The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-19
AIR BRAKE COMPANY WINS.
Its Triple Valve Not an Infringement of the
Westinghouse Patent.

Westinghouse Patent.
The United States Court OF Appeals handed
down Yesterday a decision in favor OF the New
York Air Brake Company in that company's
litigation with the Westinghouse Air Brake Com
pany over patents affecting the triple valve.
one Of the essential features OF an automatic
air-power brake for cars The decision will
interest all railroad men. but 1t is Of high i'm
portance only to the two companies who were
parties to the suit. To the New York Air
Brake Company it Is of the greater I'm Dor
lance. for had the decision been the other way
its business would have been Jeoparded.
The triple valve over which the controversy
arose ID necessary feature OF the r-powor
brake. In the operation CT this class OF
brake an air pump on tho engine congresses
air and this air passes through pipes from
car to car and Is stored under each car In q
steel reservoir " here IL is ready to do the work
OF setting the brakes. In order to set the
valve. which relieves the air pressure in the
pipes leading along the train. When the pres
sure In the train pipes is less than that In the
car reservoirs. the triple valve ooes its work.
1t is 80 made tn at the back pressure at once
OPENS a passage for the air from tho reservoir
into the cylinder OF the braking device. and
orces the brakes into contact with the wheels.
but with moderate pressure Should the en-
ducs the air pressure suddenly in the train
pine. or should the train break in two. the
triple valve would open the way wide for the
and each car that had been part OF 1t at
once. When the air pressure Is again restored
to admit air TO the car reservoir again and to
let the air, in the brake cylinder escape. A
spri ing IN the brake cylind then restores the
brnking device to its place rsady.to be called
again into service.
Tn i =, OF the trne valve vas duo
made at Bnrli ngton. la. about ten years ago.
when It. was demonstrated that the vacuum
brake used on our elevated roads and the old
er forms of air-pOwer brakes were not fit to
use on long heavy trains, shortly after that
brake. which has become the standard brake
Of the Amer can railroads In 1870 the New
latter comIan had a double acting air pump
and some other devices but 1t was In trouble
from the first over its valve, About four years
ago the Westinghouse Company sued II for in
fringement. and secured "a judgment and an
injunction year later.
form Of valve. which they submitted drawings
OF 20 their opponents. and offered to submit
its Infringing the patents Of tho Westinshousc
concern; This offer was not accepted. but in
s s,ead the Wes,inghonss psone added Elk
nsnding. took out he patent, ard brought suit
against the New York company for infringing
issued to 7. $. f., Dixon in 1879,
the nted states Court in May 1879. in favor
o. the New York Air Brake COMPANY. The
is this APPEAL which was decided Yesterday.
Judge Wallaces decision was affirmed. with
costs against the Westinghouse Company.
The decision was written by Judge Sh'pman
and coururred in by Judge Thomas. while
Judge I.acombs dissent ed'upon certain points.
holding that the New York Air Brake Com-
panv's device does infringe uron tho Vest
inHhouse patent
The'New YORK Air Brake Company was one
OF those which were taken IN hv tho late Gov,
Flower and his friends and pushed to success.
In the spring Of lS'S It's stock WAS as low as
% and II was about that time that Mr.. Flower
and his associates went into il. and the price
went soaring. II dropUsd 80 points the day
after Mr.. Flower died, but soon recovered. ana
yesterday II renched its highest nom, selling
at one time during the day al 225 il opsnai
at 2l7 and closed at Pr. and nearly 5000
shares were dealt in during the day. The
capital stock is SJ.OOO.OOO.