Improvements in Brakes for Railway Waggons and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 1st Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 30th Aug., 1899-Accepted, 1st Nov., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Railway Waggons and similar Vehicles.
I, REUBEN THOMAS PRESTON, of the Firm of J. Stone & Co., Deptford, London,
Engineers, and GAVIN RALSTON, of 16, Amersham Road, New Cross, London,
Engineer, and CHARLES ERNEST How, of 6, York Road, Forest Gate, London,
Engineer, both in the employ of the said firm, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates more especially to brakes for railway waggons and
similar vehicles that can be applied and released for instance from either side
near one end of the waggon, or from one side near one end and from the other
side near the opposite end of the waggon, and so that the hand levers in all
cases are similarly operated thus avoiding all mistakes on the part of the
brakesman.
According to this invention we so construct the brake gear above referred
to that the rods or some of them which connect the various levers
are in
tension, and in this way we reduce the weight, the cost, and the power to work
the brakes.
In one form and as applied to a waggon in which two wheels on the same
side of the waggon are to be braked, we use the ordinary double armed lever
(or two levers) on the socalled brake shaft. We connect to the upper lever a
rod the other end of which is connected to the lower arm of a double armed
lever having its fulcrum in a bracket fixed to the underframe of the waggon.
The other or upper arm forms or carries the one brake block with usual wood
lining. Similarly to the lower lever on the brake shaft we connect a rod the
other end of which is connected to the lower arm of a double armed lever the
other or upper arm of which forms the other brake block. On the brake
shaft we fix an upper longer lever to which we connect a rod the other end of
which is connected to an upper shorter lever on the handle lever shaft mounted
in a bracket from the underframing at one end of the waggon. The hand
lever is comparatively short and is held in the on or off position by any usual
or suitable means but by preference by a sweep formed with a short incline
on the off side; to put the brake on the lever has first to be slided on the
incline and then mount on to a level part of the sweep.
The two connecting rods to the brake block levers and the connecting rod
to the lever on the hand lever shaft are all three in tension.
In another form as applied to a waggon having an operating handle at or
near one end on one side and an operating handle at or near the other end
on the opposite side, the arrangement is as described except that we carry the
hand lever shaft across to the other side of the waggon where we provide it with
a lower lever which by a rod is connected to an upper lever on the shaft of
the hand lever on the said other side.
Instead of carrying out the aforesaid tension method to its full extent as
described we may partly apply it that is to say retain the present existing

page_text: push rods which are in compression and merely add thereto the upper lever
on the brake shaft and the connecting rod to the lever on the hand lever
shaft, in the case of one hand lever at one end of the waggon, or in addition
thereto (in the case of one hand lever at one end and another hand lever at
the other end on the opposite side) the other connecting rod and levers on
the other side of the waggon.
The aforesaid improvements can be adapted to be used in connection with the
invention described in the Patent Specification 25,938 of 1897, that is to say
a combined hand brake and continuous vacuum or Westinghouse brake; the
adaptation would chiefly consist in mounting the levers on the brake shaft with
a socalled lost motion.
The invention may also be used in connection with the double armed lever L
described in Specifications of Patents 4726 of 1896 and 5099 of 1896.
Dotad this Winst ...
1000
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.
sad similar venicies.
We, REUBEN THOMAS PRESTON, of the Firm of J. Stone & Co., Deptford, London,
Engineers, and GAVIN RALSTON, of 16, Amersham Road, New Cross, London,
Engineer, and CHARLES ERNEST How, of 6, York Road, Forest Gate, London,
Engineer, both in the employ of the said firm, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates more especially to brakes for railway wagons and
similar vehicles that can be applied and released and fixed from either side, for
instance from either side near the same end of the wagon, or from one side
near one end and from the other side near the opposite end and so that the hand
levers shall or may be operated by like motions of either of two hand levers
one on one side and one on the other side, thus avoiding all mistakes on the
part of the brakesman.
According to this invention we so construct the brake gear above referred
to that the rods or some of them, which connect the various levers, are in
tension instead of under compression, and we thus reduce the weight, the cost,
and the power to work the brakes. This and other parts of our improvements
we shall now illustrate by several examples.
Figs. 1 and 2 are side view and plan of one arrangement applied to the
ordinary wagon or truck in common use, and for the case where two wheels
on the same side are to be braked. H is the usual cross shaft or brake shaft
carried in hangers I and I¹ from the wagon underframe and whereupon are
fixed or forged the usual double armed lever H. On the wagon underframe
are also fixed hanger brackets K and K', one of which is shewn separately in
Fig. 3 of Sheet 3; from the lower eyes in these hangers are mounted double.
armed levers M M. The levers M M are at one end jointed to the brake
blocks L L and at the other end to the rods J J which latter are jointed to
the double armed lever H' and are in tension in the
on ." position. The
upper ends of the brake blocks L L are by links N N¹ connected to the
brackets K K¹ by pins K2 which work in oblong holes as shewn in Fig. 3
these holes being of any suitable length to allow the brake blocks to take a
6

page_text: firm grip of the wheels whether the vehicle is loaded or empty, and also to allow
the blocks to swing freely clear of the wheels on a rough road. On the brake
shaft H we fix an upper longer lever G to which we connect a rod F the other
end of which is connected to an upper shorter lever E on the transverse shaft B
which latter is mounted in the bracket D and in the brackets C C on the
underframe. A and A¹ are hand levers on this shaft on two opposite sides of
the wagon.
In order to allow for adjustment and wear the lever G has by
preference a sweep with a number of holes to any one of which the tension
rod may be connected. The hand lever A fixed on the shaft B is compara-
tively short and is held in the on or off position by any usual or suitable means
but by preference by a sweep D¹ on the bracket D shewn also in the detail
views Figs. 4 and 5 on Sheet 3; this bracket also forms a bearing D2 for the
cross shaft B as stated. The sweep is on the off or inner side formed with
an incline as shewn in Fig. 5; the bolt A2 passing through the hand lever A
works in a slot in the sweep D¹ and is provided with a spring A³ in a box or
cap A the end of which rubs on the inclined underside of the sweep so that
when the lever A (or the lever A') is moved down to apply the brake the end
of the box A is pressed hard against the inclined face of the sweep thus
compressing the spring A3, and the more the handle A is depressed the more
is the spring compressed, and the greater the holding power; as the brake
is thus put on, the handle A stays in its “ on position. The spring A³ also
suffices for holding the lever A in the off" position. The box or cap A
has also the important function of protecting the spring A³ against wet and
dirt. By means of the nut on the bolt A2 the friction between the lever A
and the inclined face of the sweep D¹ can be adjusted and the wear taken up.
Figs. 6 and 7 are side view and plan of another form applied to a wagon
having an operating handle at or near one end on one side, and an operating
handle at or near the other end on the opposite side. This arrangement is
as described with reference to the previous figures except that we in this case
provide the hand lever shaft B (which has the upper lever E on one end as
before) at the other end with a similar but lower lever E¹ which by a tension
rod Fi is connected to an upper lever E2 fixed on the boss or fulcrum spindle
of the handle A¹ so as to turn with the said handle.
"
"
Figs. 8 and 9 are side view and plan of another arrangement which differs
from that shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 by that the long lever G provided with holes
for adjustable connection with the tension rod is here turned downwards.
The rods F, J and J are also in this case in tension.
Instead of carrying out the aforesaid tension method to its full extent as
described we may apply it partly that is to say retain the present existing push
rods R and R¹ which are in compression, and merely as shewn in the side
view Fig. 10 and plan view Fig. 11 add thereto the upper lever G on the
brake shaft H and the connecting rod F the lever E the cross shaft B, hand
levers A and A¹ thereon and the means (such for instance as the arrangement
described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5) for holding the hand lever A in
the " on or "off" position. In the case of one hand lever at one end and
another hand lever at the other end on the opposite side we also add a con-
necting rod and levers on the other side of the wagon, such as the rod F¹ and
the levers E and E2 in Figs. 6 and 7.
"
Figs. 12 and 13 are side view and end view of another form of device for
holding and fixing a hand lever. On the bracket sweep D is fixed by
bolts SS and springs S2 S2 or other suitable means a curved rack S, and on
the hand lever A is provided a tooth for engaging with the rack S and holding
the hand lever in the desired on or off position. The lower spring S2 should
be longer or stronger than the upper spring S2. The friction can be adjusted
and the wear taken up by means of the nuts on the bolts $1. To release the
brake from the " on position and allow the hand lever to be replaced in the
off position the cross shaft B is allowed a certain slight motion in its length
65
"

page_text: direction for pulling the hand lever out of engagement with the rack and a
spring is provided for bringing it back into the normal position.
Figs. 14 and 15 are side view and end view of a bracket sweep for another
form of holding device where the hand lever A has to be firmly sprung against
the face of the inclined plane on the underside of the sweep D₁ by means of
a set screw fixed in a short arm which latter is fastened on to the cross shaft B,
and the pressure or friction between the hand lever and the inclined underside
of the sweep D¹ can thus be adjusted to take up wear.
The aforesaid improvements can be adapted to be used in connection with
the invention described in the latent Specification 25,938 of 1897 that is to
say a combined hand brake and continuous vacuum or Westinghouse brake.
The adaptation would chiefly consist in mounting the levers on. the brake
shaft H with a socalled lost motion.
The invention may also be used in connection with the socalled double armed
lever L described in the Specifications of Patents 4726 of 1896 and 5099 of
1896, whereby when using such a holding device as we have described with
reference to Figs. 12 and 13, the manipulation of the hand levers A and A¹
will be made alike that is to say are pulled away from the side of the wagon
when the lever A is to be disengaged from the tooth rack S.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. The combination with the brake shaft H of a lever thereon, a cross shaft
with a lever thereon, a connecting rod between the said two levers, a hand
lever on
or connected with each end of the cross shaft and means for fixing
the hand levers in the on and "off" positions substantially as set forth.
2. The arrangement of brake gear of the character firstly claimed as described
with reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3.
3. The arrangement of brake gear of the character firstly claimed substan-
tially as described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7.
4. The arrangement of brake gear of the character firstly claimed substan-
tially as described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9.
5. The arrangement of brake gear of the character firstly claimed substan-
tially as described with reference to Figs. 10 and 11.
6. The combination, in connection with the brake gear herein before described
of the hand lever A, the sweep D¹ with inclined face against which the hand
lever works, and the means for adjusting the friction and taking up the wear
against the said face, as described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, 12 and 13,
and 14 and 15.
Dated this Thirtieth day of August 1899
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.