Improvements in the Brakes for Railway Wagons and like Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Deo., 1899-Accepted, 17th Feb.,
1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in the Brakes for Railway Wagons and like Vehicles.
I, HEBER PEDLEY, of St. Bernard's Road, Olton, Warwickshire, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The brakes of wagons as at present generally constructed are fixed & applied
at one side of the vehicle only & my invention has for its object the obviation
of the necessity of crossing over from one side of the vehicle to the other to
operate the brake, & it also admits of the ready alteration of existing brakes,
as well as the construction of new ones to meet this object.
In one of my designs, I construct at, or attach to, the end of the long brake
lever A a slot B to admit of the lateral movement of a pin or roller C fixed in
or attached to, a partially revolving disc D the motion of which raises or de-
presses the lever. This disc is secured to a shaft E passing from side to side
of the vehicle, & is also provided with a lever at each end, F, F.
The said disc is serrated, perforated, or notched, upon, or near to, its periphery,
& I pass a second rod G across from side to side of the vehicle upon which I
"the pawl or catch rod")
attach pawls or catches (& hereafter described as
which engage in the serrations, notches, or perforations, either by cross move-
ment or partial turning upon its axis; the said rod being kept in position, or
made self acting, by the employment. of suitable springs, weights or stops.
The slot in the lever above referred to, I turn upwards at one end, in order
to better secure the levers in position when the brake is at rest, & the disc or
levers may be also weighted with this object.
This arrangement is shown upon the drawing herewith; Figures 1 & 2 being
side elevations, & Figure 3. an end elevation thereof.
If desirable a quadrant H may be substituted for the disc as in Figure 4, or
a bell crank or separate levers, connected by a link or links to the long lever
may be substituted as in Figure 5.
In Figure 6, I show the application of my invention to a brake in which the
main shaft passes across the vehicle from side to side, & is fitted with a long
lever on each side.
In this arrangement the pawl or catch rod G passes across from one lever
to the other & moves with the levers. The racks are fixed to the framing of
the vehicle, the pawls or catches engaging in the racks, & catches supporting
the levers when at rest, by hooking upon brackets or pins secured to the
framing.
In a similar arrangement where the racks are hung to swing upon a shaft
passing across the vehicle & suitably weighted, the catches engaging in them
are fixed to the long levers, but they can only be used for keeping the brake in
position when applied, & I use the cross pawl or catch rod G for obtaining &
actuating catches or pawls for retaining the levers in position when at rest.

page_text: Figure 7 also shows a brake in which the main shaft passes from side to
side & is fitted with a long lever on each side of the vehicle. To these levers I
attach the racks or quadrants & they travel with the levers, whilst the pawl or
catch rod G works in brackets attached to the framing of the vehicle.
Figure 8 shows a combination of levers which may be employed, & in which
the main brake shaft or spindle is a short one, & only on one side of the vehicle.
as is also the lever attached to it. The second shaft I passes across the vehicle,
& has a lever J on each end, to which either of the arrangements described
may be attached.
My invention consists of the general arrangement as described, & shown in
Figures 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 on the drawing, or any modifications of the same; & in
the improvements described & indicated in Figures 6 & 7 & chiefly in the em-
ployment of the pawl or catch rod passing across from side to side, & actuated
from either side, in the manner described, or in any modifications of the same,
& worked in combination with a disc or discs, quadrants or racks (curved or
straight) & serrated, notched or perforated in any suitable manner for engage-
ment with the pawls or catches on the pawl or catch rod.
D
Improvements in Brakes for Railway Wagons and like Vehicles.
I, HEBER PEDLEY, of St. Bernard's Road, Olton, Warwickshire, Engineer,
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:-
The brakes of wagons as at present generally constructed, are fixed and
applied at one side of the vehicle only, & my invention has for its object the
obviation of the necessity of crossing from one side of the vehicle to the other
to operate the brake, by providing means for its application & release from
either side, & it admits of the ready alteration of existing brakes, as well as the
construction of new ones to meet this object.
In order that the invention & the manner the same is to be performed may be
readily understood I have annexed hereto three sheets of drawings.
In one of my designs, I construct at, or attach to, the end of the long brake
lever A, a slot B, to admit of the lateral movement in it, of a pin or roller C.
fixed in, or attached to, a partially revolving disc D, the motion of which raises
o depresses the lever.
The disc is secured to a shaft E, passing from side to side of the vehicle,
which is provided with a lever at each end F. F. The said disc is serrated,
perforated, or notched, upon, or near its periphery, & I pass a second rod or
light shaft G, across from side to side of the vehicle, upon which I form or
attach a suitable pawl or catch, which engages in the serrations, notches or per-
formations, either by cross movement, or partial turning upon its axis: -the
said rod or shaft being kept in position, or made self acting, by the employment
of suitable springs, weights, or stops.
The slot B, in, or upon the lever above referred to, I turn upwards at one
end in order to better secure the levers in position when the brake is at rest;
or the disc or levers may be weighted with this object.
This arrangement, made with a serrated disc, a partially revolving light

page_text: shaft G, having a pawl and handle at one end, & a handle only at the other
& with a bend in its length to catch the vehicle frame & create friction to keep
it out of gear by turning, when required, is shown in Figs. 1 & 2 which are
side elevations, & Fig. 3 an end elevation, thereof.
A quadrant H, may be substituted for the disc as in Fig. 4.
Fig. 7 shows an arrangement with the connecting rod to levers extended and
formed into a rack at the end so as to bring the light shaft G, into a position
adjacent to the operating handle of the lever F, making it accessible to the
operator, as in the other arrangements.
Figs. 8 & 9 are side elevation, & half plan respectively, showing a Cross
rod G, with cross movement & engaging in perforations in the disc D.
Figs. 10 & 11 are also side elevation & half plan respectively, showing the
cross rod G as a flat bar with cross movement, & with the end formed to catch
in serrations on the back of the disc D, same same being weighted to make it
self-acting, & with a projection in the centre to catch when pushed back &
hold it out of gear.
Fig. 12 is an arrangement consisting of a double lever hinged on a centre
pin fixed to the vehicle frame & having a rod attached to each end of the same,
passing, the one to one side, & the other to the opposite side. & which could
be retained in the necessary position, or made self-acting, by the addition of a
spring or small weighted lever, the ends of the rods being turned up & used as
rests for the levers.
Fig. 5, shows the application of the invention to a brake in which the main
shaft passes across the vehicle from one side to the other & is fitted with a
long lever at each end i.e. on each side of the vehicle.
In this arrangement the pawl or catch rod G, passes across from one lever to
the other, & moves bodily & simultaneously with the levers. The brake racks
are fixed to the framing of the vehicle, & the pawls attached to the rod G, engage
in the racks. & have catches attached to them, which support the levers when at
rest by hooking upon brackets or pins secured to the framing.
In a similar arrangement where racks are hung to swing upon a shaft passing
across the vehicle, & suitably weighted. the catches engaging in them are
fixed upon the levers, but they can only be used for keeping the brake in
position when applied, & I use the catch rod G. for obtaining the actuation of
pawls or catches for retaining the levers in position when at rest.
Fig. 6 shows a known combination of levers which may be employed, & in
which the main shaft or spindle is a short one, & only on one side of the vehicle,
as is also the lever attached to it. The second shaft I passes across the vehicle
(being similar in every way to the shaft E. in the other views), & has a lever J,
on each end, corresponding to the levers F, F. in the other views; to which any
of the arrangements described may be applied.
It is obvious that, in any of the arrangements described, where two levers
are attached to one shaft, the securing of one lever in position only. is necessary
so that the one rack & catch only may be used, & a plain guard & rest sub-
stituted for the rack, on the opposite side.
Having now particularly described & ascertained the nature of my said
invention, & in what manner the same is to be performed. I wish it to be under-
stood that I am aware that it has already been proposed to operate the brakes
of railway wagons, from either side by means of a slot formed in the end of
the ordinary brake lever in which slot works a pin on a lever mounted on a
cross shaft and I do not claim such construction, but I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In brakes for railway wagons & like vehicles, the general arrangement
and combination of, a slot formed in, or attached to, the ordinary brake lever,
in which a pin or roller works; the said pin or roller being fixed in a disc or
quadrant which is secured to a shaft passing across from side to side of the

page_text: =
vehicle, & carried in suitable brackets attached to the framing, & having an
operating lever at each end, i.e., on each side of the vehicle. The said disc
having serrations, perforations, or notches upon or near its periphery, in which
engages a pawl or catch secured to, or formed upon, a light shaft or rod also
passing across the vehicle, in a position accessible for operation by handle or
otherwise from either side, by the brake operator simultaneously with the
operating levers; the said rod or shaft being, if desired, made automatic in
action, or retained in fixed position with weight, spring, or friction, in the
manner, & for the purpose, herein described, shown, & set forth.
2. The combination of the subject-matter of Claim 1 modified by the positions
of the levers & rack being altered as in Fig. 7, and with a lever actuating the
horizontal rack by links attached to it, or slot formed in it in place of the disc;
roller, and slotted lever.
3. The use of the catch rod passing across the vehicle, in a position accessible
to the brake operator during the operation of the levers, & on either side of
the vehicle, for supporting the levers when at rest, as shewn in Fig. 12.
4. In the brakes of railway wagons & like vehicles, having the main shaft
passing across the vehicle & a long lever on each side, with the pawl or catch-rod
passing across from one lever to the other, & moving bodily with the levers,--
the combination of their mechanism with racks secured to the framing of the
vehicle, and supporting the levers when at rest substantially for the purpose &
in the manner shown & described in Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawings.
5. The subject matter of Claim 4 & when the racks are hung upon a cross
shaft weighted for them to swing against the catches attached to the levers,-
the combination with, & nse of, the catch rod & catches for supporting the
levers when at rest.
6. In any of the combinations in Claims 4 and 5, the use of catches & racks
on both sides of the vehicle, or on one side only, & with a plain guard or lever
rest on the other.
7. The subject matter of Claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 in combination with any
suitable arrangement of levers, such as shown in Fig. 6 substantially for the
purposes named and described.
Dated this 21st day of December 1899