A NEW OR IMPROVED BREAK FOR ARRESTING OR STOPPING CARRIAGES OR TRUCKS ON INCLINES, WHEN BY THE BREAKING OF COUPLING LINKS OR OTHER ACCIDENT THE SAID CARRIAGES OR TRUCKS ARE IN DANGER OF RUNNING DOWN THE SAID INCLINES
Year: 1860

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Richards at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 25th October
1860.
I, JOHN RICHARDS, of Tipton, in the County of Stafford, Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED BREAK FOR
ARRESTING OR STOPPING CARRIAGES OR TRUCKS ON INCLINES, WHEN BY THE BREAKING
OF COUPLING LINKS OR OTHER ACCIDENT THE SAID CARRIAGES OR TRUCKS ARE IN
DANGER OF RUNNING DOWN THE SAID INCLINES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a break constructed and worked as herein-after
explained, which said break arrests or stops the carriages or trucks to which
it is attached, if from the breaking of coupling links or other accident the
said carriages or trucks become detached from the locomotive or other moving
power, or from one another, and commence to run down an incline on which
they are situated.
Although my Invention is particularly applicable to carriages and trucks
used on ordinary railways, yet my said Invention may be applied to carriages
and trucks used on any kind of rail or tramway, or on common roads.
My new or improved break is constructed as follows:-On one of the wheel
axles of the carriage or truck a cast or wrought-iron disc is keyed, the said
dise having a portion of its periphery cut away so as to form a large tooth
similar to the tooth of a ratchet wheel. A spindle turning in brackets on the
under side of the carriage or truck carries at one end an arm, the end of which

page_text: said arm is turned so as to make a right angle with the said arm. The hooked
end or catch of the arm is situated immediately over the before-mentioned
disc.
"risc
to clear the depth of the tooth on the disc without moving the said
spindle. At the other end of the spindle is a lever working against the side
of the carriage or truck under an iron guard. By means of the said lever
the hooked end or catch of the arm may be thrown out of gear. On the two-
wheel axles of the carriage or truck discs having teeth in opposite directions
may be placed, and suitable catches provided to engage with these discs
respectively. By connecting the levers of the two catches, one or other of
the said catches may be thrown into gear, or both of them may be thrown out
of gear with their respective discs. By this arrangement the carriage or
truck may be prevented from moving in either direction as required without
turning the said carriage or truck. The action of my new or improved break
is as follows:-That one of the catches is thrown into gear which will allow
of the rotation under it of its disc in the direction in which the wheel axle is
required to move. The catch rests upon the periphery of the disc, and when
the carriage or truck moves in the proper direction the tooth on the disc
passes under the catch without obstruction, but when by the breaking of a
coupling, or otherwise, the carriage or truck commences to move in the oppo-
site direction or backwards, the catch engages with the tooth, and thus pre-
venting the rotation of the wheel axle brings the carriage or truck immediately
The said arm is so connected to its spindle as to allow sufficient
to rest.