Improvements in Brake Mechanism for the Wheels of Railway and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Mechanism for the Wheels of Railway and
similar Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM CLEGG, of Altofts, Normanton, in the County of York, Colliery
Official, and ARTHUR BROOK, of Altofts. Normanton, in the County of York,
Colliery Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention refers more particularly to the brake mechanism of railway
vehicles, such as coal wagons; though it will be evident that it is more or less
suitably applicable to the wheels of other vehicles. It is hereunder described
with reference to railway coal wagons.
The invention consists in the first place in mounting a toothed or ratchet
wheel on the axis or axle of the main or hand lever, so that the lever and wheel
rotate or move together. A pawl hinged to the bracket carrying the said ratchet
wheel and lever axle, drops into the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and holds the
main lever down in the position to which it has been forced by hand; i.e. holds
the brake on. To release the brake, a light rod is attached at the one end by a
pin joint to the pawl, and at the other end to a crank or lever on a light shaft
running across the wagon; this shaft being formed with a handle at each end.
On partially rotating the shaft, which can be effected by means of the said
handles from either side of the wagon, the pawl is withdrawn from the wheel,
and a balance weight raises the main lever and turns back the ratchet wheel
to their original positions, and withdraws the brake block from the wheel.
The pawl, and the hand levers controlling it, are so hinged or weighted, that
the pawl falls, to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel unless purposely
held back; and the pawl when resting on the teeth of the ratchet wheel only
prevents the motion of the lever in the direction to take off the brake,
(i.e. a rise of the lever).
In the second place this invention refers to a new lever arrangement of the
brake mechanism, the object of which is to keep the above mentioned balance
lever and weight within convenient dimensions. This second part of the inven-
tion consists in hinging the main or hand lever not on the same axle as the
short levers to which the brake block thrust rods are attached, but on an
independent axle, the two axles being connected by a lever on each (one of
which is conveniently the short arm of the main or hand lever), and a connecting
link.
The levers just referred to are so proportioned, that the effective leverage of
the main or hand lever on the brake is as great if not greater with our arrange-
ment, than with the ordinary arrangement.

page_text: The apparatus can be conveniently arranged so that not only can the brake
be released from either side, but also that the brake can be put on on either
side. and from one or other end of the wagon as desired.
Dated this 16th day of October 1907
Improvements in Brake Mechanism for the Wheels of Railway and
similar Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM CLEGG, of Altofts, Normanton, in the County of York, Colliery
Official, and ARTHUR BROOK, of Altofts, Normanton, in the County of York,
Colliery Clerk, 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:—
This invention refers more particularly to the brake mechanism of railway
vehicles, such as conl wagons: though it will be evident that it is more or less
suitably applicable to the wheels of other vehicles. It is hereunder described
with reference to railway coal wagons.
The invention consists in the first place in mounting a toothed or ratchet
wheel on the axis or axle of the main or hand lever, so that the lever and wheel
rotate or move together. A pawl hinged to the bracket carrying the said ratchet
wheel and lever axle drops into the teeth of the ratchet wheel, and holds the
main lever down in the position to which it has been forced by hand; .e. holds
the brake on. To release the brake a light rod is attached at the one end by a
pin joint to the pawl, and at the other end to a crank or lever on a light shaft
running across the wagon; this shaft being formed with a handle at each end.
On partially rotating the shaft, which can be effected by means of the said
handle from either side of the wagon, the pawl is withdrawn from the wheel:
and a balance weight raises the main lever and turns back the ratchet wheel
to their original positions, and withdraws the brake block from the wheel.
The pawl, and the hand lever controlling it, are so hinged or weighted, that
the pawl falls to engage with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, unless purposely
held back and the pawl when resting on the teeth of the ratchet wheel only
prevents the motion of the lever in the direction to take off the brake:
(ie. a rise of the lever).
In the second place this invention refers to a new lever arrangement of the
brake mechanism, the object of which is to keep the above mentioned balance
lever and weight within convenient dimensions. This second part of the inven-
tion consists in hinging the main or hand lever, not on the same axle as the
short levers to which the brake block push or thrust rods are attached, but on an
independent axle: the two axles being connected by a lever on each, (one of
which is conveniently the short arm of the main or hand lever), and a connecting
link.
The levers just referred to are so proportioned, that the effective leverage of
the main or hand lever on the brake is as great, if not greater, with our arrange-
ment, than with the ordinary arrangement.
The apparatus can be conveniently arranged. en that not only can the brake
be released from either side, but also so that the brake can be put on on either
side, and from one or other end of the wagon as desired.
And in order that our invention and the manner in which the same is to

page_text: be performed may be more readily and clearly understood, we have annexed
hereto the accompanying drawings, of which:
Fig. 1 is a side elevation to a large scale of the ratchet wheel or rather ratchet
arm and pawl.
Fig. 2 is a plan, and Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations on opposite sides,
of the under frame of a railway wagon, fitted with our improved brake mechanism;
whilst Fig. 5 is a side elevation, and Fig. 6 a plan, shewing an arrangement
for operating our improved brake mechanism from opposite or both ends of a
wagon.
a is the ratchet arm, with ratchet teeth arranged on the curved end of the arm,
concentric with the centre of the axis or axle b of the main or hand lever c.
d is a pawl hinged to the bracket e, to hold the brake on; when put on by
depressing the hand lever c. In order to keep the ratchet teeth of convenient
size and still to have a proper adjustment of the brake, we use two pawls side
by side, one of which is half a tooth longer than the other . To prevent
rapid wear of the ratchet teeth, and to provide for readily replacing them when
worn out; we form the teeth on a separate block of steel f, which is dovetailed into
the end of the short ratchet arm a.
9 is a light rod running across the wagon beneath the frame, and carried
in bearings at each end. This rod can be partially rotated by means of a
lever on it, a connecting link i. and bent lever j the latter being hinged
on the end of the main lever c. The short lever is on the shaft y opposite the
pawls d, and pushes back the latter when the rod is moved in the direction
shewn by the arrow thereby taking off the brake. One of the arms of the bent
lever is conveniently situated for being moved by the hand grasping the end
of the main lever c. Other lever and link arrangements for withdrawing the
pawl may be employed, or as previously mentioned, the shaft or rod g may be
hinged to the frame close to the free end of the main lever, and operated by
handle on one or both ends, (i.e. on opposite sides of the wagon); in which case,
the hinged pawl is attached by a pin joint direct to the end of the connecting
link 2.
a
kis a balance lever, and a balance weight thereon, which raises the main
levers c and rotates the ratchet arm a back to their original positions; thereby
withdrawing the brake blocks from the wheels.
It will be seen that the pawl d and the hand lever jare so hinged, that their
centres of gravity are raised when operated to release the pawl from the ratchet
arm; and when left to themselves they tend to fall, so that the pawl always
engages the teeth of the ratchet, unless purposely held back.
The lever arrangement of the brake mechanism is shown in Fig. 4. n, and n
are the short levers to which the push or thrust rods and 092 of the brake
blocks m, and m₁ are respectively attached, and which are hinged on the cross
shaft s; the hand levere being hinged, not on the shafts as is usually the case,
but on
an independent axle b. A lever on the shaft s is connected to the
short arm r of the hand lever c, or to a short arm r on shaft b of the hand
lever by means of the link p.
In order to be able to operate the brake mechanism from both ends of the
wagon, we duplicate the shaft b, rod g, hand lever c, and rod i, as shewn at b, ga,
and respectively in Fig. 6; and connect the shafts and b, by means of
levers and u. (the one above and the other below the shaft to which it is
attached), and the connecting rod V.. The rods and g₂ are also connected in a
similar manner by the levers r and r, and the connecting link y.
Other means of effecting the same object may be used.
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 brake mechanism for the wheels of railway and similar vehicles the

page_text: combination consisting of a long operating lever c a short lever r connected to
the brake mechanism proper and a ratchet wheel or arm a all secured on
common axis or shaft pawl or pawlsd adapted to automatically engage the
teeth on the ratchet wheel or arm a and means for withdrawing said pawl
from engagement with the ratchet teeth substantially as and operating substan-
tially as and for the purpose or purposes herein set forth.
2. In brake mechanism for the wheels of railway and similar vehicles the
combination consisting of brake shafts push or thrust rods and o levers n, m,
and mounted on the shaft s hand operating lever c mounted on a separate axis
or shaft short arm of said lever or separate lever mounted on the shaft b
and link all substantially as and operating substantially as and for the purpose
or purposes herein set forth.
3. The combination of the subject matters of Claims 1 and 2 substantially as
herein set forth and illustrated.
4. In combination with the subject matter of Claim 1, or Claim 1 with, the
means for withdrawing the pawl or pawls d consisting of hinged rod with
arm to hear against the lower end or ends of the pawl or pawls d levers at
each end of said rod attached respectively to rods i and bent levers also
connected to the rods and hinged at the free ends of the operating levers c
respectively substantially as set forth and illustrated.
5. The modification of Claim 1 in which the means for withdrawing the
pawl consists of a hinged rod extending across the underframe of the wagon
close to the free end of the operating levere and provided on each side of the
wagon with a short hand lever and on the side next the operating lever a with
a short depending lever connected at its lower end by a long link or rod to the
lower end of the hinged pawl substantially as set forth.
0. In combination with the subject matters of Claims 1 and the device for
operating our improved brake from either end of the wagon substantially as
herein set forth and illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
7. Our improved brake mechanism for the wheels of railway and similar
vehicles substantially as and operating substantially as herein set forth and
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
1000
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
30, Park Row, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.
J. CLARK JEFFERSON,
30, Park Row, Leeds, Agent for Applicants.