A New or Improved Brake for Tramway Cars.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 14th May, 1891-Accepted 27th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Brake for Tramway Cars.
I THOMAS WILLIAM FATKIN of Bristnall Terrace East Oldbury in the
Courty of Worcester Locomotive Superintendent do hereby declare the nature of
this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of a brake for tramway cars drawn by steam or other
m ve power engines the parts of the said brake being constructed and combined
and operated substantially as hereinafter described.
My invention is principally useful for arresting tram cars on inclines should the
couplings connecting the cars with the tram engines be severed the severing of the
car from the engine automatically operating the brake mechanism; but the brake
mechanism may be put into operation by the guard or conductor of the tramway
car as hereinafter described.
I will describe an automatic brake for a tramway car constructed according to
my invention.
Underneath the tramway car and midway between the pairs of bogie wheels at
the front and back of the car I arrange a cross horizontal rocking shaft working
in bearings on the underside of the car. On one side of the car I fix a
hollow cylinder in which a strong coiled spring is placed one end of the said
spring bearing against a plunger in the said cylinder and the other_end_bearing
against the closed end of the cylinder. The plunger rod protrudes from the
back or closed end of the cylinder. Jointed to the front of the plunger is a link
or connecting rod which is connected to a short arm on the rocking shaft. It is
by the expansion of the compressed spring in the cylinder acting through the link
or rod described that a small angular motion is given to the rocking shaft and the
rocking shaft made to put the brake mechanism into operation as hereinafter
described.
The spring is compressed in the cylinder by turning the rocking shaft by
means of a ratchet lever operating on a ratchet on the end of the shaft external
to the tramway car.
The compressed spring in the cylinder is held in a state of tension and released
by the following mechanism. The protruding end of the plunger rod works
through a guide bracket to which bracket a vertical lever catch is jointed the
said catch when turned down taking into a cross slot or notch in the said plunger
rod. The said rod is thereby locked in its back or advanced position and the
coiled spring consequently held in its compressed state. On the said lever catch
is a shackle to which a chain is connected. This chain is conducted over pulleys
and is secured to the tram engine. It is through the action of this chain drawing
the lever catch out of the slot in the plunger rod that the compressed spring is
released and the brake mechanism put into operation. The brake blocks are
carried by hangers on cross shafts parallel with and on opposite sides of the
rocking shaft the two parallel brake shafts being coupled to the rocking shaft
by a lever or arm crossing obliquely the said rocking shaft one of the brake
shafts being connected by a lever and an adjustable connecting rod to the upper
end of the crossing arm on the rocking shaft and the other brake shaft being
similarly connected to the lower end of the said crossing arm. By this combina-
tion the rocking shaft gives motion in opposite directions to the parallel brake
shafts so as to operate simultaneously the pairs of brake blocks on opposite
sides of the rocking shaft.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-Should the tramway car be severed
from the tram engine during the ascent of an incline the backward or descending

page_text: motion of the car causes the releasing chain connected with the engine to pull
down the lever catch and thereby release the plunger rod and compressed
spring. By the expansion of the said spring it operates through the connecting
rod of the plunger upon the rocking shaft and the rocking shaft operates
through its connections upon the parallel brake shafts. The brakes are thereby
automatically put into operation and the descending or backward motion of the
car immediately arrested.
When the brake is to be put into operation by the guard or conductor of the
tram car as well as automatically by the severance of the car from the engine
the releasing chain besides being secured to the engine is by means of a lover
and branch chain placed within reach of the guard or conductor. In place of or in
addition to the brake blocks described slipper blocks may be actuated by the
mechanism.
Dated this 30th day of August 1890
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Brake for Tramway Cars.
I THOMAS WILLIAM PATRIN of Bristnall Terrace, East Oldbury in the
County of Worcester, Locomotive Superintendent do hereby declare the nature
of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention consists of a brake for tramway cars drawn by steam or other
motive power engines the parts of the said brake being constructed and combined
and operated substantially as hereinafter described.
My invention is principally useful for arresting tram cars on inclines should the
couplings connecting the cars with the tram engines be severed, the severing of the
car from the engine automatically operating the brake imechanism; but the brake
mechanism may be put into operation by the guard or conductor of the tramway
car as herein after described.
1 will describe an automatic brake for a tramway car constructed according to
my invention.
Underneath the tramway car and midway between the pairs of bogie wheels at
the front and back of the car I arrange a cross horizontal rocking shaft working in
bearings on the underside of the car. On one side of the car I fix a hollow
cylinder in which a strong coiled spring is placed one end of the said spring
bearing against a plunger in the said cylinder and the other end bearing against
the closed end of the cylinder. The plunger rod protrudes from the back or
closed end of the cylinder. Jointed to the front of the plunger is a link or
connecting rod which is connected to a short arm on the rocking shaft. It is by
the expansion of the compressed spring in the cylinder acting through the link or
rod described that a small angular motion is given to the rocking shaft and the
rocking shaft made to put the brake mechanism into operation as hereinafter
described.
The spring is compressed in the cylinder by turning the rocking shaft by means
of a ratchet lever operating on a ratchet on the end of the shaft external to the
tramway car or the spring may be compressed by a worm and worm wheel
arrangement.
The compressed spring in the cylinder is held in a state of tension and released
by the following mechanism. The protruding end of the plunger rod works
through a guide bracket to which bracket a vertical lever cateli is jointed the
said catch when turned down taking into a slot. or notch in the said plunger rod.
The said rod is thereby locked in its back position and the coiled spring consequently
held in its compressed state. On the said lever catch is a shackle to which a chain

page_text: is connected. This chain is conducted over pulleys and is secured to the tram
engine; or in place of a chain, a rod may be employed. It is through the action
of this chain or rod drawing the lever catch out of the slot in the plunger rod that
the compressed spring is released and the brake mechanism put into operation.
The brake blocks are carried by hangers on cross shafts parallel with and on
opposite sides of the rocking shaft, the two parallel brake shafts being coupled to
the rocking shaft by a lever or arm crossing obliquely the said rocking shaft, one
of the brake shafts being connected by a lever and a connecting rod to the upper
end of the crossing arm on the rocking shaft and the other brake shaft being
similarly connected to the lower end of the said crossing arm. By this combination
the rocking shaft gives motion in opposite directions to the parallel brake shafts so
as to operate simultaneously the pairs of brake blocks on opposite sides of the
rocking shaft.
Should the tramway car be severed from the tram engine during the ascent of
an incline the backward or descending motion of the car causes the releasing chain
connected with the engine to automatically put the brake into operation.
When the brake is to be put into operation by the guard or conductor of the
tramcar as well as automatically by the severance of the car from the engine, the
releasing chain or rod besides being secured to the engine is by means of a handle
and branch chain placed within reach of the guard or conductor.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawings the
manner in which my invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in longitudinal vertical section; Figure 2 in plan and
Figure 3 in end elevation a portion of a tramway car to which my new or improved
brake is applied, the said brake being represented in the positions which the parts
respectively occupy after the brake mechanism has been put into operation
automatically by the severance of the car from the engine, or by hand; Figure 4
represents in longitudinal vertical section and Figure 5 in end elevation a portion
of the brake Figures 1, 2, and 3 drawn to a larger scale; Figures 6 and 7
represent the same views as Figures 4 and 5 with the spring in its compressed
state the lever catch in its fastening position and the brake blocks consequently
held out of action; Figures 8, 9 and 10 represent details of the brake mechanism
as hereinafter explained. In Figures 1 and 2 only about one half of the tramway
car is shown, the pairs of bogie wheels at the right hand end of the car being
omitted as well as the brake mechanism for operating upon the pairs of wheels at
that end, the omitted parts being constructed and acting in the same manner as the
parts shown at the left hand end of the car, the brake mechanisms at both ends of
the car operating simultaneously upon the bogic wheels at the said ends as
hereinafter particularly explained.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of
the drawings.
a is the cross rocking shaft situated about midway between between the pairs of
bogie wheels at the front and back of the car the said shaft a turning in the
bearings or hanging brackets a³, a on the underside of the car; b is the hollow
cylinder in which the strong coiled spring is placed for operating the brake
mechanism, one end of the said spring bearing against the plunger working in
the said cylinder, the other end bearing against the closed end of the cylinder.
Jointed at the front of the said plunger is the link or connecting rod a the
outer end of which is jointed to the arm e on one end of the rocking cross shaft a;
fis the compression rod fixed to the back of the plunger c² (shown separately in
Figure 8) the said rod projecting from the back or closed end of the cylinder b.
When the strong spring c is in its compressed state the arme has the position
represented in Figure 6 and when the said spring e is permitted to expand into the
position represented in Figure 4 it gives a small angular motion to the rocking
shaft a for putting on the brake as hereinafter explained.
The compressed spring c is held in a state of tension by the vertical lever catch g
turning on the centre * carried by the guide bracket a³. The lever catch g is

page_text: shown separately drawn to a large scale in Figure 10. The lever catel has an
opening made in it near its jointed end through which the compression ruil f
passes the said opening also serving to engage the lever catch with the rotch or
cut awny part ƒ³ in the compression rod and lock the latter in its back position
Figures 6 and 7 and with it the compressed coiled spring c The locking of the
compression rod is effected when the lever catch is turned down into the position
represented in Figure 7 and released or unlocked when the said lever catch is
raised into the position represented in Figure 5. In this last position the opening h
in it is withdrawn from the notch in the rod which being released permits the
springe to expand for operating the brake.
i
The spring is put into a state of tension by hand and the brake blocks held out
of action in the following manner. At the back of the cylinder is a serew i
having only a rectilinear motion, the said screw working in a screw box or internal
serew in the bush of the worm wheel which is turned by the worm ♬ on the
axis. By turning the axis in a direction proper to advance the screw its
pierced and forked end can be made to embrace the pierced end of the com-
pression rod and by passing a pin or cotter through the coincident holes in the
said ends of the screw and rol they are connected together. By then reversing
the motion of the screw or giving it a back motion, the compression rod is moved
backwards and the spring thereby compressed as illustrated in Figure 6. On the
rodƒ'being drawn back the required distance, the lever catch is engage with the
notch in it and the compressed spring e held in a state of tension. The screw i
and rod are then disconnected by withdrawing the pin or cotter. The brake is
thereby set ready for use.
r
The compression of the spring may be effected by operating upon the rocking
cross hafta instead of upon the compression rod. In this case, one end of the
rocking shaft a is made to project from the side of the ear and is provided with
a ratchet by acting on which by means of a ratchet lover the shaft a can be turned
through the angle required to cause the arm and commeeting rod d to compress
the spring c.
The lever catch is released from the compression rod for putting on the brake
in the following manner. To the upper end of the sail lever catch a horizontal
lever turning on the centre is attached by chains or by a shackle at m.
Figure 9 represents the lever / detached. The lever is double acting being
operated from either end of the car. On the outer end of the lever the rods n, p
are jointed, the rod being operated from one end of the car and the rod p being
operated from the other end. The rods, proceed to the ends of the car and by
means of chains (one of which is marked in Figures 1 and 2) passing over
pulleys are connected to handles (one of which is marked at the ends of the car.
By lifting either of the said handles a³ the brake can be put into action by the
guard or conductor at either end of the car. The hamiles are supported in their
normal positions upon springs as seen in the enlarged view near Figure 1.
Attached to the chain is a second chain which is secured to the tram
engine.
The angular motion given to the racking shaft a by the compression and
expansion of the strong spring e in the cylinder & is transmitted to the brake blocks
and the latter withdrawn from or pressed against the bogie wheels at both ends of
the tram car in the following manner. At the middle of the rocking shaft a is a
lever a, crossing obliquely the said shaft. To the end of the upper arm of
the lever, the rod a is jointed and to the bottom arm a of the said lever the rod a
is jointed, the rod u operating the brake blocks of the wheels, y 7. y at the left
hand end of the car and the rud a working the brake blocks of the wheels at the
right hand end of the car (not represontel) the mechanism for working the last
named brake blocks being similar to that represented for working the brake blocks
of the wheels,7 % % The rod a passes under the middle of the car and is
connected to the lower arm of the obliquely crossing lever, on the short
rocking shaft s. To the upper arm of this lever the end of the rod is jointed

page_text: and to the lower armr the rod t is jointed, the two rods t³ ³ being jointed at the
same distance from the centre of the lever; see the enlarged view near Figure 1.
The two rods pass respectively to the parallel brake shafts u³, which operate
the jointed hangers u², u² carrying the brake blocks ., . By this arrangement
the short rocking shafts gives motion in opposite directions to the parallel brake
shafts u³, so as to operate simultaneously the brake blocks of the pairs of
wheels 77: The rod a' operates the pairs of brake blocks of the wheels at
the other end of the car in a similar manner.
In place of or in addition to the brake blocks described and represented slipper
blocks may be actuated by the mechanism shown.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-The spring having been com-
pressed and the compression rod locked as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 the brake
is set for use. Should the tramway car be severed from the tram engine during
the ascent of an incline the backward or descending motion of the car causes the
releasing chain n* connected with the engine to raise the lever catch y and thereby
release the plunger or compression rod and compressed spring c which spring
expands as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4. By the expansion of the said spring it
operates through the connecting rod d upon the rocking shaft a and the said
rocking shaft operates through the two rods a, a' and their connections upon the
parallel brake shafts u³, u' at the ends of the car. The brakes at both ends of the
car are thereby automatically put into operation and the descending or backward
motion of the car immediately arrested.
For operating the brake by the guard or conductor it is only necessary to lift the
handle (at either end of the car) when the horizontal lever is brought into the
position represented in Figure 2; the lever catch g is thereby released and
the brake put into action in the same manner as when it is put into operation
automatically.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim
as my invention :—
A new or improved brake for tramway cars the parts of which brake are
constructed combined or arranged and act substantially as hereinbefore described
and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; that is to say, a brake which is
put into action by the expansion of a compressed coiled spring which is released,
either automatically on the severance of the tramcar from the engine or by hand,
the expansion of the said spring being transmitted to the brake shafts at the
ends of the car and the brake set for use and released by rocking shafts, levers,
rods and connections arranged and made to operate substantially as described
and illustrated.
Dated the 13th day of May 1891.