Improvements in or appertaining to Fluid Pressure Brake Apparatus to Facilitate Signalling between the Passengers and the Guard or Driver of Passenger Trains.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Feb., '1891
Complete Specification Left, 13th Nov., 1891-Accepted, 19th Dec., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Fluid Pressure Brake Apparatus
to Facilitate Signalling between the Passengers and the Guard or
Driver of Passenger Trains.
I, JOHN BEECH, of 47, Lily Street, Manningham in the County of York,
Engine Driver, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in or appertaining to fluid pressure brake
apparatus of
passenger trains such as the automatic vacuum brake, the Westing-
house brake or other similar brakes to facilitate signalling, in case of emergency,
between the passengers and the guard or driver, and the object of the invention is
to provide a visible and audible signal or alarm to attract the attention of the guard
or driver without allowing the passengers control of the brake.
For this purpose I connect one or more branch or signalling pipes to the main
brake pipes of each vehicle by means of a valve or valves constructed to close
automatically before the vacuum or pressure in the main pipe is reduced to an
extent beyond the power of the driver to continuously replenish. By this means
when one or the whole of said signalling pipes are opened the vacuum or pressure
is instantaneously reduced so as to be readily noticeable to the driver by the rapid
fall of the gauge and slight application of the brake but not sufficiently for him to
loose control of the brake.
The signalling pipes are fitted with signalling valves arranged to normally close
them and by fitting one or more connections with such valve to each compartment
only one signalling pipe and valve is required for each vehicle or a separate pipe
and valve may be employed for each compartment or for every other compartment.
Said signalling valve may be of any suitable form but to enable the same valve to
be used for closing a vacuum pipe as well as a moderate internal pressure I may
employ a cylindrical type of signalling valve. Such valves are in any case prefer-
ably constructed so that when opened they cannot be replaced without the
application of a key carried by the guard.
To create an audible alarm I introduce a vibrating steel reed, a whistle or other
instrument in said valve or pipe adapted to cause sound by the rapid flow of air
therein.
The valves connecting the signalling pipes with the brake pipe may be con-
structed to work either with a vacuum or pressure. For this purpose two valves
are mounted in one casing with their seats in reverse directions said valves are
closed by springs of suitable strength for the respective pressures.
And a passage
is made through each valve fitted with a ball arranged to close under a pressure
tending to open the valve.
Dated this 12th day of February 1891.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or appertaining to Fluid Pressure Brake Apparatus
to. Facilitate Signalling between the Passengers and the Guard or
Driver of Passenger Trains.
I, JOHN BEECH of 47, Lily Street, Manningham in the County of York, Engine
Driver, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in or appertaining to fluid pressure brake
apparatus of passenger trains such as the automatic vacuum brake, the Westing-
house brake or other similar brakes to facilitate signalling, in case of emergency,
between the passengers and the guard or driver, and the object of the invention is
to provide a visible and audible signal or alarm to attract the attention of the
guard or driver without allowing the passengers control of the brake.
For this purpose I connect one or more branch or signalling pipes to the main
brake pipe of each vehicle by means of a valve or valves constructed to close auto-
matically before the vacuum or pressure in the main pipe is reduced to an extent
beyond the power of the driver to continuously replenish. By this means when
one or the whole of said signalling pipes are opened the vacuum or pressure is
instantaneously reduced so as to be readily noticeable to the driver by the rapid
fall of the gauge and slight application of the brake but not sufficiently for him to
loose control of the brake.
The signalling pipes are fitted with signalling valves arranged to normally close
them and by fitting one or more connections with such valve to each compartment
only one signalling pipe or valve is required for each vehicle or a separate pipe
and valve may be employed for each compartment and for every other compart-
ment. Said signalling valve may be of any suitable form but to enable the same
valve to be used for closing a vacuum pipe as well as a moderate internal
pressure I may employ a cylindrical type of signalling valve. Such valves are in
any case preferably constructed so that when opened they cannot be replaced
without the application of a key carried by the guard.
To create an audible alarm I introduce a vibrating steel reed, a whistle or
other instrument in said valve or pipe adapted to cause sound by the rapid flow of
air therein.
To fully describe my invention reference is made to the accompanying sheet
of drawings forming a part of this Specification in which similar letters of reference
indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures.
-
Figure 1, is a side elevation of the ends of two railway vehicles which are
assumed to be fitted with what is commonly known as the automatic vacuum brake.
The vehicle on the left hand is partly represented in section so as to more clearly
show the application of my improvements thereto.
Figure 2, is a vertical section on a larger scale of the automatic valve connecting
the signalling pipes to the main brake pipe.
Figure 3, is a sectional view of the signalling valve and its connections fitted in
the partition between the compartments of the vehicle with the valve represented
in the closed position.
Figure 4, is a similar view with the valve open, and
Figure 5, is a sectional view of the same on the broken line a, b in the former
figure.
Figures 6 and 7 are views of detail hereinafter referred to.
The signalling pipe A is carried along the top of the vehicle B and. branch
pipes u pass from such pipe down the partition C between every two compart-
ments D, D. The branch pipes a terminate in a tee piece e opening into the com-
partments on either side and such openings are each fitted with an annular piece of

page_text: india rubber or other suitable packing b confined in position between the shoulder d
and the cap d. A cylindrical valve E is fitted in each packing piece and a
passage e is formed down the centre of such valve having a side opening e'. A
knob F is fitted at the outer end of E by which to operate it and the shoulders f, f
limit its longitudinal motion.
When the valve is in the position shown in Figure 3 the side opening e¹ is closed
by the rubber packing b but when such valve is drawn out to the position shown in
Figure 4 such opening is exposed thus opening the pipe a to the atmosphere.
To prevent the valve E being opened and closed indiscriminately I provide the
locking piece G fitted in the vertical guides I and enclosed by the casing J. This
locking piece has a key-hole shaped opening g the larger part of which fits the
valve spindle 2 and supports such locking piece. But when the valve is opened
the reduced part of the valve spindle passes into the opening y so that G is free
to fall and the narrow part of the key-hole opening embraces and prevents the
valve being replaced until raised by the lever engaging the projection ' on G as
shown by the broken lines Figure 6. The lever may be constructed to be
operated by an ordinary railway carriage key or it may be so arranged as to require
a special key carried by the guard or other official.
The signalling pipe A is carried down the end of the vehicle and connected to
the chamber of the automatic valve H screwed to the papi in the "swan-neck "j
of the main brake pipe k. The valve passage L is fitted with a spring valve M
operated by a spring N of such a strength that before the vacuum of the main
brake pipe is destroyed (by the opening of the signalling valve) to such an extent
as to apply the brake beyond the control of the driver the said spring closes such
valve and excludes the atmosphere but not before there has been a slight applica-
tion of the brake and a sudden fall in the vacuum gauge on the engine and in the
guard's van too marked to escape the attention of the driver and guard.
To create an audible signal for the purpose of directing the attention to the
particular vehicle from which the alarm signal was made a reed disc m (separately
shown in Figure 6) may be fitted over the opening n in the pap i. Such disc is
fitted with a steel or other suitable reed o adapted to be vibrated by the rapid flow
of air through n and create an audible alarm. A similar reed o' may be fitted to
the opening of the passage e at the end face of the valve E shown on a larger scale
Figure 7.
A signalling valve E' may be fixed to the top of the automatic valve of similar
construction to E and having an eye F' to which an ordinary communication cord P
from a vehicle B₁ not fitted with signalling valves may be attached instead of having
to pass the cord the whole length of the train. The shield R is provided to keep
wet and dust from the valve.
I have described my improvements as applied to the vacuum brake because the
vacuum principle appears to be the one most likely to be generally adopted, but
they may be applied to the Westinghouse and other brakes in which internal
pressure is created in the brake pipes by reversing the action of the automatic valve
so that it closes against internal pressure.
The said automatic valves may be constructed to work either with a vacuum
or pressure but as it necessitates a somewhat complicated arrangement I do not
desire to claim it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed I would have it understood
that I do not wish to broadly claim combined brake and signalling apparatus
generally but what I do claim is :
1. Signalling apparatus in communication with brake mechanism operated by
fluid pressure constructed and arranged in such a manner that the action of the
signalling apparatus upon the brake mechanism is so limited (notwithstanding the
number of vehicles from which the signal or signals are made) that complete control
.

page_text: of the brake is left in the hands of the driver, substantially as herein shown and
described.
2. In signalling apparatus similar to that embodied in the above claim the com-
bination with a signalling valve of a locking piece adapted to hold said valve open,
substantially as herein shown and described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
3. The combination with the signalling apparatus embodied in the above claim
of vibrating reeds or their equivalent adapted to create an audible alarm when the
signalling apparatus is put into operation, substantially as herein shown and described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 12th day of November 1891.
DRACUP & NOWELL,
Bradford, Agents.