Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Apr., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 29th July, 1896-Accepted, 19th Sept., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Railway and Tramway
Vehicles.
We ARTHUR AUGUSTUS TYLER of 227 Coldharbour Lane, S.W., Tramway
Manager WILLIAM MARCH of 7 Valentia Road, Brixton, S. W., Tramway Fitter,
and HARRY PENN of 40 Harold Road, Upper Norwood London, S.E., Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of the brake apparatus of railway & tramway vehicles.
The object being to provide a simple and efficient brake that will act in such a
manner that the brake blocks will grip the wheels simultaneously with a direct
thrust or pull, also that the brake blocks will wear evenly throughout, also that
the manual or mechanical power adopted to apply the brake shall be as small as
possible.
These improvements we carry into effect by furnishing a knuckle or toggle joint
working horizontally between the wheels on the same, side of the vehicle, having
the brake blocks attached to the outer ends of the knuckle joint.
This knuckle joint is worked by means of a system of levers which in turn are
manipulated by either manual or mechanical means.
According to one arrangement, in the case of an ordinary tramcar having four
wheels, we fit a horizontal knuckle joint between the wheels on each side of the
car. The ordinary motion-bar being fitted with suitable provisions for taking the
ends of two rods through which is conveyed the brake motive power from this
motion-bar to the centres of the knuckle joints, these rods being approximatoly
parallel to the axles of the wheels.
The brake blocks are connected to the outer ends of the knuckle joints, & light
crossbars are fitted to these blocks to keep them the proper distance apart to suit
the gauge of the rails.
The ends of the motion bar are connected to the brake handles on the driver's
platforms in the usual manner. Suitable springs are fitted to keep the brake
blocks clear of the wheels when the brake is not in use.
The brake blocks are slung in the usual manner & the knuckle joints are
supported from the framework of the car.
Suitable means of easy adjustment for the brake blocks are provided.
Dated this 23rd day of April 1896.
ARTHUR A. TYLER!
WILLIAM MARCH.:
HARRY PENN.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Railway and Tramway
Vehtoles.
Wo ARTHUR AUGUSTUS TYLER of 227 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, S.W.
Tramway Manager, WILLIAM MAROH of 7 Valentia Road, Brixton, S.W.
Tramway Fitter, and HARRY PENN of 40 Harold Road, Upper Norwood, S.E.
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manuer the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement :-
Our invention relates to certain improvements in the construction and
arrangement of the brake apparatus of railway & tramway vehicles.
The object being to provide a simple and efficient brake that will act in such a
manner that the brake blocks will grip the wheels simultaneously with a direct
thrust or pull, also that the brake blocks will wear evenly throughout, also that
the power adopted to apply the brake shall be as small as possible.
These improvements we carry into effect by furnishing a knuckle or toggle joint,
working borizontally between the wheels on the same side of the vehicle, having
the brake blocks attached to the outer ends of the knuckle joint. This knuckle
joint is worked by means of a system of levers which in turn are manipulated by
either manual or mechanical means.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood we have annexed to
this specification a sheet of drawings, to the figures and letters of reference on
which we now refer.
Fig. 1 shows the plan of the arrangement of the said apparatus as fitted to an
ordinary tramcar.
Fig. I is an enlarged view showing in plan the details of the knuckle joint,
together with a method of adjustment for the brake blocks.
Referring to Fig. 1
A A A A shows the outline of the body of the tramcar in plan.
BB are the axles & C C C C the wheels.
DDDD are the four brake blocks.
E is the cross motion bar, which is supported by a cradle attached to the body
of the car in the usual manner.
FF are the brake spindles at the drivers platforms.
GG are the connections between the brake spindles F F & the cross motion
bar E.
According to our invention we make the cross motion bar E with provisions
at H H for connecting the cross rods 1. 1. to it by means of pins or bolts. These
cross rods I. 1. having forked ends at J J suitable for a knuckle joint as shown in
Fig. II.
A method of connecting the knuckle joints J J to the brake blocks D D D D is
shown in Fig. II.
According to this method, two rods K K are connected to the forked end J of
the cross rod I by means of a pin or bult L, these rods K K having a screw thread
at one end M M.
The brake blocks D D have provisions for attaching similar rods N N to them
by means of pins or bolts PP, these rods N N also having a screw thread at one
end OO but the threads are cut to the opposite hand to those at M M.
QQ are hollow pieces of metal having a right hand female thread at one end,
and a left hand female thread at the other, these threads are made suitable for the
male threads nt M M & OO on the rods K K & N N.
The action of this part of the apparatus is as follows.
If Qis revolved one way by means of the short lever R, it draws the brake

page_text: block D & the knuckle joint J closer together, or if Q is revolved the opposite
way, the brake block D is forced further away from the knuckle joint J. Thus
an easy form of adjustment for each brake block is provided.
The broke blocks have a projection U cast on each, for attaching to the cross.
rods T T which connect the brake blocks on opposite sides of the car as shown
in Fig. I, for the purpose of keeping these brake blocks the proper distance.
apart.
The rods II, KK, N N, T T can if desired be made from tubes instead.
of hars.
The action of the apparatus is as follows.
When the brake spindle F is turned, the cross motion bar E swings, and the
cross rods 1. I. are put in tension, drawing the knuckle joints J J inwards. The
brake blocks on the opposite sides of the car being prevented from coming closer
together by the rods T. T, are therefore forced to move in a direct line of thrust
on to the wheels, as the knuckle joints J J are only supported from the framework
of the car, & not fixed rigidly, the one block cannot grip the wheel until the other
block ou the same side of the car grips its wheel, so that when once the blocks are
adjusted all four wheels are gripped simultaneously, & in this way the blocks wear
evenly throughout. The extra leverage gained by the use of the knuckle joints.
makes the power necessary to work the brake much less than in the usual case.
Suitable springs S S are provided to keep the blocks clear of the wheels when
the brake spindlo F is released, & the blocks are slung from the body of the car in.
the usual mauner.
Where either mechanical or foot power is used for working the brake, it would.
be applied to the end of the cross motion bar E in a suitable way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-.
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we hereby state we do not
limit ourselves to the precise combinations shown in the figures, for the better
illustration of the description given, but we declaro that what we do claim & desire
to scoure by Letters Patent is :-
1. In brake apparatus for railway and tramway vehicles, fitting a knuckle or
toggle joint working horizontally so that the brake blocks grip the wheels simul--
taneously with a direct thrust substantially as described and illustrated by the
accompanying drawings.
2. The general construction combination and arrangement of the several and
respective parts together constituting our improvements in brake apparatus for
railway and tramway vehicles substantially as described.
Dated this 28th day of July 1896
ARTHUR A. TYLER.
WILLIAM MARCH.
HARRY PENN.