IM- PROVEMENTS IN RETARDING APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCI- DENTS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1853

page_text: ...
LETTERS PATENT to John Colin Sharp, of Paisley, in the County
of Renfrew, North Britain, Engineer, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RETARDING APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCI-
DENTS ON RAILWAYS
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Colin Sharp
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition.
on the 11th October 1853.
--I, JOHN COLIN SHARP, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said "Invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN RETARDING APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF
ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS"-to-be as follows:---
This Invention relates to the direct application of steam power to
work, a series of brakes, or retarding apparatus. throughout the whole
line of carriages in a railway train.. To the usual stop.valve or "regu-
lator" handle of the locomotive engine of the train is connected a
separate steam valve in such manner that on the engine driver shutting
'his regulator to stop the train this, subsidary valve shall be simul-
taneously opened. From this latter valve a pipe is made to pass down

page_text: and beneath all the carriages in the train, so that steam may thus be
conveyed to the furthest extremity of the line of carriages. Then on
each carriage is fitted up a steam cylinder and piston or other con-
venient movement for communicating the steam action, such piston or
other action being arranged to work the friction blocks or other
mechanism for retarding the carriage's motion, whatever brake may be
used thereon. In this way, each carriage having its own separate
brake and steam cylinder or actuating movement, whenever the steam
valve is opened by the engine driver the steam current passes along its
pipe, and puts all the brakes into action at once, and thus stops the
train. Each carriage carries its own section or line of pipe, a copper
tube, for example, set beneath the framing, and formed at each end in
such manner as to be capable of easy connection one length with the
other throughout the line of sections in the train. To effect these
junctions short pieces of flexible tube are used, these portions being
made of one or more coils of wire, covered over or surrounded by in-
ternal and external coatings of vulcanized india-rubber, gutta percha,
or other strong flexible material. Such flexible tubing is made either
by drawing an india-rubber tube over a metallic coil or helical tube, or
the elastic gum may be moulded round the metallic coil.
If two con-
centric metallic coils are used, then the india-rubber would be deposited
between the two, as well as a covering for the whole tube. This makes
á strong flexible tube capable of resisting great internal pressures. And
the ends of the sectional pipes on the individual carriages being fitted
with such tubing, the necessary junctions are effected for the formation
of a continuous pipe throughout a train at pleasure, just as the existing
tubing between the locomotive engine and tender is made.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Colin Sharp in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 11th April 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN COLIN SHARP, of Paisley, in the County of Renfrew, North
Britain, Engineer, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the seven-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Colin Sharp, Her special license
that I, the said John Colin Sharp, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said John Colin Sharp, my executors,
administrators, or 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN RETARDING
APPARATUS FOR THE PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS," upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Colin Sharp, by an
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should particularly de-
scribe 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 I, the said John Colin Sharp, 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, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:
My said Invention relates to the direct application of steam power
to work a series of brakes or retarding apparatus throughout the whole
line of carriages in a railway train. To the usual stop valve or regu-
lator handle of the locomotive engine of the train is connected a sepa-
rate steam valve in such manner that on the engine driver shutting
his regulator to stop the train this subsidiary valve shall be simulta
neously opened. From. this latter valve a pipe is made to pass down
and beneath all the carriages in the, train, so that steam may be thus
conveyed to the furthest extremity of the line of carriages. Then on
each carriage is fitted up a steam cylinder and piston or other con-
venient movement for communicating the steam action, such piston or

page_text: -
other action being arranged to work the friction blocks or other
mechanism for retarding the carriage's motion, whatever brake may be
used thereon. In this way, each carriage having its own separate
brake and steam cylinder or actuating movement, whenever the steam
valve is opened by the engine driver the steam current passes. along its
pipe, and puts all the brakes, into action all at once, and thus stops the
train. Each carriage carrys its own section or line of pipe, a copper
tube, for example, set beneath the framing, and formed at each end in
such manner as to be capable of easy connection one length with the
other throughout the line of sections in the train. To effect these
junctions short pieces of flexible tube are used, these portions being
made of one or more coils of wire, covered over or surrounded by
internal and external coatings of vulcanized india-rubber, gutta percha,.
or other strong flexible material, or of canvass similarly coated or pro-
tected. Such flexible tubing is made either by drawing an india-.
rubber tube over over a.metallic coil or helical tube, or the elastic gum
may be moulded round the metallic coil. If two concentric metallic
coils are used, then the india-rubber would be deposited between the
two, as well as a covering for the whole tube.. This makes a strong
flexible tube capable of resisting great internal pressures. And the
ends of the sectional pipes on the individual carriages being fitted with.
such tubing, the necessary junctions are effected for the formation, of
a continuous pipe throughout a train at pleasure; just as the existing
tubing.between the. locomotive engine.and.tender is made..
.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet, of
Drawings hereunto attached. Figure 1, on my Sheet of Drawings is a
longitudinal elevation of a railway wagon, as fitted up with one modifi-
cation of my improved brake apparatus, the one of the side frames
being removed for the purpose of more clearly exhibiting the details;
Figure 2, is a transverse section of a portion of the wagon correspond-
ing; Figure 3, is a half plan of the wagon framing, with the wagon
bottom removed, so as to show the apparatus beneath it, a portion of
another carriage being added to indicate the connection of the indi-
vidual wagons, or carriages in a train; Figure 4, is a. longitudinal

page_text: section of one of the actuating steam cylinders with its working piston,
helical spring, for the return movement, steam thoroughfare, and
flexible pipe connections; Figure 5, is a. front end, view of the steam
cylinder, shewing the slotted, cover for the piston rod to work through;
Figure 6, is a transverse section. of the cylinder corresponding; Figure 7,.
is a detailed external elevation of the flexible steam pipe couplings ;, and
Figure. 8, is, a longitudinal section of one of the couplings in, illus-:
tration of the mode adopted in effecting the pipe junctions between
each wagon or carriage. in a train. In this particular, arrangement
each carriage carries beneath its frame a longitudinal metal pipe.A.:
fixed immoveably to the framing, and terminating at or near the end;
transverse beams of the frame. These individual sections of piping are:
made continuous throughout a train in the manner represented in the
details, Figures 4, 7, and 8. Every length of inflexible pipe is coupled;
to the contiguous end of its neighbour by means of an intermediate
flexible pipe B. This flexible pipe, which may be compound india-
rubber and canvass, defended externally by cord lapping, is attached at,
one end to a metal junction piece C, the other end of which piece is
passed into a separate short length of metal pipe D. A portion of the
piece. D is screwed externally to receive the internally screwed end of
a coupling piece E, fitted with lever, arms for turning by. One side
of the coupler G. has a shoulder made to bear against a corresponding.
shoulder on the piece C, so that as the coupler is screwed hard. upon
the pipe D, a firm connection is formed. The free end of the piece D
is permanently screwed upon one end of the inflexible pipe A. It is
thus to be understood that when the individual carriages of a train are
separate the pipe end A, with its piece D, in Figure 8, is all that,
projects from one carriage, whilst the contiguous carriage has its,
section of inflexible pipe terminated by the coupler E; the flexible
portion B being, securely fastened to the inflexible section on the car-
riage on that side. Hence, when a train is made up, the coupler E´is,
easily screwed up to form a continuous steam thoroughfare throughout
a train. The actuating steam may be taken from the locomotive boiler.
in any convenient manner, the valve, being under the immediate con-.
trol of the engine driver or his fireman. Each carriage has at one end

page_text: of its frame a short horizontal steam cylinder F, bolted by a flange G,
to the framing, and fitted with a piston H. The cylinder has cast
upon it an external longitudinal thoroughfare I, forming in each case a
portion of the section of inflexible pipe A, as indicated in Figure 4, so
that the steam can pass on from cylinder to cylinder, finding its way
into each by a small lateral port. The piston rod J is jointed direct
to the front side of its piston H, and works through a slotted cover K,
bolted to one end of the cylinder, the other end being entirely closed.
Between the slotted cover K and the piston an abutting helical spring
is disposed, encircling the piston rod, the office of the springing being
the bringing back the steam piston after each brake action. The piston
rod or connecting link L is of considerable length, its outer projecting
end being linked to the upper end of a rocking lever M, keyed fast on
the transverse rocking shaft N of the brake movement. This cross
shaft is carried at each end in bearings set in the hangers O, and it
additionally carries a short double armed lever P, the two ends of
which are respectively linked to the free ends of the opposed link
pieces Q, hinged to the two inner brake blocks R. From these brake
blocks R longer links S pass fore and aft, or in reverse directions to
the two outer brake blocks T. It is obvious that the arrangement
which I have described is in duplicate, there being four brake blocks
with their necessary connections on cach side of the carriage framing.
Indeed this arrangement of brakes has been devised for the especial
purpose of bringing my improved steam apparatus to work in connec-
tion with the existing brakes. With the brake apparatus thus con-
trived, when steam is admitted into the line of piping the pistons in
all the cylinders F are simultaneously traversed forwards from the
closed ends of the cylinders. This forward pressure of the rods J, then
acting upon their individual levers M, brings all the brake blocks R, T,
into frictional contact with the wheels at one and the same instant,
this providing a most powerful retarding effect. By admitting more
or less steam the attendant or conductor can regulate the extent of
his brake power to perfection; and, when the steam supply is shut
off the reaction of the springs L in the cylinders at once relieves the
wheels from further pressure, and the train can then run freely.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I may observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine
or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had
occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be made there-
from without deviating from the principles or main features of my
Invention; but 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 general arrangement and construction of machinery, appa-
ratus, or means to be used as retarding apparatus for the prevention of
accidents on railways, as herein-before described.
Second, the system or mode of effecting a simultaneous brake action
throughout the carriages or wagons of a train by means of steam
pressure applied through continuous sections of inflexible piping, com-
municating with each other through the agency of flexible junction
pieces.
Third, the system or mode of retarding railway trains by means of
steam cylinders, disposed one on each carriage or wagon, and put in
continuous communication with each other.
Fourth, the system or mode of retarding railway trains by the use of
steam pressure, governed by valvular apparatus in connection with the
regulator of the locomotive.
In witness whereof, I the said John Colin Sharp, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of April, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOHN COLIN SHARP. (L.S.) ·