IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES FOR WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS, AND FOR EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE GUARD, DRIVER, AND PASSENGERS
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Kendall at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 7th
January 1869.
I, CHARLES KENDALL, of Milo End, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS
IN APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES FOR WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS, AND FOR
EFFECTING COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE GUARD, DRIVER, AND PASSENGERS," to
be as follows:-
This Invention relates partly to that description of apparatus for
working railway breaks and communications which are worked by the
aid of compressed air assisted in the performance of its functions by
specially adapted appliances, as described in the Specification of a Patent
granted to me, bearing date the 18th day of December 1864, No. 8083,
and in a new arrangement of apparatus for effecting signalling on
railways. In the Specification above referred to I described that the
pressure was generated in a receiver by the aid of an ordinary double-
action air pump placed in a horizontal position and set in motion by a
belt attached to a pulley fastened to one of the axles of the guard's
van and connected with what I termed my specially adapted striking
gear, an appliance for throwing the action of the pump from a tight to

page_text: a loose gear and so saving such ordinary pump from unneccessary
friction.
}
Now the first part of my present Invention consists, firstly, in the
employment of one or more vertical single-action pumps either combined
in their action or free to work independently of each other; these are
placed on the locomotive, the tender, or in the break and can be worked
from the belt before mentioned, or the pump or pumps may be worked
by an intermediate friction roller or pulley placed between the pulley on
one of the axles of the running wheels and the pulley attached to the
pump shafts, so as to transmit the power from the axle pulley to the
pulley of the pumps direct. These pumps have one end open and are so
constructed that a supply of water can be placed or carried on their
pistons or buckets for the purpose of lubricating the same as hereafter
explained. A pipe leading to the receiver or charge pipe is fitted with
a branch pipe which forms a water well; this branch pipe leads up and:
terminates above the pump barrel. The extreme end of this pipe is fitted
with a valve acted upon when the pressure in the receiver exceeds a
certain limit, the excess of air being allowed to flow through this pipe
and valve into the atmosphere, the water in the lower bend of the pipe
is at. the same time carried by the air through the valve, where it falls
upon the top of the piston and serves to lubricate the same.
In some
cases I employ a donkey engine supplied with steam from the boiler
in connection with a pump on the locomotive or tender, the advantage
of this mode being that the required pressure of air can be produced
in the receivers before starting the train, the apparatus being under
the control of the driver. The receivers can be constructed of one or
more lengths of pipe and be carried on the locomotive, the tender, or on
the break.
My Invention further consists in forming the hinged joints or unions
with lugs on their sides having a hole or holes in them to receive a bolt
or bolts attached to a chain so situated that should the train becomė
disconnected in consequence of the coupling irons breaking, the bolts
will be withdrawn and the joints or unions disconnected without injury.
Pressure will be sustained in all parts of the broken train by valves
placed in the faces of the unions opening inwardly. These valves are so
fitted as to leave a free opening when the train is coupled-up, but on a
breaking or disconnection taking place they close the ends of the pipè
'and retain the air therein. Or the pipe of the union may be made in

page_text: a bent form so that its end assumes as it were a vertical position in line
with the face of the unions. This allows the latch catches to exert à
horizontal pressure while hold in suspension, but upon the breaking of
the couplings a horizontal tensile strain will be given to the unions,
3 the bent ends being as it were forced downwards so as to release the
latch catches and throw them out of gear, whereby the unions become
disconnected I prefer to make these bends in the following manner:→
The end of the pipe of the union is overlapped by a short piece of rubber
tubing which also overlaps a second pipe which has a bend in it. This
second pipe passes through a hole in the latch lever, and on tensile strain
being given to the flexible tubo leading from the pipe under the carriage
the latch lever is caused to ride down the bent portion of the pipe,
whereby the catch is released and the unions become separated.
My Invention further consists in the employment of an air cylinder
in addition to and under the shaft of ordinary screw break gear
arranged so as to have the effect of putting on the breaks when air is
admitted to the cylinder from the receiver simultaneously with the other
.breaks.
My Invention further consists in the employment of a cock the plug
0 of which has four openings or ways; one of these openings leads to a pipo
or hollow ball., The cock is in connection with the two pipes marked
Nos. 1 and 2 in my Patent before referred to, and I prefer to place one
of these under every carriage forming the train; these are so arranged
that with the assistance of a paul acted on by a lever and spring having
5 a cord attached thereto, the cord passing through every compartment of
that carriage, thus a passenger is enabled to give an alarm to the driver
and guard. Should any passenger purposely cut the cord or should it
bo broken by any means it will by the additional action of the spring
make the whistle speak on the engine or tender and in the break, and in
0 each case move a semaphore arm and uncover a red light if at night
denoting to the guard which carriago the signal comes from. The stem
of the whistle is fitted with a valve, which when the full pressure is
admitted for actuating the breaks closes the aperture and provents the
air passing it and acting in the whistles. By this arrangement the
5 whole of the air is employed in operating the breaks. This valve is so
arranged that on any of the cords being pulled the pressure of the air is
not sufficient to close the valve and the air is thus free to pass it and
sound the whistle.

page_text: The second part of my Invention consists in dispensing with the use
of one of the pipes, say, No. 2, as described in my Patent before referred
to. I maintain a pressure of air in the pipe No. 1, and I fit in the guard's
van a cylinder the piston of which is kept to one end thereof by the
pressure of the air in the pipe. The outer end of the piston rod impinges
against a bell or other apparatus for producing sound, but upon a cord
in any of the compartments of the carriages constituting a train being
pulled the cock connected to that compartment is opened whereby the
air in the pipe is free to escape; this allows the piston above referred to
to recede in its cylinder either by the action of a spring or by its own
weight and liberates the piston rod from the bells. A spring with which
the bells are fitted is then brought into play, and a ringing or other
sound is produced to notify to the guard or other attendant that his
assistance is required. The particular compartment or carriage from
which the signal is produced is indicated by reason of the cord or handle
hanging loosely or projecting much farther than usual. When this
cylinder is fitted on an engine the end of the piston rod may be in
connection with the handle of the steam whistle and an alarm may thus
be established. A code of signals can be made use of between the guard
or other attendant with the driver by fitting a cock to the pipe within
reach of the driver and another within reach of the guard so that the
pipe may be exhausted from either end. Sometimes I make the cylinders
of flexible material and fit them with springs which are kept extended
while under pressure of air, and upon the exhaust taking place the
springs contract and remove the rod or projection from the bells and
the piston from connection with the whistle. When the apparatus. is
fitted so that a communication can be kept up between the driver and
guard the apparatus in connection with the whistle can be made more
sensitive than the bell apparatus; thus the driver would be first
acquainted with the knowledge that the air in the pipe is below the
required pressure, Instead of actuating the pistons of the pumps by
means of a crank shaft the piston may be lifted by hand and the pipe
filled with air, and by weighting the piston the pressure will be main.
tained in the pipe. These pumps may be constructed of flexible material
or not.

page_text: 'the signals; the other receiver, which is of larger dimensions, is kept
charged with a pressure sufficient to operato the breaks. The cocks of
both receivers lead to one pipe which passes from one end of the train to
the other as before explained.