Ar IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING RAILWAY
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Alexis Velu, Mechanician, François Eugène
Fosse, Mechanician, and Louis Eugène Alphonse Fosse, Gentleman, all
of No. 47, Rue des Tournelles, Paris, France, for the Invention of "Ar
IMPROVED ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING RAILWAY
"
Sealed the 12th January 1866, and dated the 15th November 1865.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Louis Alexis Velu, François
Eugène Fosse, and Louis Eugène Alphonse Fosse, at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition and Declaration, on the
15th November 1865, pursuant to the 9th Section of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, LOUIS
ALEXIS VELU, Mechanician, FRANÇOIS EUGÈNE FOSSE, Mechanician, and
LOUIS EUGENE ALPHONSE FOSSE, Gentleman, all of No. 47, Rue des
Tournelles, Paris, France, send greeting.
WHEREAS we are in possession of an Invention for "AN IMPROVED
ARRANGEMENT OF MECHANISM FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING RAILWAY CARRIAGES,
WAGGONS, TRUCKS, OR OTHER RAIL OB TRAM ROAD VEHICLES," and have petitioned

page_text: Her Majesty to grant unto us, our executors, administrators, and assigns,
Her Royal Letters Patent for the same.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Louis Alexis Velu, François Eugène
Fosse, and Louis Eugène Alphonse Fosse, do hereby declare that the following
Complete Specification, under our hand and seal, fully describes and ascer-
tains the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed in and by the following statement.:-
".
The Invention relates to an improved mechanical arrangement for stopping
or retarding railway carriages, waggons, cars, trucks, locomotives, tenders,
vans, or other vehicles, either for rail or for tram roads, whether driven by
steam or other mechanical power, or by horse or other animal power, which
arrangement is to be applied to one or several of the carriages of a train, and
by means of which arrangement one or more pairs of wheels of the cars or
carriages may, whilst in motion, be lifted at the height required for carrying
the said wheels out of contact with the rails, the arrangement consisting
mainly of a wedge-shaped block, which at the required moment is to be
inserted between the top of the rail, and a suitable prop or stay fixed against
the lower part of the frame or the buffer bars of the car or other vehicle.
In order to make the Invention more readily and completely understood,
we will now give a full description of the same, referring thereby to the
annexed Drawings in the various Figures, of which the same letters relate to
corresponding parts.
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal side or elevation view of a luggage van or
waggon, provided with our improved stopping or retarding arrangement;
Fig. 2 shows a back view; and Fig. 3 a view from underneath the same. In
the Figs. 2 & 3 only those parts are represented as relate more particularly
to our stopping arrangement, and in Fig. 1 the arrow I shows the direction
in which the carriage is to move.
Before entering into the details of the Invention we wish it to be under-
stood that we do not intend to limit ourselves to any particular means or
mechanical contrivance for actuating our stopping or retarding apparatus,
viz., for inserting at the required moment the stopping wedges. or blocks
between the rails and the respective fixed stays or props, or for withdrawing
the said wedges or blocks, neither to any particular means of connecting
together and causing to work in connection the stopping wedges or blocks of
several carriages of a railway train, as various mechanical arrangements may
be resorted to for these purposes, though we will describe here an arrange-
ment which we intend to make use of for the said purposes.
As has been mentioned above our stopping or retarding apparatus is based

page_text: on a principle differing entirely from and contrary to what has been done
hitherto in apparatuses of this kind, for instead of acting on the wheels of
the carriages for the purpose of causing an increase of friction to be created
between the said wheels and the rails, by transforming the rotary or rolling
motion of the wheels into a sliding or skidding one on the rails, the
principle of working of our improved arrangement consists in lifting, at the
required moment, the carriage, or causing the same to rise at such height
above the rails as fully to prevent any further direct contact to take place
between the wheels of the carriage and the rails, the stopping or the retarding
of the motion of the carriage being procured by the friction exerted on the rail
by a wedge-shaped block interposed between the rail and a prop or stay solidly
fixed against the lower surface of the frame of the carriage or the buffer bars,
and so as to cause the weight of the carriage to press on the said wedge-shaped
blocks, along the inclined surface of which the impetus of the carriage
causes the same to ascend by means of the just mentioned props or stays,
thereby causing also a considerable friction to take place between the inclined
surface of the blocks and that of the props or stays, one of which latter is
situated in front of each of the wheels of the carriage, and securely fixed to
the frame of this latter, whilst for each of the said props or fixed stays a
wedge shaped stopping block is provided, the latter to act in combination
therewith. The various stopping blocks of each carriage are connected together
so as to cause all of them to act simultaneously, whilst those of several
successive carriages of a train may likewise be connected together by suitable
rods, chains, wires, or other similar means.
A1, A2, A3, A4, represent the wheels of a four-wheeled luggage van, waggon,
or other similar railway carriage; B & B show the rails; C, the frame of
the carriage suspended in the usual manner on the axles by means of the
springs D; E', E2, E3, E, are four wrought or cast iron props or resting stays
bolted or otherwise securely fixed to the lower part of the frame or to the
buffer bars of the carriage; the side of the prop turned towards the wheel in
front of which the same is situated should preferably offer a curve correspond-
ing with that of the wheel, a suitable distance between them being left free.
The lower surface of the prop, viz., that situated immediately above the rail,
presents an incline which is about to correspond with that of the upper or
inclined surface 9 of the wedge-shaped stopping block G, which when the
carriage is to be stopped is inserted for a suitable length between the prop E
and the rail B. The hind part of each of the stopping blocks G, which blocks
are to be made of cast or wrought iron or steel, presents on the upper side an
incline 9, the angle of declivity of which corresponds about with that of the

page_text: inclined lower surface of each of the props E; this incline 9 might be made
to turn on a hinge situated at the end p of the wedge, whilst the other end of
this incline g might be kept at the required height by a lever or other suitable
means, so as to allow of setting the same at the required degree of declivity;
it will be understood that in such case the block G instead of forming one
solid part or piece of cast or wrought iron or steel is to have its inclined
part g formed of a strong slab or plate of wrought iron hinged in p to the nib
or hind end of the block. The fore part g¹ of the block G is provided with
two small vertical standards h, between which is inserted a horizontal cross
bar H in such manner that by causing this bar to recede, viz., in the direction
of the arrow 2 part of the incline g of the block G will become inserted between
the rail and the fixed prop, whereas by pushing the bar H in the direction of
the arrow the incline g of the block G will be withdrawn from under the
fixed prop, particularly if done in combination with the lowering of the
incline g. A flat bar I is inserted into corresponding holes provided in
the standards h; the ends of this bar I are fixed in the prop E, the shape of
which latter may be seen in Fig. 1. The bar I is set in an inclined position
corresponding with that of the holes in the standard h in such manner that in
gliding by means of these standards along the bar I the block G in receding
towards its corresponding wheel will be lowered, and thereby part of the
incline become inserted between the wheel and the rail. At each end the
bar H is bent upwards at right angles, and at i the same is bolted to the links
K&K', which latter connect together the rods L & L at one side, and.
those L & L at the opposite side of the carriage. The rods L & L³ again are
jointed to the short arms M' & M* of the levers M', M³, & M³, M', which latter
turn in opposite directions on a central bolt N, in a bracket N', fixed to the
lower side of the frame of the carriage. By means of these levers M¹, M³, &
M², M*, the required advancing and receding motions may be transmitted to
the blocks G, so as either to cause the incline g to enter more or less into the
open space left between the rail and the lower surface of the corresponding
prop, or to become withdrawn therefrom. Various mechanical arrangements
may be resorted to for imparting the necessary motion to the levers M', M³,
& M, M. We will describe here one of the arrangements which may be
applied for this purpose:-To the ends M3 & M* of the levers are jointed_two
racks P' & P2, both in gear, but in opposite directions with a pinion Q, the
vertical spindle R of which turns in brackets S, fixed to the end of the carriage,
the spindle being provided with a bandle T for allowing to turn the pinion in
the required direction, either for causing the racks P¹ & P2 to recede or to
advance on the pinion Q, and thereby work the levers M³, M³, & M², M*,
9

page_text: and consequently the blocks G connected to them. It will be readily
understood that by means of suitable connecting rods, chains, wires, or
other similar means the rods L' & L' and links K & K of several successive
carriages of a train may be connected, and thus the various stopping blocks
be worked simultaneously and be put either under the command of the guard,
the engine driver, or other attendant. If wished, the bolts N of the various
carriages might be connected in a similar manner, and by means of them
motion transmitted to the various stopping blocks. We do not, however,
intend to limit ourselves to any particular mode of connecting together and
causing to work simultaneously either the various stopping blocks of one or
those of several carriages of a train.
The mode of working our apparatus is as follows:-Supposing Fig. 1 to
represent a luggage van or waggon forming the end of a railway train,
consisting of several carriages, each of them provided with our improved
stopping apparatus, viz., with the fixed props E, the stopping blocks G, and
parts required for working or actuating these latter, the handle T to be within
reach of the guard of the train or other attendant. In case of a sudden
danger requiring the speed of the train to be retarded or stopped as quickly
as possible, the guard or other attendant will simply have to turn the handle T
and cause the pinion Q to turn in the direction required for pushing the free
ends of the long arms M³ & M* of the levers M', M³, & M2, M*, as far as
possible asunder in the direction required for causing the free ends of the long
arms M & M of the levers M³, M³, & M², M*, of being expanded and set
further apart by the effect of the racks P¹ & P2, which will cause the short
arms M' & M² of the said levers to carry the cross bar H towards the
corresponding wheels of the carriage, and consequently drive the blocks G
between the rails and the respective fixed props, whilst by the impetus of the
carriage these fixed props will glide with their inclined lower surface along the
incline g of their respective stopping blocks G, and thereby cause the carriage
to be lifted sufficiently high above the rails for carrying the wheels out of
contact with these latter, and thus cause the entire weight of the carriage to
press upon the blocks G; the friction thus created between these latter and
the rails and between the under side of the props E and the incline g of the
blocks will be sufficiently intense for obtaining a very rapid retarding of
the motion of the carriages, and consequently the stopping of the train.
Having thus described and particularly ascertained the nature of our
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be put into
operation, we wish it to be understood that we do not intend to limit or restrict
ourselves to the precise details of the arrangements above described as many

page_text: variations may be made therefrom without departing from the main features
or constituent principles of our Invention, but what. we consider to be novel
and original,. and therefore claim as the Invention to be secured to us by the
herein-before: in part recited Letters: Patent is,-:
Providing railway carriages, waggons, trucks, vans, locomotives, tenders, or
other vehicles intended to run on rail or tram roads, and for the purpose of allow-
ing at any required moment to retard or stop the motion of the said vehicles
with a suitable number of. méchanical arrangements, each of them consisting
mainly of a prop securely fixed to the lower part of the frame of the carriage, and
a wedge-shaped block, the inclined part of which, whenever the speed of the
carriage is to be retarded or stopped, is to be driven between the said fixed
prop, and the rail underneath for the purpose of causing the carriage by
means of the fixed prop to ascend along the incline of the block, and thereby
become lifted sufficiently high above the rail for preventing any further
contact between the rails and the wheels of the carriage, the friction created
between the rails and the stopping, blocks and that between the inclined
surface of these latter and the inclined. or, lower surface of the fixed props
being sufficiently intense for procuring the rapid retarding and consequent
stopping of the carriage or of a train, the carriages of which are provided with
our improved stopping or retarding apparatus.
In witness whereof, we, the said Louis Alexis Velu, François Eugène
Fosse, and Louis Eugène Alphonse Fosse, have hereunto set our hand
and seal, this Seventh day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
LOUIS ALEXIS VELU.
FRANÇOIS EUGÈNE FOSSE.
(L.B.)
(L.S.)
LOUIS EUGENE ALPHONSE FOSSE. (L.S.)
LOUIS ALEXIS VELU.
FRANÇOIS EUGÈNE FOSSE.
(L.B.)
(L.S.)
LOUIS EUGENE ALPHONSE FOSSE. (L.S.)