IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Samuel Mathews, of 61, Wardour Street,
in the County of Middlesex, of Summer Hill Parade, in the City of
Dublin, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BREAKS."
Sealed the 12th January 1858, and dated the 16th July 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Samuel Mathews
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
16th July 1857.
T, GEORGE SAMUEL MATHEWS, of 61, Wardour Street, in the County of
Middlesex, of Summer Hill Parade, in the City of Dublin, Gentleman, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BREAKS," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to improvements in those railway breaks which act
by the friction of shoes or skids brought to bear against the rails on which
the carriages are travelling, and consists in the peculiar arrangement of tho
parts whereby such breaks are put in action, and also in the securing of the
breaks or friction surfaces, by which they are prevented being strained or
torn away by the friction created. My Invention also relates to the peculiar
manner of facing such breaks with wood.
Between each of two adjoining wheels of a carriage, or between any
adjoining two wheels on each side, I support a break or skid surface,

page_text: which is of a length as long as convenient in such position. I suspend
this break immediately over the rails by means of two rods, which are again
supported from a cross beam passing from side to side of the carriage
frame. The position of the skid or break may be regulated with regard
to its height from the rail by means of set nuts and screws on such
suspending rods. The cross beam which supports the suspending rods
is at the middle of its length supported on a vertical screw, which is
strongly fitted in the framework of the carriage. This screw passes up
through the floor of the carriage, and has a lever or other suitable hand-hold
by which it may be turned. The effect of turning the screw is either to
depress or clevate the cross beam in which it works, and with it the skids or
breaks, so as to cause them to exert a pressure on or to raise them from the
rails, and thereby applying or removing the breaks.
When more than one pair of skids are so applied, I furnish and connect
each pair with a cross beam and central screw, but do not apply the hand lever
to each pressure screw; but in order to communicate the necessary motion,
I fit a lever on each pressure screw, and connect the whole number of such
levers by means of one or two longitudinal connecting rods, whereby the
motion imparted to any one of the screws to actuate the break is transmitted
to the whole of the pressure screws simultaneously, and so causing all of the
breaks so coupled to be thrown into or be withdrawn from action at the same
time.
Instead of applying the pressure-exerting screw midway of the cross or
transverse beam I sometimes apply one at or near each end of such bars,
and immediately under the side framing of the carriage, but so couple such
pair of screws so that motion imparted to one is transmitted to the other,
and in such direction, that they simultaneously depress or raise each end of
the cross beam from which the skids or breaks depend. I also similarly
connect the whole of the pressure screws of a carriage, so that the motion of
one is transmitted to the whole where more than a pair is used, as above
described. In order to sustain the break surfaces firmly in position, and
enable them to resist the breaking or skidding action, I attach connecting
rods to the skid, and connect them directly with the main frame of the
carriage, keeping the angle of inclination as little as possible, which con-
necting rods receive all the strain that is exerted to tear away the skid by
friction produced on the rail. When the skids or breaks are pressed down
upon the rail, the weight of the carriage is in part removed from the wheels,
but this should not be exerted to such an extent as to prevent the proper

page_text: guiding of the carriage by the flanges of the wheels. My improvements in
facing such skidding or break surfaces consist in fitting blocks or pieces of
wood into metal shoes in such manner that the end grain of the wood is
presented as the friction surface.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Samuel Mathews in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 15th January 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SAMUEL MATHEWS, of 61, Wardour Street, in the County of Middlesex, of
Summer Hill Parade, in the City of Dublin, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by ller Letters
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twenty-first year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
George Samuel Mathews, Her special licence that I, the said George Samuel
Mathews, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, tho
said George Samuel Mathews, 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Samuel Mathews, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, 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 George Samuel Mathews, 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, reference being had to the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates to improvements in those railway breaks which act
by the friction of shoes or skids brought to bear against the rails on which

page_text: the carriages are travelling, and consists in the peculiar arrangement of the
parts whereby such breaks are put in action, and also in the securing of the
breaks or friction surfaces, by which they are prevented being strained or torn
away by the friction created. My Invention also relates to the peculiar
manner of facing such breaks with wood.
Between each of two adjoining wheels of a carriage, or between any
adjoining two wheels on each side, I support a break or skid surface, which
is of a length as long as convenient in such position. I suspend this break
immediately over the rails by means of two rods, which are again supported
from a cross beam passing from side to side of the carriage frame. The
position of the skid or break may be regulated with regard to its height from
the rail by means of set nuts and screws on such suspending rods. The cross
beam which supports the suspending rods is at the middle of its length
supported on a vertical screw, which is strongly fitted in the framework of
the carriage. This scrow passes up through the floor of the carriage, and has
a lever or other suitable hand-hold by which it may be turned. The effect
of turning the screw is either to depress or clevate the cross beam in which it
works, and with it the skids or breaks, so as to cause them to exert a prossure
on or raise them from the rails, and thereby to apply or remove the friction
of the breaks.
When more than one pair of skids are so applied, I furnish and connect
cach pair with a cross beam and central screw, but do not apply the hand
lover to cach pressure screw; but in order to communicate the necessary
motion, I fit a lever on each pressure screw, and connect the whole number
of such levers by means of one or two longitudinal connecting rods, whereby
the motion imparted to any one of the screws to actuate the break is trans-
mitted to the whole of the pressure screws simultaneously, and so causing all
of the breaks so coupled to be thrown into or withdrawn from action at the
same time.
Instead of applying the pressure-exerting screw midway of the cross or
transverse beam, I sometimes apply one at or near each end of such bars, and
immediately under the side framing of the carriage, but so couple each pair
of screws that motion imparted to the one is transmitted to the other, and in
such direction that they simultaneously dopress or raise each end of the cross
beam from which the skids or breaks depend. I also similarly connect the
whole of the pressure screws of a carriage, so that the motion of one is
transmitted to the whole where more than one pair is used, as above described.
In order to sustain the break surfaces firmly in position, and enable them

page_text: to resist the breaking or skidding action, I attach connecting rods to the skid
and connect them directly with the main frame of the carriage, keeping the
angle of inclination as little as possible. These rods receive all the strain
that is exerted to tear away the skid by the friction produced on the rail.
When the skids or breaks are pressed down upon the rails, the weight
of the carriage is in part removed from the wheels, but this should not be
exerted to such an extent as to prevent the proper guiding of the carriage by
the flanges of the wheels. My improvement in facing such skidding or
break surfaces consists in fitting blocks or pieces of wood into metal shoes
in such manner that the end grain of the wood is presented as the friction
surface.
In order that the nature of my Invention may be more clearly understood,
I will proceed by means of the accompanying Drawings and Figures to
describe one of the means by which I carry the same into effect.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS.
Fig. 1 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings represents, in side elevation, the
lower carriage or framework and wheels of a railway carriage with my
improvements in breaks applied thereto, so much of the vehiclo being
sufficient for the illustration of my Invention; Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the same taken on the line a, b. C, C, is the
framework of the carriage, but which may be otherwise arranged according
to the build of the carriage or the designs of the builder; D, D, D, are tho
wheels and axles, fitted in bearings in the ordinary manner; E, E, E, are the
skid or break surfaces, placed midway between the wheels, and supported by
screw rods F, F, from the cross bar G. There are two screw rods to cach
break surface, the cross ends of bar G being extended for their reception.
The cross bar G is supported by a strong screw H, which is screwed therein
at the middle of its length, the upper part or neck of which screw is
supported in a collar plate I, in which it is free to rotate, but does not
rise or fall. It will be readily understood that if a suitable lever be
applied to the upper part of the screw H, and it is caused to turn round, tho
bar G will be raised or forcibly depressed, carrying with it the skid or break
surfaces E, E. If the motion of the screw II is such as to depress the breaks
E, E, they will take effect on the rail X, immediately above which they are
disposed, and will partially lift the weight of the carriage from the wheels.
If the motion is reversed, the break surfaces are removed from the rail, and
the carriage runs freely as usual.

page_text: In order to actuato all the breaks simultaneously, and by one first mover,
I connect all the screws II, H, which, with the breaks and corresponding parts,
are all arranged as before explained, by means of rods K, K, which aro
jointed to cross levers L mounted on the heads of the screws. These cross
levers L being each fixed to a central screw H, and jointed to the rods K,
motion imparted to any one of the screws H is transmitted to the whole
number so connected, and thereby actuates the whole number of breaks, so as
to bring them forcibly down upon the rails X, X, thus offering a powerful
resistance to the onward motion of the carriage so furnished. The break
carriage may alone be so furnished, or the entire number of carriages may bo
similarly fitted, and each furnished with suitable apparatus for actuating tho
same, or the connecting bars K of the several carriages may be coupled
together when making up the carriages, so that the whole of them in the train
may be applied by the guard in the break van, or other apparatus of com-
munication may be established in order to enable him to apply the breaks of
the several carriages simultaneously.
In order to strengthen the skid breaks E, E, I connect those on each side
of the carriage by rods M, M, and again severally to the framework C of the
carriage by rods P, which are suitably jointed thereto to permit the rising
and lowering motion of the breaks, the joints, however, being sufficiently looso
to allow of a little extension in order that the breaks may descend freely to
the rails, and at the same time so adjusted that the rods M and P take the
strain from the upright screw rods F, F, while the breaks are pressing hard
on the rails. Instead of the joints of these rods being somewhat loose, the
ends next the framework of the carriage may be connected by strong springs,
which may come against suitable stops to limit the amount of the extending
motion of the rods P, and receive the ultimate strain if necessary.
The second part of my Invention, which relates to facing the break skids or
surfaces E with wood in a particular manner, is represented in Figs. 1 and 3,
herein-before referred to, and also in the sections, Fig. 4, which are transverse
& longitudinal sections of the skid break E. It will be seen that it is
a hollow metal frame or case, into which the pieces of wood are fitted and
fixed, so that the end of the grain is presented to the rail as the rubbing
surface, which thereby produces a better frictional surface, and is more
enduring than if presented sideways to effect the friction. The pieces of wood
Qmay be simply driven into the case C, or secured by through bolts or pins,
or in any other suitable manner.
llaving described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of per-

page_text: forming the same, 1 declare that what claim as my Invention to be
protected by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is, the com-
bination and arrangement of parts, herein-before described, for actuating and
sustaining railway breaks or any mere modification thereof, and the application
thereto of the wood forming the frictional surfaces of railway breaks, in
manner hercin-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Samuel Mathews, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of January, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
GEORGE SAMUEL MATHEWS. (L.S.)