Year: 1897

page_text: We, WILLIAM FLETCHER MCCAULEY, Clergyman, residing at Number 2820
Monroe Street, in the City of Toledo, County of Lucas, State of Ohio, United States
of America, and LUCIUS ELISHA JOHNSON, Railway Superintendent, residing at
the City of Roanoke, County of Roanoke, State of Virginia, United States of
America, 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:-
In that class of air-brakes in which the brakes of a train are set automatically
by the escape of compressed air from the reservoir, the bursting of the flexible
hose used between cars to connect the air-pipes causes the sudden application of
brakes with maximum force to the wheels, thus arresting the speed of the train
with a violent shock. Accidents not infrequently result in this way, especially
in freight-trains, where usually the forward cars in the train are provided with
air-brakes, the cars without air-brakes being placed together at the rear of the
train. It is obvious that if the forward cars be suddenly stopped or checked the
rear cars, not being under control, will, with immense weight and momentum,
rush upon the forward part of the train, thereby endangering the personal safety
and lives of persons upon the train and causing great damage to the cars and con-
tents by throwing them violently over and against one another.
Our invention relates to and its object is to provide means for overcoming the
difficulty here pointed out, and, more particularly, to provide a jacket for the
flexible connecting-hose having through its wall an aperture or apertures of limited
area constantly open and connected with the outer air, whereby the sudden escape
of air in volume is prevented in the event of the bursting of the inner hose, and
whereby the air from the burst hose is permitted to escape so slowly, through the
apertures referred to, that the brakes are applied gradually and the train brought
to a stop or reduced speed without injury.
A further object of our invention is to so protect the inner hose as to prevent its
wear, abrasion, and deterioration.
We attain these objects by means of the device and arrangement of parts herein-
after described, and shown and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, made
part hereof, in which—

page_text: Figure 1, is a central, longitudinal, sectional elevation of our device; Fig. 2,
the same, partly in section, showing a modified form thereof; Fig. 3, a transverse,
sectional elevation on line, and Fig. 4, the same on line y-y.
Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
In the drawings, 1 is a section of ordinary air-brake hose, adapted at one end
to be clamped upon the air pipe of an air-brake apparatus, and having secured to
its other end a portion of the coupling 2, by means of which the meeting ends of
two sections of hose are coupled together. Surrounding and enclosing the hose 1,
and concentric therewith, is an outer flexible tube or hose 3, of such diameter as
to leave between the two an annular space 4.
Between
Interposed between the inner and outer bose at suitable distances apart are bands
or rings 5, of suitable material, such, for instance, as india rubber, designed to
keep the inner and outer hose in proper relation to each other. Instead of the
rubber bands or rings 5, and as the equivalent thereof, a spirally wound wire 6.
may be interpose between the inner and outer hose, as shown in Fig. 2.
the inner and outer hose, at each end, is a band or rubber ring 7, either separate or
integral, at the point where the clamp is applied to connect the hose with either
its coupling or its air pipe. The outer hose is provided with one or more small
apertures 9, the area of which will depend somewhat upon the capacity of the air-
pump connected with the apparatus, and the service possibly to be performed.
These apertures may be merely punctures, or slits, or they may be eyelet-holes or
orifices suitably reinforced, as with the material of which the hose is composed, as
may be desired.
Assuming that the sections of hose above described are in place and connected
in the usual manner, and assuming that the train is in motion with the inner hose
under internal pressure, now if the inner hose burst, the air will rush into the
annular space 4, and will now slowly escape through the rent in the inner hose,
thence through the aperture 9 into the outer air, bringing the train to a slow stop.
or checking its speed, thus avoiding shocks and accidents due to a sudden stop.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is :-
1. In an air-brake hose, two concentric, flexible tubes, the wall of the outer of
said tubes having therethrough one or more orifices or air-ducts, of limited area,
substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. In an air-brake hose, two concentric, flexible tubes having an intervening
annular chamber, means within said annular chamber for holding said tubes apart,
and one or more air-ducts of limited area leading from said annular chamber
through the wall of the outer of said tubes, substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
3. An air-brake hose comprising two flexible tubes, one within the other,
separating rings or bands between said two tubes, one or more air-ducts of limited
area leading from said annular chamber to the outer air, and means at either end
of said hose for clamping said two tubes in fixed relation with each other, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose specified.
Dated this 12th day of November 1807
S. S. BROMHEAD,
Agent for Applicants, 171, Queen Victoria Street, London.