IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Cuit, of Paris, in the Empire of France,
Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Cuit at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th November 1858.
I, CHARLES CUIT, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL-
WAY BRAKES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists of a new railway brake for acting at the same time
on the wheels and rails, and tending to raise from the rails the carriage to
which it is adapted. This brake is formed of two twin or hollow beams,
between which the wheels of the vehicle rotate. These beams are united by
suitable transverse pieces, forming together with the beams a frame of three
sides, which is suspended by chains or rods jointed to the framework of the
carriage. This frame is worked by a winch, or other mechanical equivalent,
actuated by the guard or brakesman, who, when wishing to stop the carriage,
lowers the brake frame on the rails, in such manner that the beams descend
on the rails, and travel thereon on the rollers or small wheels fitted thereto,
which are furnished with flanges, and turn on double axles in the beams.
When the frame thus rests on the rails its movement of descent brings a
number of inclined planes under the wheels of the carriage, on which the

page_text: wheels mount, and so suspend or raise the said carriage. These inclined
planes are formed, 1st, of a fixed part with a thin edge; 2ndly, of a series of
rollers mounted on friction axles turning on fixed axes in the beams. The
carriage suspended thus on the frame will be rolled on the rail, and stop
itself immediately without shock. In order to disconnect the carriage from
the brake, the brakesman raises the frame to its original position, when the
carriage glides down the incline between the beams on to the rails, and can
thus recommence travelling. Several brake vans or waggons can be placed
in the same train; in this case the brake frames are connected together by
means of chains of communication, or by jointed rods, which enable a single
brakesman to put the whole of the brakes in action at the same time.
The construction of the brake which I propose is simple, strong, and does
not acquire any alteration in the existing arrangements of railways. I have
represented my Invention in the Drawings annexed.
Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a carriage furnished with my improved
brake; Fig. 2 shows a plan of Fig. 1. The same letters denote the same
parts where they recur on the two Figures. a, body of the carriage, to which
the brake is adapted; b, wheels of the carriage; c, hollow beams or girders
of plate iron, placed on each side of the carriage, of which the girders embrace
the wheels; the two parts are united together throughout their length by stays
conveniently disposed; d, cross bars placed in front of the two beams c, c;
e, fixed incline, mounted on the beams; it terminates in a thin edge at the
lower part. f, rollers on double axes, moving by friction; these rollers form
a continuation of the inclined plane e; it is on these rollers that the wheels of
the carriage mount when the brake acts. g, large flanged roller running on
the rail, to allow of the frame and the carriage gliding on the rail; this
roller g is mounted on a double axle, the same as the small ones. h, rods or
chains connecting the brake frames to the framework of the carriage; i, chain
or jointed rod, intended to elevate or lower the frame when it is wished to
cause or suspend the action of the brake.
When the brakesman
The action of this brake will be easily understood.
wishes to stop the progress of the carriage, he lowers (by means of a mechanism
placed at his disposal) the brake frame on the rails. The wheels of the
carriage in advancing now encounter the inclined planes e, and by their speed
pass over and arrive at a standstill on the large roller q. The friction
occasioned by the passage of the wheels on their inclined planes is sufficient
to retard their motion.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Charles Cuit in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 20th
May 1859.
TO ALL TO. WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
CUIT, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Charles Cuit, Her special licence that I, the said Charles Cuit,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Charles
Cuit, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the
term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within. the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for. IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BRAKES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles
Cuit, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain. the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of
the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Cuit, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawings, that is to say:--
My improvements consist in a new railway brake for acting at the same
time on the wheels and rails, and tending to raise the carriage from the rails
to which it is adopted. This brake is formed of two lever or hollow beams,
between which the wheels of the vehicle rotate. These beams are united by
suitable transverse pieces, forming together with the beams a frame of four
sides, formed by the twins or hollow beams, which is suspended by rods or
chains jointed to the framework.of the carriage. This frame is worked by a
winch or other mechanical equivalent actuated by the guard or brakesman;
who, when wishing to stop the carriage, lowers the brake frame on the rails
in such a manner that the beams descend on the rails, and travel thereon on
the rollers or small wheels fitted thereto, which are furnished with flanges;

page_text: and turn on double axles in the beams. When the frame thus rests on the
rails, its movement of descent brings a number of inclined planes under the
wheels of the carriage on which the wheels mount, and so suspend or raise
the said carriage. These inclined planes are formed, first, of a series of
rollers mounted on friction axles turning on fixed axles in the beams. The
carriage suspended thus on the frame will be rolled on the rail, and stops
itself immediately without shock. In order to disconnect the carriage from
the brake, the brakesman raises the fram to its original position, when the
carriage glides down the incline between the beams on to the rails, and can
thus recommence travelling. The brake thus placed does not prevent the
movement of the train. Several brake vans or waggons can be placed in the
same train; in this case the brake framing are connected together by means
of chains of communication, as by jointed rods, which enable a single brakes-
man to put the whole of the brakes in action at the same time. In case of
shock in front, the wheels of the vehicle, in mounting on the inclined planes,
are stopped in their movement, and shock prevented at the same time.
The construction of the brake which I propose is simple, strong, and does
not require any alterations in the existing arrangements of railways, and one
brakesman can manage several brakes at the same time. I have represented
my Invention in the Drawings annexed.
Fig. 1 shows a side elevation of a carriage furnished with my improved
brake; Fig. 2 shows a plan of Fig. 1. The same letters denote the same
parts where they occur in the two Figures. a, body of the carriage, to which
the brake is adapted; b, buffer of the waggon, jointed to framework d by the
ordinary fastenings; c, wheels of the carriage, mounted in the ordinary way,
furnished with a spring; d, the framework of the brake, of iron, placed at each
side of the carriage, which are connected throughout their lengths by inter-
mediate parts conveniently disposed; e, cross tie bars, placed at the front and
back, uniting the two beams carrying the incline plane; f.f, fixed inclined
planes, mounted on the beams, to act in moving a-head, or in backing; it
terminates in a thin edge at the lower part. 9, 9, 9, small rollers on single
or double axes, moving by friction. These rollers form a continuation of the
incline plane f; it is on these rollers that the wheels of the carriage mount
when the brake acts. The rollers with double axes can be formed of a shaft
rivetted or turning in the beams. This shaft would serve as an axes to each
roller 9. It is furnished with a shoulder for stopping; the largest of the
rollers is such, that it allows the spring to pass between it and the beams
. large flanged roller, running on the rail, and allowing of the frame and
carriage sliding on the rail; this roller, as in the case of the smaller ones, is

page_text: mounted on a double axes. j, rod for lowering the brake when the brake is
to be put on to the waggon. The brake is put in action simply the tension
of the springs l. The frame takes, in raising or lowering, a lateral movement
forwards or backwards, by which one of the two inclined planes presents
itself under the wheel. p, grease box; 1, large spring fixed to the frame in
any manner, as a guard plate, for example; m, vertical rods, fixed to the
springs at the extremity; n, flanged roller, turning in the farthest extremity
of rod m; o, lateral bars fixed to the beams d; they are adjusted in manner
so as to embrace the rollers n, n, and retain them between the said beams d
and the said bars o. The parts l, m, n, and o, being mounted as described, it
will be understood that the springs / tends to replace the frame of the brake as
soon as the wheels are disengaged from their inclined planes, and thus
produce the action of the brake. It will be thus understood that in the
different lateral movements of the brake for moving ahead or backwards the
rolling slide on the rail which is between the lateral bars and the bearing d.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Cuit, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
CHARLES CUIT. (L.S.)