IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS; AND IN MEANS FOR OPERATING THE SAME
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Clark at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th May
1874.
I, JOHN CLARK, of 12, Silchester Road, Parish of Kensington,
County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the
'said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS; AND IN MEANS FOR
OPERATING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
t
The object of my said Invention is, —
-
1st. To fit upon each carriage of a train an arrangement of pulling
rods and struts carried in suspending links, and connected to the levers
of the break blocks in such a manner that by tightening a chain carried
on pulleys along the centre line of the train I bring the blocks to bear
with considerable force upon the wheels of the said carriages, and thereby
stop them when required.
2nd. To fit up in each van an arrangement of levers and pulleys to
enable the guard or driver to work the said break arrangement.
In carrying out my said Invention in practice I. suspend in pendants
or links carried by brackets or pins at or near the centre of each

page_text: pancys a Ha
that by passing the said chain below the centre pulley when the chain
is tightened the said pulley is raised and expands the said pendants or
links. I connect the said pendants or links at their lower or free end
to the levers, which are attached to the break blocks by pulling rods,
so that when the said pendants are expanded the said levers are pulled
with considerable force and bind the blocks upon the wheels of the said
carriage.
The arrangement of blocks and levers may be fitted either to embrace
both sides of the wheel in pairs or on one side only.
I propose to fit the cast bracket which carries the break blocks with a
cushion of vulcanized india-rubber to lessen the vibration of the
application of the blocks to the carriage framing.
of it to a short
The terminal end
I tighten the said chain by attaching one end
transverse shaft carried in slings on the van or tender.
of the said chain after traversing the fitted carriages is secured to the
headstock of the last vehicle of the series by a hook. This arrangement
was fully described and illustrated by me under Letters Patent, dated
18 January 1871, No. 128, and is referred to now to elucidate its
connection with the improvement which follows.
To enable the guard to work the break on the several vans in a train
at one time I fit up in his compartment a small hand winch. I attach
a rope or line to said winch and extend it it throughout the train, either
by carrying it on pulleys on the roof or underneath the framing, and
with coupling books where required. I fit up a hand lever in each van,
connected with the bell-crank lever under the van or tender by a spring
coupling rod. I fit a pulley to said hand lever in such a manner that
the pulley can be moved to different distances from the fulcrum. I pass
the said rope or line through the said pulley, so that when the said
winch is turned the said levers are raised, and apply the breaks over the
entire train simultaneously, or nearly so.
In the Letters Patent referred to above I operated the breaks by a
falling weighted lever under the van. I propose as an extension on
that arrangement, and as being applicable thereto, to enable the guard
or driver to work several vans in the train at one time by passing the
ordinary communicating line (or a line specially fitted up for the

page_text: purpose) under a pulley in such a manner that when the said line is
pulled the catch or trigger is slipped in each van, and the breaks over
the entire train are applied simultaneously, or nearly so.
It also follows if the train or part of it should by accident break
away on an ascending incline the said line is automatically pulled and
the triggers slipped in a similar manner, so that the breaks are self-
acting to avert any disastrous consequences of such an accident.