IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES AND CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF TRAINS ALONG RAILWAYS
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Baker, of Bateman's Cottages, Redan Hill,
Aldershot, in the County of Hants, for the Invention of " IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES AND CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE
OF TRAINS ALONG RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 23rd August 1878, and dated the 13th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Baker at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th March 1878.
GEORGE BAKER, of Bateman's Cottages, Redan Hill, Aldershot, in the County of
Hants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES AND
CONTROLLING the Passage OF TRAINS ALONG RAILWAYS."
This Invention has for its object to automatically apply the brakes to the wheels
of a railway train, and shut off steam from its engine in case of the train passing a
signal placed at danger. For this purpose I place on the under side of the loco-
motive engines a short vertical spindle, on which is carried a wheel or crank
arms.
From two opposite points of the wheel or from two of the crank arms, rods are
led one to each side of the engine so as to project outwards from it.
At one or other side of the line of railway bars or springs are mounted in such a
manner that they can be moved into an inclined position for one or other of the
projecting rods upon the engine to come against, or can be moved out of their way.
These bars or springs may be worked simultaneously with the ordinary semaphore
signals arms, and by the to-and-fro movement of the same hand lover.
When the signal is at danger the bar or spring will be moved into position to
come in the way of the rod projecting from one or other side of the engine of a
passing train, and the rod coming into contact with it will give a partial turn to
the wheel, or to the crank arms, and this will take place whichever and foremost
the engine may be running. The partial turn given to the wheel or crank arms
effects the shutting off of the steam and putting on of the brakes. This may be
done by causing a partial turn to be given by means of a link from the wheel, or

page_text: from a third crank arm to an upright spindle; and by a crank arm on the upper
end of this spindle a horizontal to-and-fro motion may be given to a slide mounted
across the back of the engine and just in front of the driver.
A projection on the slide may act on the hand lever used for turning on and
shutting off steam, and shut off steam from the engine, whilst another projection
may turn a tap, by which the putting on of the brakes is effected as in the vacuum
and pressure brakes now commonly used.
In cases where the brake blocks are applied to the wheels by the turning of a
screw spindle, as is the case with the ordinary hand brakes, the same effect may be
obtained by placing a wheel on the lower end of the screw spindle to be rotated
whenever it comes against an inclined spring or yielding bar. When the brake is
thus applied to the wheels, steam may at the same time be shut off, the movoment
necessary for effecting this being obtained from the moving parts of the brake
apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Baker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 13th Septembor
1878.
GEORGE BAKER, of Bateman's Cottages, Redan Hill, Aldershot, in the County of
Hants. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES AND
CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF TRAINS ALONG RAILWAYS."
This Invention has for its object to automatically apply the brakes to the wheels
of a railway train, and shut off steam from its engine in case of the train passing a
signal placed at danger. For this purpose I place on the under side of each of the
locomotive engines a short vertical spindle, on which is carried a wheel or crank
arms.
From two opposite points of the wheel or from two of the crank arms, rods are
led one to each side of the engine so as to project outward from it.
At one or other side of the line of railway, bars or springs are mounted in such
a manner that they can be moved into a position for one or other of the projecting
rods upon the engine to come against and be pressed back by them, or can be
moved out of their way. These bars or springs may be worked simultaneously
with the ordinary semaphore signal arms, and by the to-and-fro movement of the
same hand lever.
When the signal is at danger the bar or spring will be moved into position to
come in the way of the rod projecting from one or other side of the engine of a
passing train, and the rod coming into contact with it will give a partial turn to
the wheel, or to the crank arms, and this will take place whichever end foremost
the engine may be running. This partial turn given. to the wheel or crank arms
effects the shutting off of the steam and putting on of the brakes. This may be

page_text: done by causing a partial turn to be given by means of a link from the wheel, or
from a third crank arm to an upright spindle, and by a crank arm on the upper
end of this spindle a horizontal to-and-fro motion may be given to a slide mounted
across the back of the engine, and just in front of the driver.
A projection on the slide may act on the hand lever used for turning on and
shutting off steam from the engine, whilst another projection may turn a tap, by
which the putting on of the brakes is effected as in the vacuum and fluid pressure
brakes now commonly used.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a back view of a locomotive
engine with some parts removed, and with apparatus arranged as above described
applied to it.
Figure 2 shews a plan view of the portion of the apparatus which is below the
frame of the locomotive.
Figure 3 shews a side elevation, and Figure 4 a plan view of one of the bars or
springs which are mounted at one side of the line of railway, and the mechanism
by which the position of the bar is shifted, according as the signals are at "danger'
or line clear.
In these Figures the bar is in the position it assumes when the signals are at
danger.
Figure 5 shows a side view of the apparatus with the bar dropped or in position
for line clear.
The Figures 3 and 4 also shew how the bar is firmly locked and held when at
danger, and when therefore it may be required to act upon one of the rods which
project outward from the engine.
In Figures 1 and 2, a is the three-armed crank or wheel mounted on a pivot
below the engine; b, b, are the rods led outwards from the opposite arms or pins on
the wheel. Each rod at its outer end carries a wheel c; d is the link connecting
the third crank arm to an arm on the upright spindle e; f is an arm at the upper end
of this spindle, it is connected, as shewn at Figure 1a, by a link g to the slide h; this
slide is mounted in guides, as shewn at Figure 1, at the back of the engine so as to be
just in front of the driver; i is the ordinary hand lever used for turning on and
shutting off steam.
A projection k on the slide h comes on one side of the hand lever, so that
when the slide is moved endwise the lover may be turned to cause steam to be
shut off.
The slide is also as above stated made use of for the purpose of applying the
brakes at the same time that is causes steam to be shut off.
In the arrangement shewn in the Drawing it is applied to the now well-known
Westinghouse brake, in which the putting on and taking off of the brakes is
effected by the turning of a three-way cock, by which the pipe leading to the
cylinders employed for working the brake blocks can either be set in communi-
cation with a pipe leading from the compressed air reservoir, or can be set in com-
munication with an exhaust or outlet pipe; l is the three-way cock; an arm projecting
from the plug of the cock passos through a slot in a small slide m, and this slide is
moved endwise to and fro by a lever n which couples it to the slide h. Thus when
the slide h is moved endwise to shut off steam from the engine, the brakes are
simultaneously applied to the wheels of the carriages forming the train.
When the slide h has been moved back to its ordinary position by turning the
upright spindle e by the handle e¹ which projects from its upper end, the cock can
be turned to cause the brakes to be taken off, and steam can also be turned on to
the engine.
In a similar manner to that above described the apparatus might be adapted to
set in action other arrangements of fluid pressure or vacuum brakes.
In some construction also of locomotive engine the lever used for turning on and
shutting off steam in place of working crosswise works longitudinally of the engine;
in this case the apparatus would have to be modified to suit the particular con-
struction of engine.

page_text: I will now describe the mechanism shewn at Figures 3, 4, and 5; it consists of a
bar o with two inclines 'meeting at the centre, as shewn; at the ends of the bar are
axes free to turn in small standards p secured to sleepers. The bar has projecting
from it an arm r; this passes through a slot in another standard 8. The weight of
the bar causes it to hang downwards in the position shewn at Figure 5, when the
bar is in this position it is out of the way of the rods which project from the engine,
and does not act upon them; 'the arm also which projects from the bar is then
horizontal.
When the bar itself is to be brought into a horizontal position, so that the
inclines on it may be brought into the path of the ends of the projecting rods of
any passing engine, a weighted lever arm t is allowed to drop and come down on
to the arm r. The weight of the arm t then overpowers the weight of the bar and
turns the bar on its axis until it has been brought into a horizontal position; and it
is then prevented from turning further by reason of the end of the arm 7, which is
bent, coming against the standard 8. At the same time as the weighted arm t has
dropped between the standard 8 and the arm r, it is 'impossible for the bar to turn
downwards; the bar is thus locked and held when at danger, and ensure sits being
'maintained in position for the projecting rods of any passing engine to come into
contact with it; u is a chain by which the weighted arm t is connected to the
ordinary signal wire, so that it is raised and lowered simultaneously with the
ordinary visible signals, being dropped when the signal is at danger and 'raised for
line clear.
The bar o shown at Figures 3, 4, and 5, has its double incline formed of a bent
spring turning on a pivot on one end, and at the other couplied to a link so as to
give a certain amount of elasticity in this part of the apparatus; a rigid bar of a
similar form with a double incline at one edge might however be used in place of
the spring.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing
the same, I would have it understood that I am aware that it has before been
proposed to employ moveable stops or inclines at the side of a line of railway for
the purpose of sounding a whistle, and so giving warning to the driver of a passing
engine, and bent springs such as I have shown in my Drawings have been used as
the moveable inclines or projections at the sides of a line of railway for causing such
signals to be given on a railway; it may also have been proposed that steain shall
be shut off from the engine by means of the same incline; I do not therefore make
any general claim to arranging apparatus to effect these objects, but what I claim
is,
First. The combined arrangement of apparatus for applying the brakes of a
passing train and shutting off steam from its locomotive engine, substantially as
herein described.
Second. The employment on a locomotive engine of rods projecting out hori-
zontally from its sides, and connected to a wheel or crank arms as herein described,
so as when forced inwards to give a partial rotation to the crank or wheel, and by
that means cause steam to be shut off, or the brakes applied, or both.
Third. The combined arrangement of mechanism for locking and holding the
bar o in a horizontal position when the signals are at danger, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Baker, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord One