Improvements in and connected with the Preventing of the Derailment of Railway-trains while in Motion.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1896-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with the Preventing of the
Derailment of Railway-trains while in Motion.
I, HERMANN BIERMANN, of 54, Paradiessk, Breslau, in the Empire of Germany;
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
By this invention, there is provided apparatus for the prevention of railway
trains leaving the rails. In carrying out this invention regard has been had to
the fact that, in the case of wheels or axles breaking, the carriage slightly drops
at the part where the breakage has taken place.
According to this invention, each of the wheel-axles is surrounded by
a forked
frame bearing two running rollers, which are so arranged as to come slightly
above the rail when the train is in motion, and only to come in contact with the
rail when the carriage drops in consequence of breakage of a wheel or axle. The
rollers then serve as supports for the carriage, thus enabling the carriage to
travel a short distance further on the rail when the accident takes place, at the
same time they also actuate an electric apparatus, which is connected with an
alarm-appliance and also with the brake, or with the engine drivor's lever.
In the annexed drawings,
Figure 1 shews the apparatus attached to a railway carriage,
Figure 2 a view of the forked frame,
Figure 3 the arrangement of the electric contact, and
Figure 4 the connection between the frame, the alarm appliance, and the
air-brake.
With reference to the drawings, a denotes the frame which is arranged in a
strong and long gnide-box c by means of a pin b. the box being arranged at the
bottom of the carriage above the wheel-axle. The pin b rests on the box c by
means of a ring d, and holds the frame a with its running rollers slightly above
the rail. In adjusting the rollers, the oscillation of the body of the carriage on
its springs must be taken into consideration; and there must therefore be some
provision by which the position of the rollers can be altered vertically. When
the carriage drops slightly-in consequence of the breakage of a wheel or axle-
the running rollers f come into contact with the rail. The running rollers are so
strongly constructed, that they enable the train to travel on for a short distance,
and prevent the carriage from falling over. As soon as the running rollers f
come into contact with the rail, the dropping of the carriage at the same time
causes a spring electric contact g, arranged at the bottom of the carriage, to be
closed by means of the pin b, so that the current of an electric circuit i, fed by an
accumulator battery h, or some similar arrangement, is brought into action.
the circuit i, an alarm apparatus k and a dynamo engine I are provided. The shaft
of the engine l has a toothed wheel m, which gears into a toothed quadrant o which
is connected with the lever n of the air brake. There may also be inserted in the
electric circuit i, a means of working the engine driver's lever or other appliance.
In
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. Means for the prevention of the derailing of railway trains while in motion,

page_text: due to breakage of wheels and axles, consisting of frames with rollers thereon,
said rollers being adapted not to touch the rails whilst the train is running under
normal conditions, and to come into action and into contact with the rail, in case
of breakage of the wheel or axle, owing to the dropping of the carriage at the
part of breakage; substantially as set forth.
2. Apparatus for preventing the derailment of railway trains, consisting of a
means such as described in combination with electric apparatus and brake
mechanism actuated thereby; substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this 24th day of February 1896.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON,
15 Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.