacks up the brakes can
again be thrown into action.
by means Of this system tremendous
power can Immediately be thrown upon
all the cars in train in ease of impend-
ing danger ahead. Hence il will be seen
that the system can he employed as val
nable means Of averting serious accidents.
The Inventive Age.