IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1856

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in tho
County of Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of
Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."-A communication from Joseph Juste
Chatelain. of Nancy. in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 9th January 1857, and dated the 10th October 1856.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
10th October 1856.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of 166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North
Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES," a communication from Josep Juste
Chatelain, of Nancy, in the Empire of France, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and mode of
working railway brakes, which are capable of being used either as self-acting
brakes, or of being applied when desirable by the guard or attendant of the
train.
According to this Invention, the actual brakes consist of metal bands or

page_text: straps, fitted with friction blocks inside, which embrace the greater portion
of the circumference of a large friction drum, keyed on to each of the axles, if
requisite, of the carriages or waggons.
The friction straps in each carriage or waggon are connected by suitable
rods and levers, with the same leather strap or chain wound on to a small drum
placed between the axles, carrying the friction drums, and supported by the
main framing. On the spindle of the small drum last referred to is keyed a
larger drum or pulley, round or over which is wound or passed a strap or an
endless chain, which is also wound or passed over a small pulley running loose
upon one of the carriage axles. This last-mentioned pulley is placed between
two discs, which are both feathered. on to the axle, and are free to slide
laterally thereon, whilst at the same time they are so arranged as to have a
rotatory motion therewith. One of these discs is pressed against the loose
pulley by a helical or other spring, but the other disc is perfectly free from
pressure until the brakes are brought into play, as herein-after described. The
opposite face of this last-mentioned disc to that which is next to the loose
pulley. has an incline formed upon it; and is also furnished with a projecting
stop. By the side, of this disc is a loose or friction disc, which is embraced by a
small friction strap, brought into play by means of a weighted bell-crank lever
connected with a rod which runs the entire length of the train, and is connected
with all the bell-crank brake levers in the, train, the end at the back end of
the train being fitted with a short length of chain or leather strap, which is
wound round a small pulley connected with a ratchet and detent, the object
of which is herein-after described. On each side of the loose friction disc
berein-before referred to is carried an antifriction pulley; one of the two
pulleys runs along the incline on the feathered disc when the brake is being
put into action,, and the other bears against and runs over the surface of an
abutment plate. A projecting stop is formed on the side of the loose friction
disc, and corresponds to the projecting stop on the feathered disc, herein-before
referred to: A second rod runs the entire length of the train, and this rod is
under the control of the guard. It is connected with the detent of the ratchet
herein-before referred to, which detent will be raised, and the ratchet released
when the rod. is drawn by a lever placed for that purpose at one end of the
train. A short length of chain connects this rod with the corresponding one
of each carriage, and this chain is passed through an eye in a lever carried on
one carriage, which is depressed by means of a .bar attached to the next
carriage, when either of these two carriages is elevated by passing over an
obstruction on the rails. This depression of the lever tightens the chain

page_text: which is passed through it, and thereby releases the ratchet, whereupon the small
pulley connected therewith is free to admit of the strap or chain on the end of
the first-mentioned rod being unwound, and the whole of the weighted bell-
crank brake levers come.into action: and hold the several friction discs firm;
affording just sufficient résistance. to. allow the inclines on the feathered discs
to pass over the pullies on the loose discs until the two, stops come into
contact, whereupon the friction. disc. becomes coupled and turns with the
feathered disc, the brake not being made sufficiently powerful to prevent
altogether any turning.of. the loose disc. The action of tlie : incline. passing
along the antifriction rollers causes the loose strap pulley to be tightly nipped
or pressed between the two side discs, and therefore it rotates with them, at
the same time winding up or actuating the strap or chain which is connected
with the brake pulley between the axles. As this pulley is caused to turn it
winds up its strap, and thereby applies the main brakes to the large brake
drums, and almost instantaneously stops the train.
The peculiar feature of this. Invention' is that the actual rotatory motion of
the carriage axles supplies the power for applying the brakes, so that the
greater the speed of the train the more rapidly will the brakes be applied.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
9th April 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in, the County of Middlesex, and of
166, Buchanan Street, in the City of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six, in the twentieth year of Her reign,
did, for Herself, Fler, heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Johnson, Her special license that I, the said William Johnson,
my executors, administrators,, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Johnson, 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 'niight, 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

page_text: RAILWAY BRAKES," a communication from Joseph Juste Chatelain, of Nancy;
in the Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said William Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
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 I, 'the said William Johnson, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings, and to the
accompanying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction, arrangement, and mode of
working railway brakes, which are capable of being used either as self-acting
brakes, or of being applied when desirable by the guard or attendant of the
train.
According to this Invention, the actual brakes consist of metal bands or
straps, fitted with friction blocks inside, which embrace the greater portion
of the circumference of a large friction drum, keyed on to each of the axles, if
requisite, of the carriages or waggons. The friction straps in each carriage
or waggon are connected by suitable rods or levers, with the same leather strap
or chain wound on to a small drum, placed between the axles, carrying the
friction drums, and supported by the main framing. On the spindle of the
small drum, last referred to, is keyed a larger drum or pulley, round or over
which is wound or passed a strap or an endless chain, which is also wound
or passed over a small pulley running loose upon one of the carriage axles.
This last-mentioned pulley is placed between two discs, which are both
feathered on to the axle, and are free to slide laterally thereon, whilst at the
same time they are so arranged as to have a rotatory motion therewith. One
of these discs is pressed against the loose pulley by a helical or other spring,
but the other disc is perfectly free from pressure until the brakes are brought
into play, as herein-after described. The opposite face of this last-mentioned
disc to that which is next to the loose pulley has an incline formed upon it,
and is also furnished with a projecting stop. By the side of this disc is a loose
or friction disc, which is embraced by a small friction strap, brought into play
by means of a weighted bell-crank lever, connected with a rod which runs the
entire length of the train, and is connected with all the bell-crank levers in
the train, the end at the back end of the train being fitted with a short length

page_text: of chain or leather strap, which is wound round a small pulley connected with
a ratchet and detent, the object of which is herein-after described. On each
side of the loose friction disc herein-before referred to is carried an antifriction
pulley. One of the two pullies runs along the incline on the feathered disc
when the brake is being put into action, and the other bears against and runs
over the surface of an abutment plate. A projecting stop is formed on the side-
of the loose friction disc, and corresponds to the projecting stop on the feathered
disc, herein-before referred to. A second rod runs the entire length of the
train, and this rod is under the control of the guard. It is connected with
the detent of the ratchet herein-before referred to, which detent will be
raised and the ratchet released when the rod is drawn by a lever, placed for
that purpose at one end of the train. A short length of chain connects
this rod with the corresponding one of each carriage, and this chain is
passed through an eye in a lever carried on one carriage, which is depressed
by means of a bar attached to the next carriage when either of these
two carriages is elevated by passing over an obstacle on the rails. This
depression of the lever tightens the chain which is passed through it, and
thereby releases the ratchet, whereupon the small pulley connected there-
with is free to admit of the strap or chain on the end of the first-mentioned.
rod being unwound, and the whole of the weighted bell-crank brake levers
come into action and hold the several friction discs firm, affording just sufficient
resistance to allow the inclines on the feathered discs to pass over the pullies
on the loose discs until the two stops come into contact, whereupon the friction
disc becomes coupled and turns with the feathered disc, the brake, not
being made sufficiently powerful to prevent altogether any turning of the
loose disc.
The action of the incline passing along the antifriction roller causes the
loose strap pulley to be tightly nipped or pressed between the two side discs,
and therefore it rotates with them, at the same time.winding up or actuating
the strap or chain which is connected with the brake pulley between the axles.
As this pulley is caused to turn it winds up its strap, and thereby applies the
main brakes to the large brake drums, and almost instantaneously stops
the train.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now.
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the
corresponding Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of the break," the
waggon framing and wheels being omitted as unnecessary; Figure 2 is a
corresponding plan of the same.
Figure 3 represents a side elevation of a modified arrangement of mechanism;
Figure 4 is a plan of the same; and i Figures 5 and 6 représent, in side
elevation and plan respectively, the detent or ratchet arrangement.
In the second
axes. alsó sup-
them, namely,
A, 'A', are the two axles of a waggon or carriage, upon which are fixed
respectively the drums or pullies 'B, B', so as to rotate with them, such drums
being contained below the carriage fraining. It is on the circumference of
these drums that the brakes C, C', operate, each break' being simply composed
of a strap or band of iron or steel, lined internally with ribs of wood; and
jointed at each extremity either to a.system of draw rods D, as in Figures
1 and 2, or to levers D', as shewn in the modification, Figures 3 and 4. In
the first-mentioned case the rods D communicate with the bent weighted lever
E, the axis of which is,carried by the two parallel longitudinal iron frames F,
resting upon the axles A, A, and: forming a support for the entire break
mechanism. The unweighted arm of the bent lever. E is connected to a
leather or metal strap e, which embraces the circumference of the small
pulley G, the axis of which is also carried by the framing F.
case, the levers D'; united by the single rod d, have their
ported by the framing F (Figures 3 and 4), and one of
the left-hand one in the Drawing, has a second arm formed upon it, which.
is also attached to a strap c¹; the other end of which is wound round the
pulley G, fitted like the first pulley G on an axis carried by the framing F,
but it is placed midway between the two axles A, A1, in lieu of being nearer to
one than the other, as in Figures 1 and 2. It is by means of this small drum
or pulley G or G₁ that the entire system is brought into connection with the
mechanism which I am now about to describe, and which constitutes the main
feature of this Invention. On one of the axlés A is fixed a disc H, which
receives the pressure of a helical spring I, which also bears against a second
disc H; keyed on to the axle in such a manner as to enable it to be carried
round: with it, whilst it is free to slide longitudinally along it. These two
dises H and H' are united by the bolts b, which enable the disc H to
advance towards or recede from the disc H. Another disc J is also keyed
on to the axle similar to the disc H, that is, it is free to rotate with it
and slide longitudinally thereon. This disc, in place of having a plane surface;
like the preceding ones, is formed with inclined planes upon it, along or over
which runs the small roller g, fitted to the corresponding side of the loose

page_text: pulley K; projections or stops a are also formed on the side of the disc J,
against which stops the corresponding stops a¹ on the pulley K come in
contact. The pulley K runs loosely on the axle, and is embraced by the
strap or circular break L, the ends of which are jointed to the weighted
lever M, which like the preceding ones is supported by the framing F.
It will be seen on referring to Figures 3 and 4 that the pulley K carries
on its opposite side a second small roller gl, similar to the first one g, and
this second roller g presses constantly against and rolls over the bevilled
face of the end plate N. Between the two dises II and J is fitted a loose
pulley O, the side flanges of which are of the same diameter as the discs
on each side of it. The strap or endless chain o which passes round this
small pulley passes also round the larger pulley P carried on the axis of the.
small pulley G or G¹, herein-before referred to. R is a long screwed rod,
composed of lengths united together, and extending from one end to the other
of the train, and passing through an eye or slot formed in each of the weighted
levers M, so as to bring all the breaks in communication with the small drum
or pulley (Figure 6), carried by the spindle i of the ratchet mechanism.
For this purpose the rod R terminates with a short length of chain or
strap a, which is wound round the drum or pulley Q. A second rod R',
terminating with a chain, extends from end to end of the train, so as to be
under the control of the driver or guard. This second rod, which I shall term
for distinction the "detent rod," is connected at one end (as shewn in Figures
5 and 6) to a lever handle S, situated either at the front or back end of the
train, the opposite extremity of this rod being attached to the weighted bell;
crank lever T, working loosely on one end of the spindle which carries the
drum Q. This last-mentioned lever releases the ratchet, by elevating the pall
or detent U out of the ratchet V when the lever S is drawn back.
It will be seen, on referring to Figures 1 and 2, that the frame F of each
carriage or waggon is connected to its neighbour not only by the rods herein-
before referred to, but also by a horizontal arm X, connected by a hinge to one
frame, and passing to the other one between two pins h on the vibrating
weighted lever Y working on a centre in the front frame, and carries at one
extremity the short vertical rod Z, the upper end of which is expanded and
formed into an eye. Through this eye passes a pin, which thereby connects
the rod Z with the chain of the rod R' guided by the pulleys K. By means
of this arrangement when a carriage or waggon becomes elevated through
the intervention of an obstacle on the line, the arm X will cause the Y to
turn on its centre, thereby drawing the rod R¹ through through the interven-
tion of the vertical rod Z, and consequently changes the position not only

page_text: of the detent of the ratchet, but also of all the weighted levers M in the
train, which by their falling cause the breaks L to be applied to the cor-
responding drums or pullies K. During this action the stops on the side
of the pullies K come in contact with the opposing stops on the disc J,
and consequently carry round the loose pulley O, which are thereby pressed
or nipped between the discs J and H', and as these latter are compelled
to rotate with the axle, they transmit their motion to the large pulley P by
the belt O, and thence to the smaller pullies G or G¹, which in their turn
wind up the straps for pressing the breaks C, C, on to their drunis B, B'.
It will thus be seen that the action is almost instantaneous, and that the
greater the speed at which the train may be travelling the quicker and more
forcibly will the breaks be applied, whilst nevertheless the application of the
brakes, although effected in a very short space of time, is not sudden but
gradual, and will consequently not produce the dangerous shocks which would
arise from an instantaneous stoppage of the train.
In setting the breaks again, it is simply necessary to change the position of
the handle S, and then the ratchet arrangement being out of gear, the brakes
may be taken off, which operation may easily be effected by one man.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would 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 therefrom without deviating from
the principles or main features of the said 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 the general construction,
arrangement, and mode of working railway brakes, as herein-before described,
and illustrated by the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirty-first day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-seven.