AN IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING BREAKS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Pierce Houghton, of Liverpool, in the
County of Lancaster, Wine and Spirit Merchant, for the Invention of
"AN IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING BREAKS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR
RETARDING RAILWAY CARRIAGES.
Sealed the 15th May 1863, and dated the 18th November 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Pierce Houghton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th November 1862.
I, EDWARD PIERCE HOUGHTON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Wine and Spirit Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING BREAKS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR
RETARDING RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows (that is to say):-
The Invention consists in a partial displacement or disconnection of the
engine or break van, either or both, or any other portion of the carriages
forming the train, whereby the engine, break van, or other portion or portions
of the train thus partially displaced or disconnected sets in motion a break or
breaks or other appliances, which, acting on the wheels or other parts of the
train, thereby impede its progress.
The mode of carrying this Invention into effect is as follows:-A link rod
or chain runs underneath the carriages and is in connexion with the breaks;
the last carriage or guard's van is attached to the end of this chain or link
rod, the other end of the chain or link rod is attached to the engine or tender;

page_text: and by means of a lever, wheel, or other appliance, can be slacked away from
the engine or tender so as to allow the last carriage to fall behind, and upon
a break being applied to it the force with which it holds back draws the chain
or link rod which is slacked away from the engine or tender, and so applies
the breaks to any or all the carriages; or one end of the chain or link rod
may be attached to any carriage of the train; when, the breaks having been
suitably arranged, the forward portion of the train will draw the breaks on
the hinder portion, and vice versa. Should more power be required it can be
obtained by having a second chain or link rod; and by allowing the engine to
keep slightly ahead of the moving train, the same result, with greater power,
can be obtained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters: Patent, filed
by the said Edward Pierce Houghton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 18th May 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, EDWARD
PIERCE HOUGHTON, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Wine and Spirit
Merchant, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eighteenth day of November, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Edward Pierce Houghton, Her special licence that I, the said
Edward Pierce Houghton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said Edward Pierce Houghton, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF APPLYING BREAKS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING
OR RETARDING RAILWAY. CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Edward Pierce Houghton, 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.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Edward Pierce Houghton, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (that is to say):-
This my said Invention consists in a partial displacement or disconnexion
of the engine or break van, either or both, or any other portion of the
carriages forming the train, whereby the engine, break van, or other portion
or portions of the train thus partially displaced or disconnected sets in motion
a break or breaks or other appliances, which acting on the wheels or other
parts of the train thereby impede its progress.
The mode of carrying this my said Invention into effect is by a link rod
or chain, which runs underneath the carriages and in connexion with the
breaks. The last carriage or guard's van. I attach to one end of this chain
or link rod, and the other end I connect with the engine or tender, and which
by means of a lever, wheel, or other such appliance I can slack away from the
engine or tender, and so apply the breaks to any of or all the carriages; or
one end of the chain or link rod may be attached to any carriage of the train;
when the breaks having been suitably arranged, the forward portion of the
train will draw the breaks on the hinder portion, and vice versa. Should a
greater amount of power be required for working the breaks, I use a pair of
parallèl chains or link rods instead of the single ones herein-before referred to,
and allow the engine to pass slightly ahead of the moving train.
To apply this Invention to a train of passenger or other carriages. fitted
with the ordinary break gear, I attach to the centres of each of the transverse
rocking shafts, which actuate the usual side levers, arms, and break blocks,
a beam lever which projects above and below the rocking shafts, and at right
angles thereto; the lever arms of this beam I form with a slot or circular
holes near each extremity, so as to allow metal rods or chains to pass there-
through, and which move and slide freely therein. I surround the upper rod
or chain at the back of the upper lever arm with a spiral spring, and the
lower rod or chain with another spiral. spring immediately in front of the
lower lever arm; or else I use a spiral spring surrounding the chains or rods
on each side of the lever arms, and in order to regulate and hold the spiral
springs in their places I use screwed flangers, or other description of nut or
its mechanical equivalent, in rear and front of the springs, which are screwed,
pinned, or otherways attached to the horizontal draw rods or chains; and I
use sliding collars between the eyes of the levers and the ends of the springs
next to the eyes to prevent the spring from slipping therethrough. The
parallel rods underneath each carriage are connected with the break gear in

page_text: a similar manner throughout the whole of the train, and are connected
together at their ends, for which purpose to the end of each of these rods I
attach a universal joint, hook and eye, chain, or other description of coupling
to connect the rods throughout the entire length of the train; and in order
to support and guide these rods or chains I cause them to pass through slots
or guide eyes formed in brackets fixed underneath the carriage bodies, by
which arrangement it will be readily seen that if the upper and lower line of
rods or chains be pulled in a contrary direction, so as to compress the springs
against the levers or arms of the rocking shaft, they will force the whole
series of break blocks against the wheels of the carriages forming the train.
Near the extremity of each of these lines of rods or chains I place toothed
rack, toothed or plain wheel, lever, or other suitable mechanical appliance with
pinion or other necessary apparatus capable of slacking out, drawing up, or
holding securely in its position the one or the other of the line of rods, which
may be worked from the engine or tender from the forward or. back carriages,
or other suitable position in the train. It is then necessary in working the
train to attach either the upper or lower line of rods or chains, according to
which end of the train the engine is attached, to a coupling connected with
the engine.or tender, and to allow the rack or other mechanical equivalent at
that end of the rods or chains coupled to the engine to run perfectly free, and
the coupling of one of the lines of rods, and so forth; that is to say, the line
of rods attached to the engine between the two carriages furthest from the
engine is to be left uncoupled, and the usual centre or side couplings are to
be left very slack, or detached altogether. The engine and tender are also to
be attached to the carriage immediately behind, by a coupling which can
be slacked away by means of a screw, wheel, pulleys, and chains, or their
mechanical equivalent, by which arrangement it will be seen that, supposing
the engine to be pulling and the train in motion, and in order to draw on the
line of rods and thus to apply the breaks, all that is necessary to be done is
to slack away the coupling and allow the engine or engine and tender to
advance a little on the front of the train, and thus the drawing power of the
engine will be transferred from the upper couplings or bodies of the carriages
to the line of rods to which the engine is attached, thus drawing the spiral
springs against the vertical levers, and so cause the side arms to force the
blocks against the wheels. It will also be seen that as only one line of rods
is attached to the engine or tender, and that the other terminates at the
guard's van or van next to the engine or tender, from whence it is worked by
the rack, toothed or plain wheel, lever, or other mechanical appliance with
pinion or other necessary apparatus capable of slacking out, drawing up, or

page_text: holding securely in its position, and that it extends back and is connected with
the lever of the rocking shaft of the back carriage, which is fitted with similar
mechanical appliances capable of slacking out and holding in place the one
or other line of rods, it will be obvious that when the guard or other person
slacks this line of rods away from the carriage immediately in front, by means
of the appliances under his control, the back carriage will immediately fall
behind, especially if the spring buffers have been well drawn up; and as I
propose that when the breaks on this back carriage have been opened or
relieved previous to starting by a man working the appliances in that carriage,
they should be held in that position by means of a draw bar, lever, pall, or
other appliance, which shall be connected to the next carriage by a chain or
otherwise, so that when the space between the two carriages is extended by
the back carriage being slacked away and falling behind, the draw bar, lever,
pall, or other appliance will be drawn out or removed, and consequently set
the breaks on that carriage at liberty to act, which they are compelled to do
by the traction of the line of rods slacked away from the forward carriage
pulling upon the lever connected with the rocking shaft. It will then be seen
that when the breaks are applied to the back carriage it becomes a strong
drag on the line of rods to which it is attached (being the contrary one to
that to which the engine and tender are connected), and consequently presses
the springs against the vertical levers of the rocking shafts, and thus assists
the engine in applying the breaks, the one drawing forward on one line of
rods, whilst the other holds back on the other line of rods. If it is thought
more expedient to apply breaks on the back carriage, by means of an
attendant stationed in that carriage, that may readily be done by making use
of a similar apparatus to that which is used for the slacking away of the
engine from the train, or the train from the engine. And in order that the
train may work either end first, it will be well if both the first and last
carriage are fitted with double-action breaks with springs at each side of the
levers, both on the upper and lower line of horizontal draw rods, as herein-
before described; this, however, may be accomplished with single-action
breaks by reversing or turning half round the end carriage. The train could
also be very well worked by applying a common break van for a back or drag
carriage, with an attendant to apply the breaks when necessary, in which case
the line of rods might be attached to any convenient part of the break van..
Another mode of working the train would be, to make use of a carriage of
a peculiar construction, that is to say, one on which being slacked away from
the forward part of the train by the means before stated would fall down on
its own wheels, and so by stopping their revolutions become a drag.. A,

page_text: carriage of this description might be made perfectly self-acting, as by drawing
it up tight to the next carriage by the line of rods to which it is attached, it
would raise its body off its wheels, and then by slackening the line off again,
it would fall. This carriage might also be made with a double bottom, so
that instead of the body of the carriage, the false bottom merely would fall
upon the wheels, and either one or the other bottom might be so arranged
that by means of a wheel or combined lever and wheel working on an inclined
plain on the carriage immediately preceding it, when drawn up, or slacked
out, it would apply or relieve the breaks, as required. By arranging the
springs at some distance from the levers of the rocking shafts, it would be
possible to apply the breaks to the last carriage alone, without allowing it to
draw on the breaks of any other carriage until the line of rods is farther
slacked away. The back carriages might also be made to draw upon a chain
connected with a large wheel attached to the carriage immediately preceding
it, which large wheel should rotate a small wheel, pinion, or spindle, working
into a rack or chain attached to and drawing the line of rods, thus giving
much greater power to the back carriage in drawing the rods, and conse-
quently applying the breaks.
My plan for working a train with only one line of rods would be to make
use of double-action breaks, the arms of which are to be attached to rocking
shafts over each wheel, the blocks extending by a part or segment of a
circular bar on each side of each wheel, or if it should be thought preferable,
they might be applied on each side of the upper portion of each wheel, the
part or segment of the circular bar to be attached to the rocking shaft above.
In the centre of the rocking shaft, and hanging down nearly to the axle of
the wheels or beyond, and lower than the axle if necessary, by being bent or
formed so as to clear the axle, I place an arm or lever having a round or slot
hole, through which I place a metal rod, having spiral springs on each side of
the arm or lever, which are kept close, or nearly so, to the lever by means of
a screw nut or collar, with washers between the other end of the spring and
the lever arm of the rocking shaft, so as to prevent the spring from slipping
through the hole. It will be seen, that when this rod is pulled either forwards
or backwards the breaks are applied, but as long as it is not drawn upon, the
arms remain pendant and the breaks free. In order to make use of this, all
that is necessary is to couple these rods together as well as the regular
couplings of the train, also coupling the forward end of the rods loose or
slack to the engine or tender, the engine or tender being coupled also, by a
coupling capable of being drawn tight or slacked away by screw, lever, pulleys,
or other mechanical appliance; it will then be seen, on slacking away the

page_text: engine from the train, or the train from the engine, that the drawing power
of the engine is transferred from the couplings of the train to the line of rods
connected with the levers of the rocking shafts, which press the break blocks
against the wheels, or by having a man in the back or any other carriage
which is fitted with lever, wheel, screw, or other mechanical appliance, by
which the man can slack away or lengthen the upper couplings, that is to
say, the couplings by which the train is being drawn, he can transfer the
draw from the upper to the lower couplings, and so cause the back portion of
the train to draw the breaks on the forward portion, and vice versa. By this
arrangement, the train may be worked either end first. If considered
advisable, the arms or levers connected with the rocking shafts, and through
which the rods run both in this modification and the former one, might be
constructed with a spring in them, made of any flexible material that would
give way slightly when drawn, and would become perfectly straight again
when the pressure of the spiral springs is removed, so that the spiral springs
would never press against a perfectly rigid substance, and there might also be a
spring or solid butts or stops so placed under the body of the carriages as to
prevent the springs from overdrawing the breaks; this, however, could be
regulated by the extent to which the engine or back carriage or carriages are
slacked away.
That this my said Invention may be more readily seen and understood, I
have hereunto annexed Drawings illustrative of four modifications of my
improved system of break gear. Like letters and figures marked thereon
being used to denote similar parts.
!
Figure 1 is a side elevation representing a train, consisting of a locomotive,
tank engine, guard's van, and two other carriages fitted with one modification
of my improved double-draw break gear, seen out of action; Figure 2 is a
partial sectional elevation of the same, shewing the breaks in action; Figure 3
is an outline elevation of the end of one of the carriages, shewing the
transverse rocking shaft with its vertical beam lever, through which the draw
rods work; and Figure 4 shows the bottom side of the van when seen from
below; Figure 5, sectional elevation of another train, consisting of a loco-
motive tank engine and break van fitted with double-action break blocks and
duplicate gear for working the breaks by hand, and an ordinary carriage
fitted with breaks similar to the carriages illustrated in Figure 1, 2, 3, and 4,
and a break van fitted with double-action break blocks and gear for working
the breaks from the carriage by hand, or by relieving the hand gear by the
action of the partial separation of that carriage from the one immediately in
front of it; Figure 6, partial sectional side elevation of another modification

page_text: of my improved system of breaks, arranged so as to run either end foremast;
and Figure 7 is another modification constructed with a single rod and
double-action break blocks.
A; the locomotive enginé; B, body of the carriages; C, lower frame of the:
carriage body, to which are attached D, rigid brackets, supporting E, trans-
verse rocking shaft, to which are attached F, vertical lever beams, to which
are jointed G, rods, the ends of which carry H, the break blocks; I, vertical:
lever, securely staked unto the centre of the rocking shaft (E), through the
ends of which work K and K', the upper and lower draw rods, which are:
fitted with L; spiral springs, which abut against M, a loose collar, on the side:
of the lever (1), and is acted upon by the springs (L), which are held in
position by N, a fast collar on the draw rods; P, fast collars or stops to
prevent the rods being withdrawn from the eyes of the beam lever (I);
Qand Q (Figures 2, 4, & 5,) are winch barrels, actuated by a wheel-worm'
motion by R and R', the crank handles, and which are used to lengthen or
shorten S, the differential draw chain, connecting the engine with the bodies
of the carriages, and to which the power of the engine is applied when the
train is in motion during the time that the breaks are not applied thereto.;'
T connecting link or chain for attaching the draw rods to the engine; U,
coupling chains, connecting the ends of the draw rods together; V, chain
coupling,. connecting the draw. rods with the break van or last carriage; W,
ordinary couplings, for connecting the bodies of the carriages; ✗, vertical
shaft, on the head of which is keyed Y, a worm wheel, into which works a
screw shaft, actuated by Z, crank handle. The lower ends of these shafts (X)
carry a pinion wheel, which works into racks formed on or attached to the
draw rods, and by which arrangement the rods can be made to advance or
recede by merely turning the crank handle (Z), thereby the break blocks (H)
may be applied to or removed from the wheels of the train. b, (Figures 2
and 3,) is the body of the last carriage, which is mounted on a, jointed
supports, so that when it is drawn forward or the frame of the carriage is
allowed to recede backwards, the body (6) rests upon the wheels, and forms a
break, stopping or retarding their resolutions; d and d¹ (Figure 5) a pair of
capstans, the lower ends of the spindles of which carry pinion wheels, working
into racks formed on or attached to the sides of the draw rods, similar to those
seen in the guard's van, and by which the breaks can be applied or relieved
by means of a capstan bar; e (Figure 5) tow line or chain attached to the
carriage immediately before the break van, and passed round the barrel of the
capstans (d or d¹), by which the last carriage may be slacked off or drawn
towards the carriage immediately in front of it; this rope is slack when the

page_text: breaks of the last carriage are intended to be self-acting. ƒ (Figure 5) a lever
I catch, for holding the capstan in position when in close contact and the breaks
are not on, but immediately upon the last carriage being slacked away by
means of the rack pinion and so forth, actuated by the guard or other
attendant in the first carriage, the last carriage falling a little in rear, it
will move the point of the lever catch from the ratchet on the foot of the
capstan barrel by being acted upon by g (Figure 5) a. rod, which is attached
to the carriage immediately in front of it. The barrel will rotate as the hinder
carriage recedes from the other carriages, thereby acting upon the. rack
through its.pinion wheel, assists to apply..the breaks to the back carriage. It
will be readily observed that this lever catch may be variously modified, so as
to be self-acting, but, if preferred, it may be worked by an attendant within
the carriage. It will be observed that this back. carriage is connected to the
lower line of break rods, whereby its retarded progress is enabled to act
throughout the whole series of breaks on the forward portion of the train, and
it will be seen that the back carriage has its breaks actuated in an opposite
direction to the fore carriages. h, guide brackets, through which the draw
rods work; i, Figure (5 and 7,) segmental arms, which carry at each end the
break bocks (H), and which are keyed unto j, the transverse rocking shafts,
to which are attached k, rigid or elastic arms, through which passes m, a draw
rod, which is fitted on each side of the pendulous arm (k) with loose collars,
spiral springs, and stops; n, (Figure 6,) segmental beams, carrying on their
outer ends; break blocks (H), and oscillating on their axis at p, (Figure 6),
and which are connected together in pairs by transverse rods, which are
constructed with holes to receive the draw rods, which are. also fitted with a
loose collars, spiral springs, and fixed collars, for keeping them in position (as
herein-before described, as applied to the beams of the rocking shafts)..
I will now proceed to describe the action of the modification of my improved
system of working breaks as illustrated by (Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4). On
reference to Figure 1, it will be observed that all the carriages are in contact,
and the: breaks are out of action, and by looking at.Figure 2, it will be observed
that the locomotive is slightly in advance of the other carriages, and the last
carriage is removed a little more to the rear, the traction of the engine having
been removed from the draw couplings. (S) to the upper line of rods (K),
through the coupling (T), and the body of the last carriage having been
relieved from the pressure, of the buffers of the carriage immediately in front
of it has fallen forwards on to its wheels, thus the whole body acts as a break
to prevent or retard their rotation, and the upper line of rods: being drawn
forward by the action of the engine, and the lower line of draw rods being

page_text: drawn backwards by the retarded progress of the hinder carriage, the vertical
beam levers are thrown into a oblique position, thereby the whole series of
blocks are pressed against the wheels of the carriages by their connecting
rods. To relieve the breaks, all that is required to be done is to draw the
locomotive towards the guard's van by means of the winches (Q and Q') by
rotating the crank handle (R or R¹), when the traction of the locomotive will
be removed from the upper line of draw rods to the body of the carriages, and
upon the last carriage being brought into contact with that immediately
preceding it, the falling body of the carriage will be again elevated, which
can be done by the guard by means of the rack and worm-wheel motion under
his control..
In the modification shown in Figure 5 the first and last carriages are so
fitted that they can be worked either way, as, it will be observed, the first
carriage is provided with a rack to each draw rod, vertical shaft, pinion, and
so forth, and the last carriage is also provided with rack and pinion motion to
both the upper and lower draw rods, which can be actuated by hand or by the
unwinding of the tow line (e), when the capstan (d') is relieved of the catch
bar (p) by the action of the rod (g) attached to the carriage in front. In
this sketch the whole of the breaks are seen applied.
In the modification seen in Figure 6 it will be readily seen that if either the
upper or lower draw rod be acted upon by the engine, or the other one by the
last carriage, one of the break blocks will be brought on to and pressed against
each wheel of the train. This system is worked in a precisely similar manner
to the two preceding modifications.
By the modification shown in Figure 7 I only use one draw rod acting upon
a pendulous lever attached to a rocking shaft having curved arms fitted on
their lower ends with ordinary break blocks; by this arrangement the breaks
can be applied by slacking off the engine or the last or any other portion
of the carriages forming the train, but only one of these modes of acting
upon the breaks can be used at one time. If slacked away in the centre
of the train the back carriages will draw against the breaks of the fore
carriages and the fore carriages against the breaks of the back carriages.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this my said
Invention, and the best means I am acquainted with of carrying the same into
practical effect, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the
precise details, relative proportions, or dimensions, as it will be readily seen
that the same may be considerably varied without departing from the Inven-
tion, but what I claim is,-
First, transferring the power of the locomotive from the bodies of the

page_text: carriages or ordinary couplings to the breaks, as herein-before described and
set forth, or any mere modification of the same.
Secondly, applying the power of the retarded back carriage to act upon the
breaks of the remaining carriages, as herein-before described and set forth, or
any mere modification of the same.
And, lastly, the general arrangement, combination, and construction of the
apparatus herein-before described and set forth, substantially and in the
'manner and for the purposes herein-before described and set forth, or any
mere modification of the same.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Pierce Houghton, have hereunto
set my hand and affixed my seal, this Sixteenth day of May, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
Witness,
5
WILLIAM WALKER,
EDWARD PIERCE (L.S.) HOUGHTON.
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.