Brake Mechanism for Vehicles.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Brake Mechanism for Vehicles.
I, ROSTO ORRIN WOOD, of Worcester, County of Worcester and State of
Massachusetts, United States of America, Physician and Surgeon, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for BRAKE MECHANISM FOR VEHICLES,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Referring to the drawings,
Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of the truck of the car with my improved
brake mechanism applied thereto.
Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on linee Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a top view of the running gear with the brake-mechanism.
Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line, Fig. 3, but showing the slightly
modified construction of the brake mechanism.
Fig. 5 is a slightly enlarged view of a portion of the brake-mechanism as
represented in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and
Fig. 6 represents a central, longitudinal, sectional view of one of the draw-bars.
Similar letters refer to similar parts in the different figs.
My invention relates to a mechanism by which the brake shoes can be applied to
the wheels of a car or other vehicle either by a brakeman standing upon the plat-
form of the car, or in other convenient position, or by a reversal of propelling power
as it is applied to the vehicle, and it consists in the arrangement and the construction
of the several parts as illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described and
specifically pointed out in the subjoined claims.
In the accompanying drawings, the mechanism forming the subject of my inven-
tion is represented as applied to the wheels of a street car, as the modification and
changes in order to adapt it to other vehicles will be readily seen without a detailed
illustration or description.
A denotes a portion of the body of a street car; B denotes the wheels and Ca
frame-work depending from the body and between the wheels to support the brake-
operating mechanism. Journaled at each end in the framework C is a shaft D,
having attached at its central section the radial arms D' D2, each of the arms D'
and D carrying in their ends studs D' D' entering slots D, D', in the connecting
links E E, which are pivoted at their opposite ends to the draw-bars F F¹.
Pivoted upon the studs D D are the rods G G, with their opposite ends
connected to the short sections of chains G G³ which are attached to the vertical
shafts G G³.
Upon the ends of the shaft D and just within the framework C are cams H H
consisting of segments of circles and with their curved edges bearing against a
sliding block I sliding in ways in the frame C and held against the cams H by
means of the springs J J represented in Figs. 2 and 3.
Brake shoes K K are pivoted at a a to the frame C and the lower ends of the
brake shoes are connected by links to the sliding blocks I I the ends of the
links pivoted to the sliding blocks being above a line joining the axes of the ends
pivoted to the brake shoes so that as the sliding blocks I are forced down by
the cams H H the brake-shoes will be forced against the wheels B.
Connected with the lower ends of the sliding blocks I are shoes L which, as the
sliding-blocks I are lowered, are brought against the track L'. The operation of
the brake mechanism is as follows:-
As the draw-bars are pushed back by the reversal of the power by which the car
is drawn, as would occur upon the descent of a hill, or by the stopping of the horses
in order to arrest the motion of the car, the shaft D is rocked by means of the
connecting link connected with the reverse draw-bar, and the connected radial arm
ΓΟ

page_text: upon the shaft D, rocking the cams H H and pushing the sliding blocks II down-
ward compressing the springs J J and carrying the brake-shoes K K against the
edges of the wheels and the shoe L against the track L'.
Whenever either of the radial arms D' D' are actuated by their respective links,
the slot in the opposite link will allow an angular motion of the other radial arm
without imparting motion to its connected link.
In like manner the slotted ends of the links E E allow the shaft D to be rocked
by the rotation of the vertical shafts G G and the winding up of the chains G³ G³.
The vertical shafts G G are provided with hand-wheels N N, at the upper end of
the shafts in the usual manner in brake mechanisms. Each of the draw-bars F F¹
is provided with a hole in which is inserted a pin O, in order to check the rearward
movement of the draw-bars, when it is desired to entirely disconnect the brake
mechanism, as described, from the draw-bars.
In Fig. I have shown a slight modification of the device, but one that I deem
to embody the essential features of my invention.
Instead of hinging the brake-shoes K K to the frame by their upper ends, I
connect the brake-shoes by a pivoted joint to the sliding bars P P which are
connected with the sliding blocks I by means of the links b, b, it will be seen that
the action of the sliding blocks II as moved by the rocking motion of the cams
serve to carry the shoes K K against the edges of the wheels B through the
straightening of the links b, b, which, as in the construction represented in Fig. 2,
nerve as the links of a "toggle-joint.
In that class of vehicles in which draw-bars are not used, the rocking shaft is
similarly connected with a rigid tongue, by which the backing of the team will
cause a rocking motion to be imparted to the rocking shaft, in the manner already
described.
By the mechanism above described, the force of the driver can be applied to the
rocking shaft D independently of, or supplementary to the force exerted through
the draw-bar, in the manner described.
In the construction represented in Fig. 4 the sliding block I is provided with a
stem I' to which the track shoe L is connected, and which is inclosed by a spring J
while in the construction represented in Figs. 2 and 5 the springs are held in a
recess in the frame C.
The action of the springs in both cases is, however, substantially the same,
its tension in both cases serving to hold the sliding block against the edge of
the cam.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,―
1. In a brake mechanism, the combination with the brake-shoes and a draw-bar
by which the vehicle is drawn, of a rocking shaft journaled in bearings transversely
to the vehicle, said rocking shaft being operatively connected with said draw-bar,
substantially as described, and cams carried on said shaft, and actuating said brake-
shoes, through intermediate mechanism, substantially as described.
2. In a brake mechanism, the combination with a draw-bar by which the vehicle
is drawn, of a connecting link pivoted at one end of said draw-bar, said link being
provided with a slot at its opposite end, a rocking shaft journaled in bearings trans-
versely to the vehicle, a radial arm attached to said rocking shaft and carrying a
stud held in said slotted end of said link, cams attached to said rocking shaft, brake
shoes arranged to be applied to the periphery of the wheels of the vehicle, and
intermediate mechanism by which the rocking movement of the cams are made to
carry the brake shoes against the periphery of the wheels, substantially as
described.
3. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a draw-bar by which the vehicle is
drawn, a horizontal shaft journaled in bearings transversely to the travel of the
vehicle, and operatively connected with said draw-bar, substantially as described,

page_text: whereby the reversal of the draw-bar is made to rock said shaft, cams attached to
said rocking shaft, sliding blocks actuated by said cams, brake shoes arranged to
bear against the periphery of the wheels of the vehicle, and links connecting said
sliding blocks and said brake shoes, whereby said brake shoes are carried against
the periphery of the wheels as the sliding blocks are actuated by said cams, sub-
stantially as described.
4. In a brake mechanism the combination of a rocking shaft journaled in bearings
transversely to the vehicle a radial arm attached to said shaft by which it is rocked
through the connected operative mechanism, substantially as described, cams carried
by said shaft, sliding blocks sliding in ways and actuated by said cams, brake shoes
hinged to the framework of the vehicle, and links connecting said sliding blocks
with the brake-shoes, substantially as described.
5. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a rocking shaft journaled in bearings
transversely to the vehicle, cams carried on said shaft, sliding blocks actuated by
said cams in one direction to carry the brake shoes against the wheels of the vehicle,
springs held in the framework of the vehicle, with their tension applied to reverse
the motion of said sliding blocks and hold them against the cams, brake shoes
arranged to bear against the periphery of the wheel and links connecting said brake
shoes, and said sliding blocks by which said brake shoes are thrust against the
wheels by the movement of the sliding blocks as they are actuated by said cams
substantially as described.
6. In a brake mechanism, the combination of the rocking shaft journaled in
bearings transverse to the vehicle, cams carried on said shaft at each end thereof,
brake shoes arranged to bear against the periphery of the wheel of the vehicle and
operatively connected with said cams through intermediate mechanism, substantially
as described, a radial arm attached to said shaft, a draw-bar by which the vehicle
is drawn, a connecting link between said radial arm and said draw-bar, said link
being provided with a slot permitting an independent motion of the radial arm, and
a rod pivoted to said radial arm, by which the shaft can be rocked independently
of, or in conjunction with the motion of the draw-bar, substantially as described.
7. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a draw-bar by which the vehicle is
drawn, a horizontal shaft journaled in bearings transversely to the travel of the
vehicle, and operatively connected with said draw-bar, substantially as described,
whereby the reversal of the draw-bar is made to rock said shaft, cams attached to
said rocking shaft, sliding blocks actuated by said cams, and brake shoes carried by
said sliding blocks, whereby a frictional resistance is applied to the track, substantially
as described.
8. In a brake mechanism, the combination of a rocking shaft, cams, carried by
said rocking shaft, sliding blocks actuated by said cams, brake shoes carried by said
sliding blocks, whereby a frictional resistance is applied to the track, and springs
applied to said sliding blocks, to withdraw said brake shoes from the track, sub-
stantially as described.
9. In a brake mechanism, brake shoes arranged to bear against the periphery of
the wheels of the vehicle, a draw-bar capable of a sliding motion by which the
brake shoes are actuated, through the intermediate mechanism, substantially as
described, said draw-bar being provided with a hole to receive a stop-pin, and a
stop-pin held in the fixed portion of the vehicle, and entering said hole to prevent
the sliding motion of the draw-bar, all arranged and combined substantially as
described.
G
Dated, at Worcester, in the County of Worcester and State of Massachusetts,
Witnesses:
J. B. WOOD.
C. ELLIS.
ROSTO ORRIN WOOD, M.D.