IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Westinghouse, junior, of Canal Road, King's
Cross, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
PNEUMATIC BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Westinghouse, junior,
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 7th October 1881.
GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, junior, of Canal Road, King's Cross, in the County of
Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY
TRAINS."
Of the continuous pneumatic brake apparatus employed on railway trains some
are automatic, that is to say, arranged in such a manner that in case of separation
of the train or rupture of the pipe communicating throughout the train, the brakes
are put on without manual action; others are non-automatic, that is to say, the
brakes are put on solely by the action of the driver or guard, and in case of
separation of the train or rupture of the train pipe the power of braking fails.
Sometimes trains are made up in which some of the carriages have automatic brake
apparatus and some have non-automatic brake apparatus, and the action of the one
set being such as to interfere with the action of the other set, the braking power
in such a train is lost or rendered deficient.
My Invention relates to an arrangement and combination of both kinds of
apparatus, so that either can be used without interfering with the other, and thus
a carriage provided with the combined apparatus can form part of a train otherwise
fitted either with automatic or with non-automatic brakes; this combination,
besides being applicable as a transition arrangement by which carriages fitted with
non-automatic brakes can have their brakes worked automatically, is also useful
as a permanent arrangement, affording double security against failure of the braking
power furnished by either apparatus. In order to illustrate the nature of the
apparatus which 1 employ for the purpose of my Invention, I will assume that an
existing carriage is provided with a non-automatic vacuum brake, and that it is to
be provided with an automatic brake which may work either by plenum or by
vacuum. In addition to the existing brake cylinder or its equivalent collapsible

page_text: vessel and vacuum pipe for non-automatic working, I provide a cylinder or collap-
sible vessel and a second pipe continued throughout the train with the valve
arrangements of known kinds suitable for automatic action, and I connect the
piston rod of this second cylinder, or the moving part of this second collapsible
vessel, to the same set of brake levers and rods as are worked in the non-automatic
way, providing in both sets of connections slotted holes, so that either can operate
for putting on the brakes without interfering with the movement of the other.
I also provide a valve governing a communication between the second cylinder or
collapsible vessel and the outer air, this valve being usually closed, but capable of
being opened by a lever connected to a small piston or flexible diaphragm. This
piston or diaphragm is fitted in a cylinder or casing which communicates with the
non-automatic vacuum pipe, and is pressed outwards by a spring of such strength
as to yield, allowing the piston or diaphragm to be pressed inwards, opening the
valve to which it is connected when the vacuum train pipe is exhausted for the
purpose of putting on the brakes non-automatically. This arrangement of apparatus
admits of the following modes of working the brakes:-
First. They may be worked in the non-automatic manner by varying the pressure
in the non-automatic train pipe, the brakes being put on when the pipe is exhausted,
and taken off when air is admitted into the pipe. In this case, the automatic
apparatus being inert, the opening of the valve by the movement of the small piston
or diaphragm has no effect.
Secondly. The brakes can be worked automatically by charging or discharging
the automatic train pipe, the valve connected to the small piston or diaphragm on-
the non-automatic pipe remaining closed, as that pipe is not called into action.
Thirdly. The brakes having been put on by the automatic apparatus can be
kept on by bringing the non-automatic apparatus into action, and this, by causing
the small piston or diaphragm to move inwards, opens the valve of the automatic
cylinder or collapsiblo vessel, allowing air to enter it if it works by vacuum, or air
to escape if it works by plenum, and thus throwing the automatic apparatus
'out of action on the brakes. After this the brakes can be released by admitting
air into the non-automatic vacuum pipe, and thereupon the valve above referred
to becomes closed again, leaving the automatic apparatus ready for acting.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Westinghouse, junior, in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 21st March 1882.
GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, junior, of Canal Road, King's Cross, in the County of
Middlesex. IMPROVEMENTS IN PNEUMATIC BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY
TRAINS."
Of the continuous pneumatic brake apparatus employed on railway trains some
are automatic, that is to say, arranged in such a manner that in caso of separation
of the train or rupture of the pipe communicating throughout the train, the
brakes are put on without manual action; others are non-automatic, that is to
say, the brakes are put on solely by the action of the driver or guard, and in caso
of separation of the train or rupture of the train pipe the power of braking fails.
Sometimes trains are made up in which some of the carriages have automatic
brake apparatus and some have non-automatic brake apparatus, and the action of
the one set being such as to interfere with the action of the other sot, tho braking
power in such a train is lost or rendered deficient.
This
My Invention relates to an arrangement and combination of both kinds of
apparatus, so that either can be used without interfering with the other, and thus
a carriage provided with the combined apparatus can form part of a train
otherwise fitted either with automatic or with non-automatic, brakes.
combination besides being applicable as a transition. arrangement by which
carriages fitted with non-automatic brakes can have their brakes worked
automatically, is also useful as a permanent arrangement affording double security
against failure of the braking power furnished by either apparatus.
a
In order to illustrate the nature of the apparatus which I employ for the
purpose of my Invention, I will assume that an existing carriage is provided with
a non-automatic vacuum brake, and that it is to be provided with an automatic
brake which may work either by plenum or by vacuum. In addition to the existing
brake cylinder or its equivalent collapsible vessel and vacuum pipe for non-
automatic working, I provide a cylinder or collapsible vessel, and a second pipe
continued throughout the train, with the valve arrangements of known kinds
suitable for automatic action, and I connect the piston rod of this second cylinder
or the moving part of this second collapsible vessel to the same set of brake levers
and rods as are worked in the non-automatic way, providing in both sets of
connections slotted holes, so that either can operate for putting on the brakes
without interfering with the movement of the other. I also provide a valve
governing a communication between the second cylinder or collapsible vessel and
the outer air, this valve being usually closed, but capable of being opened by a
lever connected to a small piston or flexible diaphragm. This piston or diaphragm
is fitted in a cylinder or casing which communicates with the non automatic
vacuum pipe and is pressed outwards by a spring of such strength as to yield,
allowing the piston or diaphragm to be pressed inwards, opening the valve to
which it is connected when the vacuum train pipe is exhausted for the purpose of
putting on the brakes non automatically. This arrangement of apparatus admits
of the following modes of working the brakes:-
First. They may be worked in the non automatic manner by varying tho
pressure in the non-automatic train pipe, the brakes being put on when the pipe is
exhausted, and taken off when air is admitted into the pipe. In this case, tho
automatic apparatus being inert, the opening of the valve by the movement of tho
small piston or diaphragm has no effect.
Secondly. The brakes can be worked automatically by charging or discharging

page_text: the automatic train pipe, the valve connected to the small piston or diaphragm on
the non-automatic pipe remaining closed, as that pipe is not called into action.
Thirdly. The brakes having been put on by the automatic apparatus can be
kept on by bringing the non-automatic apparatus into action, and this by causing
the small piston or diaphragm to move inwards opens the valve of the automatic
cylinder or collapsible vessel, allowing air to enter it if it works by vacuum, or air
to escape if it works by plenum, and thus throwing the automatic apparatus out of
action on the brakes. After this the brakes can be released by admitting air into
the non-automatic vacuum pipe, and thereupon the valve above referred to
becomes closed, again leaving the automatic apparatus ready for acting.
The accompanying Drawing represents a section of a casing containing a
diaphragm and spring arranged to work the cock or valve of the automatic brake
cylinder as above described. A is the casing which is screwed into a lateral
nozzle of the non-automatic vacuum pipe B, and which contains the flexible
diaphragm C pressed upwards by the spring D. The stem E of the diaphragm is
connected to the cock or valve which governs the communication of the automatic
brake cylinder to the outer air, that cock or valve being closed when the diaphragm
is in the position shown in the Figure. When the air in the pipe B is rarefied
for the purpose of working the vacuum brakes in the non-automatic way, the
pressure of the atmosphere presses down the diaphragm C and its stem E, and
this opens the cock or valve of the automatic brake cylinder, rendering the
automatic brake ineffective. When again the pressure in the pipo B is raised to
that of the atmosphere or nearly so, taking off the non automatic brake the
spring D pushes up the diaphragm and its stem E, and this closes the valvo or
cock of the automatic brake cylinder, so that the brakes can be worked in the.
automatic way. In cases where the non-automatic working of the brakes is
effected by plenum instead of vacuum in the pipe B, the spring D is arranged to.
pull down the diaphragm, or the form of the casing is modified so as to admit of
the spring being placed above the diaphragm so as to push it down. In that case
the stem E is connected to the cock or valve of the automatic cylinder so as to
close it when the diaphragm is pushed down by the spring, and to open it when
the diaphragm is raised by the excess of prossure in the pipe B employed to work
the brakes in the non-automatic way.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what.manner the same
is to be performed, I claim, in respect of pneumatic brake apparatus for railway
trains,
Combining with the non-automatic pipe and cylinder on a carriage, a pipo and
cylinder arranged to work automatically, the cylinder having an opening governed
by a cock or valve connected to a piston or flexible diaphragm subject to the
pressure in the non-automatic pipe, substantially as and for the purposes herein
set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Westinghouse, junior, havo hereunto
set my hand and seal, this First day of March, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.