A New or Improved Instantaneous Automatic Brake for Railway Wagons and Method of Operating the same.
Year: 1888

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Instantaneous Automatic Brake for Railway
Wagons and Method of Operating the same.
I, PEDRO ALEJANDRO ATRISTAIN, of Elgoibor, Spain, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to ho per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
My invention relates to a new or improved automatic brake by which certain
advantages are obtained. In carrying my invention into effect I furnish each of the
wagons composing the train with an automatic brake so that the engine driver can in
case of danger or whenever necessary stop all the wagons of the train simultaneously
without having to make use of any special mechanism and without exerting any
special force, the stoppage of the train being accomplished as rapidly as may be
desired. The driver in making use of my invention does not require to manipulato
anything but the brake of his own engine and this as if the train consisted of nothing
but the engine. All that he has to do each time that he desires to stop the train is to
operate the brake on the engine and in doing so he will operate all the brakes on the
different wagons and this without producing any violent shocks. The buffers and
the brake of each carriage are in connection as I shall now proceed to describe.
It will be seen from the plan view (figure No. 1) that the buffers A of each
carriage are so connected with the brake that any pressure exerted upon the buffers
will press the brake blocks upon the wheels of the wagon. Thus if the train be
moving with a certain velocity and it is desired to pull it up the driver has nothing to
do but to operate the brake of his engine. This will be pulled up or will slacken its
speed so that the first wagon will tend to press upon it. By means of the pressuro
transmitted through the buffers to the brake blocks B these will be pressed upon the.
wheels C. This will cause the pressure of the second wagon on the first to be
increased and its brake blocks will be pressed upon the wheels in the same manner as
in the case of the first wagon, and so on throughout the wagons composing the train
whatever their number. In practice this action will however be practically simul-
taneous it being understood of course that the different wagons are sufficiently tightly
coupled up. When it is desired to release the brake it suffices for the driver to
release the brake of his engine which on starting will allow the brakes on the different
wagons to be released simultaneously and without violence.
Figure 2 is an elevation of the brake on a wagon and it will be seen that the rods D
being suitably fixed to the buffers and the ends of the springs E these, each time that
the buffers are pressed, will serve as levers for applying the brake blocks to the
wheels.
Figure No. 3 is an end view of the outer brake blocks and of the levers F attached
thereto. These levers should be of steel and have a certain degree of elasticity so
as to prevent too sudden and violent an application of the brake blocks upon the
tyres.
I desire it to be understood that the essence of my invention lies in the utilization
of the pressure, which each wagon exercises on the preceding one, and which the first
exercises upon the engine, by reason of their momentum, to apply the brake blocks to
the wheels, the action being subordinated to and governed by the speed of the engine
so as to apply and release the brakes automatically and instantaneously.
For the purpose of facilitating shunting each buffer should be provided with a
fixing support for the purpose of grasping and fixing the position of the rod passing
from the buffers to the brake levers so that the buffers may be pressed without the
brakes being thereby operated.
My invention does not include any form of brake for the engine. Any suitable
known form of brake may be employed for this purpose.

page_text: Amongst other advantages offered by my invention are the following. A quickly
moving train may be instantaneously and gently braked and pulled up. The services
of a brakesman are unnecessary as the brake on the engine is sufficient not only for
varying the speed of the train but for bringing it to rest. The action of the whole
train is 'subordinate to and governed by the movements of the engine so that the
whole train can be handled by and be subject to the responsibility of the driver. The
whole construction of the brake being simple and solid and without any complicated
parts there is little chance of its use being neglected in an emergency.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is..
1. The new or improved automatic brake substantially as set forth.
2. The method of operating the brakes of railway wagons by means of the alteration
in the speed of the engine substantially as set forth.
J. G., LORRAIN, M. Inst. M.E., M. Inst. E.E.,
Norfolk House, Norfolk Street, London, W.C., Associated Agent for Applicant.