Im- PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Hellyer Manning, of Murray Street,
Hoxton, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "Im-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS."
Sealed the 20th January 1874, and dated the 2nd December 1873.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Hellyer
Manning at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 2nd December 1873.
I, RICHARD HELLYER MANNING, of Murray Street, Hoxton, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of my said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to what are known as continuous self-acting
breaks wherein the break power is derived from the compressing of the
buffers, which arises immediately the steam is shut off on the engine, or
the speed of the engine is otherwise suddenly checked.
In carrying out my Invention the buffer rods at each end of each
vehicle in the train are connected to a transversely disposed blade spring

page_text: soon as the speed of the van is checked, and consequently the descent of
the train down the incline is arrested:
If desired, the guard's van may be provided with an air compressing
cylinder, the piston of which is worked from one of the axles through a
friction or other clutch for the purpose of charging a receiver with air
under compression. This receiver is connected by a pipe and cock with
another piston in a separate cylinder, which piston is connected with the
chain connecting the buffer rods of the train. By turning on the com-
pressed air it is obvious that an additional power in case of emergency
may be instantly applied to the breaks. A helical spring on each of the
short buffers serves to take off the breaks when released.
When shunting is required, the engine driver, by any suitable or well-
known arrangement of mechanism, causes the shorter buffer on the
engine to be projected outwards and the longer one to be drawn inwards
sufficiently to ensure both buffers bearing equally upon those of the
adjoining vehicle, in which case the breaks are not brought into action.
One mode of arranging the buffers on the engine consists in connect-
ing them to a transverse swivelling lever, the centre of which bears
against springs so as to yield slightly in shunting. The longer buffer.
rod is drawn inwards by a fixed nut working on a screw thread on the
buffer rod, the nut being rotated by gearing or otherwise when required
by hand. As the longer buffer is thus drawn inwards, the shorter one at
the opposite end of the transverse swivelling lever is pushed outwards
to a corresponding extent so that both will bear equally upon the two
buffers of the adjoining vehicle.

page_text: vehicle being pushed inwards simultaneously in the case of shunting
without operating the breaks. In one or both chains, according to the
number of wheels in the vehicle to which breaks are to be applied, there
is fitted a metal loop or long slotted link in which engages the end of a
spring lever which is keyed to a transverse rocking shaft which applies
the breaks by the intervention of the usual levers and connecting rods.
The object of the spring on the break lever is to afford a sufficient
yielding action of the lever to ensure the whole of the break blocks
being brought well home against their respective tyres.
So soon as the speed of the engine is checked the momentum of the
train causes the upper buffer (when arranged vertically) in the first
vehicle to be forced inwards, thereby moving in a corresponding
direction all the upper buffers along the train, and at the same time
through the swivel blade springs or levers moving all the buffers on the
opposite side of the train in a contrary direction. The longitudinal
movement of the connecting chains thus produced in both sets of buffers
causes the several break levers to be actuated and the breaks to be at
once applied to the several wheels. The same result will occur in case
the train should become accidentally divided or severed on ascending an
incline, the rear guard's van, which may be fitted with an independent
break of its own, serving to check its speed, and thereby to apply the
breaks by the crowding of the vehicles thereon, which takes place as
soon as the speed of the van is checked, and consequently the descent of
the train down the incline is arrested.
When shunting is required the engine driver by any suitable or well-
known arrangement of mechanism causes the longer buffer on the
engine to be projected outwards and the shorter one to be drawn
inwards sufficiently to ensure both buffers bearing equally upon those
of the adjoining vehicle, in which case the breaks are not brought into
action.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall
now proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose
shall refer to the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
Figures.
Figure 1 is a side clevation of my improved railway break, the right-
hand side shewing the connection of the break with the end of the

page_text: engine or locomotive, and the left-hand side with an ordinary railway
carriage or other vehicle. Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
A, A¹, A², A³, represent upper and lower buffer rods and buffers
respectively arranged through and between the end plate of the engine
and the framing at one end of the carriage as shewn. The inner ends of
the upper and lower buffer rods A¹ and A³ are attached respectively to the
upper and lower vertical arms of a vertically disposed blade spring or
double lever B, which turns or works in a central pivot x carried by one
end of the inside horizontal buffer rod C. The latter, which is formed
in two lengths, extends the whole length of the carriage and acts upon
the buffer spring y in the box D by means of plates or collars z, z, as
It is also furnished at its other
shewn, or by any other suitable means.
end with a pivot x³, on which turns or works a second vertically disposed
blade spring or double lever B¹ connected with upper and lower buffer
rods which pass through the framing at the opposite end of the carriage,
and are attached to buffers similar in construction and arrangement to
those already described. The buffer spring box D is secured to the
under side of the carriage framing by brackets, as shewn or otherwise.
Around the upper buffer rod A¹ and the corresponding upper buffer rod
at the opposite end of the carriage between the insides of the carriage
frame and the upper vertical arms of the double levers B and B¹, arc
spiral or other springs E for the purpose of keeping the said levers in
their normal position, as shown, and as hercafter described. F, F, aro
taut chains or rods connecting the ends of the upper and lower vertical
arms of the double lever B with the corresponding ends of the arms of
the similar lever B¹ at the opposite end of the carriage. Fitted into and
forming parts of these chains or rods are slotted links G, G', in which
slide freely the opposite ends of a thrust bar or arm H, the end of the
latter in the upper slotted link G bears against or is connected with the
outer end of a spring lever K keyed or fixed to a transverse rocking
shaft L, the said outer end embracing the upper slotted link G in such a
manner as to permit of its sliding freely over or along the latter as con-
strained. By means of the usual levers and rods in connection with the
rocking shaft L brakes of the ordinary or any suitable design are applied
to the wheels of the carriage or other vehicle as hereafter described.
The upper taut chain or rod F and the inside buffer rod C are held in
a horizontal position and prevented from sagging or spreading by
washers or collars 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 embracing the same, and suspended

page_text: from the under side of the carriage as shewn, whilst the lower taut chain
or rod F¹ is retained by a chain connecting it with a pulley 6 resting on
the inside buffer rod C; or these chains and rod may be kept to their
proper positions by any other suitable contrivance.
The upper buffer rod A on the engine is longer than the lower buffer
rod A, and both are connected to the upper and lower arms respectively
of a double lever M, which, when the faces of the buffers are brought in
line with each other or in the same vertical plane, is inclined as shewn.
The double lever M is pivotted to the inside buffer rod N of the engine,
which acts upon the buffer spring y¹ inside the box O by means of a
plate or washer z¹, and is retained in the latter by the washer and nut P.
The box O is secured to the under side of the engine framing by brackets
as shewn, or by any other convenient method. Qis a chain connected
to the extended lower arm of the double lever M, and with the upright
spindle R on which it is wound or turned by means of a hand wheel S
fixed to the upper end of the said spindle and under the control of the
driver. On winding up the chain Q on the spindle R the lower arm of
the double lever M, and with it the lower buffer and rod A² are pulled
in the direction of the red arrow, whilst the upper arm of the said lever,
with its rod and buffer A, are pushed outwards or in the reverse direction
as indicated by the black arrow, until the buffer of the rod A is some-
what in advance of the lower buffer A³. On its being required to reduce
the speed of or stop the train the rod and buffer A are first brought into
the position last described, and the ordinary engine breaks then applied
which checks the speed of the engine, thereby causing the carriage to
run in towards the latter, and the extended uper rod and buffer A of
the engine coming against the upper rod and buffer A¹ of the carriage
causes the upper arm of the double lever B to be pushed in the direction
of the black arrow, and the lower arm of the same in the reverse or in
the direction of the red arrow; this latter movement pulls on the lower
taut chain or rod F¹, which causes the further end of the slotted link G¹
to push the thrust bar or arm H against the outer end of the spring
lever K, and by its continued action forces the latter over so as to
partially turn the transverse rocking shaft L, which movement brings
into play the levers and rods in connection with the brakes, and thereby
applies the latter to the wheels of the carriage; one arrangement of the
said brakes is shewn in red on Figure 1. In the meanwhile by the said
pulling on the taut chain F the corresponding upper rod and buffer are

page_text: extended beyond the lower rod and buffer at the opposite end of the
carriage and act upon the upper buffer of the next carriage so as to cause
the application of its breaks in a similar manner to that already described,
and so on through any number of carriages, the breaks being applied
simultaneously in each, and their equal action ensured by the adjustable
elasticity or yielding of the spring lever K.
On releasing the breaks of the engine, or on unwinding the chain from
the upright spindle R, the spiral spring E round the upper buffer rod at
the opposite end of the carriage recoils, and in so doing brings the double
levers B, B¹, and the taut chains F, F¹, with their slotted links G, G¹,
back to their original or normal position, and the spring lever K being
then relieved recovers its elasticity and forces back the thrust bar or
arm H to its original place in the lower slot G¹, thereby releasing the
breaks from the wheels of the carriage.
A similar arrangement of that portion of the improved break as
described in connection with the engine should be fitted to the guard's
van in rear of the train, so that in case the carriages or other vehicles
become accidentally divided or separated on ascending an incline, the
descent of the guard van down the incline is first checked or arrested by
the application of the ordinary or independent brakes, which will cause
the carriages or other vehicles to run in upon the said van, and in so
doing the improved breaks will be brought into action in a similar
manner to that already described, and the detached portion of the train
thereby brought to rest.
On shunting the carriages or other vehicles the engine driver unwinds
the chain Q from the upright spindle R sufficiently to allow of the faces
of the buffers at the ends of the upper and lower rods A, A², to be
brought into the same vertical plane, in which position they will come in
contact with the buffers A¹ and A³ simultaneously or equally,
in conso-
quence of which the apparatus in connection with the latter preserves
its normal position, and no action of the brakes on the wheels ensues.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and in what manner the same is or may be used or
carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider
to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured;
to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,
-First. The construction and arrangement of brake gear consisting of a..

page_text: vertically or transversely disposed lever or levers connected with buffer
rods and buffers on the engine or guard's van in combination with a
chain or otherwise attached to the said lever or levers, and wound around
an upright spindle under the control of the driver or guard, whereby one
of the said buffers is extended horizontally beyond the face of the other
buffer, substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described and
illustrated by my accompanying Drawings.
Second. The construction and arrangement of brake gear consisting of
a vertically or transversely disposed blade spring or lever or levers con-
nected with buffer rods at each end of a railway carriage or other vehicle,
and connected with each other by taut chains or rods, in which are
slotted links or their equivalents operating a thrust bar or arm in com-
bination with a spring lever or levers fixed to a transverse rocking shaft,
substantially as and for the purposes herein-before described and illus-
trated by my accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Hellyer Manning, have
to this my Specification set my hand and seal, the First day of
Junc, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four.
RICHARD HELLYER MANNING. (L.S.)