An Improved Automatic Combined Slipper and Wheel Tramway Brake.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 27th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Combined Slipper and Wheel Tramway
Brake.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MUNDAY, and SETH MUNDAY, both of Tong Street,
Dudley Street, Bradford, Yorkshire, Ironfounders, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
This our invention relates to an improved automatic brake for tram cars.
The object of the invention is to provide a brake which will immediately and
automatically arrest the motion of a car directly the traction force of the engine
or horses ceases, and thus prevent any backward movement of the car upon au
incline when the engine and cars become uncoupled, either intentionally or by
accident.
By this invention also a brake is provided which not only grips the periphery
of the wheels of the car, but also engages the rails, thus making the efficient
braking of the car doubly sure.
Our improved brake is designed to be operated by the weight of the car, so
that the force expended upon the brakes is in proportion to the load carried.
By this arrangement the brakes are rendered suitable for both light and
heavy cars..
In constructing our improved brake we provide a preferably cast-iron slipper
which is fitted with wooden, rubber, or other blocks which are adapted to impinge
upon the rail when the brake is applied. A vertical stem, preferably cast integral
with the slipper, extends upwardly through guides in the bogie-carriage, and has
a roller journalled upon a pin at its upper end. A metal plate is bolted to the floor
of the car and is adapted to rest upon the roller in the upper part of the upwardly
extending stem of the brake-slipper. A coiled spring is arranged around the stem
aforesaid and serves as a cushion in case of any obstruction on the rail, or unevenness
thereof. Two arms extend at an angle from the stem aforesaid, and have brake-
shoes at their ends adapted to engage the periphery of the wheels.
These arms
are made in two parts and can be lengthened or shortened by means of a right and
left handed screw-bolt which is fitted between them. On the top of the bogie-
carriage are two bearings in which is journalled a shaft carrying an eccentric of
peculiar construction, which comes into contact with the metal plate on the under-
side of the car.
A lever is secured to the end of the shaft aforesaid and has its
opposite end secured to the draw-bar in such manner that when the engine or horses
draw the bar the shaft and its eccentric is partially rotated, and raises the car from
off the roller in the top of the stem of the slipper-brake, and thus the pressure
thereon is released. When, however, the engine or horses cease to draw, the weight
of the car again partially rotates the eccentric, and the full weight of the car
coming into contact and bearing on the brakes automatically applies them to the
rail and wheels. If desired a hand-wheel is fitted to the end of a shaft within
easy access of the conductor. A reel is fitted to the end of the shaft aud a chain
connects the reel with the draw-bar. By this arrangement the draw-bar can be
drawn forward and the weight of the car released from the brakes when it is desired
to move the car.
A bogie-carriage fitted with brakes as described is situated at each end of the
car, and the draw-bar passes from one end of the car to the other to enable the
engine or horses to be coupled thereto at either end.
Dated this 28th day of January 1892.
W. H. MUNNS,
Applicants' Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Automatic Combined Slipper and Wheel Tramway
Brake.
I, WILLIAM HENRY MUNDAY, and SETI MONDAY, both of Tong Street,
Dudley Street, Bradford, Yorkshire, Ironfounders, 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:-
Our invention consists of an improved automatic combined slipper and wheel
tramway brake, the object of the invention being to provide a brake which will
immediately and automatically arrest the motion of a car directly the traction force
of the engine, horses, or other motor ceases, and thus prevent any backward move-
ment of the car upon an incline when the engine and cars become uncoupled
either intentionally or by accident.
By this invention a brake is designed to be operated by the weight of the
car, so that the force expended upon the brakes is in proportion to the load
carried. The brakes, therefore, automatically adapt themselves to both light and
heavy cars.
Our improved brake consists in the construction and novel arrangement of parts,
as hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and
pointed out in the appended claims.
In the drawings,
Figure 1 is a side elevation of the lower part of the car with our improved brake
attached.
Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1 with the top part removed.
Fig. 3 is an end view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view of the car-lifting mechanism, the section being
taken on the linea a of Fig. 2.
Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference
indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 designates the floor of the car, 2 the
bogies of ordinary construction. Guides 3 are bolted to the sides of the bogies,
and are adapted to receive the rectangular shanks 4 of the slipper brakes 5. A
spiral-spring 6 encircles each of the shanks 4, and, being in compression between
the top of the bogie and a pin 7, tends to force the brakes upwardly off the rail,
and to raise the car-body 1. A roller 8 is held by a pin in the upper bifurcated
end of the shank 4, and its periphery bears against the metal plate 10 secured to
the underside of the car-body by screws or bolts 12. Arms 14 are pivoted at 16
to the brake-shank 4 and carry brake-blocks 18 at their ends, and which engage
the periphery of each wheel simultaneously with the engagement of the shoe-brakes 5
with the rails. The arms 14 each consist of three pieces, the two outer sections
having bifurcated ends adapted to engage and be pivotally attached at 16 and 20
to the brake-shank 4 and blocks 18 respectively, and the section 22 is formed at
its ends with right and left handed screw-threads 24 and 26, which engage corre-
sponding screw-threads in the ends of the sections 15. An aperture 28 is drilled
diametrically through the section 22 and enables the section to be rotated by the
insertion into the said aperture of a pointed instrument. By the rotation of the
section 22 to right or left the arms 14 are correspondingly lengthened or shortened
and adjusted to the peripheries of the wheels. The brake-blocks are suitably
supported by hangers 30 which are pivotally attached at 31 to the cross-bars 46 of
the bogie, and at 32 to the brake-blocks 18.'
4
"
A downwardly-projecting stud 33 is bolted to the underside of the car-body,
and is reduced at its lower end to pass through an aperture in the two-armed
lever 34.
A bearing-block 35 is supported by and bolted on each side of each bogie. A
shatt 36 of preferably square section is journalled in the bearing-blocks and carries

page_text: two eccentrically-mounted discs 37. These discs are grooved upon their periphery,
and in said grooves are fitted rollers 38 mounted upon pintles 39. Levers 40 are
mounted upon each shaft 36 and are united at their lower ends by a cross-piece 41.
To this cross-piece the inner ends of the draw-bars 42 are pivotally attached.
The draw-bars have bifurcated inner ends (see Fig. 4) and through the bifurcation
the cross-bar 41 passes, and is secured in place by a pin 42. The forked or bifur-
cated ends of the draw-bars also engage the eyeletted ends 43 of connecting-bars 44,
whose other ends are pivotally secured to the ends of the lever 34. A spiral-
spring 45 has one end secured to one end of the lever 34 and its opposite end
secured to the underside of the car-body, as shewn in Fig. 1. This spring tends
to keep the draw-bars drawn inwardly.
The sides of each bogie are united by cross-stays 46, and bolted thereto is a
cross-piece 47 having a centrally bored boss 48, in which is fitted to slide a
depending projection 49 formed integral with a metal plate 50 bolted to the under-
side of the car-body. By this guide thus formed the car-body is guided vertically
when raised independently of the bogies, as will be understood.
Posts 52 are bolted to the upper surface and at each end of the car-floor, and
each is longitudinally bored to receive a vertical shaft 54 which passes through
it. Shafts 54 are provided with heads 56 at their lower ends, and hand-wheels 58
at their upper ends. A ratchet-wheel 57 is secured to the shaft 54, and a
paw 55 is secured to the upper end of the post 52 to engage the ratchet. .A.
chain or other flexible connection 60 unites the shaft 54 with the cross-piece 41, as
shewn.
Posts 61 are bolted to the car-floor and each is vertically-bored to receive the
shaft 62 formed with a head 63 at its lower end, and a bevel-wheel 64 at its upper
end. This bevel-wheel meshes with a similar wheel 65 mounted upon a shaft 66
supported in the upwardly-projecting arms 67 of the post 61, and carrying a hand-
wheel 68.
The manner in which our improved brake operates is as follows:-
When the horses, engine, or motor is coupled to the link 69 in the eyelet 70
of the draw-bar 42, it is (together with the arms 40) drawn forwardly, which
movement partially rotates the shafts 36 and eccentrics 37, thereby bringing the
rollers 38 into contact with the metal plates 10. By this motion the car is raised.
The springs 6 now raise the shank 4 and shoe-brakes 5 from off the rails, which
movement simultaneously draws the arms 14 and brake-blocks 18 inwardly and
away from the wheels. In this position the car is free to move. If, however,
the coupling breaks or the traction-force ceases, then the weight of the car-body
resting upon the rollers 8 and 38, together with the tension of the spring 45, causes
the shoe-brake to descend and the arms 14 to be distended, and the draw-bar to
be drawn inwardly. The brakes are thus automatically applied. When, however,
it is desired to entirely and permanently release the brakes, the hand-wheel 58 is
rotated, causing the flexible connection 60 to wind around the shaft 54. This
draws one end of the lever 34 and draw-bar 42 outwardly, thus causing the arms 40
and eccentrics 37 to raise the car and release the brakes. When the pawl 55 is
placed in engagement with the ratchet-wheel 57 the shafts 54 are prevented from
turning and the brakes are retained out of engagement. When it is required at
any time to apply the brakes, this can be effected by rotating one of the wheels 68
which rotates the shaft 62, causing one of the chains 72-which are attached at 73
and 74 to the ends of the lever 34-to wind around the.. shaft. 62. and draw the
draw-bar inwards, thus applying the brakes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:
1. In a street, cable, electric or railroad-car, the combination of guides bolted
to the sides of the bogies adapted to receive the shanks of the slipper-brakes, said
shanks having bifurcated upper ends; spiral-spring encircling said shanks and

page_text: adapted to raise the slipper-brakes; a roller held on a pin in the bifurcation
of said shanks and adapted to hear against the metal plate secured to the under-
side of the car-body arms pivoted to the brake-shank and carrying brake-blocks
at their ends adapted to engage the wheels simultaneously with the engagement
of the shoe-brake with the rails, and hangers supporting said brake-blocks, all
substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth and illustrated in the
drawings hereunto annexed.
2. In a street, cable, electric or railroad-car, the combination, with the bogies,
of a bearing-block supported on each side thereof; a shaft journalled in said
blocks; two eccentrically-mounted dises having their peripheries grooved, carried
by said shaft rollers supported by pintles within said grooves; levers mounted
upon the shaft and united by a cross-piece the draw-bars pivotally attached to
the cross-pieces; connecting-bars having their ends pivotally attached to the cross-
pieces and draw-bars, and a two-armed lever carried by a depending-stud secured
to the underside of the car-floor; and a spiral-spring having one end attached to
the two-armed lever and its other end secured to the underside of the car-body,
all arranged to operate and to raise the car-body when the draw-bars are outwardly
drawn, substantially as described.
3. In a street, cable, electric or railroad car, having bogies whose sides are
united by cross-stays, a cross-piece bolted thereto and having a centrally-bored
boss adapted to receive a depending projection formed integral with a metal
plate secured to the underside of the car-body, all substantially as, and arranged
to guide and retain the car-body from oscillation when it is raised independently of
the bogies, as herein before described.
4. In a street, cable, electric or railroad-car, having bogies and mechanism as
described for raising the car-body, posts bolted to the upper surface and at each
end of the car-floor, each of said posts bored to receive a vertical shaft having a
head at its lower end, a hand-wheel at its upper end, a ratchet-wheel secured to
the shaft, a pawl pivoted to the post and adapted to engage the said ratchet-wheel,
a flexible connection uniting the shaft with the cross-piece 41, all substantially as,
and arranged to draw the draw-bar outwardly and thus release the brakes, as
hereinbefore described.
5. In a street. cable, electric or railroad-car, having bogies, and mechanism as
described for raising the car-body, posts having opposite projecting arms at their
upper ends, bolted to the upper surface and at each end of the car-floor, cach of
said posts bored to receive a vertical shaft formed with a head at its lower end,
and having a bevel-wheel at its upper end, opposite a shaft mounted to turn in the
upwardly-projecting arms of the post, bevel-wheels carried by said shaft and adapted
to engage the bevel-wheel upon the vertical shaft, a hand-wheel mounted at the
ends of said shaft, flexible connections attached to the lower ends of the vertical
shafts and to the two-armed lever carried by the depending stud secured to the
underside of the car, all substantially as and adapted to operate to pull the draw-
bar inwards, and thus apply the brakes as described.
Dated this 27th day of April 1895
W. H. MUNNS,
Applicants' Agent.