IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ramsey Kendall, Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County
of Durham, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS
RAILWAY BRAKES."
Sealed the 21st August 1877, and dated the 9th March 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ramsey Kendall at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th March 1877.
RAMSEY KENDALL, of Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS RAILWAY BRAKES."
According to this Invention I apply arrangements whereby the slack in the
parts connecting the brake apparatus of one carriage with another is taken up so
that the length of pull is sensibly the same at the rear carriage as at the front
carriage.
I also apply arrangements whereby the brake will be put on in the same direction
irrespective of which way the carriage is turned.
According to this Invention the brakes for the whole of the carriages may also
be actuated either by a steam cylinder on the engine or iender, or from the guard's
van, from the power of one of the wheel axles.
The steam cylinder for actuating the brakes throughout the train I prefer to place
under the tender. This cylinder I prefer to fit with a piston valve shot by steam;
this valve rod may be connected to a tap communicating with both ends of the
cylinder, and actuating that tap automatically so as to allow the condensed water
to escape before the fresh steam is put into the cylinder.
The piston rod is connected by a chain or wire rope coupling to the pulling rod
on the first vehicle or carriage. This rod is guided by a block guide or other guide.
and to it is jointed a connecting rod, and to that again another and shorter con-
necting rod or link, which is jointed to a pin in the centre of the flat upper
end of the lever. The link is of half the length of the flat upper end. and
rests thereon when the lever is in the central or normal position, the said flat
surface being then horizontal or nearly so. From the same centre pin a similar
link and connecting rod makes connection to the next carriage by a similar
coupling as aforesaid. and so on to the end of the train.

page_text: At equal distance above and below the fulcrum of the lever I joint a rod
at each place; these rods are at their other ends formed with a slot, and there
both connect on to a pin at one end of a double armed lever, the other end
of said lever being jointed to a rod which at its further end is guided and there
formed or fitted with a shoulder, against which a spiral or volute spring is made to
rest, the said spiral spring acting against a cross head, to which is jointed a rod at
each side, these rods being connected to the brake-block levers and to similar rods
carried along to the break-block levers for the wheels at the other end of the
carriage. The cross heads have releasing spiral or volute springs at the opposite
side.
The action of this part of my Invention is as follows:-The steam admission cock
being opened by the engine driver the steam pushes the piston forward, pulling
with it the piston rod and all the pulling rods throughout the whole train; the
lever with the flat upper side is thereby canted over, so that the said upper side
comes in a slanting position; the short link jointed to the middle of the flat upper
side is raised therefrom on the side nearest the engine or tender, but the further
corner of the flat upper side is raised while the opposite corner is lowered; if then
the piston stroke be, say, fifteen inches (as an illustration), then the aforesaid raised
corner of the lever will describe a path of more than the fifteen inches, hence, if the
difference be the extreme of the slack that ever can take place in the couplings
between two carriages, then the pull to the next carriage will be the full extent of
the said fifteen inches on the corresponding lever with the flat upper surface on that
next carriage, and so on throughout the train, so that in the last carriage the pull
may be made the same length as in the first. The aforesaid rods with slots at
one of their ends come into play alternately, according to the direction of the pull,
and thus the brakes are put on whichever way or direction the carriage is coupled in.
The lever with the flat upper side may work in a vertical, horizontal, or other
plane. The other, or auxiliary brake actuating gear. is placed in the guard's
vall. On the axle nearest the guard's compartment I fix an eccentric or cam.
which works in a slot formed in a lever having its fulcrum in a block which by
screw or lever gear can be shifted in position by the guard. This block
carries a retaining pawl working in a rack; the lever also carries a throwing
pawl, working in the rack, and for every throw of the eccentric the rack is
thereby propelled a certain distance, the retaining pawl holding it in that position.
The rack is connected to a spring which acts on a lever actuating the brake blocks,
a releasing spring or weight taking the blocks off again. The throwing pawl may
be put into gear by pulling a cord in the guard's van, or from any of the carriages.
or from the engine. To take the brakes off the guard has to shift the sliding
block.
The rack may be connected to the pulling rods, going the whole length of the
train, the said pulling rods being fitted with the afore described appliances for
taking up the slack and applying the brake blocks on each carriage. Thus. if
anything should happen to the brake steam eylinder. the whole of the brakes may
be thrown into gear by the guard.
8th
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ramsey Kendall in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
September 1877.
RAMSEY KENDALL of Gateshead-on-Tyne, in the County of Durham, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS RAILWAY BRAKES."
According to this Invention I apply arrangements whereby the slack in the
parts connecting the brake apparatus of one carriage with another is taken up so
that the length of pull is sensibly the same at the rear carriage as at the front
carriage.

page_text: 1 also apply arrangements whereby the brake will be put on in the same direction
irrespective of which way the carriage is turned.
According to this Invention the brakes for the whole of the carriages may also be
actuated either by steam cylinder on the engine or tender, or from the guard's van
from the power of one of the wheel axles.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings is a side view of a locomotive of a train
fitted with an improved brake; Figure 2 is a side view of the tender therefor; and
Figure 3 is a plan of the under carriage of the latter shewing the brake appliances
and the actuating gear therefor.
A is the steam cylinder for actuating the brakes throughout the train, which
cylinder I prefer to place under the tender as here shewn. This cylinder A. I prefer
to fit with a piston valve shot by steam, and this valve rod may be connected to a
tap communicating with both ends of the cylinder and actuating that tap auto-
matically, so as to allow the condensed water to escape before the fresh steam is put
into the cylinder. The taps a. a. at each end of cylinder are here shewn arranged
and actuated by hand in the ordinary way.
The piston rod B is connected by a rod or rods, or by a chain, or a wire rope
coupling to the pulling rod Ron the next following or first vehicle or carriage. The
piston rod B is by two connecting rods & connected with a lever C turning on a
fulcrum at c. To this lever is jointed the pulling rod, which by toggle and
link d. d, is connected to the pulling rod R leading to the next carriage. the end of
the pulling rod D on the tender being guided in a parallel guide. The short end
of the lever C serves to work the tender brakes; it is jointed to the rod E, which
passes through a spiral spring e', and is fitted with nut and washer at the back of
spring, which on being compressed applies the tender brakes by pressing against a
washer e. through which are passed the flat rods, which by the pin e³. are jointed
to the connecting rod F. This latter is jointed to one end of a single-armed
auxiliary lever. Another lever f³, on the same weigh shaft f' being jointed
to the ordinary brake rod G on the tender. The spindle or weigh shaft of the
lever f. also carries another lever which by the ordinary hand screw gear or
otherwise may be actuated by the engine-driver. If the tender wheels skid, the
travel of the piston is not interfered with, as the spring e' acting as a medium has
simply to be compressed a little more.
f.
Referring next to Figure 4. which is a side elevation, and Figure 5, a plan of
under side of the carriage next to the tender. I will describe the arrangement of
brake thereon, it being understood that all the other carriages are fitted similarly:-
The end of the rod R is connected by toggle or link, or directly to a connecting
rod S, the end of which is guided in a block guider. as here shewn, or in any other
suitable guide to the connecting rod S is again jointed another and shorter
connecting rod or link s. which is jointed to a pin in the centre of the flat
upper endt, t, of a lever T. The links is of half the length of the flat upper
endt. . and rests thereon when the lever T is in the central or normal position
as here shewn, the said flat surface . . being then horizontal or nearly so.
From the same centre pin s¹ a similar links, and connecting rod S makes con-
nection to the next carriage by a similar coupling as aforesaid and as here shewn,and
so on to the end of the train.
At equal distance above and below the fulcrum of the leverT.I joint a rod U.U¹,
at each place; these rods are at their other end formed with a slot u, u', and there
both connect on to a pin at one end of a double-armed lever V. The other or
upper end, as here shewn, of said lever V being jointed to a rod . which at its
further end is guided, and there formed or fitted with a shoulder against which a
spiral or volute spring H is made to rest, the said spiral spring H acting against a
cross head h. to which is jointed a rod I at each side, and at the opposite end held
by a nut and washer. These rods I being connected to the brake-block levers K.
and to similar rods 1' carried along to the brake-block levers K' for the wheels at
the other end of the carriage. The cross heads h have releasing spiral or volute
springs at the opposite side.

page_text: i
The action of this part of my Invention is as follows: The steam admission
cock L, Figure 1, being opened by the engine-driver, the steam passing along to tho
cylinder by the steam pipe pushes the piston forward towards the engine,
pulling with it the piston rod B and all the pulling rods R throughout the
whole train, the lever T with the flat upper side , Figure 4. is thereby
canted over from the middle or upright position, shewn in full lines to the
dotted right-hand position, so that the said upper sidet, ', comes in a slanting
position as shewn in dotted lines. The short links, jointed to the middle of the flat
upper side, t, is raised therefrom on the side nearest the engine or tender, but the
further corner of the flat upper side is raised, while the opposite corner is lowered.
If then the piston stroke be, say, fifteen inches(as an illustration), then the aforesaid
raised corner t of the lever T will describe a path of more than the fifteen inches;
heuce, if the difference be the extreme of the slack that ever can take place in the
couplings between two carriages, then the pull to the next carriage will be the full
extent of the said fifteen inches on the corresponding lever T, with the flat upper
surface t,t,on that next carriage,and so on throughout the train, so that in the last
carriage the pull may be made the same length as in the first. The tap L is a two-
way cock fitted to the boiler. To release the brakes, turn the tap handle into the
shut position: the steam in the cylinder will then escape by the steam pipe 7.passing
through the other passage in the tap L. and out into the air by the pipe 7. A
is a releasing spring attached to the lever C for drawing the piston back into its
normal position. The aforesaid rods U. 1, with slots u. ', at one of their ends,
come into play alternately, according to the direction of the pull, and thus the
brakes are put on whichever way or direction the carriage is coupled in.
()
The lever T with the flat upper side, may work in a vertical. horizontal, or other
plane. The other. or auxiliary brake-actuating gear, is placed in the guard's van.
and is illustrated by Figures 6 and 7. the former being a side view, partly in section,
and the other a part plan. On the axle M. nearest the guard's compartment I fix
an eccentric or cam which works in a slot formed in a lever N, having its fulcrum
in a block O, which by screw working in the block O as its nut, and actuated by
bevel gear P and hand wheel p (or it might be by lever gear) can be shifted in
position by the guard. This block carries a retaining pawl Q working in a
rack X. The lever X carries another or throwing pawl, working in the rack X,
and for every throw of the eccentric m the rack X is thereby propelled a certain
distance. the retaining pawl Q holding it in that position. The rack X is con-
nected to a spring which acts on a lever Y actuating the brake blocks Z. a
releasing spring y, or it might be a weight, taking the blocks off again. The
throwing pawl may be put into gear by pulling a cord in the guard's van,orfrom
any of the carriages, or from the engine. The two pawls are here shewn con-
nected by a slotted link g. To take the brakes off. the guard has to shift the sliding
block 0.
The rack X may be connected to the pulling rods R. going the whole length of
the train, the said pulling rods being fitted with the afore described appliances for
taking up the slack and applying the brake blocks on each carriage. Thus if
anything should happen to the brake steam cylinder A. the whole of the brakes may
be thrown into gear by hand power by the guard. The locomotive engine may be
fitted with a steam cylinder worked from the main steam pipe. its piston rod
being connected to the weigh shaft. from which the existing brake blocks are
actuated.
The aforesaid arrangement may also be modified so as to work double brake
blocks on each wheel.
Figure 8 is a plan of two halves of a coupling detached. Figure 9 is side view
of coupling connected, and Figure 10 an end view, and Figure 11 a vertical central
section respectively of the two halves of the coupling which may be applied between
the carriages for connecting the pulling rods Riogether. One-half of the coupling
is attached to each carriage; each half is formed with a projecting jib a fitting into
a corresponding hole in the other half, a small retaining spring (which is pressed

page_text: home in the act of coupling) flying out and preventing the two halves from parting
until the springs are again pushed back and the connection uncoupled by the porter.
Whichever end a carriage is turned the couplings meet each other properly.
And having thus described and ascertained the nature of this Invention, I declare
that I claim,
Firstly. The employment of a lever T. with a flat top or endt, t, to the middle
of which are connected rods. which when the flat top t. 1. assumes an angular
position relatively to the normal direction of the rods, causes the sweep of the raised
corner or to be larger than that of the middle of the flat top, all substantially
as herein set forth for successively taking up the slack or returning the full stroke
of the pulling rods and other parts of brakes for railway trains.
Secondly. The combination of said lever T with counteracting releasing spring
appliance, as set forth.
Thirdly. The parts set forth in the second claim, in combination with power
appliances or hand appliances, or both. for working railway brakes, all substantially
as set forth.
Fourthly. The mode of and means for connecting the pulling rods of the carriages
of a train, substantially as set forth.
In witness whereof. I, the said Ramsey Kendall, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
RAMSEY KENDALL. (L.S.)