IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES AND IN SIGNALLING AND OTHER APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, WHICH IM- PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Comfield at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 18th December
1867.
I, THOMAS COMFIELD, the younger, of Queen's Road, Buckhurst Hill,
Chigwell, in the County of Essex, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
AND IN SIGNALLING AND OTHER APPARATUS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, WHICH IM-
PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO PARTLY APPLICABLE TO OTHER PURPOSES," to be as follows:-
My Invention relates more particularly to certain new and peculiar
arrangements and methods of constructing and operating both continuous
brakes for railway trains and brakes limited to a single railway carriage, and
it also comprises a system of signalling for the brakes to be applied.
According to one part of my Invention the requisite power for putting on
the brakes is applied by means of two different purchases consecutively
employed (that is to say, otherwise than by merely shifting the point at which
the band is applied from one part to another of one and the same lever or its
equivalent), the lesser purchase being first employed for overcoming the
friction and inertia of the moving parts and other moderate resistance in
bringing the brake blocks into pressing contact with the wheels while the
greater purchase is then employed for effecting, regulating, and maintaining
the requisite pressure of the brake blocks against the wheels. This improved
system of applying power to brakes, and which I term the "dual power
leverage system," is susceptible of being carried into effect by various means,

page_text: and in the application of some of these means a second part of my Invention
is combined therewith, namely, that of compensating in winch handle motion
for the variable amount of mechanical effort which is exerted by muscular
force to effect rotation of the winch handle at different positions in one
revolution by causing a corresponding variation to take place in the "speed
with which the resistance is overcome, which second part of my Invention is
applicable to winch handle motion generally when such compensation is
needed for rotation in one direction only, for example, to hand-power grinding
and crushing mills, rotary churns, rotary knife-cleaning machines, rotary
chaff-cutting machines, well bucket and other weight raising windlasses and
mangles.
According to one mode of applying my dual power leverage system the
lesser or "primary" leverage and the greater or "secondary" leverage are
represented by two separate lovers so connected to each other either directly
or indirectly and to the long rod actuating the brake blocks that while the
primary lever is first moved on its fulcrum so as to cause the long rod to
bring the brake blocks up to the wheels, and is held in that position either by
hand or by one or more pawls in gear with a fixed ratchet segment or by
other known means, the secondary lever in being then moved puts the
requisite strain upon the long rod for. pressing the brake blocks with the
necessary force against the wheels, such secondary lever being also in most
cases held in position by one or more pawls by preference so arranged as to
fall out of gear unless pressed against the ratchet teeth by the action of the
lever. For this purpose either the primary lever is made to work on a fixed
fulcrum and the secondary lever works on a travelling fulcrum upon or con-
nected to the primary lever, and is also connected to the "long rod;" or the
secondary lever works on a fixed fulcrum while the primary lever works on a
travelling fulcrum upon or connected to the secondary lever and is also con-
nected to the long rod; or the travelling fulcrum of the primary lever may be
actuated by a screw spindle carried by the primary lever, or any other
arrangement may be employed by which the before-described relative action
of the two levers or their equivalents is carried out.
In another modification the primary leverage is again represented by a
lever working on a fixed fulcrum, but carrying the fulcrum of or working
loosely on the same fulcrum as a bell-crank lever, one arm of which is con-
nected to the long rod while the other arm is connected directly or indirectly to
and worked by a screw spindle actuated by a winch handle and constituting
the secondary leverage, such screw and handle being either supported by a
fixed framing or carried by the primary lever and the screw handle serving

page_text: as the handle of such lever. This system, common to many of my arrange-
ments of making the winch handle actuating the secondary leverage serve
also as the handle of the lever giving the primary leverage, forms an important
feature of this part of my Invention. Where the fulcrum of the hand lever
is situated over the rocking brake shaft I employ in place of the bell crank a
horizontal lever connected by a link to the horizontal long lever of the rocking
brake shaft and actuated by the screw spindle carried by the hand lever, as
before described; or the hand lever may even be placed loose upon the rocking
brake shaft itself and the screw spindle connected directly or indirectly to the
horizontal long lever of the rocking brake shaft. It is prefered in the
arrangement where the screw spindle is carried by the lever to fix or form
upon it a stud so arranged that when the spindle is rotated so as to take off
the secondary leverage such stud shall come in contact with and release the
pawl holding the primary lever in order to enable this to be moved so as to
take off the primary leverage. Or in place of actuating the bell crank or
the horizontal lever by means of a screw spindle other mechanical equivalents,
such as the "toggle joint" or a cam or a wedge actuated by a lever or winch
handle, may be employed for that purpose. In all cases where winch handle
motion is employed I prefer to compensate for the variable power on the
handle by any of the means herein-after described for mechanism of a
corresponding nature. In place of the bell crank being carried by the
primary lever it may be suspended from the under framing by links and its
fulcrum connected to the primary lever by another link.
In another modification the primary leverage is again a hand lever
working on a fixed fulcrum and connected to the long rod. Upon this long
rod is formed a toothed rack in gear with which is a pinion carried by a rod
worked by a winch handle and constituting the secondary leverage, which
rod and winch handle are either carried by a fixed framing similar to the
arrangement now generally used on the brake vans on the London and North
Western Railway, or by preference they are carried by and move with the
primary lever, in which case the spindle will have to be connected to the
pinion by an universal joint. In the two last-described arrangements the
long rod is first drawn tight by moving the primary lever, after which the
winch handle and with it the pinion or screw spindle is turned for putting on
the secondary leverage. In this arrangement it is preferred to employ my
before-described improved mode of compensating for the variable power on
the winch bandle by making the 'pinion non-circular, so as to have a suitable
variable angular velocity, and by making the rack undulating so as to follow
up the varying pitch line of the pinion. Or in place of this mode of com-

page_text: pensation a variable angular velocity may also be imparted to the rod
carrying the rack pinion by driving the same by the pin and slot motion
described in Willis's Principles of Mechanics, page 264.
In another mode of compensating for the variable power in vertical winch
handle motion I employ a weight carried by an arm or fly wheel upon the
shaft of the winch handle, which weight is placed in such a position relative
to the winch handle that when the latter is in that position in which the
manual power is exerted to the least advantage the weight will be revolving in a
descending direction, thereby aiding the power on the winch handle. The position
of this weight may be made adjustable in relation to the winch handle. In
cases where greater power is required than can be obtained by a simple rack
and pinion I fix a lobed wheel on the rod of an ordinary pinion in gear with
the rack, which lobed wheel is in gear with a non-circular pinion worked by
the winch handle. In this arrangement it is also preferred to cause the
pawl holding the primary lever to be released by the turning of the winch
handle working the pinion, for which purpose I form the spindle with a screw
thread working a slide which raises the pawl by means of a stud after the
secondary leverage is taken off.
In another modification the primary leverage is again given by a lever
working on a fixed fulcrum and connected to the long rod. To this lever is
binged an arm carrying one or more pawls in gear with a fixed ratchet
segment, which arm is moved together with the lever to obtain the primary
leverage, after which, to obtain the secondary leverage, a mechanical power is
interposed between the arm and the lever to force them asunder, the pawl on
the arm affording the required point of resistance. The requisite mechanical
power may be applied either by means of a wedge or inclined plane actuated
by a screw spindle carried by the arm, the welge being by preference mado
undulating to compensate for the variable power on the winch handle turning
the screw spindle, or the power is applied by means of a screw spindle working
through the lever and actuated by preference by a winch handle and a pair
of bevil wheels, in which case it is preferred to make the bevil wheel of such
a form as to afford the requisite variable angular velocity to compensate for
the variable power on the handle, or the power may be applied by means of a
cam or a toggle joint situated between the lever and the arm and actuated by
a winch handle, or any other suitable mechanical means may be employed for
exerting the requisite power. The wedge, inclined plane, serew, or other
mechanical equivalent employed, or the lever itself, is by preferencu made to
carry a striking bar, plate, or stud which is brought in contact with the before-
mentioned pawl carried by the arm; when the winch handle has been turned

page_text: so as to take off the secondary leverage, and when this is then turned another
half revolution, such striking bar disengages the before-mentioned pawl, so that
the arm and lever are then free to be moved back for taking off the primary
leverage. Where an inclined plane, wedge, or cam is employed in the above
arrangement I prefer to cause the same to work in contact with a roller
carried by the lever in order to prevent the unequal wearing of the surfaces
in contact, which contrivance may also be applied in all other described
arrangements of my dual power leverage system in which cams or wedges are
employed.
In another modification a lever working upon a fixed fulcrum and connected
to the "long rod" is actuated by a cam plate rotated upon a fixed centre by
a winch handle and so formed with a spiral or volute acting surface that it
first moves the lever by means of a curved surface of a rapid pitch for putting
on the primary leverage, after which it acts upon the lever by means of a curved
surface of a very slow pitch for putting on the secondary leverage. In order
to cause the lever to follow the cam when turned in the reverse direction for
taking off the brake the cam may be formed with a cam path in which a pin
or roller carried by the lever works; or the lever may be moved back by hand
or by a spring. Should the cam require to be turned more than three-fourths
of a revolution to produce the requisite motion of the lever it must be made
to traverse sideways, for which purpose its shaft is formed with a screw thread
working through a female screw formed in one of its bearings of a pitch
corresponding to the amount of traverse required. In this arrangement also
it is preferred to compensate for the variable power on the winch handle by
forming corresponding variations in the pitch of the cam.
The framing
carrying the cam is rendered adjustable in the direction of the travel of tho
lever, either by means of a screw spindle or otherwise, in order to compensate
for the wearing of the brake blocks.
In another modification I obtain a dual leverage upon an ordinary brake
screw or pinion rod as follows:-I fix upon a spindle worked by a winch
handle two drums each composed of a large diameter and a part of a small
diameter connected together by a voluted surface. Upon these drums are
wound two chains in contrary directions and passing also in contrary directions
round the brake screw or pinion rod, or round a spindle driving the same
by bevilled wheels. The drums are so constructed that in putting on the
primary loverage of the brake the chain which is then in tension is wound up
on the large diameter of its respective drum, after which, in order to obtain
the secondary leverage, the chain is caused to pass over the voluted surface on
to the small diameter of the drum. At the same time the other chain is

page_text: wound off the other drum and on to the brake screw or pinion rod in pro-
portion or nearly so as the tension chain is wound up. In this case also it is
preferred to make the drums of such a non-circular form as to compensate (by
a varying angular velocity) in putting on the brakes for the variable power on
the winch handle. The two chains are provided with split links in order to
regulate the changing of the leverage of the drums as the blocks wear. The
last-described arrangement may be adapted for applying the dual power
leverage to a chain operating the brakes of one or more carriages when the
brakes are taken off by weights or springs. For this purpose a shaft carried
hy a fixed framing to which the brake chain is attached and by the rotation of
which it is wound up carries a drum of two different diameters as before
described, and a chain connected to a non-circular drum fixed upon a second
shaft worked by a winch handle passes over this drum in such a manner that
for putting on the primary leverage the chain is first drawn off the small
diameter, and then for putting on the secondary leverage it is drawn off the
voluted surface and the large diameter. In order to regulate the automatic
shifting of the leverage as the brake blocks wear the drum is made loose on
its shaft and is connected therewith by a catch or stop by withdrawing which
the drum may be turned on the shaft so as to cause a greater amount of
bauling chain to be unwound from the small diameter before it passes on to
the large diameter, according as an increased amount of brake chain has to be
wound up on the drum shaft for bringing the brake blocks against the wheels.
In this case also the winch handle shaft or a drum upon it is by preference so
formed as to compensate for the variable power on the winch handle, as before
described, having however regard to the effect of the uniform rotating effort of
a balance weight such as hereafter described. When the brake chain
operates the brakes of more than one carriage it is caused to pass over a
sheave carried by a framed lever one end of which works on a fixed fulcrum,
while the free end is capable of moving to a certain extent between stops; this
lever is governed by one or more springs in such a manner that as the strain
on the chain increases and thus causes the lever to be drawn towards one of
the stops in putting on the secondary leverage a correspondingly increased
strain is put upon the spring or springs resisting such motion of the lever.
By this arrangement not only is a more equal tension maintained on the
chain but also an indication will thereby be given to the brakesman of the
strain that is applied to the brakes. The point of connection of the spring to
the lever is capable of being shifted farther from or nearer to the fulcrum of
the latter, and the number of the springs in operation is variable so as to
render its or their action capable of being regulated. The "take-off weights
"

page_text: of the brake may be balanced in the before-described arrangement by
means of a variable weight carried by a chain attached to the winch handle
shaft and so arranged as to unwind from the same as the brakes are put on ;
or in place of the weight spring power may be used, the variation in the
strain of the springs being, if necessary, compensated for by winding the chain
on a fusee on the winch handle shaft. This shaft is also provided with a
ratchet wheel in gear with which is a pawl so formed as to fall out of gear
when not pressed against by the ratchet teeth, and put in gear either by hand
or by a pedal for the pupose of counteracting the tendency of the balance
weight to put on the brakes. I sometimes prefer the winch handle shaft to
reach, say, half across the carriage and to have a winch handlo at each end, so
that the brakesman may be able to keep a good look-out while applying the
brakes. The before-described arrangement may also be constructed with
toothed gearing in place of the drum for obtaining the dual power leverage,
namely, by having two spur wheels of different diameters on the shaft carrying
the brake chain an a spur wheel and a pinion upon the winch handle shaft,
these being so arranged as to shift upon or with the shaft; that for putting on
the primary leverage the spur wheel is put in gear with the smaller wheel on
the brake chain shaft, while for putting on the secondary leverage the pinion
is put in gear with the larger wheel, in a similar manner to that employed in
ordinary double purchase crabs; or in place of shifting the winch handle
shaft or the wheel and pinion upon it these may be made to run loose upon
the shaft and be alternately connected thereto by any suitable known clutch
apparatus when it is required to change the power. It is preferred to effect
the shifting of the gear or of the clutch apparatus by means of a double-acting
pedal actuating the shifting lever. In the arrangements where the clutch
apparatus is employed the pinion and smaller wheel are by preference made
non-circular and the larger wheels with lobes in order to compensate for the
varying power on the winch haudle. In other cases 1 effect such compensation
by putting the winch handle upon a third shaft, driving the shaft with shifting
wheels by means of non-circular toothed wheels. This arrangement with
toothed gearing may also be adapted for working continuous rod brakes of two
or more carriages, the shaft that before worked the brake chain being in this
case made to impart the requisite motion to the continuous rod by means of
suitable gear giving increased purchase if necessary, and it is also provided
with change wheels to regulate the purchase according to the number of
carriages acted upon by the continuous rod.
In another modification I obtain the secondary leverage by means of the
spring action links " herein-after described. For this purposo I employ a

page_text: lever (whose handle is a winch handle carried thereby) rocking on a fixed
fulcrum, and working by means of differential pawls in gear with a fixed
ratchet seginent. The long rod which is actuated by such lever is connected to
the spring action links, and I should in most cases prefer to divide the long rod
into two parts connected by a bolt passing through them and through links
suspended from the under framing. I so arrange a cam or an inclined
surface upon the spindle of the winch handle that the giving rotary motion
thereto will bring such cam or inclined surface into contact with the pawls
and will thereby raise them out of gear. In this arrangement the primary
leverage is continuously pulled upon until the vertical play of the carriage
upon its springs causes the spring action links to move the one end of the
long rod sufficiently near to the fulcrum of the slotted lever or bell crank,
upon which it acts to give the spring action links the requisite range for
putting on an effective secondary leverage, while the pawl in gear with the
ratchet segment affords the necessary point of counter resistance. The
primary leverage upon the long rod might be obtained by means of a bell
crank worked by a screw spindle, as in the ordinary arrangements for actuating
the brakes, the pitch of the screw being by preference so slow that the action of
the secondary leverage would be incapable of rotating the spindle; or the
primary leverage might be obtained by any other suitable known means now
employed for actuating brakes.
Another mode of carrying my dual power leverage system into effect
consists in applying two powers of a different nature and intensity con-
secutively on one and the same lever or its equivalent, the lesser power being
first applied for putting on the primary leverage and the greater power for
putting on the secondary leverage. For this purpose I employ, for instance,
a band lever working on a fixed fulcrum for the primary leverage, and I
connect the ratchet segment over which the pawl of this lever works to the
piston rod of a steam eylinder so arranged that when the lever is drawn over
so as to put on the primary leverage the steam is let into the cylinder so as
to force forward the piston and with it the toothed segment, thus moving the
lever still further for putting on the secondary leverage. The handle of the
hand lever by preference consists of a winch handle arranged so as to be
capable of raising the pawl out of gear, as herein-before described, and also so
arranged that its partial rotation can control the admission of steam into the
cylinder without actuating the pawl. Or in place of pulling the lever over by
hand for the primary leverage this may be effected by means of a screw
spindle in a line with and carried by the piston rod and worked by a winch
handle. The steam cylinder is by preference made double acting for moving

page_text: back the segment, and thus taking off the secondary leverage, or it may be
taken off by springs. Or the fulcrum of the lever, in place of being fixed, is
carried either by the piston rod itself or by a second lever, or by any other
contrivance which in being acted upon by the piston rod of the steam cylinder
will cause the fulcrum of the lever to be moved after the primary leverage is
put on in order to put on the secondary leverage. In place of steam power
bydraulic power may be employed, produced either by working a pump as it
is needed or by preference stored up in an "accumulator" similar to those
now used for hydraulic cranes and fixed in the brake van, and which may be
charged from time to time by the brakesman when he is at leisure, or by
steam power from the engine, or by the motion of the wheels of the carriage.
To take off the pressure in the acting cylinder this is provided with a suitable
escape valve or cock, and to regulate such pressure the supply pipe is provided
with a throttle valve.
Another mode of actuating the brakes by steam power consists in so
actuating the valve or cock for admitting steam into the cylinder partly by
the piston itself and partly by mechanism actuated independently of the piston
that the piston rod (when relatively in advance of the mechanism whereby the
valve or cock is opened) automatically cuts off or reduces its supply of steam,
thus permitting a full head of steam to be suddenly turned on at starting and
at any portion of the stroke without the possibility of the piston materially
racing in advance of the controlling apparatus, and also facilitating the speedy
admission of inore steam when and to the extent rendered requisite by any
variation in the resistance. For this purpose when the brakes are operated by
a lever, and a slide valve is employed, I place parallel to the piston rod a screw
spindle worked by a hand wheel. One end of a lever formed with forked or
slotted ends is carried by the piston rods and the other end by the screw
spindle; and I connect the rod which actuates the slide valve (having a good
rear lop over the port) to this lever at a point between the piston rod and the
screw spindle. The speed with which the hand wheel is rotated will regulate
the position of the valve, and thereby control the speed of the piston until the
progress of the piston is stopped by a resistance greater than the force exerted
by a full admission of steam behind it. When the brakes are operated by a
chain wound upon a drum or by a continuous rod I prefer employing a
double-acting steam cylinder, and I prefer controlling or regulating the speed
of such double-acting steam cylinder by connecting the controlling lever to a
throttle valvo. In such cases I actuate one end of the controlling lever by a
reciprocating mechanism driven by the piston rod and the other end by a
reciprocating mechanism driven by a wheel or pair of wheels rotated by its or

page_text: their frictional contact against the rails, or by a frictional coupling carried
by the axle of one of the bearing wheels of the locomotive, or by a vane
rotated by friction against the air or by manual power. When the
controlling mechanism is not actuated by manual power I prefer applying
thereto a brake or other suitable known means for the purpose of reducing
the velocity of the controlling mechanism when requisite. When the
controlling mechanism is driven by frictional contact against the rails I
combine therewith means for also driving it by manual power, so that the
steam cylinder may be used to take off the brakes independently of the
motion of the train, and I prefer thus obtaining an auxiliary hand power
driven by forming the controlling reciprocating rod in two parts connected
together by a rocking lever whose fulerum is situated between them and is
moveable in the direction of the motion of the reciprocating rods by means
of a hand lever connected thereto if requisite by a link. It will be requisite,
both where the controlling mechanism has a rectilinear reciprocating motion
and where it has à circular reciprocating motion, that the relative position of
such mechanism either to the piston rod or to the mechanism actuated by the
same should not vary beyond certain limits; this I effect by fixing upon each
mechanism a stop which when the extreme relative position has been attained
come in contact with cach other and prevent the relative position of the parts
changing beyond such points.
The before-described system of controlling the action of a steam cylinder
may also be applied to steam engines generally.
Those arrangements of my dual leverage system which have a single
lever or which actuate the long rod through a bell crank may be adapted for
working continuous brakes requiring moderate power or requiring any amount
of power if the before-described system of applying two powers of a different
nature and intensity for applying the brakes is employed. I adapt such
levers for working continuous rod brakes by forming or fixing a toothed
quadrant on the lever or bell crank in gear with a pinion sliding on a feather
on the continuous rod; this pinion is shifted into and out of gear and is
maintained in gear by means of a shifting lever worked by the brakesman for
the purpose of altering its position relative to the toothed quadrant when
required. In this arrangement a changeable purchase can be obtained by
forming two or more toothed segments on the lever at different distances from
its fulcrum, and by placing the same number of shifting pinions upon the
continuous rod, forming an arrangement analogous to change wheels.
In another arrangement I carry the hand lever loose upon the continuous
rod, but capable of being put and maintained in gear therewith by means of a

page_text: clutch box or by any other similar known contrivance, whereby I am enabled
to alter the relative position of the lever and the continuous rod when required.
I adapt such levers for working continuous chain brakes in those cases where
the lever or bell crank could not conveniently be arranged so as to advan-
tageously haul in sufficient length of chain by so connecting the continuous
brake chain and a chain attached to the lever or bell crank to one and the
same drum having two different diameters that the lever or bell crank in
hauling its chain off' the small part of the drum will wind up the continuous
brake chain upon the large part of the drum with the desired increase of
speed. I prefer to balance the effect exerted upon the primary leverage by
the weights holding the brake blocks away from the wheels, in which case I
arrange a catch or stop to suspend such balance action. When these dual
leverages operate a continuous chain brake and the primary leverage is a lever
working in gear with a ratchet segment I prefer such segment to have a
limited play in the direction of its length, governed by an adjustable spring or
springs for the purpose of maintaining a more equal tension upon the chain
and to indicate the strain that is being applied in a similar manner to that
before described. With those forms of my dual leverage system in which a
winch handle serves also as a lever handle such before-mentioned catch could
be a pawl carried by the primary leverage and put in gear with a ratchet
segment after the pawl for holding on the primary leverage is put out of gear.
Although I have described my improved system of dual power leverage as
applied to railway brakes yet it may also be applied with advantage to brakes
for road carriages and other friction brakes.
Another part of my Invention bas reference to improved methods of
arranging and apparatus for actuating the brake blocks of a single railway
carriage whereby, firstly, a nearly uniform application of the brake pressure to
each pair of wheels (or, when desired, as in brakes to locomotive engines, a
nearly uniform definite unequal application of such force) and consequently a
more equal retardation of their rotation is effected; and whereby, secondly, the
power required for putting on the brakes is less than that required in the
ordinary arrangements. For this purpose, according to one system that I
employ, I so act upon the brake blocks by means of a mechanical power
or through a distributor of mechanical power (i.e., a contrivance for dividing
the power applied to two or more pairs of wheels or rocking brake shafts or
transverse bars) arranged so as to be capable of having its position shifted in
the direction of the length of the carriage that the brake power will be distri-
buted thereby in nearly equal proportions to each pair of wheels, or if requisite

page_text: in definite unequal proportions independently of any unequal wearing of the
brake blocks.
Various means and arrangements may be employed for carrying this system
of action into practice. Thus, in one modification, I so arrange the bearings of
the rocking brake shafts that instead of their being fixed in the ordinary manner
they are capable of shifting their position in the direction of the length of the
carriage in order to cause the point of the resistance through which the brake
pressure is applied to one pair of wheels to be transferred from such bearings
of the rocking brake shaft to the points of contact between the opposite pair
of wheels and their brake blocks. The shifting bearings of the rocking brake
shafts are by preference held in a sufficiently stiff manner to ensure their
maintaining the position imparted to them by the putting on of the brake
power while such brake power is taken off. The manner of supporting the
rocking brake shaft for this purpose and of applying the requisite force
thereto may be variously modified. Thus the bearings of the rocking brake
shaft may either be carried by links suspended from the carriage frame or
from the "sides" carrying the slide boxes of the brake blocks in slide box
brakes, which links are made to work stiffly on their point of suspension; or
the bearings may be carried in slots formed either in the sides of the slide box
brakes or in the "rocking brake shaft holders" of other brakes, the bearing
made to work stiffly in such slots; or again, in slide box brakes the
requisite play may be obtained by forming the "sides" with forked or slotted
ends working stiffly over the axle boxes. This arrangement of shifting "sides"
may also be used for carrying the brake gear in locomotive engines, in which
case (when the axle boxes are carried by wheels of different diameters) the
parts on which the sides slide must be made to turn on centres on the axle
boxes, and the requisite stiff play be given by a link connected to the "sides"
and to the framing of the locomotive. As the axles of the locomotive bearing
wheels are generally of different height the shifting sides would in this case
be in an inclined position, whereby as the locomotive played vertically upon its
springs a variation in the brake power would be obtained. The sides may be
arranged level however by making the upper part of the axle boxes of the
small bearing wheels upon which the sides work sufficiently higher and the
lower part of the axle boxes of the large driving wheels sufficiently lower for
that purpose.
When the sides are arranged level they need not shift longi-
tudinally, and the requisite stiff longitudinal play may be given to the bearings
of the rocking brake shaft. I prefer obtaining the required stiff shifting
motion of the bearings by means of a contrivance to be hereafter described,

page_text: In
and which I term the "boxed index spring." I prefer in all cases when it is
desired to distribute the power equally to each pair of wheels to arrange the
long lever of the rocking brake shaft in a horizontal position, and when so
arranged and such shaft is carried in sides connected to the axle boxes the
band lever or its equivalent is placed at the end of the carriage, and I actuate
the rocking brake shaft by means of a bell crank, the fulcrum of which is in
slide box brakes carried by arms loose upon and supported by the rocking
brake shaft with the upper ends working against the under framing of the
carriage, the fulcrum of the bell crank being by preference situated at such
upper ends of the arms, or such horizontal long lever may be actuated directly
by that form of my before-described dual levers in which the secondary
leverage is obtained by a vertical screw spindle carried by the primary lever,
such primary lever in this case having a fulcrum either placed above the
rocking brake shaft or it may work loose upon the latter as its fulcrum.
this latter case should the shaft be carried in sides connected to the axle boxes
the vertical play of the carriage upon its springs would cause a variation to
take place in the power with which the brakes were applied. In brakes
where the rocking brake shaft is carried by links or in holders connected to
the carriage the bell crank over the rocking brake shaft is carried by a bracket
fixed to the under frame of the carriage. In cases where the bell crank is
carried by arms as above described I prefer to form a slot in the arm to which
the long rod is connected, and in those cases where the long lever is arranged
vertically upon a rocking brake shaft carried in sides 1 prefer to form a slot
therein and to attach the bolt of the long rod which passes through such slot
to links, which I term the "spring action links," on either side, suspended from
the under framing of the carriage, so that when the brake power is on the
vertical play of the carriage upon the springs will cause the force with which
the brake blocks are applied to the wheels to vary at intervals so as to prevent
more or less the skidding of the wheels.
Another mode of varying the brake power by the vertical play of the carriage
consists in forming the long rod with a hinged joint near to the long lever,
which in this case is vertical, which joint is suspended by liuks from the
carriage framing, so that the variable position of such joint relative to the long
lever will cause the long rod to pull at the latter at varying angles. In some
cases it may be preferred to actuate the rocking brake shaft through a per-
pendicular long lever, as in such an arrangement the blocks to one pair of
wheels would, if applied in the ordinary manuer, be acted upon with a greater
leverage than the other pair of blocks. I compensate for this inequality by
operating the brake blocks on the one side of the carriage by means of thrust

page_text: rods, and on the other side means of tension rods or links working reversing
levers. By this arrangement one brake block of each pair of wheels is
operated with the greater leverage and the other block with the lesser
leverage. Furthermore I prefer to compensate for the difference of the angles
at which the thrust and tension rods of the brake blocks act, which may be
effected by placing the rocking brake shaft in a position to one side of or above
the centre of the line of centres of the bearing wheels. I also form the brake
blocks in the above arrangement with such different superficial acting surfaces
that the blocks applied with the lesser force shall have a proportionately lesser
surface than the blocks applied with the greater force, so as to ensure their
wearing nearly level.
In another modification I obtain the required equal distribution of the
brake power by means of a horizontal screw rod, which I arrange so as to
shift stiffly in a longitudinal direction by having thereon a collar working in a
vertical slot formed in a pair of links or formed in a block shifting stiffly in the
manner before described. This screw rod has reversed screw threads acting
either directly upon transverse bars connecting each pair of brake blocks, or
they apply the brake blocks through the medium of rocking levers fixed upon
transverse shafts and thrust rods. This screw rod is worked either by that
form of the before-described dual power leverage system which rotates a
spindle by chains, or in any other suitable known manner.
In another modification I obtain the required equal distribution of the brako
power by means of a "toggle joint," the bolt of the elbow of which has vertical
play in slotted links or in a slotted block arranged to shift stiflly in the manner
of the slotted links and block last described, while the ends thereof are
connected either directly or indirectly to the brake blocks, the elbow being
actuated either by a screw, cam, bell crank, or other suitable mechanism
worked by the brakesman. Or in place of the toggle joint I employ a
wedge carried by an arm or lever, the inclined surfaces of which act upon bars
or rods connected to the brake blocks, such wedge or the arm or lever
carrying the same being arranged and formed so that it shifts stiffly in the
direction of the length of the carriage by means of arrangements before
described.
The before-described arrangements apply to carriages where the brakes are
applied by means of oue brake block to each wheel for four-wheel carriages;
in cases where they are applied to four pairs of wheels I employ the following
modifications:-I place two rocking brake shafts, one between each two pairs of
wheels, arranged with shifting bearings, as before described, and I act upon each
rocking brake shaft by a separate long rod so connected to one and the same.

page_text: hand lever or its equivalent that the brake power will always be nearly equally
distributed to each rocking brake shaft. For this purpose the two long rods
are connected either directly or indirectly to opposite ends of a cross bar and
which I call a "distributer of power," to the centre of which the brake power
is applied, the cross bar being carried either directly by the hand lever or its
equivalent or by suspending links; and by preference the point at which the
brake power is applied to the cross bar is, for pulling rods, situated not in a
line with the points of attachment of the long rods but at some point in
advance thereof, while should thrust rods be used the relative position of these
points would bo reversed. The centre joint of the cross bar is made to work
stiffly upon the lever, or the links connecting such lever to such cross bar
works stiffly upon the cross bar in order to maintain the position relative to
the latter imparted to it by the putting on of the brake power until the brake
is again applied. Where the long rods are connected to the cross bar by
means of forked ends I obtain the required stiffness without pinching together
the fork by carrying one limb of the fork upon the head of the bolt, so that
the other limb of the fork and the cross bar are compressed between such
head and the screw nut or washer. I prefer in this case also to substitute my
before-mentioned boxed index spring for the washer under the screw nut
to obtain the requisite stiffness. In some cases I obtain the requisite stiffness
of the joints by forming the surface of the lever upon which the cross bar
works conical, or by forming a conical projection on the cross bar working
in a conical hole of the link connecting the same to the lever, such joints
being secured by a screw nut to which my "boxed index spring" is
applied.
In place of the arrangements above described for distributing the power to
the two long rods these may be connected to vertical levers fixed upon a
rocking shaft placed in the centre of the carriage and (excepting that it is
quite short when not carried in sides connected to the axle boxes) arranged
with the shifting bearings and worked in the same manner as previously
described with reference to rocking brake shafts. In lieu of using the
distributer the hand lever itself may be carried in stiffly shifting bearings
placed in the centre of the carriage, and the two long rods connected directly
thereto, one above and one below the fulcrum; and I compensate for the
difference of leverage on those rods by acting upon them at different angles.
Where the brake power is applied to three pairs of wheels one rocking brake
shaft with shifting bearings applies the brake blocks to two pairs, as before
described, and a rocking brake shaft with fixed bearings applies the brako
blocks to the third pair, the power being distributed to ench rocking brake

page_text: shaft as just described with reference to the arrangements for four pairs of
wheels.
In another arrangement for three pairs of wheels I apply a rocking brako
shaft with shifting bearings between each two pairs, each rocking brake shaft
working a pair of brake blocks applied to one pair of outside wheels and
another pair of brake blocks applied to the centre wheels. Each rocking shaft
is operated by a vertical long lever fixed thereon which is connected to a thrust
rod actuated by a hand lever on shifting bearings, or by levers on a rocking
shaft arranged as described with reference to the rocking shaft substituted for
the cross bar in the arrangement for four pairs of wheels.
In another arrangement I apply only one rocking brake shaft with shifting bear-
ings and a vertical long lever between two of the pairs of wheels, and I couple
or gear the third pair with the centre pair, and I operate the vertical long lever
of the rocking brake shaft by a rod passing over the axles of the geared wheels.
The before-described system of rocking brake shafts with shifting bearings in
conjunction where necessary with the distributers and having their long levers
placed perpendicular or horizontal, or if cross bar distributers are used having
the middle joint central or non-central, or a combination of such levers and
distributers, may be so arranged as to distribute the brake power in a suitable
different proportion to wheels carrying different loads such as those of locomo-
tives. In some cases also for eight-wheel carriages I apply the brake blocks
to the two inside pairs of wheels only by means of one rocking brake shaft
actuated as for four-wheel carriages, and I gear or couple the two outside
pairs of wheels to the inside pairs. In place of the rocking brake shafts having
shifting bearings each pair of wheels may have an independent rocking brako
shaft with fixed bearings and the force be distributed to such rocking brake
shafts by distributers having shifting bearings constructed and arranged as
before described; or tho force instead of being thus distributed to rocking
brake shafts may be so distributed to transverse rigid bars carrying the two
brake blocks that are applied to the same pair of wheels; and I prefer distri-
buting the force to transverse bars by the cross-bar distributers, which when
distributing to two transverse bars only may be carried by one of them, and
preferably in a vertical position. When so carried and placed in a horizontal
position I arrange and form the transverse bar and the connections to the ends
of the cross bars so that the lines through which the cross bar exerts force
upon the two transverse bars are in one and the same plane or nearly so, and
which may be effected, for instance, by connecting the cross-bar distributer to
a horizontal projection from the transverse bar carrying the same and by
forming the rod going to the other transverse bar with a loop in which tho

page_text: first-mentioned transverse bar has play; or the cross bar may be carried upon
the one transverse bar. In this and other arrangements where such cross-bar
distributers are used if all the joints of the cross bar are loose the brake
blocks are drawn away from the wheels by the action of springs or weights,
and preferably when one block only is applied to a wheel by the direct action
of vulcanized india-rubber springs, one being connected to each brako block
or to each transverse bar and to the carriage; but when two brake blocks are
applied to one wheel I prefer thrusting both assunder by a weighted toggle
joint, as herein-after described in connection with chain brakes. By preference
I form the crank or lever actuating the primary pulling rod of such a length
that the pulling rod will work level.. I distribute the brake force to cach pair
of wheels of a four-wheel carriage by means of a distributer distributing such
force to two rocking brake shafts or to two rigid transverse bars. When it is
required to thus distribute the brake force to each pair of wheels of an eight-
wheel carriage a primary distributer distributes such force to two secondary
distributers, each secondary distributer distributing to two rocking brake shafts
or to two rigid transverse bars.
The last-described arrangement for distributing the force to an eight-wheel
carriage may be adapted to six-wheel carriages by providing a non-frictional ad-
justable point of resistance for the point of resistance which in the eight-wheel
arrangement is afforded by the contact of the brake blocks with the fourth pair
of wheels. Or the force could be more simply distributed in this case by rocking
distributers and rocking brake shafts arranged so that a primary distributer dis-
tributes such force to a secondary distributer and to the rocking brake shaft apply-
ing the brake blocks to the third pair of wheels, while the secondary distributer
distributes it to the rocking brake shafts as. in the eight-wheel arrangement.
When it is desired to apply two brake blocks to each wheel of a four, six, or
eight wheel carriage 1 generally prefer doing so by rocking brake shafts and
rocking distributers. For this purpose I place a rocking brake shaft with
shifting bearings in front of each pair of wheels and one rocking brake shaft
in fixed bearings behind the one end pair of wheels, and I distribute the force
to the rocking brake shafts with shifting bearings by rocking distributer's
arranged and acting in a similar manner to that previously described. The
rocking brake shaft having fixed bearings and placed behind the one end pair
of wheels is worked by the rocking brake shaft with shifting bearings placed
before the other end pair of wheels to which it is connected by a rod jointed
to arms fixed upon these two rocking brake shafts. I also apply two blocks
to a four-wheel carriage by the following arrangement :-In the centre of the
carriage I place a rocking distributer working two rocking.' brake shafts with

page_text: shifting bearings (one placed at each end of the carriage) and constructed to
apply one brake bluck to each wheel through a well-known arrangement, in
which the brake block rods serve both as their tension or thrust rods and as
carriers of such blocks. When it is desired to apply the brake blocks by
transverse bars I place a rocking distributer at one end of the carriage and
distribute the force of its upper and lower levers to the four transverse bars
by two cross-bar distributers. Although in all the previous arrangements I
have described the shifting bearings and the cruss bars distributing the force
as being capable of stiff shifting motion yet such shifting motion might be
a free shifting motion, the brake blocks being kept free from the bearing
wheels when the brakes are off by springs or weights arranged in any suitablo
known manner.
Another part of my Invention (being a further modification of the before-
described system of acting upon the brake blocks through a mechanism
capable of having its position shifted in the direction of the length of the
carriage) consists in applying the brake blocks to the wheels of a single rail-
way carriage by means of a chain arranged in combination with transverse
bars, or with long levers of rocking brake shafts (which by being formed of
different lengths may be made to distribute the power in different proportions)
carried in fixed bearings formed in holders bolted to the under framing or in
sides connected to the the axle boxes, each shaft or bar applying brake blocks
to one pair of wheels only (when uncoupled), one end of such chain being con-
nected to the under framing of the carriage to which the brakes are thus
applied, or to one of the long levers or transverse bars; and I apply tho
necessary tension force at the other end of such chain by manual power, and
preferably by my dual leverage system. The arrangements for this purpose
may be variously unodified, so long as the chain is passed over a sheave or
sheaves carried by such levers or the transverse bars or rods connected thereto,
and is connected to the under framing of the same carriage to which the
brakes are thus applied, or to one of the long levers or transverse bars of the
brake gear of such carriage; or where it is required that the chain shall
operate more than one mechanism for applying the brake blocks to one and
the same carriage the chain is conducted from one such mechanism to the
next by means of guide sheaves fixed to the under framing of the carriage.
An essential feature in this system of actuating the brakes consists in so
arranging the mechanism in connection with the chain that the direction of
the pull of the latter in putting on the brakes coincides as nearly as possible
.with the direction of motion of the levers, bars, or rods upon which it operates.
In this system also, where the brake blocks are connected to transverse bars,

page_text: I prefer suspending the blocks by means of links and connecting the pulling
rod or rods to the transverse bar by a stiff joint, as herein-after described,
such pulling rods being made to carry the sheave operated by the chain.
The brake blocks may in these arrangements be taken off by any suitable
known means; or where the rocking levers or rods connected to the trans-
verse bars are so arranged that the brakes would be taken off by thrusting
such levers or rods asunder I prefer to connect thereto a toggle joint weighted
at its elbow so as to apply the requisite pressure upon them for this purpose,
the toggle being provided with a stop so as to prevent its straightening beyond
a certain angle.
According to another of my systems for the purpose of carrying into effect
this part of my Invention, and which I call my "compensating rod system," I
interpose between each brako block and the force applying the same my
herein-after described "boxed index spring" in combination with brako
block rods furnished with means for sufliciently adjusting their relative length,
by which arrangement I lessen the inequality of the force with which the
several brake blocks are applied to the wheels, and afford means for ascer-
taining and adjusting or regulating the force by which the brakes are applied
to each pair of wheels. I prefer constructing the rods so that they shall be
adjustable in their length by forming them in two pieces connected by a screw
box, and by preference the compression of each boxed index spring should be
so great as to prevent its acting until a force is being exerted upon it equal to,
say, two-thirds of the estimated proper force for the efficient application of the
brake block to the wheel. The arrangement of the brake gear may be
variously modified in applying this system. I will describe the arrangements
most suitable for the application of this spring and adjustment where it is
desired to distribute the force equally to each pair of wheels. For four-wheel
carriages I employ a central rocking brake shaft turning in fixed bearings
and carrying a horizontal long lever, and applying one brake block to each
wheel by a thrust rod. For six-wheel carriages I employ an end rocking
brake shaft turning in fixed bearings and having a vertical long lever, and
arranged to apply one brake block to each wheel by that well-known arrange-
ment in which the rods servo both for actuating and carrying the brake blocks,
each of the brake blocks being by preference fixed to one rod only. Only
one brake block should be connected to the same rod. The upper short
levers apply the brake blocks to two pair of wheels and the lower short levers
to one pair. The eight-wheel arrangement is similar to that just described,
excepting that the long lever is placed horizontal and that the lower short
levers apply the brake blocks to two pairs of wheels.

page_text: Another part of my Invention consists in applying brakes to two or more
pairs of wheels geared together by means of chains, the arrangement of brake
gear being either as before described or of any suitable known construction.
Another part of my Invention consists in coupling together, either by chains
or by rods, wheels having brake blocks applied thereto in such a manner that
the centre of the acting surface of the block is situated at the centre line of
the wheels or in the line of thrust when the blocks are carried in links, or
nearly so, or having the brake gear carried in sides. It will be readily under-
stood that all the before-described systems of mechanism for applying the
brake blocks may with great advantage be actuated by my dual power leverage
system first described.
Another part of my Invention consists in using (both for brakes limited to
a single carriage and continuous brakes) in combination with means before
described or any known means for securing an equal retardation of the wheels,
an apparatus for indicating to the brakesman approximately the speed with
which the wheels to which the brake blocks are applied are revolving. Such
apparatus consists simply of a disc or wheel revolving easily on a spindle
inside the brake van, to which disc or wheel rotary motion is imparted by the
axle of one of the carriage wheels to which the brakes are applied, either by
means of a band or cord or by means of a spindle having pinions in gear with
other pinions upon the axle of the carriage wheel and on the said indicator
disc. Such indicator discs may be made to strike a gong or bell by their
rotation so as to indicate their speed by sound. Such indicator is also usefully
applicable for the purpose of showing the brakesman whether the wheels
driving the friction power gear herein-after described are skidded or not, and
could also be so applied as to indicate to the brakesman any undue speed of
such friction power gear. In continuous brakes I should in some cases drive
the indicator by one of the axles of the carriage next to the brake van, and
which I propose to do through a rod passing from such carriage to the brako
van, one end of the rod being geared to an axle of such carriage and the
other end driving an indicator placed in the brake van.
Another part of my Invention has reference to improved modes of carrying
brake blocks by means of links. It has been proposed to binge such links
by free joints to the brake blocks and to the under framing of the carriage,
and also to hinge the thrust or pulling rods to the brake blocks by means of
free joints. Now one of my improvements consists in connecting such brake
blocks or the transverse bars, where such are used, to the thrust or pulling
rods by stiff joints having horizontal axis, so that when drawn off from the
wheels they shall preserve their relative position to the thrust or pulling rods,

page_text: and where the ordinary flap blocks are used I carry the fulcra of those blocks
that are worked by the lower short thrusting levers, or by the upper short
pulling levers, or less advantageously vice versa, below the attachment of
their thrust rods in holders fixed to the under framing. Such stiff joints
may be constructed as before described with reference to another part of my
Invention, or by merely interposing an india-rubber washer (so arranged as
to be incapable of rotating upon the bolt) under the screw nut of the con-
nection bolt. For preventing the washers from turning on the bolt I form a
slot in the bolt through which I pass a key projecting somewhat on either
side, and I form the central holes of the washers with corresponding notches
into which the projecting end of the key fit. With forked joints one link
rides on the head of the bolt. When transverse bars are thus carried in links
they are placed in a line with the line of centres of the bearing wheels, and
their pulling or thrust rods are looped if necessary to pass such axles.
Another improvement consists in arranging the links carrying the brake
blocks upon fulcra carried by sides connected to the axle boxes instead of
suspending them from the carriage framing, which arrangement night
with advantage be employed in place of the slide boxes in slide brakes.
When the links are suspended from the sides the thrust or pulling rods may
be connected rigidly to the brake blocks in place of by stiff joints, as before.
mentioned. Where the brako blocks are suspended by links the arrangement
should be such that when the bluck is half worn out and in contact with the
wheel the line of the force in applying the brakes should pass through the
centre of the axle, and also bisect the acting surface of the block, and the
links carrying the blocks should then be perpendicular,
Another improvement consists in constructing the bolt connecting the rocking
levers and cross bars to the thrust or tension rods with the middle portion.
flattened and passing into a correspondingly flattened hole in the rocking lever
or cross bar, which hole may be enlarged in the centre to allow of the passage
of the cylindrical shank, the direction of such flattened hole being at right
angles to the length of the lever or cross bar. The ends of the bolt are by
preference so formed that the one limb of the fork of the rod rides upon the
cylindrical head of the bolt, while the other rides upon a cylindrical shank of
a diameter somewhat larger than the small dimensions of the flattened part.
Another part of my Invention has reference to improved methods of so
arranging and apparatus for so actuating the brake blocks of several carriages
by a continuous chain that the carriages will not be driven back when the
tension upon such continuous chain is taken off. For this purpose in those
arrangements wherein a tension force exerted upon a continuous chain by its

page_text: being wound upon a drum or shaft driven by frictional contact against the
running wheels or their axles, or exerted otherwise by frictional power gear,
or exerted by steam power, manual power, or by any other known power,
does not act upon the break gear through a lever, for instance, when it
consists of brake blocks connected by a transverse bar carrying the chain
sheave or jointed to a rod carrying the sheave, I lessen the amount of strain
necessarily exerted upon the continuous chain for efficiently applying the
brakes by mounting power, increasing pulley blocks in the place and stead of
sheaves. And in those arrangements wherein a tension force exerted upon a
continuous chain by its being wound upon a drum or shaft driven by frictional
contact against the running wheels or their axles, or exerted otherwise by fric-
tional power gear, or exerted by steam power, or by any other known power than
manual power, does or does not act upon the brake gear through a lever I lessen
the effect of the necessary strain by carrying the continuous chain from one
carriage to the next over any suitable known adjusting arrangement, but by pre-
ference over radial links constructed and arranged as follows:-The end of the
under framing of the carriage carries a bracket capable of swivelling upon a
vertical pin; this bracket carries two links upon a horizontal pin (working if
necessary in slotted holes), the free ends of which links have eyes for conucc-
tion by means of a linch pin to corresponding links carried in the same manner
by another carriage. Each pair of links carries two sheaves, one on the bolt
forming the point of attachment of the links to the bracket and the other on a
bolt near the other end, such four sheaves being all arranged so as to be in a line;
while the links are so formed that the one link of each pair fits between the other
pair so as to admit of any pair of links on one carriage fitting correctly together
with either pair of links of another carriage. The continuous chain passes from
the one carriage to the other over and under the sheaves carried by the links;
the elbow formed by the links is generally downwards but with long couplings.
I prefer it to be upwards when placed in the centre of the carriage, in which
case the draw bar is formed with a loop through which the continuous chain
passes, and the swivel bracket is placed upon the under framing. I would
here remark that I propose to pass the continuous chain over links con-
structed as just described when operated by my dual leverage system,
irrespective of the particular arrangement of brake gear, and also that when
I arrange the continuous chain along the centre of the carriage, and do not
carry it from carriage to carriage by means of an adjusting arrangement
baving vertical radiating links, 1 form the weighted rod of the screw spindle
of the ordinary railway carriage coupling with a long vertical loop through
which such chain is passed. I generally, however, prefer (especially when

page_text: adjusting links are not used) to arrange two chains equidistant from the centre
line, each to be as near to the centre line as possible without interfering with
the screw coupling; and they either work the rocking brake shafts or other
brake gear by passing over separate grooves on the same sheaves or over
independent sheaves carried on an axis common to both. Furthermore I
prevent the rebound by so arranging or combining with the continuous chain
brake means whereby the brake blocks applied to one or more pair of the
rear wheels are not taken off with the brake blocks applied to the other wheels
unless desired, so that they may be kept on without interfering with the
release of the other brakes until the locomotive has again proceeded sufli-
ciently far upon its journey to take off such pressure upon the buffer springs.
This may be done by using a supplementary arrangement of brake gear to
apply the brakes to such rear pair or pairs of wheels, or a separate chain
operating the same brake gear; but I prefer so arranging the continuous
chain brake that the brake blocks applied by that chain to such pair or pairs
of wheels are held on when desired (after the other brakes are released in the
customary manner) and are automatically taken off by the starting of the
train. For this purpose I prefer applying the brake blocks to such rear pair or
pairs of wheels by rocking brake shafts (with shifting bearings when applying
brakes to two pair of wheels) carrying a ratchet segment working in connec-
tion with a pawl carried by the draw bar, or by a bar or lever connected to
the buffer rod or rods, and so arranged that when the spring of the draw bar
is drawn home or the compression of the buffer springs is taken off, as the
case may be, the pawl will be disengaged; and by preference such pawl is
capable of being lifted (by means actuated by a rod worked by the guard) to
0 position in which it cannot gear with such segment. The long lever and the
ratchet segment are fixed upon a cylinder or sleeve common to both and loose
upon the rocking brake shaft, and so arranged as to actuate the latter through
spring; or the long lever and ratchet segment may be fixed directly to the
rocking brake shaft, in which case I interpose between each short lever and
its brake block a buffer spring, so that the pawl, although only holding at
intervals, will maintain a continuous and sufficient pressure for holding on the
brakes.
Another part of my Invention consists in providing carriages and trucks
not having brake gear with one or two lengths of chain arranged lengthwise
of the carriage or truck, which when connected to the chain or chains working
the brakes of those carriages which have brakes will form therewith one or
two continuous chains, whereby the brake gear of carriages at each end of
such carriage or truck can be operated.

page_text: "
Another part of my Invention consists in working by a continuous chain
(operated otherwise than by manual power) a combination of different sets of
mechanism for applying brake blocks to the wheels of two or more carriages,
such combined mechanism consisting partly of brake gear carried by " sides
connected to the axle boxes and partly of brake gear carried by the under
framing, when the centres of the acting surface of the brake blocks are in a
line, or nearly so, with the line of the axles of the bearing wheels, or when
the upper ends of such acting surfaces are in a line, or nearly so, with such
centre line, or when the brake blocks are otherwise so arranged that when
applied they are capable of pulling down the carriage upon its bearing
springs.
Another part of my Invention has reference to certain improved arrange-
ments whereby tension force exerted upon a continuous rod or chain will be
so distributed that the brake blocks of a train of carriages will be applied to
each pair of wheels with an average force in proportion, or nearly so, to the
weight then resting upon them, and that irrespective of any unequal wearing
of the brake blocks. For this purpose 1 place under each carriage one of the
previously described arrangements of brake gear having rocking brake shafts
(with shifting bearings if applying brakes to two pair of wheels and stationary
bearings if applying the brakes to one pair of wheels only) and carried by
sides connected to the axle boxes; and 1 employ in combination therewith the
spring action links" before mentioned, and when these are used to adjust for
the varying load I prefer to form the slot of the bell crank in which they work
curved or sloped in such manner that the adjustment will be more in propor-
tion to the effect of weight upon the springs than if they were straight and
vertical. In continuous chain brakes the bolt which in the arrangement for
a single carriage connects the long rod and the spring action links to the bell
crank carries a sheave in the place and stead of such long rod, and the con-
tinuous chain passes first from one end of the carriage over such sheave and
then back in the same direction and over a second sheavo carried by the
framing of the carriage, from which it then passes to the other end of the
carriage; or where there are two rocking brake shafts the chain passes over
the sheave carried by the spring action links connected to the other rocking
.brake shaft in place of over the before-mentioned fixed sheave. The best
distance of the sheave from the fulcrum of the bell crank is that which will
enable the "spring action links" to effect the best adjustment of a definite
force exerted through the continuous chain to the variation of the load upon
the wheels whose brake blocks such bell crank actuates, while the leverage
with which such bell crank actuates the brake blocks is in some definite

page_text: proportion (common to all the brakes of the train) to the weight upon
the wheels braked by such bell crank. This arrangement may be con-
structed to compensate for loss of power by friction at each remove of
the brake gear from the brake van by carrying the upper ends of the
"spring action links" by an arm fixed to and turning with a spindle
carried by the framing of the carriage, such spindle being actuated by a band
lever working over a ratchet segment, so that by turning such spindle and
arm the spring action links are raised or lowered so as to shorten or lengthen
the distance of the sheave carried thereby from the fulcrum of the bell crank.
The rocking brake shafts may of course be carried in links or holders con-
nected to the under framing instead of in "sides" as just described, but then
the spring action links could not be used, and consequently the self-acting
adjustment of the leverage to the load would not be available. In such cases
the chain sheave is carried by the long lever, and in most cases I prefer the
same being arranged horizontally and its leverage length being in some defi
nite proportion (common to all the brakes of the train) to the weight upon
the wheels braked by such rocking brake shaft. When the long lever is
horizontal the continuous chain at each brake gear passes over a fixed sheave,
and going nearly vertically downwards passes under the sheave carried by
the long lever, and then passes in a reversed direction over another fixed
slicave. I weight the ends of the horizontal long lever to ensure the brake
being properly thrown off, and I limit the descent of the same by a cross bar
connected to the "sides" in side brakes, and by a hooked rod or a frame
having holes at different heights, through which a pin is passed suspended
from the under framing in other brakes. The arrangements of brake gear
just described may be operated by a continuous rod in place and stead of a
continuous chain, in which case I connect one end of a chain to a drum
frictionally coupled to the continuous rod, and when working one rocking brake
shaft only attached at the other end to the bolt of the spring action links or to
the long lever of the rocking brake shaft, the chain being passed over guide
sheaves if and where necessary. When the same carriage has more than one
rocking brake shaft I prefer the chain connected to the continuous rod being
arranged as in the before-described system of working the brake blocks of
a single carriage by a chain. The continuous rod may be arranged to actuate
such brake gear by a rod iustead of by a chain, in which case I either connect
the rod to a sleeve working with friction upon a screw nut propelled by the
rotation of the continuous rod, or the thread is formed on a drum frictionally
coupled to the continuous rod (in which case the screw nut is connected to
the rod in the ordinary manner); or preferably I connect the before-mentioned

page_text: rod to the face of a bevil wheel driven by a wheel frictionally coupled to the
continuous rod. When the brake gear is connected to the continuous rod by
rods the "take-off weights" may be dispensed with. In place of these rods
being actuated through frictional couplings I sometimes interpose my "boxed
index spring" in combination with means for adjusting the longth of the rod
or bar through which the force is transmitted thereto, as in the before-described
system of applying the brake blocks by compensating rods. This frictional
coupling and compensating adjustment of the rods actuating the brake gear
forms a very important feature of this part of my Invention, and may no
doubt be advantageously employed in many other arrangements of continuous
brakes. For the frictional coupling any known form of frictional coupling,
such as Weston's before referred to, the conical friction clutch, simple fric-
tional collars, and other similar contrivances may be employed, and 1 prefer
obtaining the requisite frictional pressure by my "boxed index spring." This
consists of a box or cylinder closed at one end, through which passes the con-
tinuous rod in a such a manner that the box is capable of sliding upon the
rod but not of turning upon it. In this box are placed one or more india-
rubber disc springs, covering which is a washer formed so as not to turn in
the box, and upon this washer is made to press a gland fitting freely into the
open eud of the box and carried upon a screw thread formed on the con-
tinuous rod. As this gland is screwed upon the continuous rod so as to cause
it to enter the box to a greater or less extent a greater or less compression of
the springs takes place, and the degree of such compression is indicated by a
scale marked upon the gland so arranged that the pressure upon the frictional
coupling is read off at that division of the scale which appears just outside of
the box. When this "boxed index spring" is employed in connection with
thrust rods the box is fixed on the end of one part of the rod, while the
end of the other part is formed with a head entering the box and pressed
against the before-mentioned springs and washer by a gland screwed into the
open end of the box. The scale is in this case marked on the outside of the
box, and the indication of the pressure is obtained by a finger projecting from
the gland over the side of the box. For tension rods the arrangement is
similar to the above with the exception that the springs and washer are
situated between the head of the rod and the gland instead of behind the
former. When the long rod is connected to a screw nut propelled by the
rotation of a continuous rod I provide under each carriage two continuous
rols equidistant from the centre line and geared together by spur wheels, the
brake gear being only connected to one of these continuous rods. By this
arrangement all those continuous rods of a train which carry the screw nuts

page_text: will be rotated in the same direction whichever ends of the carriages are
coupled together. Most of the previously described arrangements for working
the brake blocks of a single railway carriage could by a little modification be
satisfactorily worked by a continuous chain or a continuous rod. I consider
those arrangements in which the brake blocks could most conveniently be
actuated by a leverage in proportion to the weight of the carriage to be the
most applicable for such purpose. In fitting continuous brakes (especially
continuous chain brakes) to trains that are usually run backwards and for-
wards repeatedly without the number or arrangement of their carriages being
disturbed I prefer arranging two sets of continuous chains or continuous rods,
both sets working the same rocking brake shafts. One set is worked from
one end of the train and the other set from the other end, and I provide an
independant frictional compensation arrangement, as before described, for each
set, and also separate mechanism for actuating the rocking brake shaft. When
it is desired that each brake gear of a train of carriages (always or nearly
always running together) should need adjusting to the wear of the brake
blocks simultaneously I actuate each brake gear through a toggle joint, hinged
at one end to the point at which such continuous chain or continuous rod
would otherwise exert the power upon the brake gear, and binged at their
other ends to a shaft carried by the sides connected to the axle boxes when the
brake gear is carried in such sides, and in other cases hinged to the under
framing, and the continuous chain or continuous rod exerts its power through
the elbow of such toggle joints; and furthermore 1 proportion the extent of
the acting surfaces of the brake blocks of each carriage to its estimated average
loaded weight. In fitting continuous brakes to goods, cattle, and coal trucks
I prefer adjusting the leverage to the load and loss of power from friction by
applying the brake blocks through rocking brake shafts having their long
levers arranged horizontally, and so connected to the continuous chain or
continuous rod that a longitudinal shifting of the point of such connection will
effectually and directly control the leverage at which such continuous chain
or continuous rod acts upon the rocking brake shaft. I effect this longitudinal
shifting by carrying such point in a slot formed in the long lever, such point
being shifted by a longitudinal rod actuating such point and projecting from
the end of the truck. This rod has a loop handle and ratchet teeth working
over a ratchet plate kept in gear therewith by the weight of the rod.
Another part of my Invention relates to improved methods and apparatus
for actuating continuous chain brakes so arranged that friction power wheels
and drums are capable of hauling in a chain from either end, or if desired
from both ends of the brake van. For this purpose I apply any of the

page_text: "
before-described arrangements for working brake blocks, but preferably those
of rocking brake shafts with shifting bearings to the working of friction
power gear by substituting for the brake blocks either friction power wheels
acting upon the circumference of the bearing wheels or friction power drums
acting against the axles of the bearing wheels. When the friction power
is applied to the circumference of the bearing wheels I connect the chain drum
to the shaft of the friction power wheels by means of a friction coupling such
as described in the Specification to certain Letters Patent granted to Thomas
A. Weston, bearing date 29th January 1863, Number 263, and I construct the
adjustable collars upon the shaft, by the pressure of which upon the end of the
frictional coupling the requisite friction is produced in the same, with india-
rubber and metal washers so arranged as to be incapable of rotating upon
the shaft as herein-before described; or I employ my "boxed index spring
arranged as herein-before described in connection with the frictional coupling
carried by the continuous rods, or in place of Weston's frictional coupling an
ordinary conical frictional clutch apparatus may be applied. I so arrange the
chains from the friction power wheels by passing them where necessary over
fixed guide sheaves that the pull upon the chain shall in all cases be in the
same direction as that in which the friction power wheels are caused to press
against the bearing wheels, and in order to enable the brakes of carriages
connected to either end of the brake van to be worked by one and the same
set of friction power wheels I provide a separate length of chain (or where
two continuous chains are employed two such separate lengths) stretching from
one end of the carriage to the other and acting as a reversing chain. This
chain when in use is connected at one end to the friction power chain, and
passing over a reversing sheave fixed at that end of the carriage towards which
the friction power chain passes is at its other end connected to the continuous
chain carried by the carriages whose brakes it actuates.
When friction power
drums are employed I prefer for convenience to arrange the chains so that the
pull upon them will be in the opposite direction to that in which the friction
drums are caused to press against the axles. This latter arrangement, when
constructed to apply friction power drums to the axles of two pairs of bearing
wheels, is a convenient arrangement for operating the brakes of carriages
coupled to either or both ends of the brako van. When the chain of one
drum is not in use such chain is attached to a stout hook fixed to the end of
the carriage.
In another arrangement I have a friction power drum supported in links or
preferably in the lower ends of vertical rocking levers carried by a separate
Lorizontal framing, connected at one end to the under framing of the carriage

page_text: and at the other end supported by the bearing wheel axle to which such drum is
applied. I apply the brake power to such links or to the upper ends of such
rocking levers, and preferably by two pulling rods connected to one of the
before-described distributers. When it is required to work two continuous
chains by the friction of one pair of wheels I provide a separate drum for
cach chain, which drums are frictionally coupled to one and the same axle.
To this arrangement also the before-described reversing chain is applied, or I
pass the drum chain over a travelling sheave near one end of the carriage and
back towards the drum to the framing of the carriage. For operating the
brakes of the carriages connected to one end of the brake van the continuous
chain is connected to the travelling sheave, while for operating the brakes of
carriages at the other end it is connected to the loose end of the drum chain.
The travelling sheave is by preference carried on the before-mentioned separate
horizontal frame. Either the drum chain or the sheave, whichever is not for the
time being connected to the continuous chain, is hooked over a stout hook.
In another arrangement I provide a shaft carried in suitable framing fixed
to the under framing of the carriage. Upon this shaft is placed, firstly, a
drum or pulley preferably fixed upon the shaft, receiving rotary motion from
the axle of one pair of bearing wheels by means of an endless band or a
gearing chain; on each side of this drum is placed, secondly, a chain drum
running loose upon the shaft; and outside of theso chain drums are placed,
thirdly, two blocks, one of which is capable of sliding lengthways upon the
shaft while the other one is fixed, antifriction rollers being interposed between
the surfaces of the blocks and drums. The sliding block is connected by
links to the brake hand lever so that by pulling over such lever the two ebain
drums are pressed by the two blocks against the surfaces of the revolving drum,
and by the frictional contact thus produced are caused to revolve so as to wind
up the brake chain. The requisite frictional contact may be obtained by
forming the drums cither with conical clutch surfaces or in a similar manner
to Weston's frictional coupling before referred to. In some cases two such
apparatus may be worked simultaneously by one and the same bànd lever by
connecting the links of the respective sliding blocks to opposite points on each
side of the fulcrum of the hand lever. I also arrange such apparatus with
only one chain drum, in which case a driving drum might be placed on each
side of the chain drum. For working continuous rods an arrangement similar
to that just described may be employed by substituting for the chain drum a
toothed bevil wheel in gear with a bevil wheel on the continuous roil. Or
in another arrangement I employ the friction drums or wheels before described
for obtaining the motion from the carriage wheels, which motion is transmitted

page_text: either directly by means of a pair of bevil wheels or through the inter-
vention of power increasing gearing to the continuous rod. Or again,
1 arrange a toothed spur wheel in gear with a pinion upon the axle of
the carriage wheel, which toothed wheel imparts motion either directly
or by means of power increasing gear carried in a hinged frame supported
upon the axle to a shaft upon which is a loose pinion capable of being
frictionally coupled to the shaft either by a conical clutch or by the
before-mentioned Weston's frictional coupling, or by other known arrange-
ments. This pinion is in gear with a wheel upon
a second shaft
carrying a bevil pinion in gear with a bevil wheel on the continuous
rod. For imparting motion to the continuous rod in one direction
only from the driving wheels running alternately in contrary directions
the shaft through which the motion is imparted to the continuous rod
carries two bevil pinions loose upon the shaft and in gear with opposite
sides of the bevil wheel on the continuous rod. These pinions are both made
capable of revolving with the shaft by means of toothed sliding clutches or
other known contrivances for effecting the same purpose, the teeth of which
are so formed and kept in gear by means of springs that the shaft drives the
one pinion when revolving in one direction and the other pinion when
revolving in the other direction, from which it will be seen that in whichever
direction the shaft revolves it will always impart motion in one and the same
direction by means of the bevel pinions to the continuous rod. For permitting
the brakes to be taken off or eased off in this arrangement one clutch is first
drawn out of gear, which may be conveniently effected by the lever through
which the frictional contact for applying the brakes is put on or taken off.
Where the shaft driving the continuous rod is arranged parallel to the same
the before-mentioned bevil wheels on the shaft are replaced by spur wheels, one
of which is directly in gear with a spur wheel on the continuous rod while the
other wheel drives a second spur wheel on the continuous rod through an
intermediate wheel. Where the shaft driving the continuous rod is in
a line with the latter I form the end of the driving shaft either cylindrical
or forked, and I cause the end of the continuous rod to rest in a hole
formed in the bottom of the fork or cylinder, and to receive motion
directly from the shaft when this rotates in one direction by means either
of a spring clutch apparatus as before described or simply by a spring
pawl carried by the one part catching against a stud on the other part. The
fork or cylinder carries furthermore an annular wheel imparting motion
through an idle wheel to a spur wheel loose on the continuous rod, but sɔ
connected thereto by a spring clutch, box, or pawl and stud arrangement as

page_text: to cause it to carry the continuous rod with it when made to revolve in the
same direction as that in which the shaft causes the continuous rod to revolve
when actuating it directly. Such motion of the loose wheel will be effected
when the shaft and with it the annular wheel revolve in the contrary direction
to that last mentioned. These arrangements are also applicable in other cases
where the alternate motion in reverse directions of one shaft is required to
impart motion in one direction only to another shaft. Where the continuous
rod is required to put off the brakes in place of "take-off weights" it is rotated
in the required direction for this purpose by means of a bevil pinion worked
by a winch handle and in gear with a bevil wheel upon the continuous rod.
I prefer obtaining the frictional power from one pair of bearing wheels only
(especially if the carriage has but four bearing wheels), in which case I
arrange the continuous rod or chain so as to apply brake blocks to those
wheels which are not employed for actuating such rod or chain. I prefer
actuating friction power gear by my before-described dual leverage system, in
which case the primary loverage is arranged to effect the putting on of the
brakes with moderate force and the secondary leverage to eflect the application
of the brakes with full power.
Another part of my Invention relates to that system of brakes which are
applied by releasing or "tripping" a catch holding a spring arranged so as to
actuate the brake gear when released. Upon a rod which I call the "spring
power rod" I mount a fusce so formed that at one part of its path it rapidly
curves outwards in a voluted direction until it reaches a radius giving, say,
ten times the purchase upon such rod as that given by the radius at the
commencement of such volute. The path is formed as in an ordinary fusce
until it reaches and after it passes such voluted curve. The power which the
spring (preferably a vulcanized india-rubber stretching spring fixed at one end
to some convenient part of the carriage) exerts upon the brake gear when
winding a cord or chain connected to such spring off the large fusee should be
sufficient to apply the brake blocks with the requisite force to efficiently brake
the wheels, and for the purpose of regulating the change of purchase as the
brake blocks wear such rod is either divided and rejoined by a screw box
fixed when adjusted by a key or the fusee is adjustably fixed upon such rod.
This "spring power rod" is either formed with a screw thread or threads or
carries a spur pinion, or carries or acts as a "brake chain" drum working
the brakes in the manner herein-before described or in any other known
suitable manner. In place of the form of the adjusting compensating rods,
herein-before described both in connection with brakes to single carriages and
with continuous brakes, I sometimes form the rod in two or more separate

page_text: parts connected together by a frictional coupling so arranged that by the
shifting of the rods in such coupling the length of the rods may be adjusted
to the wear of the brake blocks by putting on the brakes with considerable
force.
Another part of my Invention has reference to improved arrangements and
apparatus for signalling to the brakesmen to put on the brakes, but which is
also generally applicable for enabling the passengers, brakesmen, and guards
of a train in motion to intercommunicate with each other, the apparatus being
so arranged as to strike one or more gongs or actuate any other known suit-
able signal (placed in some convenient part or parts of the train) by means of
a cord or cords kept in tension by any suitable known means. By one system
I enable the passengers, brakesmen, and guard to strike a gong placed pre-
ferably upon the engine or tender or the brake van next thereto, and which I
should in those cases call the "driver's gong," through one and the same cord.
For this purpose I employ the well-known arrangement of a cord baving one
end connected to a gong placed near the driver and its other end connected-to
a weighted drum carried in a brake van, and the guard (or person riding in
the compartment in which such weighted drum is situated) in all my systems
strikes the gong by exerting a tension upon the cord in the usual manner,
while the passengers and brakesmen in the system now describing strike such
gong by taking hold of the signal cord and pulling at it, or by a pull or handlo
acting upon an arrangement by means of which each end of such cord is
hauled in to nearly the same extent, and that irrespective of any differential
resistance at the two ends. When the passengers and brakesmen strike such
gong by taking hold of such cord I so carry it that a portion thereof is within
the reach of the passengers and brakesmen in each compartment, but covered
in or enclosed by paper or other easily tearable or breakable material for
affording an indication of the place at which a signal was given; and further-
more I have parallel to such signal cord a series of cords resembling it and
limited to one carriage or compartment, and so arranged that pulling thereon
works a carriage indicator and locks certain doors, as herein-after described.
When a hauling apparatus or contrivance is used I place one pull in each
passenger's and brakesmen's compartiment, and I prefer connecting all the
pulls of one carriage to the same bauling arrangement. The hauling arrange-
ment may be variously modified. Thus in one arrangement I cause the cord
connected to the gong to pass between the prongs of a fork or through a
slotted bar passing across the carriage, which fork or bar carries a drum upon
which a cord or chain is wound, the one end thereof being capable of being
pulled by the passengers; by pulling such cord so as to uwind it from the

page_text: drum the fork or bar is caused to revolve, and is thus made to wind. up the
signal cord so as to effect the striking of the gong; on releasing the pulling.
chain the fork or bar is free to return to its original position, which action.
may be assisted by a spring.
In another arrangement I construct a nipping instrument connected to the-
pulling cord, between the jaws of which nipping instrument the signal cord
passes. The nipping jaws are so constructed that when not acted upon by the
pulling cord the signal cord passes free between then, but when actuated by.
the pulling cord they nip the signal cord, which is drawn up over guide.
sheaves, and the pull thus exerted upon the signal cord effects the striking of
the gong. The nipping jaws may for this purpose be formed with projections
at their ends which are caused to overlap, and they are prevented. from
nipping the signal cord when not acted upon by the pulling cord by means of
a fixed stop situated between them, off which they are pulled by the pulling
cord, and in closing preferably by the action of a spring; they then nip the
signal cord with sufficient force to prevent its slipping between the jaws. By
forming the rim of the weighted drum with holes through which a shiftable-
pin or bolt is passed and limiting the rotation of the drum by a fixed stop with
which the pin or bolt would come into contact when the drum had performed.
any definite part of a revolution the passengers could actuate the striker of
the "driver's gong" by their pulls being arranged so as either to rotate a
transverse shaft or to release a catch holding a spring which causes the shaft
to rotate, which shaft so actuates a sheave on each side of the carriage that it
pulls a loop of the signal cord between two fixed sheaves.
In this arrange-
ment the guard after the train had started would so adjust the distance of
such pin from the stop (having regard to the number of carriages along which
such cord passes) as to allow of the requisite lengthening of the cord while
the train was passing round the curves.
By another system I enable the passengers and brakesmen to strike what
I call the "guard's gong" through the cord, whereby the guard in the well-
known arrangement previously referred to at present strikes the "driver's
gong." For this purpose I so form and arrange the weighted drum that its
rotation is capable of actuating the striker of a gong placed in the same brake
van, and I place in each passenger and brakesmen's compartment a pull
actuating any suitable known arrangement which hauls in that end of the
signal cord offering the least resistance; and I prefer connecting all the pulls
or handles of one carriage to a cord limited to such carriage and connected at
one end to such an arrangement and at the other end to the carriage, and
passing lengthwise in a tube with open spaces under the ceiling of the car-

page_text: ringe. In such spaces in the tube are tubular handles jointed to the tube or
supported from the roof by a strip of paper or other easily tearable or break-
able material, so that on pulling down such handle to actuate the gong the
paper or other material is broken or torn and will thus indicato the compart-
ment where the signal cord has been pulled; or the handle is connected to a
friction tube arrangement which on pulling the handle is caused to ignite a
"blue fire," which indicates the compartment where the signal cord has been
pulled. The rotation of the signal cord drum could be arranged to, actuate the
striker of the "guard's gong" by means of studs formed upon the side of such
drum in gear with the arm of the spring striker, and by preference in this
case such arm has a pocket-kuife joint (kept up to its stop by a spring or its
weight), so that it is only in gear with such drum when the signal cord is
being wound off the drum. In this arrangement the signal cord drum will be
rotated and the "guard's gong" consequently struck by the carriages shifting
their position in relation to each other, but in a different manner to that in
which this gong would be struck when actuated by the passengers. The
striker of the "driver's gong" should be sufficiently weighted to prevent its
striking the gong by the passengers pulling the signal cord however much
nearer such pull may be to the "driver's gong" than to the "guard's. gong."
In another system I employ two signal cords, and I enable the passengers
and brakesmen to strike the "guard's gong" by hauling upon either of these
two cords without interfering in any way with one or either of these cords
being used by the gunrd for the purpose of signalling the driver in the usual
manner. I prefer these cords being carried near to each other, one above the
other or side by side, and each may be carried and may be connected to the
"driver's gong" in the usual manner, or the signal cord to which the
passengers' and brakesmen's pulls are connected may be attached to the same
franing as such gong. These cords are wound upon two separate weighted
drums, and the striker of the "guard's gong" is actuated when either drum
is rotated to any definite amount in advance of the other drum, The
passengers' and brakesmen's pulls are arranged as in the last-described system,
and I prefer all of them being connected to one and the same cord, in which
case I form the connections of such cord so as to be unusable with the
other cord. The advantage of connecting these pulls exclusively to one cord
is that the "guard's gong" would not be struck were both cords equally and
simultaneously acted upon.
"
The arrangement whereby one drum being rotated in advance of the other
drum will cause the striker to strike the "guard's gong may be variously
modified. Thus it may consist in forming the two signal cord drums (or by

page_text: forming two sheaves or two pair of sheaves driven by such drums through
the signal cord making several turns round the same) with one or more
recesses and with a like number of antifriction rollers or studs upon the sides
next to each other, so that one being carried loose upon a shaft common to
both and pressed towards the other by a spring, whenever the antifriction
rollers or studs are opposite to the recesses, the loose drum or sheave will be
shifted lengthways upon the shaft until the sides of the drums or sheaves
come into contact, and such shifting motion of the one drum or sheave is
caused to actuate the striker of the "guard's gong." The recesses and rollers
or studs of one drum or sheave are carried in a ring capable of being turned
on such drum or sheave for the purpose of adjusting the amount of differential
rotation at which the drums or sheaves are caused to approach, and when so
adjusted the ring is capable of being fixed by any suitable stop arrangement.
Or the arrangement for effecting the striking by differential rotation may
consist in fixing such drums or sheaves upon separate similar screw spindles
placed opposite and parallel to each other, each being made to propel in
reversed directions a screw nut upon the screw spindles. Each screw nut
carries the forked or slotted end of a lever placed between them. By this
arrangement that point of the lever which is midway between the two screw
spindles will not move when both screw spindles are equally rotated, but
when either screw spindle is stationary or is caused to travel faster than the
other this mid point will be moved in the same direction, and this motion of
the mid point of the lever is caused to actuate the striker of the "guard's
gong." One of these screw spindles is capable of being shifted longitudinally
by means of set screws for the purpose of adjusting the longitudinal position
of the mid point of the lever. In these arrangements the carriage's shifting
their position in relation to each other will not strike the " guard's gong
unless one of the cords were jammed, and moreover since the severance of
either cord would also cause this gong to be struck a signal would always be
given should the apparatus not continue in proper working order. The
"guard's gong
"would be struck in these arrangements should both cords be
severed, if the tension weights were so arranged that when both have run
down the drum carrying one of the cords would be rotated sufficiently in
advance of the other drum.
"
"
In fitting signalling apparatus to trains that are usually run backwards and
forwards repeatedly without the number or arrangements of their carriages
being disturbed I prefer fixing a "driver's gong upon both front and rear
brake vans, and at or near to the ends (and in the focus of a sound reflector
or on a sound board when placed at the end) to which the locomotive would

page_text: To lessen
be coupled, thus avoiding the necessity of connecting and disconnecting .the
signal apparatus and also the risk of breaking the same by onitting to do so.
1 should prefer in all cases to have the striker of these "drivers' gongs" within
the reach of the guard or brakesmen riding in the brake van to which they
are fixed. The striker of these two "drivers' gongs" may be actuated by
means of two independent arrangements of cord and weighted drum constructed
in the ordinary manner or according to my first-described system. Only one
of these "drivers' gongs" nced be actuated by a signal cord if the arrange;
ment described in my second or third systems were adopted, because when a
guard or brakesman is so placed that he is unable to strike the proper "driver's
gong" he could signal to the guard or brakesman who can do so.
the friction of the signal cord against the parts of the carriage or contrivance
connected thereto which hold it in position I either provide the hole or loop
through which the signal cord passes from one carriage to another with a
trumpet-mouthed lining of smooth metal, glass, hard wood, or other suitable
smooth and hard material; or I cause the cord to pass over a grooved sheave
or between two such sheaves for this purpose, which trumpet-mouthed hole or
loop or sheaves are by preference carried by an arm capable of turning on a
pin fixed to the carriage or to a bracket carried by the carriage, so as to allow
the loop or sheaves to adjust their position to a certain extent to any oblique
direction in which the cord might pass from one carriage to the next. In
place of carrying such trumpet-mouthed hole or loop by an arm I make it of
a large size in one or more or all directions, and I sometimes provide it with
one or more antifriction rollers where the signal cord would be likely to press
against it if kept in tension; and I prefer placing the hole, loop, or sheave at
which the cord would form an angle at some distance from the ends of the
carriage and behind the before-mentioned large hole or loop, or the before-
mentioned bolo or loop or sheaves or sheave carried by an arm if any such
is or are used. I prefer (when the signal cord passes along the top of the
carriage) to carry it in a groove or channel open at the top and either covered
with a hinged lid or not. To facilitate the introduction of the signal cord
into the groove of a sheave or sheaves when such is or are used I arrange a
spring guard passing close against the side of the sheave or sheaves; the end
being curved out so as readily to allow of the cord being slipped in between it
and the sheave. In some cases in place of having a long length of signal
cord wound upon the weighted drum I provide each carriage with a separate
length or lengths of signal cord, having hooks or loops at each end for
connection to each other; and I provide at the ends of each carriage a hook
upon which the end of such signal cord is hooked when not in use.
In cases

page_text: where such separate length or lengths of cord is or are not in the centre line
of the carriage I prefer to arrange two sets of the same, each set being placed
equidistant from the centre line.
I propose to employ in combination with the passengers' and brakesmen's
signal pulls any suitable known means for indicating the compartment or the
carriage from which the signal is given, and I prefer the indicators worked by
the brakesmen to be formed or arranged so as to be distinguishable from those
worked by the passengers. I prefer the passengers' signal pulls to also
actuate a bolt or catch so arranged as to be capable of fastening the doors of
the passengers' compartment or carriage at which the signal is given, which
may be effected for instance by connecting the pull by a cord to a spring catch
in the jamb of the door, which catch is released on actuating the pull. This
contrivance for locking the door by the motion of the handle actuating the
signal may obviously be applied to any other known system of signalling where
a handle or pull is actuated for this purpose.