Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-06
A Statement by the Westinghouse Air
Brake Companv.

The Westinghouse Air-Brake Company,
in answer to misleading advertisement Of
the New York Brake Company, which ap-
peared in the financial columns of some of
| the New York papers, has inserted the fol-
| lowing advertisement in the same papers:
OFFICE OF THE
WESTINGHOUSE AIR-BRAKE Co.,
PITTsBURG, PENN, Dec 2, 1891.
Referring to the statement of, the New
York Air-Brake Company in their adver-
tisement for the sale of their stock, to the
effect that their apparatus is interchange
able with that made by the Westinghouse
Air-Brake Company, and that the ablest at
torneys and patent experts have pronounced
it entirely free from all infringement of ex-
listing patents, We wish to say that neither
of these statements has as yet been sub
stantiated.
We have brought suit against the New
York Air-Brake Company and others who
are attempting to make and sell quick
action type of brake.
Four years ago the Master Car Builders
Association demonstrated that no then ex-
listing type of brake fulfilled the require
ments for freight train service on account Of
slowness of action. In less than one year
from that date the first quick acting form
Of brake which fulfilled the requirements of
pany, and its complete practicability DEM
onstrated upon q 50-car train on many of
the leading railroads Of the country. This
type Of brake was in use on 125, 900 cars be-
fore it was offered for sale by any other
company.
The opinion of our counsel, whom we be-
lieve to be equally as eminent and able as
those quoted by the New York Company,
and who has had charge of our patent af-
fairs for 20 years, is to the effect that we
hold controlling patents on the essential
devices used by the New York Company;
and in view OF the unquestioned record OF
the company in patent matters, we are con-
fident of our position. That our position
who have placed orders with the New York
Brake Company is evidenced by the fact
that they were obliged, as we are Informed,
to give heavy bonds to secure leading
railroad against loss, resulting from an en-
forcement of our rights, before the order
was given to them.
The New York Air-Brake Company's tes-
timony (the defendants) in the pending
suit is completed. and it is expected that
the hearing will be during the February
term of court in this city, at which time
the relative value of the opinions expressed
by the New York Brake Company's coun-
sci and our own Will be Judlclaiiy deter
mined
Aside from any question of patents the
maintenance of constructive and operative
uniformity of air-brakes for freight trains
that has heretofore existed is a matter OF
the utmost importance tc the travelling pub
lie and to railroads. A departure from it
means greatly increased liability to acci-
dent and q greatly reduced efficiency. These
views are held by many leading railroad
men who have given the matter thoughtful
consideration. and there are several in
stances in which cars fitted with brakes that
are not standard have been refused by rail-
road managers who did not care to assume
the risk of. injuring the efficiency of appar-
atus that they knew by experience to be in
itself entirely satisfactory.
Interested statements regarding uni
formity and interchangeability of so vital
an adjunct of railway mechanism should not
be accepted without most careful considera-
tion.
WESTINGHOUSE AIR-BRAKE Co.
By 81. H. WESTINGHOUSE,
General Manager.