IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC BRAKES FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Friedrich Carl Glaser at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th April 1882. A communication
from Adolf Klose of Rorschach, Switzerland
FRIEDRICHI CARL GLASER of Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of
Germany, Engineer and Patent Solicitor "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC BRAKES
FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES." [A communication from Adolf Klose of Rorschach,
Switzerland.]
This invention relates to a construction of automatic brakes for railway
vehicles whereby firstly the weight of the vehicle is caused to effect the application
of the brakes, instead of employing for this purpose fluid pressure, vacuum or
descending weights as heretofore, and, secondly, whereby tho train in its normal
condition when standing or moving slowly always has the brakes more or less
applied, these being only taken off either wholly or partially on the application of
the motive power for propelling the train, thus rendering the brakes automatic in
their action.
The accompanying drawings serve to shew one of the several ways in which
the invention can be carried out. Figs. 1 and 2 shew respectively a side view and
plan of the underframing of the railway vehicle with the brake apparatus applied
thereto, and Figs. 3* 3b 3c shew enlarged details thereof.
The weight of the body of the vehicle, carried by springs, and axle boxes, is-
caused by the levers H H to act upon the brake blocks. If the brakes are to be
taken off, the ends h of these levers are supported by a toggle joint k k which
can be straightened out by a pull put upon the rods whereby the body, resting
upon the ends h of the levers, is somewhat raised, the pressure upon the brake
blocks being at the same time taken by the toggles k¹ so as to remove the blocks
alightly from the wheels. In order that the distance to which the blocks are
removed may be kept as small as possible, the blocks are so suspended that they
shall always maintain a position concentric to the wheel centres, this being effected
by means of the arms a fixed to the blocks and pivotted with slotted ends to a
pin C fixed or formed on the axle box in the axial line of the wheels. It will be
seep from this arrangement that even with a very small distance of the blocks the
vertical play of the wheels will not cause them to come in contact.
The brake pressure is transmitted from the levers H to the blocks through the
rods and cross bar t. The taking off of the brakes may be conveniently

page_text: effected by means of a transverso shaft 9 connected by short lovers to the rods z
and having a long lever by means of which it is actuated either by an ordinary
screw brake spindle or by other known mechanism.
Various modifications of this arrangement may be employed; thus the links of
the springs may be connected directly to the levers II, this being convenient with
an inclination of about 45° of the links. Also the levers H may be extended in
the opposite direction in which case the toggles would also act on the opposite sido
for taking off the brakes. According to another modification for singlo brake
blocks, in which case the brake power must be greater and the lovers H has
corresponding greater leverage, a transverse shaft situated between the two pairs
of wheels carries a two-armed lover so constructed that each arta forms the toggle
to the rod lending to the brake block. This construction, which is particularly
suited for application to existing carriages, is actuated by the hand lover or other
mechanism and the draw-rod. With radiating axlos the arrangement is such that
the levers are pivotted to a point of the axle boxes, and form, with the draw-rods,
the transverse bars to which the brake blocks are connected. The radial rods of
the brake blocks are in this case only carried to the draw-rods, with which they
are connected in order to impart to the brake block the before mentioned concentric
position.
Where the links of the springs form a very small angle, the levers H aro
continued on the opposite side, where the taking off of the brakes is then effected
by toggles that are connected to a transverse shaft situated above the axle.
The above described brake apparatus is applicable as a continuous or a group
brake, in which case it is automatic without any special appliances being required
for this purpose.
For putting these brakes in or out of action any known arrangement of trans-
mission may be employed, such as by fluid pressure or vacuum conveyed through
pipes, or by cords or chains. The brake is also applicable for shunting.