CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS, PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE USED UPON OTHER ROADS
Year: 1847

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, Jonn
LOWE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Civil Engineer, and JAMES
SIMPSON, of the same place, Joiner, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her present most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westmin-
ster, the Twenty-fourth day of February, in the tenth year of Her reign, and in
the year-of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, did, for Her-
self, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the said John Lowe and
James Simpson, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority,
that we, the said John Lowe and James Simpson, our executors, administrators,
and assigns, and such others as we, the said John Lowe and James Simpson,
our executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and
no others, from time to time and at all times during the term of years therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within
England and Wales and the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, our Invention of
"CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO CARRIAGES TO BE USED UPON RAILWAYS,
PART OF WHICH IMPROVEMENTS MAY ALSO BE USED UPON OTHER ROADS;" in which
said Letters Patent is contained a proviso that we, the said John Lowe and
James Simpson, shall cause a particular description of the nature of our said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be enrolled
in Her Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six calendar months next
and immediately after the date of the said in part recited Letters Patent, as
in and by the same, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at large
auncar.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, we, the said
John Lowe and James Simpson, do hereby declare that the nature of our said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is parti-
cularly described and ascertained in and by the Drawings hereto annexed, and
the following explanation thereof (that is to say):-
These Improvements applicable to Carriages to be Used upon Railways, Part
of which Improvements may also be Used upon other Roads, consist,-
Firstly, in a certain novel method of causing the momentum of a train of
railway carriages to apply friction to either or both the axles or wheels of
each of the carriages in the said train simultaneously, or nearly so, the instant
the speed of the engine is slackened (or when the break is applied to the
tender), so as to retard or stop the progression of the carriages, the friction
or breaks being removed the instant the engine starts, thereby effecting a
great saving in the wear and tear of the carriages, and also preventing in a
great measure the occurrence of accidents and consequent loss of life, fre-
quently occasioned through neglect, injudicious application of the breaks, and
other similar collateral causes.
Secondly, our improvements consist in an improved form of coupling link
and shackle for connecting and disconnecting railway carriages; and,
Thirdly, our Invention consists in a certain improved form or arrangement
of the springs for supporting the bodies of such carriages, which is also appli-
cable to carriages used upon common roads.
These improvements will be better explained and more easily understood by
reference to the two Sheets of Drawings accompanying these Presents, similar
letters of reference being placed upon corresponding parts of the apparatus in
all the Figures.
In Sheet 1, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the frame of a railway carriage,
with our improvements shewn as applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a plan view
of the same; the new or improved parts are shaded with color, the ordinary
parts being drawn in outline only. a, a, is the framing of the carriage,
b, b, the running wheels, and c, c, the axles. d, d, is the break rod, extending
the whole length of the carriage, sliding either in the carriage framing or in
bosses or bearings e, e, ex, ex, attached to the framing, a hook and shackle for
connecting the carriages being attached to each end of the said rod d, d. The
rod d, d, also slides through a catch piece f, the lower end of which passes
through a slot in the break bar g, g. Around the rod d, d, are coiled two
springs h, h*, acting between the catchpiece fand the bosses e*, e*, and hold-
ing the break bar g, g, in a central position. The break bar g, g, is furnished
with two breaks i, i, acting against two friction cylinders A, k, one fixed upon
5
1

page_text: each axle of the carriage (seen best in the longitudinal section Figure 1,
Sheet 2). The breaks i, i, are supported by pins passing through the upright
rods 1, 1, and working in the inclined slots in the break bar g, g. The action
of the breaks is as follows:-Supposing the carriage to be travelling in the
direction of the large arrow, and the rod to be attached to the tender by a
rigid coupling link (hereafter described), then as soon as the speed of the
engine is slackened, or the break is applied to the tender, the momentum of
the carriage will cause the spring h* to force the break bar g, g, in the direc-
tion of the small arrows, and thus apply friction to the cylinders k, k, on the
axles c, c, of the carriage, and thus retard and ultimately stop the progress
of the carriage. And supposing the rod d, d, of a train of carriages to be
united by rigid links to each other, it would be evident that those rods d, d,
would act as one continuous break rod throughout the whole length of the
train. It will also be evident, that as soon the engine starts the springs h*, h*,
bring the break bar g, g, into a central position, and thus remove the friction
from the cylinders k, k.
Our improved form or construction of coupling link is shewn at Figures
2 and 3, Sheet 2; the nuts a, a, are fast to the links b, b, and the blocks c, c,
slide upon the said links. The ends of the right and left-hand screws d, d, pass
through the blocks c, c, and are fastened by screws and washers. Thus it will
be evident, that when the links b, b, are screwed together by means of the
lever e, the blocks c, c, will be pressed outwards against the hooks, and when
they are unscrewed the blocks will be withdrawn.
Our improved form of shackle is shewn at Figures 4, 5, and 6, Sheet 2,
being side, plan, and end views of the same. A rack of teeth a, a, is cut
in the upper surface of the shackle, and an inverted rack in the slots of the
block b, b. When the block is forced up against the hook, the pins c, c, being
held by the springs d, d, keep the block 6 and rack a in gear, and thus the
rack prevents the block from slipping back and the carriage becoming un-
hooked; but when desired the pins e, e, may be withdrawn, and the block may
bo raised and slidden back. The pins e, e, are for the purpose of preventing
the pins c, c, from being drawn out altogether.
Our improved form or arrangement of the carriage springs is seen best in
Figure 1, Sheet 1. The spring m is suspended between the scroll irons n, n,
by the links o, o, and supported by the rods p, p, which vibrate upon a pin
fixed in the axle box. This arrangement of the springs will be found to be
cheaper, lighter, and stronger than the springs now in ordinary use.
Figure 7, Sheet 2, is another and cheaper modification of the above, which
may be employed for goods or other waggons.

page_text: Having now described the nature and object of our said improvements, we
desire it to be understood that we claim as our Invention, —
Firstly, the method of causing the momentum of a train of railway carriages
to apply friction to either the wheels or axles, or both, of the said carriages,
whenever the break is applied on the tender, or the speed of the engine is
slackened or in any manner impeded.
Secondly, we claim the peculiar construction or form of coupling link and
shackle above described; and,
Thirdly, we claim the improved form and arrangement of the springs shewn
in the Drawings attached and above particularly described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Lowe .and James Simpson, have
hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of August, One
thousand eight hundred and forty-seven.