AN IMPROVED BRAKE BLOCK FOR RAILWAY WAGGONS, CARRIAGES, AND LOCOMOTIVES
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I MATTHEW SWAIN, of the Railway Foundry, Newton Heath, Lancashiro,
Iron Founder do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for AN IMPROVED
BRAKE BLOCK FOR RAILWAY WAGGONS, CARRIAGES, AND LOCOMOTIVES, to be as
follows:-
The object of my Invention is to make a brake block cheaper, lighter and more
durable than ordinary brake blocks and that can have its wearing surface ronewed.
easily and quickly without removing the whole of the block.
In performing my Invention I make the brake block of two parts. I form the
back or carrying portion of the block of malleable iron, cast steel or other metal
and connect it to the frame or lever in the ordinary or any convenient manner and
I make a dovetailed or other groove or recesses in the face of this block and I make
the front or frictional surface of the block of cast iron or other metal with a
projection or projections that correspond with the groove or recesses in the back of
the block to which it is fitted and then secured by screws, wedges or otherwise.
The back and front parts of the block may be connected without recesses and
projections if desired,
By the use of my Invention the danger arising from the breakage and falling on
the track of the old form of brake block is reduced.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
I MATTHEW SWAIN, of the Railway Foundry, Newton Heath, Lancashire, Iron
Founder, do hereby declare the nature of said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BRAKE
_BLOCK FOR RAILWAY WAGGONS, CARRIAGES AND LOCOMOTIVES," and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following-statement:-
The object of my Invention is to make-a-brake block-cheaper, lighter and more
durable than a brake block of the ordinary construction-and that can have its
_wearing surface renewed easily and quickly without removing the whole of
the block.-
5
In performing my Invention I make the brake block of two parts, I form the 1
back or carrying portion of the block of malleable iron, cast steel, or other metal
-and connect it to the frame or brake lever in the ordinary-or any convenient
manner and I make-a-dovetailed or other groove-or-recesses in. the face of this
block and I make the frictional surface-of the front part of the block-or-brake shoe.
of cast iron or other metal with a projection or projections at the back that 1
corresponds with the groove or recesses in the back or carrying part-of-the block
to which it is fitted and then secured by screws, wedges, or otherwisc.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect I will describe the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, reference being had
to the figures and letters marked thereon.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 a back elevation and Fig. 3 a plan of a brake
block made in two parts according to my Invention. Fig. 4 is a side elevation
showing the back and front portions of the brake block detached. Fig. 5 is a
sectional plan on the line A A (Fig 4) and Fig. 6 shows the cotter pin which fixes
the position of the two parts of the block when united.
2
2
a is the back or carrying portion of the brake block in which is formed the
undercut groove a¹ which tapers longitudinally, that is to say, is wider at one end
than at the other and bis the front portion or brake shoe on the back of which
is the projection b which tapers longitudinally and is formed to fit or dovetail into
the groove a¹. The sides of the groove a¹ are cut away at a² and part of the 3
projection bis similarly cut away at 6' so that when the projection 6' has been
put into the groove a' the taper cotter pin c is driven in through a³ and b' and the
split end of the pin spread out so as to firmly secure the brake shoe 6 in the groove
of the carrying part a
When the frictional surface of the brake shoe becomes worn the cotter pin c may
be driven out, the part 6 withdrawn from the groove a² and a new brake shoe
inserted and readily secured in position as before.
The back and front parts of the block may be connected together in any other
convenient and practical manner and without the use of recesses and projections
if desired.
By the use of my Invention the danger arising from the breakage and falling on
the track of the old form of brake block is avoided.

page_text: I am well aware that solid metal brake blocks have been used as well as brake
blocks the back portions of which have been made of metal and the front portions
or shoes of wood and I would have it clearly understood that I lay no claim to
these constructions.
4
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what
I claim is
In a brake block for railway waggons, carriages and locomotives, the combination
with a metal back or carrying portion, of a metal front portion or brake shoe
secured to the said back portion in the manner herein shown and described or in
any other convenient manner.