IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Frederick Shaw, Book-keeper, of Sheffield, in the
County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 4tn July 1862, and dated the 7th January 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Frederick Shaw at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th January 1862.
I, FREDERICK SHAW, Book-keeper, of Sheffield, in the County of York, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS FOR STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as follows:-
My Invention contemplates an arrangement whereby all the carriages or
waggons composing a train may be furnished with independent break power.
To the middle of one or both axles I attach a drum, which revolves with the
wheels when the train is in motion; surrounding this is a band, which can be
tightened on the periphery by means of strong spring levers, acted upon by
the buffer rods. Beneath the body of the carriage, on each side of the drum,
about one-third of the width of the carriage apart I fix longitudinally
strong L or other shaped fulcra, which I connect to a transverse trimmer ;
these fulcra are slotted, & the ends of the spring levers attached to them, the
end of the lever on either side being attached to the fulcrum most remote from
the buffer rod by which it is actuated; in the centre of the carriage, between
the fulcra and the ends of the levers, to which the effects of concussion or the

page_text: retarding influence may be transmitted, the end of the strap which surrounds
the drum is firmly attached to both levers. When the train is in motion the
levers are free and the strap loose upon the drum; but when the speed of the
train is checked, the buffers, driven back by the concussion, press upon the
ends of the levers & tighten the band on the drum, thereby preventing the
axle & wheels from revolving. When the pressure on the buffers is removed
the levers are forced back to their normal position by light repelling springs.
Another arrangement which I contemplate is to fix vertically on each side
of the carriages between the wheels two strong spring levers, the fulcra being
found below the centre of the wheels on unyielding stocks attached to the
carriage framing. The buffer rods act upon the ends of the spring levers and
force brakes suspended from the framing to act upon opposite segments of the
periphery of each wheel; on the withdrawal of pressure from the buffer rods,
repelling springs acting from the centre send the levers back to their original
position.
To prevent the levers acting when it is desired to shunt or back a train,
I propose to attach drop lugs to the fulcra immediately behind the levers and
behind the "lugs" lock bars, which can be drawn to or from the fulcra by
connecting rods, which pass immediately above the levers & draw rods.
Each lock bar moves horizontally on a pivot at the end furthest from the lugs
when close to the fulcra, these bars being behind and at the lowest part of
the drop lugs, lock them and prevent the levers from acting between the fulcra
and tightening the band on the drum.
I move the lock bars by attaching them near the ends next to the lugs to
the central connecting rod; on the connecting rod I form a worm and place. S
a collar with a female screw thereon; the lock bars I connect with this collar
by guide rods of just sufficient length to press them close to the fulcra when
at right angles thereto, but to draw them therefrom when moved to a sufficient
angle.
The end of the connecting rod in the front of each carriage is square, and
at the back of each carriage is formed with a socket to fit and work upon the
square end of the rod in the succeeding carriage; thus, when the carriages or
waggons are attached, the whole of the rods throughout the train are in
connection.
The connecting rod beneath the engine is attached to the reversing move-
ment in such manner that when a train is being backed the reversing lever
turns the connecting rod as many revolutions as may be required to cause the
collars on the connecting rods to move thereon until the guide rods attain a
position at right angles, when the lock bars are pressed behind the drop lugs,

page_text: so as to admit of the train being backed without bringing the levers into.
action. The lever which throws the engine into gear causes the connecting
rods to revolve the reverse way, and by moving the collars and position of the
guide bars again draws back the lock bars, & releases the levers; this com-
bination may be modified to suit the vertical arrangement of springs herein-
before described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Frederick Shaw in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th July 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, FREDERICK
SHAW, Book-keeper, of Sheffield, in the County of York, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Frederick Shaw, Her special licence that the said Frederick
Shaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said Frederick Shaw, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for " A SYSTEM
OF STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said Frederick Shaw, my executors or administrators, by an instrument
in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and
in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same to
be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Frederick Shaw, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say:-
This Invention contemplates an arrangement whereby all the carriages or
waggons composing a train may be furnished with independent break power.
To effect this I propose to apply breaks to all the wheels of a four-wheel

page_text: carriage, and to the four outer wheels of a carriage having six wheels, the
breaks to be so connected with the buffer rods by means of spring levers that
by pressure upon the buffers the breaks are applied to the periphery of the
wheels; thus, when a train is in motion and it is necessary to stop suddenly
the engine driver applies to the engine and tender all the break power he has
under his control, when the impetus acquired by the train forces the carriages
forward upon the engine, which motion presses the buffers in upon the spring
levers, and the levers apply the breaks to the wheels with such force as to stop
them revolving, and the train is brought almost instantly to a stand. When
it is required to bring the train gradually and gently to a stand, as in nearing
a station, the engine driver applies but a moderate degree of pressure upon
the engine breaks, which communicates itself equally by means of the buffers
to all the wheels of the train, and thus the train is brought gradually up
without the wheels being skidded.
And in order to explain this Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the means by which it may be carried into practical effect,
reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of Drawings accompanying this
Specification, and to the numeral figures and letters of reference marked
thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the under framing of a railway
carriage with my improvements adapted thereto; Figure 2, a top plan view of
Figure 1; Figure 3, a section through the line A, B, at Figure 2. a, a, are
two strong spring levers, fixed to each side of the under framing of the carriage
between the wheels thereof; the fulcra of the levers a, a, are upon pins or
bolts at b, b, fixed in rigid plates c, c, securely fixed to the under framing A,
said plates being connected together by horizontal plates d; e, e, are ordinary
buffer rods and buffers; f, f, brake blocks, binged at x to the plate c, and
connected below to the spring levers a, a, as shewn; 9, g, the running wheels
of the carriage; h, h, helical springs for returning the buffers to their normal
position; i, i, pieces of. metal hinged to d, said pieces being employed (in
combination with other parts or pieces hereafter described) to lock the spring
levers a, a, so as to prevent them acting on the buffer blocks f. f, in shunting
or backing a train; j, j, are guide bars or connecting rods attached to the
lock bars i, i. The bars j, j, are connected by their opposite ends to the arms
of a collar k, fixed on a rod l, l, supported in bearing pieces m, m, connected
loosely to the axles r of the wheels g, g, between the collars o, o; each end of
the rod 1, 1, is formed square, and fits in a tube p, in which is formed a long

page_text: square hole to allow for the play of the buffers, and also to turn the rod / partly
round by the means hereafter described. t, t, are ordinary grease boxes.
The above arrangement of mechanism is adapted to the under framing of each
carriage composing a railway train, and the rods 1, 1, are connected together
(when making up a train) by bolts or other suitable fastenings, or the rod 1, 1,
instead of being attached to the axle, may be attached to the frame of the
carriage at about equal distances between the frame and the axle, and work
the lock bars i, i, by means of a pinion fixed upon the rod l, l, and the semi-
circle of a cog wheel placed under the pinion and upon the axle of the levers
which act upon the lock bars. The operations of this improved apparatus are
as follows:-The buffers acting on the break blocks push them into contact
with the peripheries of the wheels and the springs h, h, removing the break
blocks from the wheels when the impetus of the train has been checked render
the breaks of all the carriages self-acting.
In order to prevent the brakes from acting on the wheels when it is
desired either to shunt or back a train, the engine driver by means of a lever
fixed on the rod 1, l, adapted to the engine or tender, turns the rods 1, 1, of the
several carriages partly round, thereby forcing the pieces i, i, behind the
spring levers a, a, and thus preventing them and the brakes being acted upon.
A reverse movement of the aforesaid lever withdraws the pieces i, i, from the
levers a, a.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention for "A System of Stopping Railway Trains," together with the best
means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I would
remark, in conclusion, that I hereby declare my Invention to consist in and
I claim the general combination and arrangement of the mechanism as above
described, and represented by the illustrative Sheet of Drawings accompanying
these Presents.
In witness whereof, I, the said Frederick Shaw, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Second day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two.
FREDERICK SHAW.
L.S.)