IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL- WAY BRAKES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn
Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North
Britain, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAIL-
WAY BRAKES." -A communication from Francis A. Stevens, of
Burlington, in the State of Vermont, in the United States of
America.
Sealed the 9th August 1858, and dated the 14th June 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Flenry
Johnson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
his Petition, on the 14th June 1853.
I, JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County
of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BRAKES to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to the so arranging the frictional surfaces of
railway brakes, that such surfaces may be brought into simultaneous
action on all the wheels in a train with a perfect uniformity of pressure
in the entire scrics. In the case of eight-wheeled carriages or trucks,
the cight corresponding friction blocks are actuated by a chain or link

page_text: coming from the original source of brake power, and attached to the
upper end of a vertical lever hung in the framing. The lower end of
this lever is linked to a cross bar passing across the framing and carry-
ing two frictional blocks, one for each wheel, for one side of such wheels.
From this first lever a link passes longitudinally beneath the framing to
a corresponding arrangement on the opposite side of the two wheels,
so that on drawing the actuating chain all four blocks are put down on
opposite sides of the wheels. Then from the upper end of the brake
lever in this latter case another longitudinal link passes to the upper
end of the first of the levers at the next set of four wheels, which are
similarly fitted with brake blocks, so that all the eight wheels can have
their blocks put down by one movement.
In this way, by connecting the end levers in each carriage with each
other by means of chains or links, all the blocks in a train may be
simultaneously brought into operation.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent
Office, on the 14th December 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fourteenth day of June, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said John Henry Johnson, Her specia!
license that I, the said John Henry Johnson, my executors, adminis-
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Henry
Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at any time
agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times there-
after 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 In-

page_text: vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES," being a communi-
cation from Francis A. Stevens, of Burlington, in the State of Ver-
mont, in the United States of America, upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Henry Johnson, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 John Henry Johnson, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the accompanying
Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is
to say:
The said Invention consists in the so arranging and connecting the
wheel brakes of railway carriages and trucks or waggons that all the
brakes on one carriage, or all the brakes on an entire train of carriages,
may be simultaneously brought into action with a uniform or nearly
uniform pressure throughout the series by means of a single operation.
And in order that the Invention may be properly understood I shall
now proceed to describe the Drawing hereunto attached, and repre-
senting the improved brake apparatus as adapted to a four-wheeled
waggon, which is shewn in side elevation; the underside of the framing
being broken away, and the wheel axles being sectioned through their
longitudinal centres, and the wheels on the near side removed, to expose
the brake details. The framing A, of the waggon is of the usual
construction, and is supported in the usual manner on the two pairs
of wheels B, C. Each wheel is provided with two wooden brake-blocks
D, E, F, G, freely suspended from joint studs a, fixed to the carriage
framing A. The corresponding brake-blocks on each side of the waggon
are connected together by cross-bars H, I, J, K, so as to work in concert,
whilst it is by means of these bars that the brake-blocks are pressed
against the peripheries of the wheels. The cross-bar H, which is in
this instance supposed to be fitted to the brake-blocks D, adapted

page_text: to the fronts of the foremost pair of wheels B, has jointed to it at
b, at or near the middle of its length the curved lever L, which
is jointed at c, to the draw rod M. A second curved lever N,
is jointed at d, to the cross-bar I, fixed to the brake-blocks E, behind
the wheel, and the two levers L, and N, are connected together
by the horizontal link O, which is jointed to each lever at a point e,
about one fourth of its entire length distant from the lower ex-
tremity of the lever. The link O, is just above the axle of the
pair of wheels B. The lever N, is jointed at its upper extremity f
to the horizontal rod P, capable of traversing longitudinally through
apertures in the cross-pieces y, of the framing A. The after end h, of
the rod P, is jointed to the upper extremity of a lever Q, corresponding
in shape and position to the lever L, and jointed at its lower extremity
i, to the cross-bar J, of the pair of brake-blocks F, adapted to the
fronts of the after pair of wheels C. The cross-bar K, behind these
wheels is similarly jointed at j, to the lever R, corresponding in shape
and position to the lever N, and connected to the lever Q by the link
S, corresponding to the link O, of the levers L, and N. The upper
extremity k, of the lever R, is jointed to the draw-rod T, corresponding
to the draw-rod M, at the front of the carriage, but set in the reverse
direction. The brake action is derived from any known brake-
actuating apparatus (not shewn in the Drawing), and which is
arranged to draw out the rod M, and by means of that rod the
upper end of the lever L. This lever will partly turn upon the
centre e, and draw in the bar H, by its lower extremity b, whilst it will
likewise partly turn on this last joint b, and by means of the link O,
draw over the lever N, on the other side of the wheel. This lever will
communicate the drawing action to the cross-bar I, and the rod P, in
proportion to their respective distances from the joint e, on the lever
N. The cross-bar I, presses the brake-blocks against the wheels whilst
the rod P, imparts its motion to the lever Q. The levers Q, and R,
and the link S, act in the same manner on the brakes of the hind
wheels C, as the levers L, and N, and the link O, act on those of the
fore wheels B, so that all the wheels are seized between their respec-
tive pairs of brakes D, E, and F, G. The motion of the lever R, in

page_text: addition to bringing up the brake-block G, against the wheel C, will
be imparted to the rod T, and as this rod is intended to be connected
with brake apparatus on the following waggon corresponding to that just
described, the brake action will be communicated to such waggon, and
through it to as many waggons as may be in connection with one
another in the train. As the levers and other details of the brake
apparatus at opposite ends of the waggon are symmetrical, it is imma-
terial in which direction the draw-rods M, or T, are made to traverse,
so that cither end of the waggon may be placed foremost, and the brake
action may be produced either by pulling or by pushing, the connections
between the waggons being formed to suit whichever system is adopted.
It is to be understood that as each brake-block derives its pressing
effect against the periphery of its wheel from the reactionary resist-
ance of the brakes of the adjacent wheels in pressing against their
peripheries the frictional pressure must be equalised throughout the
series. For on bringing up the first brake D, of the series against its
wheel the additional movement of the lever L, cannot put any pressure
upon that brake until the link O, and lever N, have so moved as to
bring the brake E, against the other side of the wheel, and thereby
occasioned a reactionary resistance for the pressing action of the
lever L, upon the brake D. Again, the movement of the lever N, is
imparted by the rod P, to the lever Q, of the next brake, where the
same action takes place, and is similarly communicated throughout the
series.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the
said Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used
or carried into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not
confine or restrict myself to the precise details or arrangements which
I have had occasion to describe or refer to, as many variations may be
made therefrom, without deviating from the principles or main features
of the said Invention; but what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the berein-before
in part recited Letters Patent, is,—
First, the general arrangement, combination, and construction of
wheel-brake apparatus for railway carriages, trucks, or waggons, as
herein-before described.

page_text: Second, the system or mode of constructing wheel-brake apparatus
wherein the actuating movement is propogated by levers and link rods
throughout the entire apparatus on a single carriage, or throughout the
series of brake apparatus on an entire train of carriages, as herein-before
described.
Third, the system or mode of constructing wheel-brake apparatus
wherein the frictional pressure of each brake against the periphery of
the wheel is obtained by the reactionary resistance of the brakes of the
adjacent wheels conmunicated through a system of levers, as herein-
before described.
In witness whereof, 1, the said John Henry Johnson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of December,
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
J. HENRY JOHNSON. (L.S.)