IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS OF APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Clark, of Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in the
County of Lanark, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MEANS
OF APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES."
Sealed the 17th April 1863, and dated the 20th October 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 20th October
1862.
I, JOHN CLARK, of Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MEANS OF APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES," to be as follows:-
My improved means or apparatus for the application of brakes to railway
carriages relate to that class of brakes termed continuous brakes; the several
brakes of all the carriages of a train being brought into action at one time.
According to my Invention I employ ordinary brake blocks, on the lower
part of each of which I mount a grooved pulley, and apply a brake block at
opposite diameters of the same wheel. From the tender or engine at the
front of the train I carry a rope along the side of the train, and on the groove
pullies of the brake blocks, as before mentioned, I make a turn of the rope,
so as to encircle the two pullies in such manner that on the rope being
strained tight at either or both ends the pullies are caused forcibly to approach

page_text: each other, and consequently the brake blocks close on the wheel disposed
between them, and exert a frictional pressure of greater or less force,
according to the power exerted to strain the rope. The same arrangement,
above described with respect to the brakes of one wheel, I carry out with
respect to all the brakes and wheels of a train, the same rope being continued
throughout from one end of a train to the other, a single encircling bight
merely being made at each wheel to encircle the pullies of its brake blocks.
In this way the whole of the wheels on one side of a train of carriages may
have the brakes applied at same time by one and the same rope. The one
end of the rope, as before mentioned, is conducted to the tender where I
attach it to a suitable drum; the opposite end I affix to a drum in the guard's
van in the rear. These drums may be fitted with toothed gear, and worked by
hand power, whereby to wind up the rope; but I also apply driving gear to
be actuated by frictional contact with a running wheel of the tender or guard's
van, or by contact with the rails, by which means the stoker or guard may
utilize the momentum of the train and bring it to bear on the brakes. The
rope may be wound up and the brakes applied from one or both ends, either
separately or simultaneously. The same exercise of tension on the rope that
will exert sufficient force to induce a proper action of the brakes of one wheel
will be nearly sufficient to apply them to all the brakes so actuated, the only
addition necessary being that which will be sufficient to overcome the friction
in passing over the several pullies. It will be observed also that the rope
arranged on the pullies, as described, partakes of the action and purchase of
block tackle. A rope brake may of course be applied to each side of a train,
but as this gives extra trouble in connecting it, I prefer to apply the rope on one
side only, and connect the brake blocks on opposite sides of the carriage by
suspending them from a shaft which is common to both, being carried across
the carriages for that purpose. The drum on which to wind the ropes I
prefer to mount on a frame or lever that will oscillate on a fulcrum, and which
when moved to the extreme in one direction causes the friction wheel which
actuates the drum to bear hard against the periphery of the running wheel of
the carriage or on the rail, and when in the opposite direction against a fixed
surface, while midway it leaves the rope drum free to revolve on its axis. The
several brake blocks are furnished with springs, which withdraw them from
contact with the wheels when the brake rope is released.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
20th April 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
CLARK, of Buchanan Street, Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Clark, Her special licence, that I, the said John Clark, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Clark, 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 THE MEANS
OF APPLYING RAILWAY BRAKES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 Clark, do hereby declare the
nature of my 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, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the means of applying
break power to railway trains, and relates more particularly to continuous
breaks, or that class of breaks in which the break power is applied to any
number of carriages in the same train either simultaneously or in rapid
succession. I propose to employ ordinary break blocks of wood or metal
suspended from the carriage frame, so as to clip or fit on to the peripheries
of the running wheels, and to apply one or two blocks to each wheel, and on
one or both sides of the carriage, as may be required. On the lower part of
each of these blocks I mount a pulley grooved at the periphery to receive a

page_text: rope or chain, which rope or chain being passed over or under and round and
partially round the pullies placed one before and the other behind the carriage
wheel will cause the said blocs when the said chain or rope is tightened to
grip the said wheels, and retard or counteract their rotary motion, each
carriage being fitted with these break blocks, the rope or chain passes along
from one end of the train encircling the pulley or pullies of each block or
blocks to the other end of the train, where one end of the said chain is
attached to and wound upon a winding drum fitted to the engine, tender, or
guard's van, as the case may be. This drum may be turned by hand, if
necessary, by fitting suitable gearing thereto; but I propose to mount it upon
a shaft, sling levers (or mounted in sliding bearers), and on one or both ends
of the drum shaft to fit a driving wheel or pulley to be turned by being
brought into contact with the periphery of the engine, tender, or carriage
wheels, as the case may be, or into contact with the rails, so as to make the
momentum of the train the power for actuating the breaks. The break power
may be thus applied from one or both ends of the train simultaneously. When
the break blocks are fitted at one side of the carriages only the chain is run
along outside of the wheels or just inside, according as the pullies are fixed.
When the breaks are fitted to both sides of the carriage the rope or chain
may be duplicated and pass along both sides, or the blocks of the breaks may
be connected by a transverse rib, and the chain run through the centre under
the train; the pullies in the latter case may be either mounted upon the cross
nib or be made to actuate the same through suitable levers. Each carriage
carries its own length of chain, the ends of which are provided with suitable
couplings. The several break blocks are so hung to the framing that they
release themselves by gravity when the chains are slackened, and where
necessary, a spring is added to assist the relieving motion, or one or both
may be used, as circumstances may require.
EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS.
The Drawings accompanying this Specification are laid down to a scale of
2 ft. to an inch; the details detached are to an enlarged scale.
The following general explanation applies to both Drawings and to all the
illustrations therein, where the parts common to the whole are respectively
shewn, and the whole of such parts are lettered respectively with similar
letters.
The detailed explanation of the other parts (not common to the whole) are
referenced by numbers and herein-after described.

page_text: a, the carriage wheels; b, the break blocks; c, the running break chain;
d, the chain pullies; e, the carriage frames; f, the rails of the permanent
way.
DETAILED EXPLANATION.
Fig. 1. 1, 1, are traverse bars or shafts running from side to side, and to
which the break straps 2, 2, are fitted. The rope or chain pullies in this case
project beyond or in front of the wheels so that the chain clears.
Fig. 2. 1, 1, traverse shafts; 2, 2, struts hinged to the to the break straps,
and which overlap in the centre, and at each end carry the chain pullies.
Fig. 8. This break is similar to that shewn at Fig. 2, but is fitted with a
rocking lever working upon a fixed centre 2, and connected to the upper strut
by a moveable pin which admits of the lever being adjusted to compensate for
the wear of the blocks.
Fig. 4 and 4 A. In this modification the break chain is fitted with a ball
which passes over a pulley and between two spring horns at the end of a
rocking lever 2. The space between those horns is rather less than the
disc of the wall, so that on the chain being drawn forward it carries the lever
with it until it meets a stop, when the springs open and the ball passes. This
lever is keyed upon a cross shaft 8, upon which the double eccentrics 4 are
mounted, and these eccentrics actuate the struts 5, 5. These struts are
formed upon the telescopic principle, with adjusting nuts 6, 6, and springs 7, 7.
These springs may be spiral or of rings of india-rubber. The traverse shaft is
carried by the links 8. 2 is the lever on the opposite end to enable the
carriages to turn. In lieu of the spring horns a radial guide plate may bo
placed over the lever, so that the ball cannot pass until the lever is drawn
clear of the arc. The chain may have one or more balls, and actuate the
carriage breaks in succession or the whole simultaneously. These breaks are
taken off by reversing the direction of the chain, by winding the drum in
guard's van before the train comes to a dead stand.
Fig. 4 B shews the form of the spring eye common to the links, straps, and
levers connected with the said improvements. 1, the fulcrum pin or centre;
2, a ring or cylinder of india-rubber; 3, the outer eye of metal; 4, the
carrying strap or link. This improvement is applicable to the breaks in
common use.
Fig. 5. In this modification the opposite break blocks are connected by
transverse ribs 1, 1, upon which the shoes 2, 2, are fastened in the centre line

page_text: of the carriage; to these shoes the levers 3, 3, are hinged; the latter is a
cranked lever, and carries the pulley at the upper end of the limb 3". These
levers are raised, and actuate the block by the chain passing over the two
fixed pullies 4, 4; 5, a supporting chain. The position of these levers can be
reversed so that the chain may actuate the break by a downward pressure if
required; in the latter case lifting springs are added. Fig. 5 A shews a
sectional plan of these levers and the cross ribs.
Fig. 6. In this modification the chain pullies are attached to the levers
instead of the framing. This lever is formed in two halves, and the chain runs
through between them; the strut 1, which is also fitted thereto by an adjoining
nut or pin holes to compensate for the wear of the break blocks.
Fig. 7 shews a modification of Fig. 5. 1, 1, are depressing arms which are
expanded by the right or left screw 2, for the wear of the blocks, and are lifted
and supported by the springs 3, 3.
Fig. 8. 1, 1, 1, 1, sling links by which the blocks are carried against and
released from the wheels horizontally; 2, 2, hinged struts actuated by raising
the packed wedge 3. Fig. 8 A shews the same actuating mechanism applied
to a 6-wheel carriage or tender.
Fig. 9. In this case the chain passes along under the centre of the
carriage and actuates the two end brakes by raising the links 1, which carry
a transverse shaft 2, and thus pull the connecting rods 3, 3, which are
connected to the break straps at 4, 4. The connecting rods are fitted with
adjusting screw socket pieces 5, 5, for compensating the wear of the blocks.
Fig. 10 In this modification 1 is a transverse lever depressed in the centre
by the running chain, and raising the link 2 at 1 or both sides of the carriage,
and thus actuating the blocks by the adjusting struts 3, 3, adjustable by the
pin or pin holes as before described.
Fig. 11 shews a skid break actuated upon my principle of improved
mechanism. 1 is a verticle double-cranked lever, upon which are mounted
the two chain pullies d, d; at the lower end of this lever adjusting connecting
rods 2, 2 are hung upon a transverse bar from the centre 3, 3, by the link
rods 4, 4; 4, 4, the skid break blocks; 5, 15, 5, 5, are hung; 6, 6, are
adjusting struts by which the blocks are regulated to the proper position and
gauge. As the chain is tightened on the pullies as here shewn, it drives the
lever 1 in the direction shewn by the arrow, and thus carries the two blocks 5¹, 5,
forward till they impinge upon the wheels and upon the rails simultaneously.
By reversing the chain to the position shewn by the dotted lines the blocks
5, 5, will become the break when the direction of the carriage is reversed.

page_text: Figs. 12 and 18 are modifications of my improved break mechanism, and
illustrates the mode of hanging the blocks so that will clear themselves.
Figs. 14 and 15 shews the winding mechanism. 1, 1, friction wheels,
driven by contact with the tender wheels a, a¹, either of which they are brought
into contact by the levers and band wheel 3, 4, 5, and 6; 7, a pulley fixed to
the fire-box of the engine to clear the chain therefrom. For taking the power
from the rails these driving pullies thrown into contact therewith by similar
mechanism.
I also propose to place the chain drum loose upon the axle, and to fix it by
means of conical or other collars adjustable thereto at the ends, working in
feathers. A small drum break is fitted thereto so as to prevent the chain
running off when the break is out of gear while the train is running.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the means by which the said improvements may be carried out in practice, I
hereby further declare that I do not restrict myself to the precise forms and
dimensions of the various mechanism illustrated upon the Drawings, and that
I claim the tightening of a continuous chain to operate the breaks of any
number of carriages in a train by means of friction power wheels, taking the
motion from the engine, tender, or carriage wheels, or from the rails as herein
described, and also the various expanding lever arrangements illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-three.
JOHN CLARK. (L.S.)