Improvement in Brake Gear for Railway Waggons and Carriages, and the Method of Suspending and Applying the same through Metal Beams.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Oct., 1893--Accepted, 2nd Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvement in Brake Gear for Railway Waggons and Carriages,
and the Method of Suspending and Applying the same through
Metal Beams.
We, GEORGE EARL CHURCH, C.E., of Dashwood House, London, E.C., and
GEORGE WATSON ETTENGER, M.E., of 18 Bishopsgate Street Within in the
County of London, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-—
This invention relates to that description of brake apparatus wherein the brake
blocks are applied to two or more wheels on opposite sides of the vehicles, the two
opposite brake blocks being connected to the ends of a trussed transverse beam
suspended from the underframe or from the bogie frames or other part of the
vehicle. The present invention has for its object to simplify, strengthen, and at
the same time cheapen the construction of such brake beams and their shoes,
firstly by considerably lessening the number of parts of which they are composed,
secondly by doing away with projecting lugs for attachment of the truss rods, which
are liable to fracture, and which require special castings or forgings that are
difficult to renew and thirdly, by making the brake shoes by preference of stamped
sheet metal instead of steel or other castings; the general construction of the
brake beam is however also applicable to other kinds of brake-shoes.
According to the present invention the transverse beam is preferably constructed
of a metal tube, although it can also be made of any other section of metal that
may be desired, such as an angle, tee, channel or cross section, or it may be a solid
bar of rectangular or other shaped section.
The brake heads or shoes are fitted directly on to the ends of the beam and are
securely held thereon by simply passing round the outer side thereof a loop of the
truss rod that is carried to the king or queen post, and is there tightened up by
means of screw nuts. By this arrangement we dispense with the separate caps
that have heretofore been fitted on to the ends of the brake beam for the reception
of the brake shoes and which have the screw attachments both for the shoes and
for the truss rods.
We will proceed to describe the construction of the said improved brake beam
in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 shews a plan of
the beam, Fig. 2 a front view, Fig. 3 shews a perspective view of the looped truss
rod detached, Fig. 4 shews an end view, Figs. 5 and 6 sections taken respectively on
lines XX Fig. 6 and Y Y Fig. 4, Fig. 7 a section at Z Z Fig. 1, Fig. 8 is a plan view
of a blank of a brake shoe, Figs. 9 and 10 views of the shoe in successive stages
of manufacture, Fig. 11 a plan of a brake beam with a modified form of the truss
rod, Fig. 12 a cross section, Fig. 13 a view of one of the looped truss rods detached,
Fig. 14 shews a part plan and Figs. 15 and 16 are sections respectively on
lines V V and W W Fig. 14 of a construction with queen posts. Figs. 17 to
22 shew a modification in which the brake beam is extended beyond the brake
shoes and carries the hangers on its ends.
The beam A is shewn as constructed of a metal tube; it may however be of a
different section as above described. On the ends of the beam are fitted directly
the brake heads or shoes B B, which may be of any construction having a circular
opening on the inner side through which the end of the beam passes, while within
it is formed a socket, recess, or shoulder, serving as abutment for the end of the
tube. On the outer face of the brake shoe is formed a rounded surface or boss b
having a groove in which is laid a loop of the truss rod C. This rod, in the
arrangement at Figs. 1 to 6, is bent into the form of a double loop, as shewn more

page_text: clearly at Fig. 3, each loop being passed round one of the brake shoes as described,
while the middle part and the two ends are passed through corresponding holes
formed in the distance piece D₁ of the king post D, this being formed of a metal
band bent round the middle of the brake beam and having its two limbs secured
together by rivets with distance pieces as shewn. The distance piece D' is formed
with inclined faces at right angles to the two ends of the truss rod passing through
the holes, and the said ends being formed with screw threads, nuts E are screwed
thereon whereby the two loops are tightened up so as to draw the brake shoes B
tightly on to the ends of the brake beam, and to hold them securely in that
position without any other fastening. The hangers F fit with eyes over the ends
of the brake beam A in the hollow space between the cheeks of the shoes, these
spaces being open at top for the passage of the hanger strap, as shewn.
In the modification shewn at Figs. 11, 12 and 13 the truss rod is made of two
separate parts C₁ C₁, each of which has a forged loop c which embraces the shoe, as
with the first described arrangement, and through which the beam A is passed, the
screwed end of each rod being passed through the distance piece of the king post
and tightened up by a nut E, as before.
By constructing the king post D of a bent sheet metal band as described, instead
of a casting, such as has been employed heretofore, we are enabled readily and
cheaply to replace the same on the spot in the case of injury or fracture, instead of
requiring to wait till duplicate castings have been obtained from the special factory
which may be situated a long distance away.
The brake shoes or heads may, as previously stated, be of any construction that
will permit of the break beam being passed into it, and allow of its being held on
by a looped truss rod; we prefer however to make the shoes out of stamped and
punched sheet metal in place of a casting as heretofore.
For this purpose we first produce a blank of the configuration shewn at G,
Fig. 8, by stamping or otherwise out of a piece of sheet metal; on this blank is
formed either simultaneously or by a subsequent stamping and punching operation,
a hole g on the one lappet corresponding to the inner side cheek, and an embossed
part g' on the other lappet, corresponding to the outer side cheek, after which the
blank is brought by a further stamping or forging in a die, into the shape shewn at
Fig. 10, with the two lappets g g' bent up to form the side cheeks, and the part 92
bent to the requisite curvature for the reception of the separate metal brake
block.
Figs. 14, 15 and 16 shew respectively a part plan and sections on lines V V
and W W of Fig. 14 of a modified construction in which the beam A is provided with
two queen posts H H connected to each other by a distance piece I, formed with holes
for the passage of the ends of the looped truss rods CC, and inclined faces i i
for the nuts E to bear against, and it also has an oblique slot i¹ formed in it for the
passage of the inclined brake lever J, such as is frequently used for actuating the
brake beams. This arrangement with queen posts also admits of the use of the beam
on broad gauge lines without materially increasing the weight of metal used in
making the beam.
Figs. 17 to 22 show our improved method of suspending the brake beam directly
to the bogie frame or to the sole bars or other parts of the waggon underframe, so
as to do away with the necessity of framing in special carriers for the hangers in
case it is desired to attach the brake hangers to the under frame.
For this purpose the brake beam is extended beyond the brake shoes or heads
and has the hangers fitted on to such extended ends, whereby they can be brought
directly in line with the bogie frame or under frame of the waggon so as to be
connected directly thereto. Figs. 17, 18, 19 and 20 shew this construction as
applied to a bogie frame.
Fig. 17 is a part plan of the brake beam, Fig. 18 is an end view shewing the
mode of suspension and Fig. 19 shews a part front view. In this arrangement the
brake shoe or head B which may be of any known construction is made with a hole
right through it so that the end of the brake beam A can pass through and extend

page_text: beyond it, as shewn, in order to have the eye of the hanger F fitted on its end at a
point in line with the outer side of the frame K of the bogie.
An abutment is provided for the brake shoe B by forming on the brake beam A
a collar a against which the shoe bears, and this is secured on the beam by the
same means as in the previous constructions namely by a looped truss rod C which
passes round a circular groove b formed on the back of the brake shoe, the looped
rod C being formed either as at Figs. 1, 2 and 3 or as at Fig. 13. The extension
of the brake beam beyond the shoe has a sleeve O fitted upon it, of such a length
as to serve as abutment for the eye of the hanger F to bear against, this being
secured on the brake beam, either by means of a nut L screwed on to the threaded
end of the beam, or by a washer and split pin as shewn at Fig. 20.
The upper end of the hanger is formed with an eye through which passes the
end of a transverse rod M passing through an eye N on the extension. N' of the
bogie frame K, which in the example shewn, is supposed to be constructed in a
similar manner to that described in the Specification to Application No. 741793.
Fig. 20 shews a modification in which there are two hangers F F secured by a
pin on opposite sides of the eye N of the bogie frame. The loose sleeve on the
beam A is in this case made in two parts O and O¹, so as to hold the two hangers
in position.
Fig. 21 shews a similar arrangement of the hangers, secured on either side of
the wooden sole bar P of the waggon by a bolt Q, and Fig. 22 shews the same
construction with a metal sole bar P.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In brake apparatus for railway carriages and wagons, the combination of a
brake beam, brake shoes fitted on to the ends of such beam, and a looped truss rod
or rods passing round the outer sides of the brake shoes and secured by screw nuts
to a king or queen post on the brake beam, so as to draw the shoes tightly on to
the ends of the beam, substantially as described.
2. In brake apparatus for railway carriages and wagons, the combination of a
brake beam, brake shoes fitting with two side cheeks on to the ends of such beam,
a looped truss rod or rods passing round the outer side cheeks of the brake shoes
and secured by screw nuts to a king or queen post on the brake beam, and hangers
fitted with eyes on to the ends of the brake beam within the space between the side
cheeks of the brake shoes, substantially as described.
3. In brake apparatus for railway carriages and wagons, the combination of a
brake beam, brake shoes adapted to be fitted on to the ends of said beam and
formed of sheet metal stamped or pressed and punched in dies so as to form two
side cheeks on a middle part adapted to constitute the brake block or to receive a
separate brake block, a hole being punched in the one side cheek for the passage of
the beam and a recess formed on the inner side of the other side cheek to form an
abutment for the end of the beam, said shoe being secured on the beam by a looped
truss rod adjustably secured to a king or queen post on the beam, substantially as
described.
4. In brake apparatus for railway carriages and wagons, the combination of a
brake beam, brake shoes adapted to be fitted on to the ends of said beam, a king
post formed of a sheet metal band bent at its middle to form a loop embracing the
brake beam and having its two limbs secured together by distance pieces and rivets
or other fastenings, and a looped truss rod or rods passing round the outer cheeks
of the brake shoes and secured by screw nuts to the king post, substantially as
described.
5. In brake apparatus for railway carriages and wagons, a brake shoe formed
of sheet metal by stamping or pressing and punching in dies, said brake shoe having
one side cheek formed with a hole for a brake beam to pass through, and a second
side cheek recessed ou the inner side to form an abutment socket for the end of the

page_text: brake beam to bear against, the outer surface of such cheek being rounded for
receiving the loop of the truss rod, substantially as described.
6. In a trussed brake beam for railway carriages and wagons, a king or queen
post or strut, consisting of a sheet metal band bent at its middle to form a loop
embracing the brake beam and having its two limbs secured together by distance
pieces and rivets or other fastenings, substantially as described.
7. In a trussed brake beam for railway carriages and wagons, a king or queen
post or strut, consisting of a sheet metal band bent at its middle to form a loop
embracing the brake beam and baving its two limbs secured together by distance
pieces and rivets or other fastenings, said distance pieces having holes formed
transversely through them and inclined surfaces for the reception of the truss rod
and screw nuts, substantially as described.
8. The herein described method of suspending the brake beam directly to the
bogie frame or to the sole bars or other parts of the wagon under frame, by
extending the brake beam beyond the brake shoes and fitting the hangers on such
extended ends.
9. Constructing brake beams with the ends of the beam passing through the
brake shoes or heads and extending beyond them, the hangers being fitted upon such
extended ends of the beam so as to be secured with their upper ends either directly
upon the bogie frame or under frame of the vehicle or in close contiguity thereto
substantially as described.
10. In brake apparatus for railway vehicles, the combination of a brake beam,
brake shoes fitted over the ends of the brake beam and bearing against collars
thereon, fitted on to the ends of the beam projecting beyond the brake shoes, and
looped truss rods securing the shoes against the collars of the beam substantially
as described.
Dated this 31st day of October 1893.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicants.