IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, for
the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS."-A communication
from Jean Baptiste Marie Albert Cochot, of Paris, in the Empire of
France.
Scaled the 12th August 1856, and dated the 24th June 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
24th June 1856.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS," a
communication from Jean Baptiste Marie Albert Cochot, of Paris, in the
Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions and arrangements of
railway breaks, wherein the carriages or waggons are lifted entirely off the
rails, and rest with the whole of their weight upon suitable shoes or skids,
which are brought instantaneously into contact with the rails at every carriage
throughout the entire length of the train, if desired, when the breaks are to be
put on.
According to one modification, each or any desired number of carriages in

page_text: the train is fitted with four shoes or skids, placed each in front of the wheels of
the carriage. These shoes are connected to lever arins, which have a slight
vertical play at their upper ends in suitable sockets formed in two shafts work-
ing in bearings bolted to the under side of the main framing, one shaft being
at or near the front end, and the other at or near the back end of the carriage.
The object of allowing this vertical play is to compensate for the varying
height of the carriage framing from the rails, according as the carriage contains
more or less number of passengers. Each pair of shoes or skids are connected
by a transverse bar, and the back pair are connected to the front pair by a
longitudnal rod and one or two links of a chain, so that their coupling may be
adjusted as required. The front pair of shoes or skids are connected by means
of a lever and vertical rod to a hook, fast on a horizontal longitudinal actuating
shaft, working in bearings on the roof of the carriage.
The breaks on a number of carriages are connected by forming a winch
handle. on the end of. the actuating shaft of one carriage, and a simple arm.on
the end of the actuating shaft of the next carriage, the two ends being then
made to bear against each other, so that when one is turned to put the break
on, the other will be turned likewise, thereby breaking the entire train
instantaneously, since by simply turning the actuating shafts one-fourth of a
revolution, the hooks will be disengaged from the vertical suspension rods, and
the shoes or skids (which are flanged and formed to receive the wheels) will at
once descend on to the rails, and the wheels will be raised from off the rails
and run on to the skids.
According to another modification, only one lever arm in place of two is used
for connecting each pair of skids to the short transverse shaft underneath the
carriage framing, such arm being forked at the lower end, and bolted to the
transverse bar which connects the skids of each pair. In this case, in place of
the arm having a vertical play through a socket in the shaft, the shaft itself is
made to work at its bearings in vertical guide slots.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
..by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
24th December 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and
of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
John Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said John Henry Johnson, my executors, administrators, or 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,' communication from Jean Baptiste Marie
Albert Cochot, of Paris, in the Empire of France, upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the sanie
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.
"
was to
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accompanying Drawings, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
The said Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions & arrangements
of railway breaks, wherein the carriages or waggons are lifted entirely off the
rails, and rest with the whole of their weight upon suitable drags, shoes, or
skids, which are brought instantaneously into contact with the rails at every
carriage throughout the entire length of the train, if desired, when the breaks
are to be put on.
According to one modification, each or any desired number of carriages in
the train is fitted with four shoes or skids, placed each in front of the wheels of
the carriage. These shoes are connected to lever arms, which have a slight
vertical play at their upper ends in suitable sockets formed on two shafts work-
ing in bearings bolted to the under side of the main framing, one shaft being
at or near the front end, and the other at or near the back end of the carriage.
The object of allowing this vertical play is to compensate for the varying
height of the carriage framing from the rails, according as the carriage
contains a greater or less number of passengers. Each pair of skids or shoes

page_text: are connected by a transverse bar, and the back pair are connected to the front
pair by a longitudinal rod and one or two links of a chain, so that their
coupling may be adjusted as required. The front pair of shoes or skids are
connected by means of a lever and vertical rod to a hook, fast on a horizontal,
longitudinal actuating shaft, working in bearings on the roof of the carriage.'
The breaks on a number of carriages are connected by forming a winch
handle on the end of the actuating shaft of one carriage, and a simple arm on
the end of the actuating shaft of the next carriage, the two-ends-being then
made to bear against each other, so that when one is turned to put the break
on, the other will be turned with it, thereby breaking the entire train
instantaneously, since by simply turning the actuating shafts a quarter of a
revolution, the hooks will be disengaged from the vertical suspension rods, and
the shoes or skids (which are flanged and formed to receive the wheels) will
instantly descend on to the rails, and the wheels will be raised from off the
rails and run on to the skids.
According to another modification, only one lever arm in place of two is used
for connecting each pair of skids to the short transverse shaft underneath the
carriage framing, such arm being, forked at its lower end, and bolted to the
transverse bar which connects the skids of each pair. In this case, in place of
the arm having a vertical play through a socket in the shaft, the shaft itself is
made to work at its bearings in vertical guide slots.
1:
And in order that the said Invention may be more fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I
shall refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout all the
Figures..
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents, in vertical projection, two waggons,
coupled together and furnished with the improved arrangement of breaks;
Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same; Figures 3 to 6 represent, in detail,
two modifications of the breaks, for facilitating their attachment to ordinary
railway carriages.
:
It will be seen from an examination of these different Figures that the
shoes or skids A, which form the break, descend in front of the wheels on to
the rails, instead of acting on the circumferences or peripheries of, the wheels,
as is usually the case, the rotatory movement of the wheels being obstructed
by means of the small flanges a with which the shoes are furnished, and by
which they are prevented from slipping off the rails.
Each pair of shoes is loosely fixed on the two extremities of a horizontal
bar B, united to a moveable axis c by two rods or bars D, D. These two rods

page_text: or bars are united by means of a cross piece E, having an enlargement forged
upon it, in which is fixed, by means of a nut f, a fork or double eye F, which
serves, by the aid of the connecting rod G, to connect the back pair of shoes
with the pair in front. This connecting rod, instead of. being in one piece
throughout its whole length, may be united at the back part (Figure 1) with
one or two chain links g, thus augmenting its length, by a flexible joint, in
order that the back pair of shoes may come into operation before those in
front, when the detachment takes place by which they are thrown into action.
.One of the moveable axes c, namely, that one which acts as a centre of oscil-
lation for the front pair of shoes, is furnished with a bent lever handle H,
which is united to a vertical rod I. .The upper extremity of this. rod is formed
into a slot or ring i, into which the hook j is engaged (Figures 1 and 2), which
hook is fast on the horizontal rod J, fitted on to the top of the carriage, and
therefore it supports the rod I, the lever H, and the four shoes, as clearly, shewn
by the Drawings.
.
.
It will thus be obvious that if the ring or slot i has its support j removed,
the four shoes A will immediately and simultaneously descend upon the rails
in front of the wheels, as they will be no longer supported or held up.
A similar arrangement may be applied to all or any number of the carriages
of a train; and in order to work them all simultaneously, the rods J, which
work in the bearings k, on the roofs of the carriages, are bent at their extre-
mities, the one into the form of a winch handle j', & the other simply into that
of a lever arm. It will be seen from this that when the guard, or official
charged with the duty of attending to the break, considers it necessary to
throw it into action, he has merely to turn the handle at J¹ a quarter of a
revolution to disengage the hooks j, and consequently by an instantaneous
movement to cause the shoes or skids of all the carriages to, descend and come
into action simultaneously.
In the natural condition of the train, the shoes or skids A are held suspended
or out of action behind the wheels, as shown at Figure 5, the hooks j being
engaged in the rings or slots i, serving to suspend the rods I; but if there be
any danger of a collision, or necessity for stopping the train quickly, the guard
turns the handle J¹ from the left to the right (Figure 3). This action dis-
engages the hooks j and allows the rod I to fall, and the weight of the whole
mechanism naturally causes the shoes to descend on to the rails, causing the
bars D to oscillate upon their centres c; thus, as I have above described, the
shoes at the back end of the carriage come into action first through the effect
of the links g.
The wheels of the carriages continuing to turn, they run on to the shoes, and

page_text: these, in the position shown in Figure 1, slide along the rails, in consequence
of the impetus acquired by the train, at the same time supporting the whole
weight of the carriages, while the wheels, having become engaged in the shoes,
will no longer rotate.
If the carriages are empty, the effect of the brakes is equally good, since the
power that is necessary to effect the stoppage is always greater in proportion to
the weight of the train.
In order to remove the shoes after the stoppage of the train, and replace the
mechanism in its original position, the ring or slot i may be connected with
the hook by simply raising the lever H, by means of the handle h', as the
shoes are not of a greater weight than can be conveniently lifted by hand;
where heavy shoes, however, are used, any convenient mechanical arrangement
may be used for lifting them. As the carriages are hung upon springs, they
are not always at an equal or uniform height from the rails, but vary according
to the weight with which they are loaded. This, however, will not in any way
impede the action of the breaks, as the mechanical arrangement adopted allows
the breaks to fall a greater or less distance, as may be required. For this
purpose the axis C is furnished with two enlargements or bosses, into which are
fitted the screw-threaded extremities of the bars D. These extremities are
furnished with nuts d, which control the play of the ends of the rods D through
the bosses, the rods being adjusted by the nuts, so as to be of sufficient length
to allow for the greatest descent of the shoes, or the greatest possible elevation
of the carriage, as would be the case when it is empty.
Although, as I have just explained, the carriages may not all be of the
same height, yet the proper action of the horizontal rod J on the roofs of the
carriages, by means of which the instantaneous disengagement of the breaks
is effected, will not be interfered with, but will work effectually by reason of
the simple arrangement of bent arms or cranks and j", the dimensions of
which are large enough to admit of their acting, whatever may be the ordinary
differences of height and distances between the carriages. The bent rod j',
for example, will always actuate the arm ", which is forged on to the
neighbouring rod, as will be clearly understood on referring to Figure 1. of
the Drawings.
Figures and 4 represent two slight modifications of the mechanical
arrangement of the breaks just described.
I have remarked that in certain kinds of carriages the cross pieces of the
framework impede the action of the mechanism, and that it is difficult to
dispose the two bars D which connect the cross bar B, furnished with the
shoes, to the moveable axis C. To remedy this inconvenience it is simply

page_text: necessary to make use of one bar of wrought iron, forked into two curved
branches D¹ and D (Figure 4), and to modify the form of the other portions
of the mechanism in the manner indicated in the Drawing. In this latter
arrangement, instead of the bars D being adjustable in the axis C, in order
to accommodate themselves to the variable height of the carriage, it is the
axes C which are raised or lowered in the slots e¹ in the bearings e (as shown
in Figure 7), thus giving to the drags the necessary fall required.
The modifications represented at Figures 5 and 6 serves to remedy the
inconvenience arising from the combinations herein-before described, which is
that the shoes are not always at the same height above the rails, and which
consequently prevents their action from being regular and uniform. Thus
when the carriage is not loaded, the action of the bearing springs will raise
it higher from the ground than when it carries a considerable weight. This
inconvenience is avoided by the very simple arrangement of making the axle
boxes the supporting media; these being invariable in height, the shoes will
consequently be always at the same elevation, and their action uniform. It
will be seen in Figures 5 and 6, that the two levers or rods D, which sustain `
each pair of shoes or drags A by the aid of the cross bar B, are loosely fitted by
slots c on to the rod C, which is fixed at each of its extremities to the wrought-
iron plates M, and these plates in their turn rest upon the axle boxes N. For
this purpose the plates are forked at their lower ends, in order to fit into
suitable seats on the inner faces of the axle boxes. The forked plates M are
not fixed on the boxes, but only rest thereon; in order, therefore, to maintain
them fixed, to enable them to support the weight of the shoes of the cross
pieces and levers, these plates are united to the framework by small connecting.
rods N¹, jointed to a stud n¹ on the plates n", which are bolted to the cross
pieces of the framework. By this combination the height of the carriage O
and framework P may alter without that of the shoes or skids varying in any
perceptible degree, the stud n', which maintains the rigidity of the whole of
the mechanism, being free to rise or fall without sensibly displacing the plates
M which sustain the shoes. In order to keep the plates M the proper
distance apart, the axes c bear at each end against the sides of the framing,
which are fitted with small metal abutement plate p (Figures 5 and 6). The.
cross bars B, which unite each pair of shoes, are furnished with hooks b,
serving to receive the rings forming the two extremities of the rod G, which
connects the front pair of shoes with those at the back. The two levers or
bars D are united to one another by the diagonal tie bars or braces E, and
are retained at a proper distance apart on the axle C by the collars d, which
do not prevent them from sliding in the slots C when the chain 7 no longer

page_text: sustains them. In the original condition of the train the shoes are maintained
in the raised position in which they are represented in the Drawing (Figures
5 and 6) by the hook j, the vertical link' I; lever H, and chain q, guided by
the pulley Q'; but so soon as by a rotatory movement of the shaft J the hook
jis released from the link'I; the 'mechanism is liberated and the shoes fall
on to the rails by their own gravity: It will be easily understood that the
same principle of shoes or skids may be applied in various ways, by modifying
slightly the mechanical details, so as to enable railway carriages or trucks of
any construction to be fitted with these breaks..
Having now described' and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise: details or arrangements which I have had occasion to
describe or refer to, as many variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from 'the 'principles or main features of the said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention
secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent, is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and combination of safety
breaks for railway rolling stock, composed of drags, shoes, or skids, which
fall on the rails in front of the wheels, and on which the wheels mount when
the breaks are applied, as herein-before described.
Second, the systems or modes of instantaneously disengaging the drags,
shoes, or skids, whereby they are made to act simultaneously throughout the
entire length of the train, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)