A NEW OR IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lynch, of Enishowen, County Donegal,
Ireland, for the Invention of "A NEW OR IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR
PREVENTING COLLISIONS ON RAILWAYS."
Scaled the 22nd May 1869, and dated the 14th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lynch at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 14th December 1868.
I, THOMAS LYNCH, of Enishowen, County Donegal, Ireland, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR
IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS ON RAILWAYS," to be as
follows (that is to say):-
My Invention has reference to a mechanical combination and arrange-
ment of self-acting brakes so employed as to admit of being brought
simultaneously into action by the motion of the train itself, either when
ascending or descending gradients or meeting with any obstruction in
its course, whereby all danger from collision or otherwise is avoided;
and consists, firstly, in actuating lever brakes of ordinary construction
through the medium of a drawing rope or chain secured to the said:

page_text: levers in such manner as to admit of its passing underneath the frame-
work of the carriages longitudinally with the train, and supported upon
friction rollers, so that on the slackening of the rope or chain by the
sudden check of the engine in advance meeting with any obstruction or
otherwise shall cause the said brakes throughout the train to be instantly
and simultaneously applied to the wheels of the carriages, and in like
manner taken off by the advance of the engine, a brake van being
employed provided with drums of any suitable construction for giving
out or winding up the rope or chain as occasion requires when making
up the train; and, secondly, in constructing locomotive engines for the
above purpose with a fire-box and smoke flues at each end so that the
after fire may be discontinued whilst the front one is in use to facilitate
the draught to the fire as the engine proceeds, at the same time
obviating the inconvenience of turntables, thus upon the engine
meeting with any obstruction in its path the drawing rope or chain
(between the interval of the engine and guard van and train) is
immediately slackened and the brakes thereby actuated, which are
again in like manner taken off by the reversing action of the same
as the resistance to the motion of the train becomes more or less
impeded.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Thomas Lynch in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 12th June 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
LYNCH, of Enishowen, County Donegal, Ireland, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of December, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-cight, in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said Thomas Lynch, Her
special licence that I, the said Thomas Lynch, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Thomas Lynch,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and all times thereafter during

page_text: 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 "A
NEW OR IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS ON RAILWAYS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Lynch, my
executors or administrators, by an instrument 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 Thomas Lynch, 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 and the Drawings therein referred to (that is
to say):
My Invention has reference to the mechanical construction and mode
of employing a new system of self-acting railway brakes (to be brought
simultaneously into action by the retrogressive, motion or slackening of
the speed of the engine in advance of the train either whilst ascending
or descending gradients or meeting with any obstruction in its course),
whereby danger resulting from collision or otherwise may be prevented
to the train of carriages in the rear, the intervening space or distance
between the engine and the train (as at present) being so extended as to
cause the engine to meet with the concussion without imparting it to the
train. And consists, firstly, of friction strap lever brakes applied to the
locomotive engine and carriages through the medium of drum wheels
keyed to the driving and running axles of the engine and carriages
respectively, by the arrangement of which the said friction straps are
caused to impinge tightly upon the peripherics of the drums by weighted
levers acting in connection with the traction chains direct from the
engine propelling the carriages, thereby supplying the requisite brake
power to the train by the slacking of the speed of the engine aforesaid
and secondly, in constructing locomotive engines for the above purpose
with a fire-box and smoke flue at each end, provided with ash pans,
with or without regulators for admitting air to the furnaces or fire-boxes,
in which case the front fire box is used in connection with the after flue,
and thus obviate the necessity (in each instance) of the engine requiring
;

page_text: to be turned, at the same time facilitate the entrance of the draught
direct to the fire in the front fire-box of the engine.
And in order that my said Invention may be more fully understood
and readily carried into effect I now proceed to describe the same by aid
of the accompanying Drawings, reference being had to the letters and
figures thereon marked (that is to say) :-
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a locomotive engine (constructed
in accordance with my said improvements) in giving motion to a train of
carriages, showing my improved system of brakes applied thereto; Fig. 2
an underneath plan view of the same; Fig. 3 enlarged detail views of the
lever brake as applied to the engine, and Figs. 4 and 5 corresponding
views of the carriage friction brake and counterbalance lever separately
showu; in each Figure the same letters of reference denote similar
corresponding parts.
A, A, flanged drums or wheels keyed to the axles of the running
wheels thoughout the train of carriages; B, B, friction brakes surroun-
ding the peripheries of the said flanged drums; C, C, cam-headed drop.
levers secured to the under framing of the carriages upon suitable
bearings (D, D, weighted at the outer end, so that by the descent of
the same through the slacking of the chain consequent on the checking
of the speed of the engine the said friction brakes are brought into
action and tightened upon the peripheries of the drums aforesaid, and
again removed as the train advances without the necessity of employing
a brakesman as at present; E, E, traction chain passing longitudinally
through the centre of the under framing of each of the carriages
throughout the train (as shown); F, F, friction rollers working within
grooves formed in the weighted end of the levers by which the chain is
connected thereto; G, G, friction bearings mounted upon the under
framing of the carriages for receiving and directing the traction chain
for giving motion to the brakes; H, H, body of the locomotive engine;
I, I, fire boxes formed at each end of the boiler; J, J, ash pan; K, K,
water tanks placed below the coal boxes and under the foot plate of the
engine serving also as air conductors; L, L, coal boxes aforesaid;
M, M, two coupled driving wheels; N, N, flanged drums fixed thereto;
O, O, connected lever friction brakes worked by hand or otherwise;
P, P, external framing of the engine supporting the said brakes from
fixed bracket bearings attached thereto; Q, Q, screen covering for
protecting the driver and stoker from the weather; R, R, oval grating

page_text: fixed to the guard irons S, S, in front of the engine for for displacing
and throwing off any obstruction upon the permanent way; T, T, bolt
for holding up the levers whilst backing the train.
The action of the brake is as follows:-Upon the engine meeting with
any obstruction in its path, or when asconding or descending gradients,
the drawing or traction chain between the engine and train immediately
slackens and puts on the brakes by the descent of the weighted levers
tightening the friction bands on the drums, which upon the train again
advancing are taken off by the tension of the chain and the consequent
ascent of the weighted levers.
In conclusion to the foregoing description I would here briefly note
that the said metallic friction straps or bands (as applied to the brakes)
may be constructed in any suitable manner, and lined, cased, or coated
with leather, gutta percha, or other frictional substances that in practice
may be found necessary and maintained in connection therewith through
the medium of notches or indentations formed therein.
And I would further note that in constructing locomotive engines
upon my improved principle I cause coal boxes to be fitted thereto on
each side of the locomotive framing with water tanks beneath the same,
in such manner as to admit of the air being more effectually conducted
to the fires, and furthermore to employ in all three coupled wheel
engines the centre ones with broad tires but without flanges, by which
the wheels are enabled to impinge and adapt themselves to the inner
curves of the rail and prevent the same running off, it being obvious that
three wheels cannot form any part of a circle, but tend strongly to spread
or throw the rails out of true guage.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention and the manner in which the same is to be performed and
carried into effect, I would have it clearly understood that I do not intend to
confine myself to the precise details herein-before set forth and described,
as the same may be otherwise varied without departing from the general
principle of these my said improvements, nor do I claim as new and of
my said Invention the exclusive use of the several parts, combinations,
and arrangements above referred to except when the same are employed
in and for the purposes of my said Invention, which I hereby declare to
consist in the exclusive right of constructing and employing friction
strap brakes actuated by hand or by the locomotive engine through the

page_text: medium of the traction chain in conjunction with double headed
locomotives and details thereof as above referred to in the manner and
for the purposes herein-before set forth and described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lynch, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Third day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
JOHN MCCLELLAND,
Ship Broker,
Londonderry.
THOMAS LYNCH. (L.S.)