IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BREAKS AND SIGNALLING APPARATUS OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Louis Knoblauch at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
April 1875. A communication from abroad by E. Zimmermann
and Rudolph Knoblauch, of Cologne and Duisburg.
I, LOUIS KNOBLAUCH, of 60, King William Street, in the City of
London, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE BREAKS AND SIGNALLING APPARATUS OF RAILWAY
TRAINS," a communication to me from abroad by E. Zimmermann and
Rudolph Knoblauch, of Cologne and Duisburg, to be as follows::-
This Invention relates to continuous brakes for railways and to
apparatus to be employed in connection therewith for signalling to or
communicating with the engine driver from any part of the train, which
apparatus is operated automatically in the event of the train becoming
separated.
According to this Invention it is proposed to employ friction rollers
and friction sleeves, which are fitted loosely side by side on a shaft
suspended in proximity to the axle of the wheel to which the brake is to

page_text: be applied, such shaft having formed on portions of its length a flat
screw thread of a sharp pitch for the reception of hollow screws which
work thereon. A continuous chain which extends throughout the train,
and is wound upon a chain drum carried by the tender is conducted from
the locomotive over suitable rollers and through couplings or connections
(consisting of jointed lever arms which by assuming an inclined position
maintain the chain taut) to the last brake or carriage, and is there
fastened directly to a lever. By means of the couplings or connections
the chain preserves its original length, and the tension given to it on
connection with the train whether the carriages move closer to or further
from each other, so that the individual brakes of any carriage may be
attached by means of short chains leading from the main chain to a
part of the framing of such carriage.
By drawing forward the main chain by means of a hand lever on the
locomotive a rod which is jointed to the hollow screws is raised by
means of intermediate links or connections, whereby the friction rollers
are pressed against the axle of the carriage, at the same time the hollow
screws become screwed against the friction sleeves, and these are in turn
pressed against the friction rollers. The motive power of the axle
imparts a rotatory motion to the rollers which conduct the sleeves with
them. By the rotation of the sleeves chains attached to the latter at
one end and to the framing at the other end, and supporting one
extremity of brake levers are wound upon the sleeves, and by being
shortened draw up the brake levers which by means of connecting rods
press the brake blocks against the wheels.
Springs are provided in order to avoid confining the action too much
to the parts with which the friction rollers are in contact, and by their
means the brake pressure may be adjusted as desired so as to avoid
hurtful shocks and excessive straining of the material.
On the detachment of a portion of the train the brakes in the
detached portion are brought into play and fixed by the connecting chain,
having been drawn so far back before the separation that the hollow
screws are brought into such a position as to form an inverted joint by
which the brake remains in force.
The signalling is effected by means of pressure stops introduced into
the sides of the carriages. When the stopper is pressed down it acts on
the continuous chain, pulling it in the opposite direction from that of the

page_text: brake apparatus, and turning a rocking lever on its axis, which lever in
its turn presses back a rod connected it and leading to the steam
whistle whereby the cock of the signal whistle is opened and the whistle
sounded. Should the train of carriages be broken (accidentally or
otherwise) the signal would thus be given automatically.