IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jeremiah Johnson, Cordwainer, and Arthur Chapman,
Gentleman, both of Leatherhead, in the County of Surrey, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS
ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 31st October 1862, and dated the 7th May 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jeremiah Johnson and
Arthur Chapman at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their
Petition, on the 7th May 1862.
We, JEREMIAH JOHNSON, Cordwainer, and ARTHUR CHAPMAN, Gentleman,
both of Leatherhead, in the County of Surrey, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS
ON RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
According to our Invention, we fix ratchet wheels on each of the railway
carriage axles, that are to be acted on by the apparatus for preventing
collisions; they being disposed between the running wheels of the carriage;
above each ratchet we place a toothed pawl, which is suspended at the free
end by a short chain turning over a pulley, and passing thence to a
longitudinal rod placed below the carriage framing. The pawls are mounted.
on fixed fulcra, which receive the strain when they. are thrown into gear. A
longitudinal rod is disposed near either side of the carriage, and which rods
are free to slide longitudinally to a certain extent; they are connected with

page_text: each other by spring connections, which elongate to a certain extent, for
connecting and keeping such connections in tension; it is at same time in
sufficient tension to transmit the pull required through the several rods
connected together. These longitudinal connected rods are placed in con-
nection by suitable chains, with a winch or other barrel or barrels in the
guard's van, on which they are wound up and held by a lever, or otherwise, so
that all the pawls will be held up from the ratchets. If a collision is
imminent, the guard releases the rods, which immediately lowers the pawls,
these taking into the ratchet wheels, and stopping the running wheels at once.
When a train is at a standstill, the guard, or party in charge, has inerely to
operate on the longitudinal rods, to raise the pawls, and so free the wheels.
In order to separate and back the carriages when desired, we hook the
coupling chains of the rods before-mentioned, on a look at the end of the
frame, which keeps the pawls out of gear with the ratchet wheels; the
separated carriages will therefore be free to travel in any direction. The
longitudinal rods at the opposite end of the train from the winch barrel have
spring attachments, which draw the rods when not otherwise operated, so as
to gear the pawls with the ratchets.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jeremiah Johnson and Arthur Chapman in the Great g
Scal Patent Office on the 7th November 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JEREMIAH
JOHNSON, Cordwainer, and ARTHUR CHAPMAN, Gentleman, both of Leatherhead,
in the 'County of Surrey, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 2
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said Jeremiah Johnson and Arthur Chapman, Her special licence, that
we, the said Jeremiah Johnson and Arthur Chapman, our executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Jeremiah Johnson and
Arthur Chapman, our 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

page_text: "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS ON RAILWAYS." upon
the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Jeremiah Johnson and
Arthur Chapman, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under our, 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 we, the said Jeremiah Johnson and Arthur
Chapman, do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
Our Invention relates to improvements in apparatus or mechanism for
retarding and stopping railway trains for preventing collisions.
The first improvement consists in the retarding breaks which can be made
self-acting, and are intended to be fitted to the break van, and to all the
carriages, or to any required number of carriages of a train.
The second improvement consists of a stopping break, which can be applied
at any moment, and may be used apart from the retarding break, or in
conjunction therewith.
The third improvement consists in the gearing for actuating the above
breaks. The retarding breaks which we intend to apply to each carriage, and
to each wheel of the carriage, or upon all the axles, as may be found
necessary in practice, are formed in the following manner: To the inside of
each wheel a strong cylindrical flanged metal ring is bolted firmly by
the flange to the carriage wheels to turn therewith, and as large as the space
between the rail and under frame of will admit. A solid wheel may be
substituted for these rings, and be keyed on to the axle alone, to the wheels,
or in the centre or other part of the said axles, as may be found most
convenient for fixing the gearing. We prefer, however, the rings bolted
directly to the wheels of the carriages, as being more economical. Round the
periphery of these rings or wheels, as the case may be, strong spring-break
bands lined with blocks of wood, when required, are fitted; when out of gear,
that is, when the train is running, and the breaks are not required to act, the
break rings or wheels above described run clear of the break bands or blocks
therein. These bands have either sufficient expansive power in themselves to
keep them clear of the break wheels, or are fitted with springs for that
purpose. These break bands encompass and act upon the whole or nearly
the whole of the peripheries of the break wheels. The two ends of bands

page_text: are formed into eyes, and are hinged a little distance apart upon a short
strong lever; the two centres in this lever where the two ends of the spring
breaks are connected, constitute a double fulcrum, giving by the motion of the
lever a double action thereto, by which both ends of the spring break
are drawn together or tightened upon and caused to grasp the entire circum-
ference, or nearly so, of the break wheels, and retard the rotary motion of the
wheels of the carriage, and conséquently, check the speed of the train.
A slight motion of these levers (forward or backward) will be sufficient to
cause these simple breaks to operate, and the necessary motion may be given
thereto in various ways.
The plan we propose is to pass draw rods along from lever to lever under
the carriage, and to couple the ends between carriage by any suitable
coupling, so that the whole of the retarding breaks could be actuated simul-
taneously, or one after the other in succession, from either end of the train.
To accomplish this in the guard's compartment of the break van, we mount a
lever which similar to a steerage wheel, with hand spokes round the periphery,
upon a short strong axle, working in inclined or horizontal bearings, and upon
this axle a small strong spur or levelled toothed wheel is firmly keyed, so as
to work into and give motion to another similar wheel fixed on to a vertical
shaft; this shaft passes down through the bottom of the break van, where it
carries another wheel or pulley. Round this pulley a wire rope or chain is
passed, the two ends of which are attached to the ends of the connecting
draw rods (of the levers) before mentioned, and which rods pass along through
suitable eyes or ring bolts, fixed to the under side of the floor frame of the
carriage; the break bands which these draw rods actuate are double-acting,
so that either the forward or backward motion of the levers will cause them to
grasp the wheel as before described; thus these breaks will operate by either
motion of the rods from both or either ends of the carriages; strong springs
are fitted to the levers to cause them to regain their free position, and release
the break bands, and liberate the stopping gear herein-after described, when
the power is withdrawn from the lever wheel and gearing by the guard, or
otherwise. When one break wheel is used, we prefer fixing it as near the
centre of the axle as possible, and then either a double rod may be used as
above described, one rod being attached to one end of the lever, and the other
rod to the opposite end thereof. Upon the lever wheel shaft in the guard's
van, a ratchet or stop wheel is keyed, formed so that a pawl dropping into the
notches or cavities, on or in the periphery will retain and keep the breaks on
the break wheels as required, and when it is desired to throw out of gear, this
pawl is lifted by the guard, when the lever wheel may be run back by hand;

page_text: or without removing the pawl, the spur or level wheels being provided with a
suitable coupling, may be thrown out of gear, when the springs attached to the
levers of the break bands will immediately act, and cause the break wheels to
be released.
In place of using draw rods and wheels and coupling chains, as above
described, we also propose to actuate the rods and levers of the break bands
In
by a simple male and female screw, or screw and gearing wheel or rack.
this case the connecting lever rods are made so as to rotate upon their axes,
and to carry a male screw collar working in a female screw or rack or wheel
at the end or ends of the levers. To make these rods self-releasing, they may
be each fitted with a flat coil spring, so adjusted that it will always regain and
maintain the required position of the lever, when the power applied by the
guard as before described is withdrawn. In both cases, however, the springs
may be dispensed with, only that it will then be necessary for the guard to lift
the pawl, reverse his lever or steerage wheel. It will be readily understood that
by fitting a horizontal level which on the end of the vertical shaft (in the
guard's van) under the frame, and vertical level wheels on the end or ends of
the rotating lever rods, the necessary motion about their axes will be obtained.
For connecting these rods between the ends of the carriages, we propose to
use a universal joint, with an elongating or expanding and contracting coupling
collar sliding on the end of each rod as far as necessary for going round the
curves, or at other times to compensate for the draft between the carriages
consequent upon a change of speed, while the universal joint and hinge at this
end of the collar will admit of any required amount of rise and fall, while the
ends of the lever ends of the lever rods will be permitted to slide freely
in the collars, they are prevented from turning, when required, by making
them square or of any other form. suitable for the purpose. In cases where
the curves do not require this kind of coupling, a simple jointed or chain
rod may be substituted; the coupling and uncoupling is effected by inserting
and withdrawing a pin or coupling bolt in the centre of the universal joint,
which can be held in position by a split key. The whole of these couplings
will be made from the same patterns, and therefore the draw pins will fit the
couplings.
The blocks to which the break bands are attached are secured to the under
side of the carriage frames with strong metal plates and bolts, and are formed
with a socket, in which a short metal arm or bolt which carries the metal
band of a retarding break can rise and fall, to allow for the rise and fall of
the carriage frame upon the carriage springs, and to these blocks or plates
strong metal double-acting balanced pawls are hinged. The ends of these

page_text: .
pawls work into notches or cavities upon or in, the circumference of ratchet or
cavity wheels, which wheels are either keyed on to the axle and form one
wheel with the break wheels before described, or are bolted on to the sides
thereof, or cast entire therewith. These pawls are balanced and are also fitted
'with springs, by which they regain and retain their normal position when
released from the gearing presently described. These pawls are caused to fall
and catch into the notches or cavities of the ratchet or cavity wheels by the
forward or backward motion of the levers, and draw or other connecting rods,
which levers, however, when being moved backwards or forwards first put on
the retarding break bands, by which it is intended that the rotating motion of
the wheels of the carriages shall be checked or partially stopped, and while
this partial breaking power is being applied, the levers do not act upon the
pawls, the ratchet or cavity wheels being still allowed to rotate until their
motion is considerably reduced, while the levers are being drawn forward or
backward to nearly their full extent, and the power of the retarding break is
still increasing. When the end of the lever comes in contact with one end of
the double pawl, it depresses the other end, and causes it to catch into one of
the notches or cavities in the ratchet or cavity wheel, and thus finally and
effectually stops all further rotations of the carriage wheels, and then the whole
train, or as many of the carriages as are so fitted, can only slide along the
1rack, when the resistance offered thereto by the friction of the rails will bring
the train to a dead stand.
By gearing these levers to the entis of the buffer rods, both the retarding
and stop breaks could be made self-acting by the motion of the carriages being
slightly reduced, as is always the case when the steam is shut off suddenly, or
the ordinary breaks are applied; and as the levers and pawls are all fitted with
self-sustaining springs, both the retarding and stopping breaks would be instantly
released by the starting motion of the train. By this self-acting principle the
breaks upon each carriage would be caused to act one after the other in
succession when stopping, and would be released in the same order when
starting the train.
By making the retarding breaks and stopping breaks double acting, that is.
to operate by the forward or backward motion of the rods or connecting chains
(the latter being substituted for the former if desired), it is not intended to
restrict the application of this Invention thereto, as the same principle can be
applied to cause the breaks to act from one end only; and it is also intended
to use the retarding breaks alone, or the stopping breaks alone, but we prefer
using them in conjunction, as herein described, and making the whole double
acting as above mentioned, so that by a similar lever wheel and gearing in the

page_text: front guard's van, the breaks can be actuated singly or simultaneously from
either end of the train and from either end of the carriages, to prevent the
necessity for turning them at the railway termini. The cavities in the peri-
pheries of the cavity wheels may be square, and the ends of the pawls of a
similar form when only one pawl is used and it is required to make it act for
both directions; where the pawls are double, however, they may be of the
ordinary form, and work into the teeth of an ordinary ratchet wheel, and in
lieu of making these pawls (in either case) to regain and maintain their normal
position by springs, the latter may be dispensed with, and the pawis made to
drop by their gravitating power or by a spring, by releasing a catch or other-
wise, and be raised into their normal position by the reverse action of the
draw rods or chains, or the levers of the retarding breaks, as the case may he.
It is also intended in giving practical effect to this Invention to combine tho
use of the stopping breaks, as herein described, with the ordinary lever block
breaks now in use; this can be effected by keying or cavity wheel or a ratchet
wheel on to the axles where the present draw rods or bars pass, and attaching
suitable connectings, links, or other mechanism on the pawls thereto; and the
same remark applies to the retarding breaks of this Invention, which may also
be thus applied when required.
Instead of fixing the break lock of wood to the break bands, we propose,
when required, to fix the same in the break wheel, and form the band with or
without them.
1laving thus described and ascertained the nature of our said Invention,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, it is hereby further declared,
that in carrying out the said improvements, it is not intended to limit their
application to the precise forms of mechanism and gearing herein described,
as the same may be modified in practice without departing from the principle
upon which the said improvements as herein described are founded.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jeremiah Johnson, on behalf of myself
and the said Arthur Chapman, have hereunto set my hand and seal,
this Seventh day of November, in the year One thousand eight hundred
and sixty-two.
JEREMIAH JOHNSON. (L.S.)