IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Francois Testuz, of Besançon, in the French Empire,
at present residing at No. 11, Air Street, Piccadilly, in the County of
Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS APPLICABLE TO
RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 16th February 1864, and dated the 11th November 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION filed by the said François Testuz at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
November 1863.
I, FRANCOIS TESTUZ, of Besançon, in the French Empire, at present
residing at No. 11, Air Street, Piccadilly, in the County of Middlesex, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS
APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
The said improvements consist in certain mechanism or apparatus by
means of which blocks of wood or other material similar to those usually
employed for such purposes are brought to bear on the surfaces of the two
wheels upon the same axle simultaneously from opposite directions. The blocks
of wood are fixed in pairs upon beams or bars reaching from one wheel to the
other, and these beams or bars are hinged to and suspended from the frame of
the carriage, one in front and one at the back of each pair of wheels to which
the breaks to be applied. As close to the inner side of each wheel. as may

page_text: be convenient, a bracket is fixed to the frame of the carriage fitted with a
pin or stud reaching to near the axle. These pins serve as fulcra to two
levers, the short ends of which may be connected by two tie rods with the
break beam at the back of the pair of wheels, whilst two similar tie rods con-
nected with the beam in front of the wheels are hinged to the lever arms on
the opposite sides of but at equal distances from the fulcra. The long arms
of these two levers extend to or near the middle of the axle or beyond it, and
their ends are connected by means of links or otherwise with a rod or bar, to
which a backward and forward motion can be given by any suitable mechanism,
such as is already known and employed for actuating breaks. It is evident
that by moving the said rod or bar backward or forward the break beams with
breaks will advance towards or recede from the wheels. The bars or rods
acting upon the levers as described (or chains or ropes used in place of such
bars or rods) of several or of all the carriages forming a railway train may be
connected together and worked simultaneously from any one carriage fitted with
the necessary mechanism or apparatus for working the breaks. In cases
where the axle does not revolve with the wheels the pins, studs, bosses, or
bushes acting as fulcra may be fixed direct upon the axle. The said fulcra
may also be placed horizontally, in which case the levers will move vertically.
Instead of moving the break beam backward and forward as, described, the
said beams may be so hung or suspended or fitted with springs as to cause
them to recede from the wheels of their own accord when liberated. These
breaks and mechanism for actuating them are applicable to wheels of loco-
motives, tenders, and to railway carriages or waggons of every description
as well as to carriages and vehicles of every description for the common road.