IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS, WHICH ARE
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Cunningham Boothby, of Kirkcaldy, in the
County of Fife, North Britain, Civil Engineer, for an Invention of
IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS, WHICH ARE
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Cunningham
Boothby at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st September
1880.
ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM BOOTHBY, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North
Britain, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR RAILWAY
TRAINS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN OTHER CASES WHERE BRAKES ARE
USED."
This Invention relates to continuous brakes for railway trains and other purposes,
and is a further development of the Invention for which Letters Patent were
granted to me, the said Alexander Cunningham Boothby, dated the 12th day of
April, A.D. 1879, and numbered 1447.
According to the present improvements in place of applying the electric current
directly to the brake blocks, as described in the Specification filed in pursuance of
my said former Letters Patent, I cause the magnets to operate mechanism for
putting on the brakes. This may be accomplished by suspending on that part of
one axle of each railway carriage, van, or other vehicle, or from the body of the
carriage, a bracket carrying bobbins, to which bobbins the conductors from the
electric generators are connected. The brackets carrying the bobbins are of such a
length that the cores of the bobbins are situated immediately at the inner side of
the tyres of the wheels, or between the tyres and the axle, so that when the electric
current is sent through the conductors the cores are thereby converted into magnets,
which follow the motion of the wheel with which they are in proximity, and by
their movement operate mechanism either by acting upon levers or by pulling on
blocks and tackle, as hereinafter described for applying the brakes. The magnets
may be mounted so that they may move towards and come nearly into contact
with the wheels, or they may be incapable of such movement, they being mounted

page_text: in such close proximity to the wheels as that their magnetic influence will cause
them to be carried round with the wheels and operate the brake mechanism.
The mechanism through which the magnets operate the brake blocks may consist
of a rod, chain, or rope, connected to a collar mounted loosely upon the axle of the
wheels, which collar is so connected with the magnets that it receives a movement
in one or other direction when the magnets follow the motion of the wheels, and
cause the said rod, chain, or rope, to operate a system of eccentrics, levers, or
blocks, and tackle for putting on the brakes by drawing the brake blocks against
the wheels, the brake blocks, when not acting upon the wheels, being held out of
action by springs or weights.
Or the magnets may be mounted upon a moveable rod so connected by links
with another rigid rod that as the magnets follow the motion of the wheels in one
or other direction the said links are caused to turn upon their centres and operate
levers to put on the brakes, the said links being so weighted as to keep the said
moveable rod in proper position when no current is passing through the magnets.
In the event of the parting of the carriages of a train taking place, which would
have (by virtue of the apparatus set forth in my former Specification) the effect of
applying the brakes throughout a train, I apply under my present improvements a
moveable stop-piece or catch, which is pulled out of its position against the levers
on the cross shafts, or against other suitable parts of the mechanism, by the
occurrence of the fracture, so that if the conducting wires are broken, and the
electric circuit thereby destroyed, the said levers or other suitable parts of the
mechanism instantly come in contact with the stop piece or catch, and so prevent
the brakes from coming off the wheels so that each portion of the train is
stopped.
33
Or the brakes may be automatically applied by wires being coiled up at the
ends of the carriages, an automatic wire being carried along the train passing to
trigger working clips or pawls on each carriage. When a "break-away occurs
the automatic wire releases the trigger or pawls on all the carriages and makes
circuit from the electric generators on the engine (as the connecting wire does not
break at once); the brakes then go on and are kept on by the clips or pawls.
When the connecting wire does break at once a tank containing carbon and zinc in
the top end, and bichromate of potash and sulphuric acid or other chemical means
of generating electricity in the bottom, is hung underneath each carriage out of the
main circuit. In the event of a break away occurring and fracturing the connecting
wire the tank tips, allowing the fluid it contains to surround the carbon, zinc, and
other generators of electricity, at the same time makes the circuit for each carriage,
whereby the brakes are caused to remain on until taken off.
A signal on the engine and in the van is held at safety by means of a small
perpetual battery on the engine for the purpose of warning the engine man and
guard. Should anything go wrong between stations with the connections the signal
springs to danger.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Cunningham Boothby in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 21st March 1881.
"
ALEXANDER CUNNINGHAM BOOTHBY, of Kirkcaldy, in the County of Fife, North
Britain, Civil Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR RAILWAY
TRAINS, WHICH ARE ALSO APPLICABLE IN OTHER CASES WHERE BRAKES ARE
USED."
My said Invention relates to continuous brakes for railway trains and for other
purposes, and is a further development of the Invention for which Letters Patent
were granted to me, the said Alexander Cunningham Boothby, dated the 12th day
of April, A.D. 1879, and numbered 1447.
According to the present improvements in place of applying the electric current
directly to the brake blocks, as described in the Specification filed in pursuance of
my said former Letters Patent, I cause the magnets to operate mechanism for
putting on the brakes. This may be accomplished by suspending on that part of
one axle of each railway carriage, van, or other vehicle, or from the body of the
carriage a bracket carrying bobbins, to which bobbins the conductors from the
electric generators are connected. The brackets carrying the bobbins, are of such a
length that the cores of the bobbins are situated immediately at the inner side of
the tyres of the wheels, or between the tyres and the axle, so that when the electric
current is sent through the conductors, the cores are thereby converted into magnets,
which follow the motion of the wheel with which they are in proximity, and by
their movement operate mechanism, either by acting upon levers, or by pulling on
blocks and tackle, as hereinafter described, for applying the brakes. The magnets
may be mounted so that they may move towards and come into contact with
the wheels, or they may be incapable of such movement, they being mounted in
such close proximity to the wheels as that their magnetic influence will cause them
to be carried round with the wheels and operate the brake mechanism.
The mechanism through which the magnets operate the brake blocks may consist
of a rod, chain, or rope, connected to a collar mounted loosely upon the axle of the
wheels, which collar is so connected with the magnets that it receives a movement
in one or other direction, when the magnets follow the motion of the wheels, and
cause the said rod, chain, or rope, to operate a system of eccentrics, levers, or blocks
and tackle, for putting on the brakes by drawing the brake blocks against the
wheels, the brake blocks when not acting upon the wheels being held out of
action by springs or weights.
Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent a method of applying the first part of my Invention.
A bracket a on the underside of the carriage carries a drum or bobbin carrier b,
free to turn therein. This drum carries bobbins c, with soft iron cores and face
plates c, to which bobbins the conductors from the electric generators are connected.
A cord d is connected through the tackle e to a leverf (hung by a bracket, as at g)
which operates the brakes. When a current is sent through the bobbin c, the cores
become magnets and follow the motion of the wheel, and the drum b pulls upon the
cord d to put on the brakes. Figure 2 shews the magnets, and Figure 3 the
operating levers.
j
The arrangement shewn in the diagram Figure 4, may be used. The magnets c
are mounted upon a moveable rod h, so connected by links i with shafts ; that as
the magnets follow the motion of the wheels in one or other direction, the said
links are caused to turn the shafts and operate levers to put on the brakes, the
said links being so weighted as to keep the said moveable rod in proper position
when no current is passing through the magnets.
Figure 5 is a plan diagram, wherein the pull upon the lever f for putting on the
brakes is obtained from a sliding rod k, connected at one end to the said lever, and

page_text: at the other end having a plate *. Opposite this plate are bobbins o with soft iron
cores; a lever is connected to the rod k, and centred at 2 to the under part of the
carriage framing. Bobbins at m with soft iron cores act upon this lever 1, when
the electric current is passed through the bobbins, drawing up the said lever
towards them, and bringing the plate k³ within such proximity to the magnets cas
to allow of them exerting sufficient force for the application of the brakes.
In the event of the parting of the carriages of a train taking place, which would
have (by virtue of the apparatus set forth in my former Specification) the effect of
applying the brakes throughout a train, I apply under my present improvements a
moveable stop-piece or catch, which is pulled out of its position against the levers
on the cross shafts, or against other suitable parts of the mechanism by the
occurrence of the fracture, so that if the conducting wires are broken, and the
electric circuit thereby destroyed, the said levers or other suitable parts of the
mechanism instantly come into contact with the stop piece or catch, and so prevent
the brakes from coming off the wheels, so that each portion of the train is stopped.
Or the brakes may be automatically applied by wires being coiled up at the ends
of the carriages; an automatic wire being carried along the train passing to a
trigger working clips or pawls on each carriage When a "break-away" occurs the
automatic wire releases the trigger or pawls on all the carriages, and makes circuit
from the electric generators on the engine (as the connecting wire does not break
at once); the brakes then go on, and are kept on by the clips or pawls. When the
connecting wire does break at once a tank n in Figure 6, containing carbon and
zinc or their equivalents in the top end, and bichromate of potash and sulphuric
acid or other chemical means of generating electricity in the bottom, is hung upon
a centre p underneath each carriage out of the main circuit, and retained by a
catch q. In the event of a break away occurring and fracturing the connecting
wire, the catch is released, and the tank n tips, allowing the fluid it contains to
surround the carbon, zinc, and other generators of electricity, at the same time
makes the circuit for each carriage by the contact makers 8 coming in contact with
the contact makers t, whereby the brakes are caused to remain on until taken off.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the system, mode, or manner in or under which the same is or may
be used or practically carried into effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I
consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First. Operating brakes by soft iron cores and bobbins connected by a current of
electricity into temporary magnets, which follow the motion of the wheel with
which they are in proximity, and operate intermediate levers or their equivalents
to put on the brakes, essentially as herein before described.
Second. The herein before described means for automatically putting on the
brakes and retaining them on in the event of a fracture of the couplings.
Third. The various mechanical arrangements hereinbefore described with
reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
Fourth. The use, for electrically applying brakes in the event of a "break away"
of the tipping batteries, essentially as described with regard to Figure 6.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Cunningham Boothby, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Seventeenth day of March, Eighteen hundred
and eighty one.