IMPROVE- MENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields,.
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES."A communication
from abroad by Henry Hudson Trenor, of New York City, in the State
of New York, United States of America..
Sealed the 13th March 1866, and dated the 20th September 1865..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
20th September 1865.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," a commu-
nication to me from abroad by Henry Hudson Trenor, of New York City, in
the State of New York, United States of America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates partly to a method of adapting all the axles or
trucks of a train of carriages or vehicles to the curves or direction taken by
the leading axle or truck, whereby the danger and difficulty attending the
running of railway carriages on railways, or of a series or train of connected
vehicles on common roads, whether propelled by a locomotive, traction engine,
or otherwise, are obviated. This is accomplished by combining the axles of
trucks or vehicles of whatever description, when pivoted so as to have a centre

page_text: of motion, or system of connection or coupling, whereby the locking move-
ment of the one is necessarily transmitted to the others; this principle may be
carried out in many different ways..
According to one arrangement, each truck is pivoted on a centre pin to the
vehicle so as to allow of its swinging on its centre of attachment upon the
platform. To each truck is rigidly secured at right angles so as to extend
both ways, i.e., to the front and to the rear, a connecting arm or link
which will move with the body of the truck. The connecting link of
each truck is of such a length as to allow of. its being connected with the link
of the next preceding and succeeding truck. The method of forming a con-
nection between the various links may be varied according to circumstances
or convenience.
One method consists in slotting the ends of the links made to overlap each
other, and passing through the slots a double-headed pin. Another mode
consists in providing the ends of the links, made for this purpose a little
shorter, with arés united by two cords or chains, each of which is fixed to
opposite ends of the respective arcs. The object of these connections is to
make them yielding, so that while the ends of the links necessarily are moved
to and from each other in the oscillatory movement imparted to them by the
truck, they will be unyielding, or nearly so, in a lateral direction.
In addition to this mode of connecting the trucks by a directing link or
links, it is proposed to use a system of coupling of the carriages not by the
platforms, as heretofore practised, but by the trucks or bogies, whereby
liability of the body of the vehicle or carriage being thrown off the trucks is
obviated. The carriages may be connected by means of a coupling link
attached to the pivot of the truck; the form of -the link may be modified
according to the judgment of the engineer.
This Invention also relates to the construction and the connection with an
operating mechanism of brakes of railway carriages and other vehicles, and
has for its object the effective and instantaneous application of the brake to
the wheel or wheels. According to this part of the Invention the brakes are
operated by an eccentric which is arranged in relation to and combined with
the brakes so as to directly and instantaneously transmit to the brakes, any
movement imparted to it. Each wheel may be provided with one or two.
brakes diametrically opposite, and the brakes of each wheel may be actuated
by one eccentric, or the brakes of two or more wheels, or the brakes of all
the wheels. constituting a truck may be worked by one eccentric. This
eccentric may be situate in any convenient or suitable position, i.e., vertically
or horizontally in the middle of the truck or upon the sides thereof, and may

page_text: be made in the form of a disc or frame, or otherwise as deemed most con-
venient. When applied to a carriage having two-wheel trucks, the truck is
pivoted to the main frame, and the axle of the wheels is secured to two pen-
dant side brackets, a cross piece serving to carry the eccentrics and brakes;
the former are discs pivoted to the cross piece at their centres, and provided
with eccentrically arranged studs which engage the levers of the brakes; the
latter are held in place by means of curved levers which are pivoted to lugs
projecting laterally from the cross piece. The studs which give motion to the
brakes are arranged on one or both faces of the eccentric disc.
All the eccentric discs of the entire carriage. are coupled by means of con-
necting links and rods, and are connected with a crank which is operated by
a hand wheel or crank from the platform.. It will be understood that a partial
rotation of the crank or wheel on the platform will directly transmit the move-
ment to the eccentric discs through the intervention of the connecting links
or rods, and the discs in their turn will instantaneously operate the brakes..
By this system of brakes each wheel may be, acted upon from opposite sides,
so that there is no strain, upon the axle, and all the brakes of the whole train
may be connected and operated simultaneously either by hand or by steam by
the brakesman or the engineer, so that in case of necessity the whole system
of brakes may be placed under the control of and operated by the engineer
simultaneously.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 20th March 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her, most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters'
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of September, in the year of our Lord,
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the 29th year of Her reign, did,
for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and-grant unto me, the said Jolin
Henry Johnson, Her special license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my-
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
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 might make, use; exercise; and

page_text: vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention. for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY CAR-
RIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES," a communication to me from abroad by Henry
Hudson Trenor, of New York City, in the State of New York, United States.
of America, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Henry Johnson, my executors or administrators, 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 John Henry 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
letters and figures marked thereon, that is, to say: . .
The said Invention relates partly to, a method of adapting all the axles or
trucks of a train of carriages, or vehicles to the curves. or direction taken by
the leading axle or truck, whereby, the danger and difficulty attending: the
running of railway, carriages on railways, or of a series or train of con!
nected vehicles on common roads; whether propelled by a locomotive; traction
engine, or otherwise, are obviated. This is accomplished by combining with
the axles or trucks of vehicles of whatever description, when pivoted so as to
have a centre of motion, a system of connection or coupling, whereby the
locking movement of the one is necessarily transmitted to the others. This
may be carried out in many different ways.
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, in all the Figures.
In these Drawings I have shown one mode which, answers: the purpose.
well... I
...
!
Fig. 1 represents an elevation of a train, composed of two, four-wheel, truck
carriages (the body of the carriage, or vehicle being omitted) placed on a
curve of a railway, and Fig. 2 is a plan views of the same. In the latter
Figure-the-platform of one of the carriages is removed, exhibiting-the-front-
truck with the truck frame removed. Each truck is pivoted on a centre pin P
to the vehicle, so as to allow of its swinging on its centre of attachment upon
the platform. To each truck is rigidly secured at right angles, to the axles, so
as to extend both ways, namely, to the front and to, the rear, a connecting arm.

page_text: or link b, which will move with the body of the truck. The connecting link
of each truck is of such a length as to allow of its being connected with the
link of the next preceding and succeeding truck.
,
The method of forming a connection between the various 'links may be
varied according to circumstances or convenience. I have shown two modes;
the one shown in Figs. 1 and 2, consists in slotting the ends of the links made
to overlap each other, and passing through the slots a double-headed pin q.
The other mode, shown in plan view in Fig. 3, consists in providing the ends
of the links which are made for this purpose a little shorter with arcs a united
by two cords or chains b, each of which is fixed to opposite ends of the
respective arcs. The object of these connections is to make them yielding, so
that while the ends of the links necessarily are moved to and from each othér
in the oscillatory movement imparted to them by the truck, they will be
unyielding, or nearly so, in a lateral direction.
.:
In addition to this mode of connecting the trucks by a directing link or
links, it is proposed to use a system of coupling the carriages, not by the
platforms as heretofore-practised, but by the trucks or "bogies;" whereby the
liability of the body of the vehicle or carriage being thrown off the trucks is
obviated.
In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the carriages to be connected by means of a
coupling link m attached to the pivot of the truck. The form of the link may
be modified according to the judgment of the engineer.
The second part of this Invention relates to the construction and the con-
nection with an operating mechanism of brakes of railway carriages' and other
vehicles, and has for its object the effective and instantaneous application of
the brake to the wheel or wheels. According to this part of the Invention,
the brakes are operated by an eccentric which is so arranged in relation to and
combined with the brakes as to directly and instantaneously transmit to 'the
brakes any movement imparted to it. Each wheel may be provided' with one
or two brakes diametrically opposite, and the brakes of each wheel may be
actuated by one eccentric, or the brakes of two or more wheels, or the brakes
of all the wheels constituting a truck may be worked by one eccentric. This
eccentric may be situate in any convenient or suitable position, that is to say,
vertically or borizontally in the middle of the truck, or upon the sides thereof,
and may be made in the form of a disc or frame, or otherwise; as 'deemed
most convenient.
Fig. 4 represents in elevation this system of brakes applied to a carriage
having two two-wheel trucks; on one of the trucks one wheel is removed to
exhibit the brake and the brake operating mechanism:

page_text: Fig. 5 is a plan view looking up towards the frame; the forward wheels are
removed to more clearly show the brakes.
In these two Figures A, A, are the trucks, each pivoted to the main
frame B; C, C, are the axles of the wheels W secured to the two pendant
side brackets D; G is a cross piece carrying the discs X and the brakes 1.
The discs are pivoted to the cross piece at their centres, and are provided with
eccentrically arranged studs which engage the levers of the brakes. The
brakes are held in place by means of the curved levers L, which are pivoted
to lugs m projecting laterally from the cross piece G. The studs which give
motion to the brakes are arranged on one or both faces of the discs; in
this instance they are all on the under side of the discs, which are disposed
horizontally.
All the discs of the entire carriage are coupled by means of connecting
links a and rods b, and are connected with a crank or short lever arm c, which
is operated by a hand wheel or crank M from the platform. It will be under-
stood that a partial rotation of the crank or wheel M on the platform will
directly transmit the movement to the discs through the intervention of the
connecting links or rods, and the discs in their turn will instantaneously.
operate the brakes.
By this system of brakes each wheel may be acted upon from opposite sides
so that there is no strain upon the axle, and all the brakes of the whole train
may be connected and operated simultaneously either by hand or by steam by
the brakesman or the engineer, so that in case of necessity the whole system
of brakes may be placed under the control of and operated by the engineer
simultaneously.
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 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 combination with the moveable truck of railway carriages or other
vehicles of directing connecting links, arranged and operating substantially
in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described.
Second, the method of coupling the carriages or vehicles of a train of two
-or-more-carriages-or-vehicles--by means of connecting links attached to the
pivots of the trucks, substantially as herein described and illustrated by the
Drawings.
Third, operating the brakes of railway carriages by means of discs provided
with studs, substantially as herein described, whereby simultaneous action of

page_text: the brakes may be effected on the wheels on either or all the carriages of a
train, such brakes acting so that each wheel shall receive pressure on opposite
sides of its periphery simultaneously, substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Twentieth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)