IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGE BRAKES
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Welch, of Southall, in the County of Mid-
dlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND OTHER
CARRIAGE BRAKES."
Sealed the 27th July 1858, and dated the 5th February 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Welch at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
5th February 1858.
I, JAMES WELCH, of Southall, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby
declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY AND.
OTHER CARRIAGE BRAKES," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists of a new method of applying a braking apparatus,
and its object is to construct such an apparatus capable of being brought into
action by means of the pressure of the ordinary buffing machinery of railway
carriages, or otherwise by the reversed action of the propelling power without
impediment to the carriage being pushed backwards in the usual manner.
Upon the axle of a railway or other carriage, in addition to the ordinary
running wheels, I apply another wheel, which I call a brake wheel, capable
of turning freely on the axle, but furnished with a clutch box or other suitable
contrivance, capable of fitting into a corresponding clutch fixed on one of the
running wheels or on any convenient part of the axle, if rotatory. The clutch
of the running wheel is intended to engage into the clutch of the brake wheel
when moving forward, and to disengage itself from it when moving backwards..
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page_text: For the purpose of engaging the clutches more firmly together a coiled spring
For other suitable contrivance may be attached to the back of the brake wheel.
To the brake wheel I apply a brake in the ordinary shape of a block of wood
or any other kind of suitable brake to be acted upon by means of the back-
ward pressure of the ordinary buffing apparatus, or otherwise to be brought
into action by the reversed action of the propelling power, and the same brake
may also be so arranged as to be brought into action by the ordinary hand
apparatus, if required. It is evident that while the carriage is advancing and
the clutches are in contact, the brake wheel will be compelled to revolve in a
forward direction with the running wheels, and when the brake operates upon
the brake wheel the same effect will be produced in stopping the carriage as
though the brake operated in the ordinary manner on the running wheels.
When the carriage has been brought to a state of rest by the operation of the
brake it may be immediately backed in the ordinary way by force pushing
against the buffers, for though the brake will be "on" the brake wheels, and
they may be inimoveable, yet the running wheels will yield to the, backward
impulse, and disengage themselves from the clutches of the brake wheels, and
revolve freely in a backward direction...
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed.
by the said James Welch in the Great Seal Patent Office on, the
4th August 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS. SHALL COME, I, JAMES
WELCH, of Southall, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
FIT. SUSE ==
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-first year of Her.
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said James Welch, Her special licence that I, the said James Welch,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said.
James Welch, 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." IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY.AND OTHER CARRIAGE BREAKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said James Welch, my executors or administrators, by an

page_text: 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 James Welch, 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 thereof, that is to say.:-
This Invention consists of a new braking apparatus, and of a new method
of applying the same to carriages, and its object is to construct such an
apparatus capable of being brought into action by means of the pressure of
the ordinary buffing machinery of railway carriages, or otherwise, by the
reversed action of the propelling power, without impediment to the carriage
being pushed backwards by the buffers immediately after it has stopped in.
the usual manner, and without the necessity of awaiting the recoil of the
buffer springs. Upon the axle of a railway or other carriage, in addition to
the ordinary running wheels, I apply a drum or wheel running loose upon
the axle, but furnished with a spring catch acting against a stop on the
running wheels, or other suitable contrivance for engaging the drum with
the running wheels, and so compelling the drum and wheels to revolve
together when moving in a forward direction, and for disengaging itself from
them when moving in a backward direction. To the drum so capable of
connecting itself with and disconnecting itself from the running wheels I
apply. a brake in the ordinary shape of a block of wood, or any other kind, of
suitable brake to be acted upon through the medium of the drums by means
of the backward pressure of the ordinary buffing apparatus, or otherwise to be
brought into action by the .reversed action of the propelling power, and the
same brake may also be so arranged as to be brought into action by the
ordinary hand apparatus, if required. The carriage may run either end
foremost, the spring catch (which may be adjusted almost by a touch) at the
commencement of the journey being set accordingly; should this act; however,
be omitted the carriage will still run as usual, and, no further inconvenience
will result than that the brake will not act till the catch be properly adjusted.
The buffer rods are so constructed as to exert upon the, brakes such an amount,
of pressure only as; they can safely bear without breaking; when such pressure
is exceeded the excess is diverted from the breaks entirely to the buffer springs.
It is evident that while the carriage is advancing and the spring catch of the
drum is in contact with the stop on the running wheels, they will be compelled

page_text: downwards from the catches c, e; through the slots of these rods pins fixed on
the arcs h, h, project. The arcs h, h, are capable of sliding on the spokes of
the drums d, d, through a distance equal to the length of the slots h', h¹, h², h²,
formed in them, and it will be seen that according as these arcs are slid up to
the ends of their courses in one or other direction, so will one or other of the
extremities of each of the catches e project so as to come in contact with the
projections 6, 6, and thus when the wheels b, b, are rotating in one direction,
they will carry the drums with them, but when in the other direction they will
release themselves from the drums, the projections 61, 61, passing over the
ends of the catches e, e, by the yielding of the spring rods 9, 9; when the
arcs h, h, are in the middle of their course, the catches e, e, do not project at
either end beyond the periphery of the drum. The arcs h, h, are retained
in either of their three positions by notches in the sides of the slots h¹, h¹; the
pins which pass through these slots drop into the notches, the arcs being
pressed towards the pins by the springs i, i. The brakes are arranged very
much in the ordinary manner, with the exception of the apparatus by means of
which they are acted on from the buffers. j, j, are the brake blocks; they are
suspended from the frame a by the rods k, k, and they are connected by other
rods 1, 1, to the arms m, m, mounted on the axis n; o, o, are other arms
carried by the same axis, and having at their ends friction wheels o¹, o¹, which
rest against the inclines p, p, formed on the buffer rods p', p¹, and when these
rods are pressed back the inclines act to put on the brakes, and also serve to
prevent any undue pressure on them, however far the buffer rods may be thrust.
inwards; q is the buffer spring. If it is desired, the brakes may be arranged
so that they can also be put on by hand in the ordinary manner; for this
purpose an additional arm is mounted on the axis n, and is connected with a
band screw in the usual manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Welch, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
Witness,
S. CARPMAEL.
JAS. WELCH. (L.S.)