IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Friedrich Carl Glaser of Berlin in the Kingdom of
Prussia and Empire of Germany, Engineer and Patent Solicitor for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES" A communication to
him by André Bolzano of Markt-Redwitz in the German Empire
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Friedrich Carl Glaser at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October 1883.
"3
FRIEDRICH CARL GLASER of Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of
Germany, Engineer and Patent Solicitor "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
[A communication to him by André Bolzano of Markt-Redwitz in the German
Empire]
This invention has for its object an improved construction of automatic lever
brakes for railway carriages, whereby the ordinary brake levers and rods are
dispensed with, and the brake apparatus is rendered independent of the oscillating
framing of the carriage, the ordinary brake shafts and levers being replaced by an
arrangement of toggle-links and elbow levers, enabling the brakes to be worked by
hand from any desired part of the train by means of a cord or rope.
The construction of the said brake apparatus is shewn on the accompanying
drawing, in which Fig. 1 shews an inside view of the apparatus as applied to one of
the carriage wheels, the brake lever i being partly broken away and indicated in
dotted lines for the sake of clearness; Fig. 2 shews on the left hand side, a plan of
Fig. 1 and on the right hand side a horizontal section. Fig. 3 shews a vertical
section of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a part elevation of the part of the brake frame running
parallel with the axle, and of the coupling bar connecting the brake blocks on
either side of the carriage; Fig. 5 shews a front view of the strap
and tongue c
shewn in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 shews a horizontal section of Fig 5.
As shewn in the drawing, a suitably shaped frame a is suspended from the carriage
springs by straps b, and is also supported by pins s upon the axle boxes. This
frame is either guided directly in the horn plates or it has tongue pieces o which
are guided in sockets d fixed to the carriage framing, and which serve to hold the
frame steady against the tendency of the brake blocks to turn round with the
I Prias JI

page_text: wheels, the brake blocks being supported in guides e on the frame. The part a¹ of
the frame carries the pivots g of the elbow levers k and the pivot h of the brake
lever i, which is loaded at its outer end (not shewn) so as to tend to keep the
brakes always applied. The mechanism for applying the brakes consists of the two
elbow levers k, connected at one end to the brake blocks either directly or by
means of adjustable screw rods m either in tension or thrust, for the adjustment of
the blocks as they wear, the blocks of the opposite wheels being connected by the
coupling bar r. The other ends of the levers k are connected to the toggle links 1 l,
pivotted on the transverse rod q, to the middle of which the brake lever i is
connected so that by the downward motion of the latter the brake blocks are
applied, while, by the upward motion thereof, they are taken off. The lever i can
be actuated by hand by means of a cord either at the middle or at the side of the
carriage, the supports of the cord being if necessary arranged independent of the
oscillating carriage frame.
As the tendency of the weighted lever i is always to apply the brakes, the brake
cord has to be kept strained so as to hold the lever in a raised position for keeping
the brakes off, and is slacked when they are to be applied, so as to allow the lever
to fall. Thus, on the brake cord becoming broken, the brakes will be automatically
applied,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Friedrich Carl Glaser in the Patent Office on the 7th April 1884.
FRIEDRICH CARL GLASER of Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia and Empire of
Germany, Engineer and Patent Solicitor "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES "
A communication to me by André Bolzano of Markt-Redwitz in the German
Empire
This invention has for its object an improved construction of automatic lever
brakes for railway carriages, whereby the ordinary brake levers and rods are
dispensed with, and the brake apparatus is rendered independent of the oscillating
framing of the carriage, the ordinary brake shafts and levers being replaced by an
arrangement of toggle-links and elbow levers, enabling the brakes to be worked by
hand from any desired part of the train by means of a cord or rope.
The construction of the said brake apparatus is shewn on the accompanying
Drawing, in which Fig. 1 shews an inside view of the apparatus as applied to one
of the carriage wheels, the brake lever i being partly broken away and indicated in
dotted lines for the sake of clearness; Fig. 2 shews on the left hand side, a plan of
Fig. 1 and on the right hand side a horizontal section. Fig. 3 shews a vertical
section of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a part elevation of the part of the brake frame running
parallel with the axle, and of the coupling bar connecting the brake blocks on
either side of the carriage; Fig. 5 shews a front view of the strap 6 and tongue c
sbewn in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 shews a horizontal section of Fig. 5.
As shewn in the Drawing, a suitably shaped frame a is suspended from the
carriage springs by straps b, and is also supported by pins & upon the axle boxes.
This frame is either guided directly in the horn plates or it has tongue pieces c
which are guided in sockets d fixed to the carriage framing, and which serve to
hold the frame steady against the tendency of the brake blocks to turn round with
the wheels, the brake blocks being supported in guides e on the frame. The part a¹
of the frame carries the pivots g of the elbow levers k and the pivot h of the brake
lever i which is loaded at its outer end (not shewn) so as. to tend to keep the brakes
always applied. The mechanism for applying the brakes consists of the two elbow
levers k, connected at one end to the brake blocks either directly or by means of
adjustable screw rods meither in tension or thrust, for the adjustment of the blocks
as they wear, the blocks of the opposite wheels being connected by the coupling
The other ends of the levers k are connected to the toggle links pivotted
on the transverse rod q, to the middle of which the brake lever is connected so
that by the downward motion of the latter the brake blocks are applied, while, by
the upward motion thereof, they are taken off. The lever i can be actuated by
hand by means of a cord either at the middle or at the side of the carriage, the
supports of the cord being if necessary arranged independent of the oscillating
carriage frame.
bar T.
As the tendency of the weighted lever i is always to apply the brakes, the brake
cord has to be kept strained so as to hold the lever in a raised position for keeping
the brakes off, and is slacked when they are to be applied, so as to allow the lever
to fall. Thus, on the brake cord becoming broken, the brakes will be automatically
applied.
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Having thus described the nature of this invention and in what manuer the same
is to be performed as communicated to me by my correspondent, I claim
First. The combination of the toggle links with the elbow levers k connected to
the brake blocks, and with a weighted lever i, the parts being so arranged that by
the downward pressure of the lever i this causes the toggle links to apply the
brakes, substantially as herein described.

page_text: Second. The use for supporting the brake mechanism referred to in the preceding
claim, of a framing a, which is carried partly by the straps b passing over the
carriage springs, and partly by pins a bearing upon the axle boxes, and is kept
in its horizontal position either by tongues c fitting in sockets & on the carriage
framing or by guides fitting between the horn plates.
In Witness whereof I the said Friedrich Carl Glaser have hereunto set my hand
and seal this thirty first day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty-four.
FRIEDRICH CARL GLASER (148.)