THE IMPROVEMENT OF RAILWAY BRAKES, SELF-ACTING OR OTHERWISE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Lockwood, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "THE IMPROVEMENT OF RAILWAY
BRAKES, SELF-ACTING OR OTHERWISE."
Sealed the 7th August 1877, and dated the 12th February 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Lockwood at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th February 1877.
JOHN LOCKWOOD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer.
"THE IMPROVEMENT OF RAILWAY BRAKES, SELF-ACTING OR OTHERWISE.”
This Invention relates to improvements in railway brakes, whether self-acting or
applied by hand, whereby the pressure of the brakes is immediately applied to the
whole of the train on the slackening of the speed of the same, the pressure of the
carriages in the train, by compressing the buffers, causing the several brakes to be
applied and the motion of the train to be arrested without any shock. In order to
allow of the backing of the train a key or other suitable catch is provided for
locking or fixing the buffer rods, which can be readily released again, so soon as the
backing is finished.
In carrying out this Invention I employ brakes consisting each of a strong curved
steel spring having brake blocks of cast iron, or other suitable material, bolted or
otherwise secured thereto, such curved steel springs being supported at one end by
hangers from the framing of the carriage, the springs and brake blocks lying over
the top portions of the peripheries of the wheels. Beneath the framing of each
carriage and extending across the same are two rocking shafts supported in hangers
or brackets fixed to the said framing, which shafts each carry a system of levers
actuated by the buffer rods and connected by links to the free ends of the curved
steel springs. A strong central connecting rod serves to connect or couple together
the two rocking shafts by being jointed at each end to a lever on each of such
shafts. The brakes are released so soon as the pressure of the carriages is taken off
by the action of the buffer springs.
If desired the said brakes may be applied by hand, through the intervention of
a screw spindle acting upon a travelling nut in a lever carried by one of the rocking
shafts.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Lockwood in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th August
1877.
JOHN LOCKWOOD, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Engineer.
"THE IMPROVEMENT OF RAILWAY BRAKES, SELF-ACTING OR OTHERWISE."
»
My said Invention has for its object improvements in railway brakes, self-acting
or otherwise, whereby the driver or the brakesman is enabled to bring a train to a
stand as required, whilst, in the event of any part of a train breaking away when
in motion, the said brake becomes self-acting.
My Invention consists of a peculiar construction and arrangement of railway
brake of suitable strength and material, arranged and caused to operate sub-
stantially in the manner herein-after described and illustrated by the accompanying
Drawings.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the explanatory Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same lotters
of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of my Drawings represents a side elevation (partly in section)
of the undor framing of a railway carriage, showing my peculiar arrangement of
brakes and mode of coupling the longitudinal brake shafts; Figure 2 is a corres- 1
sponding plan of the same.
Figure 3 (Sheet 2) is a transverse vertical section of the under framing and brake
mechanism, and Figure 4 is a corresponding end elevation thereof.
The curved steel brake straps and blocks A on the wheels B extend from one side
of the wheel to the other over the top, thus giving as much brake-bearing surfaco
on the wheels as possible. Bearers or supports C, C, are fixed to the axle boxes, for
the purpose of carrying the transverse brake or cross shafts D, D', which may be
operated upon by various contrivances, but what I prefer is a longitudinal shaft E
carried in suitable supports F fixed to the end frames of the carriages. On the
cross shafts Daro upright levers G, cach being operated upon by a stud or shoulder H
bolted or fixed to the buffer rods I, I, other short levers K, K, with links from the
brake shafts to the brake being also fitted on to the shafts D. There are also one
or more weighted levers L, L, on each of these cross shafts, in order to render the
brakes self-acting should a portion of the train become detached whilst in motion.
Short levers or cranks M, M, are secured to the longitudinal shafts E, and are
connected by spring couplings N, N, to the lever arms O, O, fast on each of the
cross shafts D, D, the short levers or cranks M, M, being worked through the medium
of a worm wheel P keyed on to the said longitudinal shaft E, and operated upon by
a worm and hand gear R, assisted if required by the buffers (as shown in the
accompanying Drawings), or the brakes may be actuated either by the buffers alone
or by the hand arrangement alone, as preferred.
The main or longitudinal shafts E consist of solid wrought-iron bars firmly fixed
at their ends into cast-iron flanged sockets a, revolving with the said longitudinal
shafts in the supports or pillow blocks F bolted to the buffer beams or end frames
of the carriages.
The connections of the longitudinal shafts E between the carriages are formed by
wrought-iron square rods b, b, with universal joints and hollow spring couplings c,
these square rods sliding easily in the square hole formed in the cast-iron sockets a
before mentioned, so as to allow for the various motions of the carriages. To the
square rods b, b, are attached chains d, d, fixed to the carriage buffer beam, so as to
prevent any of such square rods being drawn out of gear, or further than necessary.
Wrought-iron sliding bolts or catches e, e, are provided, sliding and turning in the
pillow blocks at the ends of each carriage, so as to engage with the cast-iron
revolving sockets a, and thus prevent the buffers from acting in cases where a
carriage or carriages are being backed after their detachment from the train.

page_text: I shall now proceed more fully to explain the automatic action of the brake when
applied to a complete train of carriages, with engine running in the ordinary way.
On the engine, guard's van, or any of the carriages, may be fixed a cast-iron
standard (Figure 4) with shaft, bevel wheels, hand-brake wheel R, and worn Q
working into the worm wheel P fixed on the continuous wrought-iron shafts E
under the carriages. Ou each of these wrought-iron shafts are also fixed the short
levers or cranks M before mentioned, to which are connected the links carrying the
hollow cast-iron cases N, with spring inside, so as to allow all the brake straps to
act equally on the wheels throughout the. train, and thus obviate any jerk or
unpleasant stoppage of the train, should it be required to be brought up quickly.
These links are again jointed to the longer levers O, O, keyed on to the before-
mentioned cross shafts Ď under the carriages. The other cross shafts D¹, D¹, serve to
carry the opposite ends of the brake straps A (see Figure 1) and brake blocks
which are worked by the short levers K, K, keyed or otherwise fixed on the cross
shafts D, D. On the ends of the carriages and cast along with the sockets a are
cams or eccentrics f, which are so arranged that they will, by the action of the brake
screw Q and locking catches f¹, f, lock or unlock the buffer rods I and make them
a fixture for backing, or set them at liberty to act on the brake when the train is
running, the buffer rods acting when in compression on the long upright wrought-
iron levers G attached to the cross shafts D before mentioned, and thus assisting the
putting on of the brakes by hand gear. Should the buffers be left to act themselves
the worm wheel and hand gear will require to be thrown out of gear, as shown in
dotted lines on Figure 4. Should any part of the train become detached while in
motion I have provided levers L, L, with heavy weights, which immediately fall
down and apply the brakes.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited
Letters Patent is,―
#
First. The application and use of curved steel springs as brake straps, carrying
brake blocks extending over the whole of the upper portion of the peripheries of
the wheels, and being actuated automatically from the buffer rods and by hand
from the longitudinal brake shafts, such arrangements operating either together or
separately on the said brakes, substantially as herein-before described and illustrated.
by my Drawings.
Secondly. In combination with the above the locking catches and mode of
actuating the same, in order to prevent the action of the brakes when backing,
substantially as herein-before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
Thirdly. The peculiar combination and arrangement of cross shafts, longitudinal
shafts, levers, and connecting links, in conjunction with the peculiar brake straps
when arranged to operate togother, substantially as and for the purpose herein-
before described and illustrated by my Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Lockwood, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Sixth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
JOHN LOCKWOOD. (L.B.)