IMPROVEMENTS IN FRICTION BREAKS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Bellamy, of Lostwithiel, in the County
of Cornwall, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
FRICTION BREAKS."
Sealed the 10th November 1874, and dated the 21st September 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Bellamy at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1874.
I, CHARLES BELLAMY, of Lostwithiel, in the County of Cornwall,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN FRICTION BREAKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to improvements in friction breaks, and consists
mainly in constructing the break blocks or the friction surfaces thereof
of india-rubber, by preference vulcanized, or of any suitable composition
thereof, or of any equivalent yielding substance.
Hitherto the break blocks or the friction surfaces of breaks have been
made of wood or of iron, or of a combination thereof, both which

page_text: materials are very deficient in the necessary requirements, the wood
wearing away very rapidly, and the iron in addition wearing the tyre or
external surface of the wheel, drum, or other surface to which it was
applied. These deficiencies are overcome by constructing the blocks
(according to this Invention) of india-rubber, or of any suitable compo-
sition thereof, or of any equivalent yielding substance, and the
following very important advantages over those hitherto in use are also
attained :-
-
The blocks have a very much greater durability, as they wear but very
slowly and do not wear or injure the tyre or surface of the wheel or
other surface upon which they act. They are also of a comparatively
light weight, and are perfectly noiseless and very efficient in their action,
as by them the pressure can be applied so as immediately to bring the
wheel or surface to which it is applied to a dead lock.
The improved blocks are held by or between projecting side flanges,
which are suitably secured to the break, and are held firmly in place by
through pins or other equivalent fastening means, so that when even-
tually thoroughly worn so as to be rendered of no further utility they
can be quickly removed and replaced by new blocks without the
necessity of skilled labour.
This Invention is intended to be applied to friction breaks used on all
kinds or descriptions of road vehicles, railway and other rolling stock,
stationary, marine, and locomotive engines, cranes, and all other descrip-
tions of machinery requiring friction break power.

page_text: |thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Charles Bellamy, Her special
licence that I, the said Charles Bellamy, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles Bellamy, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN FRICTION BREAKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Charles Bellamy, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Bellamy, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement in writing, and on reference being had to the
accompanying Sheet of Drawings, that is to say :-
Hitherto the break blocks or the friction surfaces of breaks have been
made of wood or of iron, or of a combination thereof. Both these
materials are deficient in the necessary requirements, the wood wearing
away very rapidly, and the iron wearing the tyre or external surface of
the wheel, drum, or other surface to which it was applied. The object of
this Invention is to overcome these deficiencies, and the Invention
consists in making the break blocks or the friction surfaces of breaks of
india-rubber, or of any suitable composition thereof, which will form a
sufficiently yielding substance for the purpose, by the use of which the
following very important advantages are attained :-
The blocks will have an increased durability, as they wear but slowly;
they do not injure the tyre or wear the surface of the wheel or other
surface upon which they act. They are of light weight and perfectly
noiseless, and they are very efficient in their action, as by their use the
pressure can be applied so as immediately to bring the wheel or surface
to which they are applied to a dead lock.

page_text: Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings illus-
trate the method which I find the most suitable of applying the improved
break blocks to road vehicles, and show the improved blocks 1 as firmly
held by through pins 2 between projecting sides flanges 3, which also
embrace a backing 4 (of wood) to the block 1, and which is secured to
the break iron 5 by bolts 6; or the improved blocks may be held by
other suitable fastening means, allowing of their being quickly removed
when eventually thoroughly worn so as to be rendered of no further
utility, and replaced by new blocks without the necessity of skilled
labor.
The improved blocks are intended to be applied as friction breaks to
all kinds or descriptions of road vehicles, railway and other rolling stock,
stationary, marine, and locomotive engines, and all other descriptions of
machinery requiring frictional break power, the mode of application
being modified as most suitable to the requirements of each case.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature and
object of my said Invention, together with the manner in which the
same is to be or may be performed or carried into practical effect, I
would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention the con-
structing break blocks or the friction surfaces of breaks of india-rubber
or of any suitable composition thereof, and the applying the same to
and using the same as friction breaks on road vehicles, railway rolling
stock, and on or for machinery of all kinds requiring frictional break
power, substantially as herein-above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Bellamy, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.