AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Lowe, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex,
for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER
CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 24th March 1864, and dated the 28th September 1863.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Lowe at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th
September 1863.
I, THOMAS LOWE, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR RAILWAY AND
OTHER CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in fitting to or forming as part of the axles of railway
engines, carriages, and trucks (at the centre or other suitable part), a collar
or wheel having teeth on one portion of its periphery, the other portion being
recessed to received a break band or strap, which forms the break power as
hereafter stated. On spindles slightly inclined and kept clear of the collar or
wheel during the progress of the train I mount two pinions; the upper ends
of these spindles carry toothed wheels which gear into a central wheel, the
axis of this central wheel being arranged to conduct and receive a threaded
shaft placed vertically. The lower end of the vertical shaft is jointed to one
end of a lever in connection with the break band or strap. In connection
with the above arrangements I employ a triangular or three-legged lever, two
of its legs being connected loosely to the lower ends of the before-mentioned

page_text: spindles, the other leg having two wires or chains attached thereto, which
chains pass over pulleys, one to the guard, and the other to the driver. The
leg last-mentioned has a bolt in the back, which takes into holes or slots in a
quadrant-shaped bar, for the purpose of retaining the leg in any desired.
position. The guard and driver have each under their control a spring bolt
lever working in a notched quadrant; to these levers, the other ends of the
wires are connected. A bell is placed on each of these quadrants, which is
sounded on either wire being pulled. Near the upper ends of the spindles two
rods are jointed, their inner ends being connected to slide nuts for the purpose
of working down the vertical screw shaft. Springs are employed to assist in
returning the apparatus to its normal position. The apparatus is fitted under
the engine, carriage, or truck, and is enclosed in a suitable casing.
The action is as follows:-Upon the guard pulling the lever in his com-
partment, the wire is caused to draw the upper leg of the triangular lever to
one side of the apparatus whereby the bolt is released, at the same time one
of the lower legs with the pinion is made to approach the toothed collar on
the axle, into the teeth of which it engages, the rotation of the axle and collar
causes the pinion and spindle to revolve with the toothed wheel at its upper
end, and also the central wheel, whereby the vertical threaded shaft is lowered,
and the break band or strap applied. When the wire in the guard's compart-
ment is acted on, the bell near the driver is sounded, thereby giving him
notice to release his spring bolt lever. The same operations are performed by
the driver when he wishes to apply the breaks. Electricity may be substituted
for the bell arrangements for indicating the application of the breaks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Lowe in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th March 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, THOMAS
Lowe, of Brighton, in the County of Sussex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said Thomas Lowe, Her special licence that I, the said Thomas
Lowe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Thomas Lowe, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at

page_text: 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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN
IMPROVED BREAK FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said Thomas Lowe, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their
hands and seals, 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 Thomas Lowe, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
that is to say-
My Invention consists in fitting to or forming as part of the axles of railway
engines, carriages, and trucks, at the centre or other suitable part, a collar or
wheel, having a worm or spiral on one portion of its periphery, the other
portion being recessed to receive a break band or strap, which forms the break
power as hereafter stated. On spindles slightly inclined, and kept clear of
the collar or wheel during the progress of the train I mount two pinions, the
upper ends of these spindles carry toothed wheels which gear into a central
wheel, the axis of this central wheel being arranged to conduct and receive a
threaded shaft placed vertically. The lower end of the vertical shaft is jointed
to one end of a lever in connection with the break band or strap. In con-
nection with the above arrangements I employ a triangular or three-legged
lever, two of its legs being connected loosely to the lower ends of the before-
mentioned spindles, the other leg having two wires or chains attached thereto,
which chains pass over pulleys, one to the guard and the other to the driver.
The leg last mentioned has a bolt in the back, which takes into holes or slots in
a quadrant-shaped bar, for the purpose of retaining the leg in any desired
position. The guard and driver have each under their control a spring bolt
lever working in a notched quadrant, to these levers the other ends of the
wires are connected. A bell is placed on each of these quadrants, which is
sounded on either wire being pulled. Near the upper ends of the spindles
two rods are jointed, their inner ends being connected to slide nuts for the
purpose of working down the vertical screw shaft. Springs are employed to

page_text: +
assist in returning the apparatus to its normal position. The apparatus is fitted
under the engine, carriage, or truck, and is enclosed in a suitable casing.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings illustrates the method of carrying
my Invention into effect.
A is the axle of a railway carriage, having fitted thereto or formed thereon
& collar or wheel B. The axle A is shewn detached in Figure 2, the collar B
is provided with a worm or spiral B' on a portion of its periphery, while the
other portion B2 thereof is recessed for the reception of a break band or strap C;
D, D, are spindles placed in a slightly inclined position, and which are kept
clear of the collar or wheel B while the train is in motion. These spindles carry
at their lower ends two pinions E, E, and at their upper ends two toothed
wheels F, F, which gear with a central wheel G, the axis of the latter being
adapted to receive a threaded vertical shaft H, this threaded shaft is jointed
at its lower end to one end of a lever I in connection with the break band
or strap C; K, K, are two legs of a triangular or three-legged lever (pivotted
to the frame as shown), which are connected loosely to the lower ends of the
inclined spindles D, D, the other leg L of the lever being connected with two
wires, cords, or chains q, q, which pass over pulleys, one to the guard and the
other to the driver. In the upper part of the leg L is a bolt M, which takes
into recesses or slots m, m, in a quadrant-shaped bar N for the purpose of
retaining the leg in the required position. Near the upper ends of the
spindles D, D, two rods O, O, are jointed, their inner ends being connected
to straps o¹, carrying half slide nuts o, o, and p, p, these straps are pivotted at
the points n, n, to vertical bars forming part of the framing. The slide nuts o, o,
and p, p, are threaded to correspond with the threaded vertical shaft H, they
are connected to the ends of the straps o¹, and are caused to approach and take
into the threaded screw on the shaft H on either of the pinions E coming in
contact with the worm or spiral B' on the collar B. These nuts slide upon
blocks r, r; P, P, are springs to assist in returning the apparatus to its
normal position.
The action of the apparatus is as follows.-Upon the guard pulling the
lever (arranged as before described) in his compartment of the carriage, the
wire q is caused to draw the upper leg L of the triangular or three-legged
lever to one side of the apparatus, whereby the bolt M is caused to enter one
of the slots m, m, on the quadrant-shaped bar N, and at the same time one
of the lower legs K, K, with one of the pinions E, E, is made to approach
the collar or wheel B on the axle, into the worm or spiral of which the pinion
gears, the rotation of the axle and collar causes the pinion and spindle to
revolve and impart motion to the toothed wheel F at the upper end of the

page_text: spindle, thereby giving motion to the central toothed wheel G, lowering the
vertical threaded shaft H, and consequently applying the break band C in the
recess B of the collar B. When the wire in the guard's compartment is
acted on, a bell near the driver is sounded, thereby giving him notice to
release bis spring bolt lever. The same operations are performed by the
driver when he wishes to apply the breaks. Electricity may be substituted
for the bell arrangements for indicating the application of the breaks.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, the improved
break for railway and other carriages, constructed and operating substantially
as herein-before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Thomas Lowe, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of March, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
THOMAS LOWE. (L.S.)