IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING THE BRAKES OF RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Wakefield, of 4, Upper Grand Canal Street,
Dublin, Ireland, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
OPERATING THE BRAKES OF RAILWAY TRAINS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Wakefield at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th January 1882.
•
WILLIAM WAKEFIELD, of 4 Upper Grand Canal Street, Dublin, Ireland.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR OPERATING THE BRAKES OF RAILWAY
TRAINS."
. My Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
apparatus for operating the brakes of railway trains and consists particularly in
substituting in lieu of the reservoir and cylinder usually employed for working
automatic and other brakes a compound vessel or cylinder, fitted with suitable
diaphragms at either end, in a similar manner to the ordinary cylinder. And it
also consists of an arrangement for coupling the pipes together on the engine (when
the two pipe system is used) so as to keep a constant vacuum in the reservoir.
This vessel or cylinder, which may be made of iron or other suitable material,
consists of a cylindrical body, having one or more outlets for attaching the
necessary pipes and furnished at each end with a diaphragm enclosed and working
within a hollow flanged cover, the whole being firmly secured together by bolts
and nuts in the usual manner. In the centre of these covers is a hole through
which the "pull rods" work, the inner ends of these rods being secured to suitable
guides working within the cylinder.
The above arrangement can be worked either as a simple vacuum brake or as an
automatic brake and is equally applicable to single and double pipe systems, and
in its application to an ordinary four wheeled coach the whole can be arranged
centrally and immediately beneath the floor of the carriage, whereby not only is
the pull effected in a more direct manner but the mechanism for actuating the
brakes considerably simplified whilst at the same time the number of valves
required is reduced to a minimum.

page_text: And in order that the Invention may be the better understood I will now
proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawing, on which Figure 1
represents a longitudinal section through my compound cylinder, Figure 2,
representing the connection of second pipe to ejector.
A being the body, B, B, are the hollow covers, C C the diaphragms, D, D,
pull rods, E, E, sacks for same, F, F, guides working within A, G outlet for
clapet valve, H H, outlet for covers B, I outlet for double pipe system. K being
the ejector, L suction pipe from off and on cock, M. off and on cock N vacuum
pipe from cock, O suction pipe connecting second pipe to ejector K.
In applying the above to a single pipe arrangement for automatic action an
ordinary clapet valve is secured upon the outlet G, which, together with the end
outlets HH, is connected in the usual manner to the main pipe. In the case of a
double pipe arrangement the outlet G is removed to the opposite side of the
cylinder, as shewn in dotted lines at I.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Wakefield in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
18th July 1882.
WILLIAM WAKEFIELD of 4 Upper. Grand Canal Street Dublin, Ireland.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR OPERATING THE BRAKES OF RAILWAY
TRAINS."
•
My Invention relates to improvements in the construction and arrangement of
apparatus for operating the brakes of railway trains and consists particularly in
substituting in lieu of the reservoir and cylinder usually employed for working
automatic and other brakes a compound vessel or cylinder, fitted with suitable
diaphragms at either end, in a similar manner to the ordinary cylinder.
And it also consists of an arrangement for coupling the pipes together on the
engine (when the two pipe system is used) so as to keep a constant vacuum in the
reservoir.
This vessel or cylinder, which may be made of iron or other suitable material,
consists of a cylindrical body, having one or more outlets for attaching the
necessary pipes and furnished at each end with a diaphragm enclosed and working
within a hollow flanged cover, the whole being firmly secured together by bolts
and nuts in the usual manner.
In the centre of these covers is a hole through which the "pull rods" work, the
inner ends of these rods being secured to suitable guides working within the
cylinder.
The above arrangement can be worked either as a simple vacuum brake or as an
automatic brake and is equally applicable to single and double pipe systems, and in
its application to an ordinary four wheeled coach the whole can be arranged
centrally and immediately beneath the floor of the carriage, whereby not only is
the pull effected in a more direct manner but the mechanism for actuating the
brakes considerably simplified whilst at the same time the number of valves
required is reduced to a minimum.
And in order that the Invention may be the better understood I will now
proceed to describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawing on which:
Figure 1. represents a longitudinal section through my compound cylinder.
Figure 2. representing the connection of second pipe to ejector.
A being the body, B B, are the hollow covers, C. C. the diaphragms, D D, pull
rods, E E, sacks for same, F F, guides working within A, G outlet for clapet valve,
H H, outlet for covers B, I outlet for double pipe system, K being the ejector,
L suction pipe from off and on cock, M off and on cock, N vacuum pipe from
cock, O suction pipe connecting second pipe to ejector K.
In applying the above to a single pipe arrangement for automatic action, an
ordinary clapet valve is secured upon the outlet G, which together with the said
outlets HH, is connected in the usual manner to the main pipe.
In the case of a double pipe arrangement the outlet G is removed to the
opposite side of the cylinder, as shown in dotted lines at I.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention and in
what manner the same is or may be performed.
I claim as secured to me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent
Firstly. In apparatus for operating the brakes of railway trains, the
diaphragms CC, arranged within the cylinder A, substantially as and for the
purposes herein before set forth.

page_text: Secondly. In combination with the cylinder A, having the diaphragms C C, the
application of the outlet G at I, substantially as shown on the accompanying
Sheet of Drawing and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof I the said William Wakefield have hereunto set my hand
and seal this Sixteenth day of July in the year of our Lord One thousand
Eight hundred and Eighty two.
WILLIAM WAKEFIELD. (L.S.)