IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS, PARTS OF WHICH CAN BE USED OR APPLIED FOR SIGNALLING ON TRAINS IN MOTION
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Richard Watson at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 2nd September
1867.
I, RICHARD WATSON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Fire-
proof Safe Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS, PARTS OF WHICH
CAN BE USED OR APPLIED FOR SIGNALLING ON TRAINS IN MOTION," to be as,
follows:-
My Invention relates, first, to an arrangement of mechanism to be applied
to railway carriages when coupling chains or ropes are employed to connect
the brakes from one carriage to another, and has for its object to keep the
said chains or ropes tight or in tension at all times, as well when the carriages
are close together and the buffer springs in compression as when the carriages.
are separated the full distance of the coupling chains, and so as thereby to
render a short movement of the operating screw or lever in the guard's van or
on the engine, or in the portion of the train where the brakes are put into
action, effective in causing the brakes to act on all the wheels quickly and.
practically simultaneously.

page_text: In carrying this part of my Invention into effect I connect or couple
to the carriages or between the brakes on the carriages next to each other
an arrangement of three, four, or more levers, I prefer four. These levers
are jointed together at their ends on studs, the number of the studs being
the same as the number of the levers, on which they are free to move.
On the studs pullies or rollers are fitted, and the coupling chains or ropes
are passed over these. The said levers, studs, and pullies or rollers when
fitted together and placed in position, four levers being used, are of a
diamond form in outline, and whether drawn out longitudinally by the
carriages moving further apart or folded up by the carriages coming nearer
together the same quantity of chain or rope is required to pass over them.
For this reason I have denominated the levers, studs, and pullies, or rollers
combined in the manner described the "tension apparatus." The said tension
apparatus is the portion of my Invention which can be used or applied for
signalling on trains in motion. To fit a train for this purpose I attach or
connect to each carriage at least one of the said tension apparatus at a con-
venient point for permitting the cords or other flexible agents which pass over
them to be easily connected when a train is being "made up." I prefer to
attach or connect them at the top and about the transverse middle of each
carriage. The cords or other flexible agents when connected form a con-
tinuous line along the whole of the train, and have connected thereto other
cords or flexible agents which terminate in the carriage, so that when
requisite a passenger can transmit motion, and thereby signal the guard and
engine driver, or either of them, according as the connections are adjusted,
the manner of making these connections being well known.
My Invention also relates; secondly, to the brakes proper, and consists in so
constructing or adding to them that the friction blocks are caused to act
quickly with great pressure on the wheels, and when desired to prevent them
from rotating; the object being to stop a train in the shortest possible time in
cases where this is necessary.
""
For the performance of this part of my Invention. I employ any ordinary
or convenient arrangement of levers coupled by the "tension apparatus
above described, or otherwise, to convey the motion first given in the
guard's van or elsewhere to the friction blocks. The friction blocks are
provided with carriers which move on rigid bearings secured to the bottom
of the framework of the carriage, and on motion being given these. carriers
oonvey the friction blocks up to the wheels. The friction blocks are fitted
with rubbing pieces connected by dovetail feathers into vertical grooves on the

page_text: end faces of the said blocks; this allows them to move up or down and act like
wedges and "bite" the more the faster the wheels are rotating. These
bearing pieces can be connected to the friction blocks in various ways, or they
can be detached therefrom and be pushed into position by motion from any
convenient part of the levers.