Year: 1887

page_text: |--Date of Application, 25th May, 1887
Complete Left, 25th Feb., 1888
Complete Accepted, 29th Mar, 1888
I, WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOOK-of Ranmoor-Sheffield, in the County of York,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved construction of Brake apparatus for Vehicles,
but especially applicable to railway Wagons; it combines simplicity of mechanism,
with great power, and enables the brake to be applied to all the four wheels of a
Wagon or Truck simultaneously, and to be withdrawn in a similar manner, from
either side of the Vehicle.
In carrying out my invention, I support in a central position between the two
wheels on one side of the wagon or truck and extending across to a similar position
on the other side of the wagon, a shaft capable of being rotated in its bearings and
having a right and left hand screwthread cut upon it at each end of the inner
side of the bearings or supports, and upon the ends of the shaft I fix levers,
hand wheels or other suitable means whereby the shaft may be turned in either
direction.
Upon each screwed part of the shaft I fit a correspondingly screwed nut, and to
each side of the nut I attach a connecting rod or arm by means of a joint pin, the
other ends of the said rods or arms being similarly attached to brake blocks sliding
horizontally upon a guide bar, to or from the face of the wheels; by this arrangement
the nuts are prevented turning round when the shaft is rotated.
When the handle or wheel upon either side of the wagon is turned in one direction,
the action of the screwed part causes the nuts to travel from each other, and to
bring the arms from an angular position into a straight line, and thus force the brake
blocks against the face of the wheels. When the action is reversed the nuts travel in
the opposite direction, and all the brake blocks are simultaneously withdrawn.
Instead of screws and nuts as above described, a cam or its mechanical equivalent
may be substituted to produce a corresponding movement.

page_text: A modification of the above described apparatus may be readily applied to work
the present system of brakes.
A further modification may be made by having a right and left hand screw or cam
on each end of the rocking shaft, so as to open and close two pairs of jaws or brake
blocks, arranged to grip the sides of the wheel instead of pressing against the face, by
this method of gripping the sides of the rim or tyre of the wheel there is no undue
pressure put upon the axle boxes. This arrangement enabling the brake to be applied
or taken off, from either side of the wagon with rapidity and ease, is especially useful
when shunting.
T
1
1007
ROBT. F. DRURY,
Agent for the Applicant.
I, WILLIAM SAMUEL LAYCOCK of Ranmoor Sheffield in the County of York,
Manufacturer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in the construction of Brake Apparatus for
Vehicles, and more particularly to the brakes of railway rolling stock; it combines 2
simplicity of mechanical construction, with the development of great power, and
enables the brake blocks to be applied to all the wheels of an ordinary wagon or truck
simultaneously, and also to be withdrawn therefrom in like manner, from either side
of the Vehicle, which is of great utility in shunting operations.
The accompanying drawings illustrate two methods of carrying this invention into 2
effect, similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in any of the figures in which
they occur.
Fig. 1, is a side elevation of a Railway wagon with a brake apparatus constructed
according to my invention.
Fig. 2, is a plan of one side of the same apparatus with portions of the woodwork
removed.
Figs. 3. 4. 5. 6 illustrate modified arrangements of my invention, shown in a similar
manner to those in Figs. 1 & 2.
"
In constructing a brake apparatus such as shown in Figs. 1 & 2, I support a
shaft A, extending across the wagon (for example) and projecting sufficiently to:
૧

page_text: receive on each end a hand wheel or lever B, or like means by which the shaft may
be turned in either direction. If the brake blocks I, are to be applied to only one
pair of wheels as shown in Fig. 2, I make the bearing D, at that side of the wagon
with a screwthread E, and I make a corresponding screwthread, upon the shaft A, so
that when the shaft A is turned by the lever B, the screw thread E will cause it to
travel longitudinally in its bearing. If desired the screw may be made at the other
end of the shaft, or there may be screws at both ends of the shaft, and both bearings
be also screwed.
The Bearing D, has a bracket projecting inwards, on each side of the shaft, to carry
two rocking cranks F, to which are attached connecting rods, or push rods G, which
are also attached at their opposite ends to the brake block arms H, which carry the
brake blocks I.
The arms of the rocking cranks F, to which the connecting rods G are not attached,
extend towards the shaft A, and are suitably shaped and arranged to be operated upon
by two collars formed upon the shaft, between which they fit, and by which they are
moved in either direction, according to the traversing motion of the shaft A, and
either causing the brake blocks to be applied or withdrawn as the case may be.
The arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3 & 4, is a modification of my invention; it
consists in arranging the screwed shaft A longitudinally with the wagon instead of
transversly as in Figs. 1 & 2, but by the addition of another shaft J, fixed across the
wagon and capable of being turned by a wheel or lever from either side, the said
shaft A may be turned by means of bevil wheels K or the like. The brake blocks I,
are carried on pivotted arms H, and suitable nuts L, are fixed to, or carried by the
top ends of the said arms H, through which the screwed portions of the shaft A
work; the screws are made right and left hand and thus their action will be readily
understood as either drawing the nuts L, and the top parts of the arms H towards
each other, or by reversing the movement, forcing them apart, and thus either
applying or withdrawing the brake blocks to the wheels. Fig. 3 shows the nuts and
end of arm enlarged, but I do not bind myself to this detail of the invention.
If it is desirable to have the operating levers at the ends of the vehicle instead of
at the side, I dispense with the shaft J, Fig. 4, and extend the screwed shaft A, past
the ends of the vehicle.
On one end of the shaft so extended I fix. a lever or a wheel, to be operated from
that side of the vehicle, and on the other end of the same shaft I fix a lever or arm
connected to a rod passing across the vehicle and which is also attached or jointed to
a hand lever so placed that the brake can be worked from that side of the vehicle.
I have illustrated a further modification or arrangement of my invention in
Figs. 5 & 6. in which the shaft A, which is fixed across the wagon, (supported in
bearings, and provided with wheels or hand levers as before described) has a right
and left hand screw cut upon it as shown in Fig. 6, and upon each screwthread a
correspondingly threaded nut M and M' is placed. To these nuts, connecting rods N
are attached by joint pins, the opposite ends being similarly secured to the brake
blocks I; this end of the shaft A may be supported by the plain part of the said
shaft marked O, or the end of the shaft may be made to suit this purpose, and carried
by a suitably constructed bracket. It will therefore be seen that when the shaft A is
turned in one direction the action of the right and left hand screws will draw the
nuts together and force the brake blocks against the wheels; and when turned in the
opposite direction will separate the nuts and draw back the blocks.
If it is desirable to apply brake blocks to the four wheels of a wagon, a similar
appliance to that described is fixed upon the other end of the shaft A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
-
1-In Railway Brake Apparatus, the combination of a shaft extending across the
Vehicle and having at each end means by which it may be turned, and provided with
one or more screws, cams or their equivalents at one or both ends, engaging with

page_text: nuts or like parts connected with the brake blocks, for the purpose specified and
substantially as described.
2-In mechanism for operating the brake blocks of Railway rolling stock, a shaft
as described in Claim 1, its screwed portion engaging in a correspondingly screwed
hole in one of its bearing blocks, so that when the said shaft is turned from either
side of the Vehicle it will travel longitudinally, and through suitable levers or like
connections as shown in Figs. 1 & 2 will apply or withdraw the brake blocks.
3-In mechanism for operating the brake blocks of Railway Rolling Stock, a shaft
having one or more screws or cams, such as before described; the said shaft being
fixed longitudinally with the Vehicle, but to be rotated by a transverse or cross shaft
worked from either side of the Vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described, and.
as shown in Figs. 3 & 4.
4-In Railway Brake mechanism, a Shaft provided with one or more screwed parts,
or in lieu thereof with cans or similar equivalents for screws, capable of being turned
or partly turned from both sides of the Vehicle, and connected with the brake blocks
by any suitable intermediate mechanism that will enable the said brake blocks to be
applied or withdrawn as desired from either side of Vehicle, and that will retain them
in position without the aid of pins or stops.
Dated the 92nd day of February 1888