IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Morgan-Brown, of the Firm of Brandon
and Morgan-Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, South-
ampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue Gaillon, Paris, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."-A communi-
cation from abroad by Giacomo Gianoli, of Rome, Italy, Giovanni
Piceni, of Pallanza, Italy, and the Chevalier Giacomo Donna, of
Turin, Italy.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Morgan-Brown
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 10th October 1874.
I, WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-
Brown, Engineers and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings,
London, and 13, Ruo Gaillon, Paris, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES," to be as
follows:-
Description of an Invention to be called freno-scarpa Gianoli ("skid-
shoe-brake Gianoli ") for stopping almost instantly in cases of imminent

page_text: danger any railway train, even if running at full speed, without the
passengers being in any way inconvenienced, nor the carriages suffering
the least damage.
¡The terrible disasters happening nowadays, but too frequently upon
all the railway lines of Europe and America, through railway trains
dashing against each other, bridges, and such like, buildings breaking
down, and embankments falling in under the weight of the engine and
carriages, mischievous hands taking out the rails, or in any other way
intentionally stopping the line, horses or oxen crossing before the
approaching train, and so on, have at all times prepossessed the mind of
scientific men, but until now they have not succeeded in resolving a
problem so difficult and so closely concerning the general welfare, viz.,
"To find out the means through a safe and cheap apparatus of stopping
" in cases of imminent danger any railway train running at full speed
" without the passengers being inconvenienced, nor the carriages suffering
"the least damage."
.
The skid-shoe-brake referred to in this description, called from the
Inventor's name skid-shoe-brake Gianoli, not only is fit for stopping the
railway trains running at full speed in cases of imminent danger almost
instantly, without inconvenience for the passengers, and without damage
for the rolling stock, but can also be applied with very little expense
and without the least alteration to the actual mode of construction of
the railways of the whole world.
The most prominent feature of this skid-shoe-brake Gianoli consists
in transforming instantaneously, by means of magnetic attraction, the
vertical friction on the outer circumference of the wheels of all the
waggons composing the train into a horizontal friction at the point of
contact of the wheels with the rails.
Conformation of the Skid-shoe-brake Gianoli.-Everybody knows that
the railway waggons have all the same shape both ways, so that a
waggon which in forming a train had been turned towards the locomotive
can be used also for another train running in an opposite direction
without inverting its position. It follows then that each and every
wheel of the train ought to be provided with a skid-shoe-brake Gianoli
on both sides to avoid the necessity of turning the waggons each time
with the brake side foremost. We have therefore in our Drawing
represented the wheels provided with a double brake, leaving to the

page_text: administrators of the different railways to decide upon the suitableness
of the extra expense.
The Figure 1 represents the longitudinal section of a railway train
provided with the skid-shoe-brake Gianol. Two wheels A, B, lean upon
the rails, both provided with a skid-shoc-brake m, m³, and n, n¹, which,
when all the skid-shoe-brakes are brought to bear, change their position
into those shown by the dotted lines on the Drawing. The skid-shoe-
brake m being released pushes the point p between the rim of the wheel
and the rail, and as it is tied rather loose to the bar S, S¹, S, S¹,
("Fig. 2"), so that it may turn freely about the centre pin S¹ when
dropped and forced upon the wheel, it is immediately gripped and
attracted by the rim of the wheel in motion, and drawn in under the
same for its whole length. This does not prevent the skidded wheel
from whirling about for a while before losing definitely its rotary
motion, but the skid-shoe-brake in question forced between the wheel
and the rail produces an enormous resistance through the horizontal
friction upon the whole extent of the skid-shoe, considerably augmented
by the weight of the loaded waggons gravitating upon the skid-shoe, so
that it stops the train almost instantly without the least inconvenience
for the passengers nor the least damage for the waggons. The resistance
being increased to the highest possible degree it is a thing of great
importance to employ for the construction of the skid-shoo the material
that is most adapted to display the above-named resistance, and at the
same time one that presents the necessary solidity capable to sustain the
combined action of so many contrary forces.
The weight of the skid-shoe-brake Gianoli does not exceed a few
kilograms, and the apparatus being attached to the framing of the
carriage does not hinder in any way the motion of the wheels..
Application of the Magnetic Circuit to Put the Skid-shoe-brake
Gianoli in Action.-The skid-shoe-brake Gianoli could be brought to
bear by some mechanical arrangement, releasing the pallets g, g¹, which
keep the skid-shoe suspended for instance by a small cog wheel or a
handle placed upon the locomotive under the control of the driver.
This arrangement however would require a considerable force and a
certain length of time to take effect, when only one second of delay
might cause the total destruction of the train. These inconveniences
will entirely disappear if we have recourse for this purpose to magnetic

page_text: attraction, the person in charge having simply to touch a knob to allow
the skid to act in an instant; nor is it necessary that the electrical
apparatus should be continually at work, provided it be in order, when
the moment of danger arrives. To that effect it would be extremely
useful to put the said apparatus in a small box, and find for it a place 5
on the tender, where the driver can see and reach it if need be.
The conducting wires of the electric battery are attached to the
isolators, fixed on the sides of each waggon, and terminate at the transverse
bar, holding the hook and coupling chains which tie the carriages to
each other. In this way if due attention is paid in hooking in the 1
coupling chains the electric current is sure to circulate upon the whole.
train, whatever be the number of carriages composing the same.
When the moment of danger arrives the skid-shoe-brakes of the whole
train are all made to act at the same time in the following manner :—
Each pair of skids is attached to a cross transverse bar Z, Z', (Fig. 3). 1
At the point x (Fig. 3) of the transverse bar is fixed the end of a
circular bar y, y¹, (Fig. I.) held up at y by a horizontal pallet g, g³, (Fig. 1.) .
the use of which is to prevent the skid from dropping before its time.
The person in charge has simply to break the magnetic circuit to get the
pallet released or drawn back. The pallets g, g¹, being drawn back all 2
at one time all the skid-shoe-brakes of the whole train fall simultaneously
between the rim of the wheels and the rails, and bring their enormous
force to stop the train almost instantly.
For economy's sake six or eight wheeled carriages may have skid-shoe-
brakes only on the fore and hind wheels.
Ordinary brakes may continue to act as before, and the driver in
moments of danger reverse the steam to increase the force of the new
apparatus.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Morgan-Brown in the Great Seal Patent &
Office on the 8th April 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
MORGAN-BROWN, of the Firm of Brandon and Morgan-Brown, Engincers
and Patent Agents, of 38, Southampton Buildings, London, and 13, Rue
Gaillon, Paris, send greeting.
ย

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Tenth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Morgan-Brown, Her special
license that I, the said William Morgan-Brown, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Morgan-Brown,
my executors, administrators, and 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 vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES," a communication to me from abroad
by Giacomo Gianoli, of Rome, Italy, Giovanni Piceni, of Pallanza,
Italy, and the Chevalier Giacomo Donna, of Turin, Italy, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Morgan-Brown,
my executors or administrators, 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 William Morgan-Brown, do hereby
declare the nature of the 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, that is to say :—
The disasters which are so often to be deplored upon railways, as well
in Europe as in America, disasters occasioned either by collision, giving
way of bridges, or other like works, or by the slip of embankments or
cutting, or still yet by the destruction accidental or wilfully done to the
road by the presence on that road of strayed animals or other
unexpected obstacles. These obstacles have long preoccupied the minds of
experts, which have not been able nevertheless to this day to find the
solution of this question so difficult and interesting, which may thus be
stated:"To find the means or an apparatus certain and at the same
"time economical to arrest, in case of imminent peril, a train in full
"speed, without resulting therefrom danger to the passengers of
"destruction to the material (plant)."

page_text: The brake-shoe which is the object of the Patent, and which I call
after the name of the Inventor, brake-shoe Gianoli, has not only the
-power to stop the trains in full speed, in the eventuality of any danger,
with a rapidity quick enough to save the passengers from all peril and
without any resulting destruction in the material, but besides it is
relatively of small cost, and it only requires but a small change in the
actual construction of the railways, not even in the plant in use in both
hemispheres.
The essential action of the brake-shoe Gianoli consists in the instan-
'taneous conversion obtained by means of electro-magnetism or in any
other way of the attrition due to the rotation of the wheels of wagons
into a horizontal sliding at the point of contact of the tyre of each
wheel upon the rails of the railway.
Description of the Brake-shoe Gianoli.-Every one knows that all
the carriages on the railway arc symmetrical, as well in their width as in ]
their length. It is equally known that each, wagon, which in the com-
position of a train has one of its extremites turned towards the
locomotive, may be also employed in an inverse sense in the composition
of the same train or the formation of another train. It results, so as
not to repeat the manœuvres, that it will be necessary that all the wheels 2
should be fitted with the brake-shoe Gianoli, as well on the end to the
head of the train as on that opposite to it.
It is for the direction of each railway company to whom it belongs,
to decide whether they ought or not to impose upon it the resulting
expense of the establishment of a double brake-shoe Gianoli, but recent 2
experiences having demonstrated that the power of this brake is without
comparison superior to any other system composed up to this time, one
may from now put out of the question the necessity of having a double
brake-shoe Gianoli to each pair of wheels to stop the train in full speed.
The results obtained in these experiments with a single pair of Gianoli 8
brakes applied to the railway carriages driven at a speed of sixty kilo-
metres an hour have been marvellous, and the simplicity, facility, and
safety in the construction and working of the apparatus employed has
been perfectly established. One is forced to conclude that it is possiblo
to stop promptly express trains with few carriages fitted with this brake- 3
shoe, since it follows even that we may by the action of the brake-shoes
make them act automatically, and at the same time the ordinary block

page_text: breaks, and the simplicity of the arrangement in relation to the great
useful effects thus obtained are well worthy of mention, since the solution
of the problem has been demonstrated by the application that has
been made of it, and which is represented in the Sheet of the
Drawings annexed to this Patent even more practical and less
costly.
In the Drawing, Sheet 2, which represents, Figures 1 and 2, a longi-
tudinal and transverse section of a train of railway carriages, the left
brake is shown in position to act, and that of the left in its ordinary
position of inaction. The shoes & by means of the guides a are sup-
ported and cannot descend, but in unhooking the buttons c of the cams 6
upon which they rest. Immediately this unhooking operates (to the
left e.g.) the shoe guided by the bar of the ordinary brake block falls
upon the rail, the wheel rises upon it and advances upon the same shoe
until its bears tightly against the block, which remains drawn by the
shoe. This movement by the lever e is transmitted to the other block
in such fashion that automatically all the brake blocks of the train are
strongly acted on at the same time as the brake-shoes.
On the special arrangement adapted for experiment it need only be
said that the working of the brake blocks for the ordinary requirements
of the service is altogether independent of the brake-shoes, because the
lever e turns loose upon its axis. When the lever i keyed on the same
axis is acted upon by the screw of the guard brake these teeth force
the lever e and the brakes tighten against the wheel. To slacken the
block brakes the brake guard has only to operate as usual, and the blocks
descend by their own weight away from the wheels.
The plate 1 of the annexed Drawing represents in all cases the appli-
cation of the double brake-shoe.
The Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents the longitudinal section of a wagon
fitted with the brake-shoe Gianoli. Upon the rail rests two wheels A
and B, fitted each with their brake-shoe m, m², and n, n¹, and when all
the brake-shoes are detached they take the position indicated by dotted
lines in the Drawing.
The brake-shoe indicated in the Drawing in the position m² on being
detached pushes the point p towards the space comprised between the
tyre of the wheel and the rails with which it is in contact, so that the

page_text: .
brake-shoe which is fixed upon the bar s, s¹, Figure 2, Sheet 1, not
altogether fixed, but so as to be able to take upon that bar, a slight
movement in the bearing round the pivot &¹ is drawn at the moment of
its slipping by the tyre of the wheel in movement and locks below the
wheel, which it clasps in all its length. Nevertheless, although the
wheel be well clasped in the shoe it still makes several revolutions before
losing its acquired velocity, in addition the part of the shoe placed
between the wheel and the rail produces an enormous resistance, which
corresponds to the horizontal attrition upon all the surface of the shoe
resistance, which is considerably increased by the weight of the loaded
wagon bearing directly on the shoe; the resistance becomes thus so great
that it destroys almost instantaneously the acquired velocity of the train,
and produces its arrest without danger to the passengers and without
occasioning destruction to the plant.
The weight of the brake-shoe Gianoli does not exceed several kilo-
grammes, and does not hinder in any way the action of any of the parts
of the wagons, for it should be placed in the locality of these latter,
which are unoccupied.
Application of Electro-magnetism to the Working of the Brake-shoe
Gianoli. For the working of the brake-shoc above described an ordinary
mechanism may be employed provided that it has the power to release
the upholders or or pallettes g, g³, which maintain the brake-shoe in place.
The mechanism is acted on by a small toothed wheel placed on the
locomotive within reach of the driver or with some rigid appliances, but
the employment of similar means requires considerable power and an
amount of time in working which consequently may render the result
uncertain, besides requiring relatively too long a time to develop its
action at the precise moment, where the delay of a second only might
occasion the total loss of a train. All these inconveniences, to which
may still be added that of its heavy expense, are avoided by the employ-
ment of a system of rigid independent bars worked by the stem of a
small piston moving in a cylinder for this purpose, all as it is represented
in Figure 3, Sheet II., Drawings annexed, or by electro-magnetism, as it
is indicated in all the other Figures.
The second system of unhooking the shoes will be preferably adopted
by the railway companies having electric bells on their trains, whilst the
first, which is least costly, is preferable for the certainty of its action at
all times.

page_text: How is it possible to doubt that an apparatus composed only of rigid
bars independent of other parts of the carriages terminating in a disc on
one side, and maintained in the position of Figure 3 by springs, will not
give way to the shock of the small piston of the locomotive to pass
through the opposite side, and push successively these bars up to the
last carriage, unhooking at the same time the brake-shoes which lie in
the way.
It is well to note that the symmetry of the arrangement of the
apparatus on cach carriage, and the coincidence with a single piston can
only release the shoes which work in the required manner.
The action of opening a steam tap is equally quickly executed as that
of touching a button or moving an arrow to establish the circuit, and
produce instantaneously the desired effect of detaching the brakes; to
obtain this effect by the aid of electro-magnetism it is not necessary to
continuously produce the magnetic current by the electrical apparatus ;
it is sufficient that the battery should be able to act in the moment of
danger; it will be well then to place the apparatus on the tender handy
to the engine driver.
The conducting wires of the electric battery pass through insulators
fixed on the sides of each wagon, and terminate in the place where are
fixed the hooks and chains which couple the wagons of the train; in
this manner and if care is taken in what relates to the links of com-
munication, the clectric current circulates freely the entire length of the
train, whatever the number of carriages composing it; this is how it
operates in case of imminent peril to effect the skidding equally all the
wheels of the train.
•
Each brake-shoe is attached to its corresponding one by means of a
strong arm Z, Z¹, Figure 3, plate of the Provisional Specification, and
Sheet I. At the point. X, Figure 3, of this traverse is attached the
extremity of the circular bar y, y', Figure 1, which is at the point y' fixed
by the horizontal palette g³, g, Figure 1, which is strong enough to
prevent it slipping in the slide which holds it. The engine driver can by
a light magnetic current acting on the ratchet release at will this
palette by means of the electro-magnet fitted with its large armature b.
The palette g, g', scarcely displaced, the brake-shoe slips in its slide and
engages at once under the tyre of the wheel, and this movement of all
the brake-shoes being simultaneous, the result is the skidding instan-
taneously and simultaneously of all the wagons of the train in motion.

page_text: In Figures 1 and 2 of the plate of Drawings is represented more in
detail the electro-magnet for the releasing of the shoes by electricty, but
I do not insist upon this arrangement because the modes of applying
electricity with these objects are innumerable.
It is needless to remark here that for economical motives the wagons o
with six wheels may be shoed only on the first and last wheels, and for
wagons of eight wheels they should be shoed according to principles of
equilibrium.
It has been alreedy said that the ordinary brakes may be employed as
they are actually, and the engine driver has always besides at his 1
disposal the power of reversing the steam in the cylinders.
Having now described and particularly set forth the nature of the said
Invention and the manner of carrying the same into effect, I would have
it understood that what I claim is,―
First. The principle of the brake-shoe consisting in the interposition 1
of a shoe between the wheels of trains, and the rails by which the
revolving friction of the brakes is changed into sliding, in the manner
and for the object above described.
Secondly. The application of the brake-shoe Gianoli either to all the
wheels of the carriages, as in plate 1, or on a single side, as in plate 2, 2
and working independently of the block brakes or in connection with
these latter, in the manner and for the objects indicated as described.
Thirdly. The methods of releasing the brake-shoes either by means of
rigid bars worked by steam or otherwise or by electricity, in the manner
and for the objects above-named substantially as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Morgan-Brown, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Eighth day of April, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.
2
WILLIAM MORGAN-BROWN. (L.S.)