IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR ENSURING THE MORE EFFICIENT, ECONOMICAL, AND SAPER WORKING OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Bland at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition on the 16th March
1875.
I, HENRY BLAND, of Luton, in the County of Bedford, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS OR MEANS FOR ENSURING THE MORE EFFICIENT, ECONOMICAL, AND SAPER
WORKING OF RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions, arrangements,
and combinations of mechanism to be used in connection with the
present railway system with a view generally to the ensuring a more
efficient, economical, and safer working of the same, and comprises,
-
First. A peculiar arrangement of railway break and mode of actuating
the same.
Secondly. A peculiar arrangement of independent wheel frames or
bogies for railway carriages.
Thirdly. A peculiar construction of wheels for railway rolling stock.
Fourthly. A peculiar arrangement of coupling links and mode of
coupling the same.

page_text: Fifthly. A peculiar mode of and apparatus for working the signals
and points of railways.
The peculiar arrangement of railway break consists of metal or other
flanged skids carried by the engine and by the several vehicles com-
posing the train, the engine breaks being pressed down forcibly upon the
rail by the direct action of special steam cylinders and pistons attached
to the engine, whilst those on the carriages are actuated by toggle joint
levers brought into play by the inward thrust of the buffer rods which
occurs when the momentum of the engine is checked, such buffer rods
acting upon the ends of links attached to the toggle joints. In some
cases these breaks are brought into action by means of special coupling
chains or rods which connect the toggle joint levers of the whole of the
carriages, so that should a portion of the train become detached the
tension of these special coupling chains or rods will apply the breaks at
the point of rupture of the train. Each skid is attached by a hinge
joint to a rod or stem working in a vertical socket piece and carrying
one of the centres of the toggle joint levers, the other centre of the said
levers being fitted to a separate rod or stem in the same socket, and
having its upper end bearing against a yielding buffer in order to avoid
sudden and violent jars or shocks.
..
With a view to preventing the serious damage and destruction of
property which frequently arises from the accidental fracture of railway
wheels and axles whilst running at high speeds, I propose to mount the
passenger carriages upon independent bogies or wheel frames of peculiar
construction but not necessarily made to swivel. These wheel frames
are constructed chiefly of wrought iron and are made so as to enclose or
form a casing or trough for the under half of each wheel, such casing
descending to within an inch or thereabouts of the surface of the rails.
The axles of the vehicles are divided at their longitudinal centre so that
each wheel runs independently of the other. The main bearing for the
inner journals of these divided axles is mounted upon a hollow cross
frame which connects the two inner side plates of the wheel frame or
bogie. The outer plates of the said wheel frame are connected to the
inner ones by a webbing which extends round the lower half of the
circumference of the wheel with the exception of a portion, which is left
open to allow the wheel to take its bearing upon the rail, this webbing
forming the protecting casing or trough for the wheel as well as the
main stay for the side plates of the wheel frame or bogie. The bearings

page_text: for the outer journals of the axles are situate outside the outer plates of
the wheel frame or bogie and form the points of suspension of the said
frame which is hung by means of strap bolts and springs from such
bearings. The same mode of suspension is applied to the bearings of
the inner jounals before referred to.
Skid breaks already described are fitted to each wheel frame so that
should an axle or tire break the corresponding part of the wheel frame
will drop at once, and will rest by the skids upon the rails and continue
to support the carriages safely upon the rails whilst the casing or trough
which partly encloses each wheel will effectually prevent any detached
part of the tire from escaping and creating further injury to persons or
property. The draw bars and buffer rods are also mounted in the
independent wheel frames so that no strain is applied to the body of the
carriage which may consequently be made much lighter and less costly
than heretofore. In order to deaden the shocks and blows which the
wheel tires receive whilst running I propose to mount such tires loosely
upon cushions or yielding surfaces surrounding the wheels, such cushions
being composed by preference of layers of vulcanized india-rubber and
canvas combined. These loose tires may be retained in their places
by any of the well known contrivances for holding tires upon their
wheels.
In order to facilitate the coupling together of the carriages or waggons
of railway trains and to obviate the loss of life and injuries which
frequently arise from the fact of the assistants being compelled to enter
between the vehicles when coupling them together, I propose to employ
a simple and peculiar construction of coupling links which can be readily
fitted on to existing railway rolling stock without altering the drawbars
and which can be easily coupled to the draw hooks from the side of the
carriage or waggon. These coupling links consist by preference of three
jointed links, the end link forming the ordinary coupling link whilst the
other two have each a short projection made at the joint, which projec-
tions render the three links rigid when elevated for coupling. The hinge
bolt of the outer coupling link is curved slightly at right angles about
with the link to which it is rigidly secured, so that should the curved
part of the said bolt when lifting the coupling be brought in contact
with the hook it will cause the link to turn back upon the middle one
and thus facilitate the operation of uncoupling. These coupling links
may be lifted for coupling or uncoupling by the action of a long key

page_text: wrench, having a square socket at the end which is fitted by the
attendant on to a square head on the first bolt, attached to the draw bar,
or as a ready means of lifting a stick may be used placed across the
buffer rod and under the first or inner link and used as a lever either for
coupling or uncoupling.
My improved method of working the signals and points on railways
consists essentially in the application to such purpose of an extra
pressure of the gas in the pipes used for supplying the signal lamps and
for lighting the points, whereby I am enabled to dispense with the long
lengths of actuating wires, chains, rods, cranks, and levers, ordinarily
employed, and thus effect a considerable economy in the first cost of the
plant whilst at the same time I ensure greater certainty of action.
In carrying out this part of my Invention I employ a small auxiliary
gas holder which is kept filled with gas from the principal gasometer at
the gas works; from this auxiliary holder I draw the gas by means of a
peculiar gas compressing engine herein-after described, and force it into
another holder under a sufficient pressure to perform the functions
required of it. From this last mentioned holder the gas, when it is
required to raise the semaphore or close the points, is turned on into the
ordinary gas supply pipes by two-way valves or stop-cocks. This extra
pressure of gas passes at once into a chamber or chambers provided with
a moveable flexible diaphragm attached to the signal post or situato
adjacent to the points, and by forcing outwards a metal or other plate
attached centrally to the diaphragm transmits by short connecting rods
or levers the required motion for setting the signal or closing the point.
As the same gas and pipe which actuates the signals and points as above
described are used for supplying the burners of the signal lamps and the
lamps for lighting the points, it is obvious that by reason of the
variation of pressure in the pipes it will be necessary to employ self
regulating burners. These may consist for example of a closed chamber,
having the nipple or burner fixed into the top thereof and a flexible
diaphragm stretched across the lower mouth of the chamber, through
the centre of which diaphragm is supported a short tube made conical at
its upper end to fit into a corresponding hollow cone formed in the
bottom or nipple of the ordinary gas burner. A cut or slit is made
across the conical end of the said short tube which is closed at
this end with the exception of the said slit. When the gas is at
ordinary pressure the split conical end of the short tube will be out of

page_text: contact with the inner sides of the hollow cone, and the gas will pass
freely through the slit into the burner above, but when the extra
pressure is turned on requisite for working the signal or point as the case
may be, the diaphragm in the regulator will be lifted, bringing the
conical end of the short tube in close contact with the sides of the hollow
conc, and thus closing more or less as required of the slit in the tube &
regulating the pressure of the gas issuing from the burner. It is
obvious that any number of signals placed along the line at convenient
intervals might be worked from one and the same gas supply pipe,
whereby an efficient system of signalling specially useful in foggy
weather will be obtained.
The gas compressing engine which I propose to employ for com-
pressing the gas in the second holder previously referred to consists
of two rubber diaphragms secured together by metal rings at their
circumferences. The lower diaphragm is attached centrally to a fixed
base plate provided with an inlet valve from the first mentioned
auxiliary gas holder and an outlet valve leading to the second gas
holder, whilst the upper diaphragm carries a metal disc which when the
diaphragms are closed fits within an annular rim formed on one of the
circumferential rings before mentioned in order to ensure the expulsion
of the whole of the gas when the diaphragms are closed, the lower ring
fitting over the base in the same manner. Attached centrally to tho
inside of the upper diaphragm there is a metal plate, to which a rod or
other connection is secured for the purpose of imparting motion to the
same with a view to the alternate contraction and expansion of the
chamber formed by the two diaphragms, which meet together at each
alternate movement and consequently expel the whole of the gas which
was drawn in during the previous movement.