Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 17th Jan., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 17th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 20th Jan., 1894
We, LA COMPAGNIE DE FIVES-LILLE, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris
in the Republic of France, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This apparatus enables railway brakes to be simultaneously applied to all carriages
and vans of a passenger or goods train, however long. The utility of such
simultaneousness of action is manifest. But in order to derive full benefit from
apparatus adapted so to act, it is necessary that, while the train is in motion and
the brakes inoperative there should be in the main pressure-conducting pipe a supply
of pressure either constant, or varying within very narrow limits only, any
appreciable deviation from the normal state being apt to cause an untimely action
of the brakes. To ensure constant pressure as far as practicable, diverse pressure-
regulators are at present employed, the operation of which is generally satisfactory
in connection with trains of say 20 or 25 carriages, but which in the case of trains
having as many as 70 or 80 carriages, admit of variations of pressure too
considerable to be harmless.
The object of this invention is to provide an improved pressure-regulator capable
of avoiding this drawback or at least to attenuate its effects in a notable degree.
The regulator mainly consists of the following parts,-
(1.) A double-seated valve which in opening connects the chamber in which it is
situated (freely and permanently) communicating with the compressed air-reservoir
of the engine and a chamber which communicates with the main pressure-conductor
of the train.
(2.) A diaphragm sustaining the pressure of the air contained in the main
conduit, and adapted to prevent any escape thereof to the outside.
(3.) A compensating spring adapted to counterbalancejthe normal pressure of the
air upon the diaphragm, being of sufficient length for its tension to vary but to an
insignificant extent when it is deflected to operate the valve.
(4.) A valve of small diameter say 1 or 2 millimetres enabling any air which
may be in excess in the main conduit to be discharged into the atmosphere,
whenever the main conduit-pressure happens to rise beyond the normal pre-
determined pressure in accordance with which the parts of the regulator are
adjusted.
For convenience of construction, the first mentioned valve has its upper seat
made somewhat larger than the lower seat the consequence being that the pressure
of the air supplied from the main reservoir of the engine always tends to raise this
valve. The difference between the pressures acting upon the two surfaces of the
valve is compensated by the action of a spring in determining the power of which
this circumstance should be borne in mind and also the average pressure of the air

page_text: confined in the reservoir which is at all times in excess of that prevailing in the
conduit which the reservoir is to supply with air.
A projection from the diaphragm is guided by a sleeve freely sliding within a
fitting secured to or integral with the case of the compensating spring.
The operation is as follows,-
When the air contained in the main conduit exercises normal pressure the double
seated valve as well as the small discharge valve are closed. As soon however as
any lowering of the pressure takes place in the conduit the diaphragm is
correspondingly relaxed and rises under the action of the compensating spring
opening the inlet valve and retaining it in this condition until normal pressure is
restored in the main conduit. The diaphragm then resumes its normal position
compressing the compensating spring and closing the inlet-valve the discharge
valve also remaining closed.
Should the pressure in the conduit exceed the normal degree owing to small
quantities of air leaking through the closed inlet-valve the diaphragm would
further compress the compensating spring, but the small discharge valve would in
that case open and the superfluous air escape into the atmosphere. When normal
pressure is restored the diaphragm returns and the discharge valve closes the inlet-
valve having remained closed during this operation.
As it is necessary that the compensating spring should exactly counterbalance
the pressure exercised upon the diaphragm while the proper normal pressure
prevails in the conduit it is desirable that incans should be provided for precisely
controlling the tension of this spring. This I propose to do by means of a screw
whereby the said spring may at will be compressed or allowed to expand.
The diaphragm may be of metal, indiarabber, or any other yielding or elastic
substance, or instead of a diaphragm a piston or plunger fitted with an air-tight
packing may be employed.
Dated thio 17th day of Tanu 7002
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Nottingham,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Pressure Regulators for Railway Brakes.
We, LA COMPAGNIE DE FIVES-LILLE, of 95 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris
in the Republic of France, 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:—
The apparatus forming the subject of this invention enables me to obtain
throughout the entire length of even the longest passenger or goods trains,
simultaneous brake-action.
In order that the use of this apparatus should however be attended by the full
measure of benefit thereby attainable it is necessary in regard to the general
installation and working that when the train is running and the brakes " off," there
should be a constant and invariable pressure, or one varying only within very
restricted limits, because any material departure from the normal régime may cause
the unexpected and untimely application of the brakes.
For the purpose of, as far as possible, securing such constant pressure, the
present practice is to make use of regulators, which are satisfactory enough in
working when employed for trains of from 20 to 25 carriages, but do not prevent
serious variations of pressure, when applied to trains of from 70 to 80 carriages.
This invention relates to a new and improved regulator designed to obviate this
defect or at least in great measure to minimize it.

page_text: My apparatus is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, m
which
Figure 1 is a vertical section of the regulator, and
Figure 2 an elevation of the same.
The regulator consists substantially of
1. A double-seated valve A which when open establishes communication between
the chamber B, which is freely and permanently connected by the pipe C with the
compressed-air reservoir on the locomotive and the chamber D which is in
connection with the general system of compressed air pipes throughout the train;
2. A diaphragm F receiving the air-pressure of the general pipe-system and so
arranged as to prevent escape by any other outlet ;
3. The supporting spring G counterbalancing the normal air-pressure on the
diaphragm F and made of such adequate length that its tension will be subject to
but very trivial variations under the deflections which it must effect in order to
ensure the proper action of the valve A ;
4. A valve Hof very small diameter (1 to 2 millimetres) allowing the escape
into the open air, of any excess of air in the general pipe-system should the
pressure in the latter at any time accidentally exceed the normal pressure for
which the regulator and its parts have at the outset heen adapted and designed.
For reasons connected with the manufacture, the upper scat of the valve A. is
made slightly larger than the lower sent; whence it follows that the air-pressure
from the chief reservoir on the locomotive tends to raise that valve; the difference
between the pressures acting on the two valve-scats is compensated for by the small
spring N, whereof the strength is determined by taking into account, not only that
difference of pressure but also the mean pressure of the air in the reservoir, always
greater than that of the general system supplied by it.
The spindle O of the diaphragm is guided in its vertical reciprocating movement
by the socket or piston P, which slides freely in a packing or lining-piece Q affixed
to or cast on the case enclosing the sustaining spring G.
With these preliminary explanations the working of the regulator is easily
comprehensible. When the air contained in the general pipe-system is at its
normal pressure, the double-seated valve A is closed as well as the small emission
valve H. When any increase in that general pressure occurs the diaphragm Fis
depressed and the emission valve H thereby opened, but is raised again under the
re-action of the main spring and so opens the admission valve until the normal
pressure is restored throughout the system. At this moment the diaphragm F
again falls, allowing the admission valve to close, the emission-valve also remaining
closed. In case the pressure in the general pipe-system should exceed the normal
condition, owing to leakage or escape through the admission valve A, the
diaphragm F would continue to descend, still further compressing the spring; the
small emission-valve H would then open and the air in excess would escape into
the outer air until the normal pressure was again restored, bringing about the
re-ascent of the diaphragm and the consequent closure of the emission-valve, that
of admission still remaining closed.
There should be perfect equilibrium maintained between the tension of the
spring and the pressure on the diaphragm, when the normal régime prevails
throughout the system; and for this it is necessary to provide a means of adjusting
the spring which is effected by means of the screw R, whereby the spring Gis
relaxed or tightened up as may be required.
The diaphragm may be metallic or made of rubber or any other elastic material;
or a piston with air-tight packing may be used in substitution for it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is ;-
1. In apparatus such as described the employment of a small emission valve such
as H for preventing any excess of pressure from occurring in the general system of

page_text: pipes owing to leakage or waste through the admission valve substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
2. In apparatus such as described the combination with the valve claimed in the
preceding claim of the other mechanical parts of the regulator substantially as
described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. The combination and arrangement of parts constituting the complete regulator
substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 17th day of October 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.