Improvements in Brakes for Field Artillery Limbers.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Mar., 1890-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Field Artillery Limbers.
I, THOMAS ENGLISH, of Hawley, near Dartford, in the County of Kent, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to brakes for field artillery limbers so arranged that the
mechanism which applies the brake to the wheels at the same time causes the body
of the limber to cant backwards and thereby to lessen the downward pressure on the
shafts caused by the action of the brakes. For this purpose I construct and arrange
the brakes and brake mechanism as I shall describe referring to the accompanying
drawings --
Figure 1 is a part side view, and Figure 2 a part plan of a field artillery limber
with brakes according to my invention applied thereto. The shafts A A' are pivotted
on the axle B, or in some cases they might be pivotted to the framing C of the body
near to the axle. To the longitudinal frame bars or futchels C Care pivotted two
ends d d of a cruciform lever D, the other ends of which are jointed to a bar d¹
attached to the shafts A A' by straps permitting it to slide a little along the shafts.
The middle of the lever D is linked by a swivel joint to the end of a screw E which
passes through a nut resting in trunnion bearings on a cross bar F fixed on two of
the futchels (". The screw E passes up through the foot-board G and can be turned
by a hand wheel or otherwise.
On the futchels CC is mounted a rocking shaft H having lever arms K and k.
The arms & have a pin or roller engaged in an eccentric slot L formed in a bracket
attached to the underside of the shaft A. The arm K is connected by an adjustable
link to the middle of an elastic bar M which extends across the vehicle through guides
When it is desired to
under the foot board G and has at each end a brake block m.
put on the brakes the screw E is turned so as to raise the front end of the body from
the shafts thereby canting the load somewhat backwards; at the same time, as the
pin or roller of the arms k travels along the eccentric slot L, the arm K is moved
backwards drawing the bar M back and pressing the brake blocks m against the
wheels.
When the brakes are on, the wheels tending to roll on the ground press the shafts
downwards, but the body of the vehicle being at the same time canted backwards
as above described, this downward pressure on the shafts is to a certatn extent
relieved.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is:
1. The herein described method of relieving the downward pressure on the shafts
of a field artillery limber when the brakes are put on, by so arranging the brake
mechanism in connection with the body of the vehicle that the movement which causes
the brakes to be put on at the same time causes the load to be thrown somewhat
backwards.
2. Brake apparatus for field artillery limbers arranged and operating substantially
as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of March 1890.
ABEL & IMKAY,
Agents for the Applicant.