Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-27
SAYS ACCIDENTS
ARE AvOIOABLE
INVENTOR TALKS OF RECENT
DISASTER
William r. Gardner Has Automatic
Emergency Brake Which He
Asserts viii Prevent coIli-
slons and Loss of Life

William r. Gardner of 2227 East
Second street has invented an auto
matte brake and life guard which, II
it does the work claimed for it by the
inventor, will when adopted make i'm
possible such accidents as the one
which occurred last Sunday night
when over fifty persons were injured
in the triple collision at Second and
Spring streets.
Mr.. Gardner is a carpenter and is
engaged as foreman for G. II. White
of Boyle Heights.
The brake which Mr.. Gardner has
invented is not dependent upon air,
electricity or hand power. The appli-
cation of the brake is simple and re-
quires but a grip from the hand OF
the motorman.
A small lever at the right hand Of the
motorman releases the fender brake.
That this appliance will stop an cleo
trio car within few feet on any grade,
no matter how much headway the car
has gained, is the claim set up by the
inventor.
Simplicity Feature
The simplicity of the Gardner brake
will be one of the features which he
says will appeal alike to the railway
men and to the public. There are no
long train pipes to spring leaks, no
electric pumps with their intricate ma
chinery to fail at critical times, no
reversed motors forming dynamos to
create current to apply a magnetic
brake which can only be applied un-
der certain circumstances.
Mr.. Gardner claims that he can ap-
ply his brake with the touch of a
hand while the car is running either
fast or slow, or for that matter, stand
ing still. He says If the motors are
turned on at full force and continue
to run after the car has been brought
to a stop it would be impossible for
the car to proceed another inch until
the brake has been released.
A feature of the Gardner brake which
will doubtless appeal to the public is
the fender. When the brake is ap-
piled it Will form a fender which will
rest flat on the rail and would scoop
up a mans hat from the street and
would lift a fallen child and carry it
on to safety after the car had come
to a stop.
Nothing to Get Out of Order
The appliance is in no way delicate
and a heavily loaded truck might pass
over the fender portion of the brake
without doing the slightest injury
Yet the simplicity of the affair is
such that any mechanic could replace
any portion of the whole apparatus
in any machine shop in the world.
Mr. Gardner claims that his is brake
which would have the confidence of
the motormen. But few motormen, he
asserts, are expert electricians or un-
derStand the intricaIe working of air
brakes. Any motorman could master
the working of the Gardner brake in
five minutes study.
Roughly outlined the Gardner brake
works in this manner: The brake
proper consists of a series of fianged
steel track shoes which, when applied
fall to the rail and the forward wheel
of each set of trucks instantly rides
the brake in such a manner that the
wheel is above and free from the track,
and a greater portion of the weight
of the heavy motor and the car above
it is thrown upon the track shoe, thus
creating a friction which must stop
the car within few inches or feet,
according TO the momentum of the
car when the brake is applied.
Apply Automatically
If the motorman does not or can
not shut off the power and the motors
continue to run the wheels will re-
volve harmlessly upon the track shoe
even after the car has come to a
stop.
The steel track shoe is not unlike a
sled runner in appearance. At the
forward end it is turned slightly up
ward with a view to riding over rough
Joints and small Instructions. This
forward end of the brake is what
forms the fender, cross bars or Stats
running across from one track shoe
to the other. Normally these track
shoes will ride a few inches from the
rail. When applied the shoes fall to
the rail and by the movement of the
car are carried backward a few inches
when the wheel rides the shoe and the
tremendous friction thus created will
stop the car.
In cases of collision, the impact with
any heavy body will automatically ap-
ply the brake.
Would Have Prevented Collision
Mr.. Gardner says if the car which
struck the interurban car at Sixteenth
and Bush a few weeks ago, when
former Councilman j. p. Davenport
was killed, had been equipped with
this brake the mans life would not
have been sacrificed. The brake would
the car even granted the
or the man who stood at
his side had not touched the lever
which set the brake.
The inventor claims that a feature
of the brake which has appealed
to railway men who have
seen the diagram of the appliance is |
the fact that it would stop a car which
had become derailed even quicker on
the street surface or roadbed than If |
the car remained on the rails,
IF car carrying a magnetic brake |
is derailed the electric generators be- |
come worthless; the magnetic shoe has
lost its contact with the rail-" said |
Mr.. Gardner. "If a car carrying the
air brake is derailed and the trolley |
is out of contact with the wire the |
electric pump stops. With my ap-
pliance a derailed car would come |
to a quicker stop than one remaining |
on the track.
Says Accident Not Unavoidable
Sunday nights appalling disaster
might have been avoided with brake
which would have held the car ON
the grade. If my brake had been on
the Second street car which became
the conductor could
have stopped the runaway at any stage
of the wild dash. Any one of the pas
sengers. little girl. could have
II