Improvements in Railway Brakes, and in Railway Signal, Switch, and Gate Operating Mechanism.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Mar., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 3rd Nov., 1890-Accepted, 10th Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Brakes, and in Railway Signal, Switch,
and Gate Operating Mechanism.
I, JOHN HAHN, of 361. Ninth Avenue, New York, County and State of New York,
United States of America, Machinist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES, AND IN RAILWAY SIGNAL, SWITCH AND GATE
OPERATING MECHANISM, to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in railway brakes, signals and switches and
means for operating the same.
By this invention the engineer on the locomotive is enabled to mechanically apply
the brakes to the train and he is also enabled to himself set the switches and signals
upon approaching them. To effect these results, the iocomotive is provided with two
structures, one to set the brakes, the other to set the switches and signals.
In order to set the brakes, the locomotive is provided with a worm, revolved by
suitable intergearing devices. Two noses can be made to engage the threads of this
worn and upon the revolution of the latter, these noses will be moved by the threads
of the worm, on a line parallel to its axis. One of these noses is connected to a rack
which is engaged by a pinion that operates the brakes on the locomotive itself.
The other nose connects with a cable running to the several cars and operating the
brake shoes. The noses can be vibrated so as to readily engage or disengage the
threads of the worm and in this way the brakes can be readily put on or taken off.
The cable from the locomotive carries above each truck of the cars, a rack. This
rack engages a pinion and the revolution of this pinion causes a slight vertical notion
of an upright pin intergeared with the pinion. The lower end of the pin is connected
to the free end of a pivoted brake Lar placed underneath the axle of the truck wheels.
To the upper side of this bar, the brake shoes are secured. A pull on the cable will
raise or lower the free end of the bar, by vibrating it upon its pivot and thus the
shoes will either be applied or taken off. Of course, the usual hand brake may be
used in addition to the cable for raising and lowering the brake bar.
1 prefer to provide the brake shoes with a lubricating chamber which causes
automatic flow of the lubricant when the shoes are applied. The brake bar may be
provided with a spring which establishes the communication between the bar and the
operating mechanism, to render the motion more gentle.
In order to set the switches, signals and gates, the locomotive is, on its lower side,
provided with a pivoted lever, which may be raised or lowered at its free end, similar
to the brake bar just described and which extends from the front of the locomotive to
the rear.
When lowered, it presses upon suitable springs between the rails of the
track, or intergears with a suitable pinion between such rails. The springs or gear
wheels are connected by cables to the switches, signals or gates to operate the same.
The mechanism for oscillating the lever consists of a hand bar connected by a link to
a rock shaft which in turn is connected by a staple and an arm to the lever.
backward or forward motion of the hand bar will cause a raising or lowering of the
free end of the lever.
A
When the lever is in its lowermost position, it is locked therein by a notch &
shoulder which prevent the lever from rising automatically when it encounters pressure
from the bottom. The lever may be provided with a leaf spring to reduce the shok
and if it is to be intergeared with a pinion its working surface should, of course, be
corrugated.
The spring or pinion which has been set in motion by the lever on the locomotive,
causes a puli on the cable which in turn vibrates a lever placed near the switch, gate or
signal to be operated. To this lever there is attached a headed rod surrounded by a

page_text: slide. A tongue, free to drop downwards, is interposed between the head and the
slide. To the slide is connected a vibrating lever, by which the switch is set or the
gates or signals are operated.
A pull on the cable will cause the headed rod to move the tongue towards the slide.
The tongue will push the slide and cause the lever to set the switch. The head now
flies back, the tongue drops down and a catch flies up to lock the slide in place. A
subsequent pull on the cable will cause the head to depress the catch, thus liberating
the slide, which being acted upon by a spring, will be moved back into its original
position. In this way the switch is again set to the other track. It will be seen, that
by this invention, a pull on the cable closes the side track, or the main track,
according to the original position of the switch.
Dated this 18th day of March 1890.
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Brakes, and in Railway Signal. Switch.
and Gate Operating Mechanism.
I, JOHN HAHN, of 361, Ninth Avenue, New York, County and State of New
York, United States of America, Machinist, 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 relates to improvements in railway brakes, signals and switches and
means for operating the same. By this invention the engineer on the locomotive is
enabled to mechanically apply the brakes to the train and he is also enabled to himself
set the switches and signals upon approaching them.
To effect these results, the locomotive is provided with two structures, one to set the
brakes and the other to set the switches and signals.
The brakes, switches and signals are constructed with a view to be engaged by the
structures on the locomotive.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1 is a top view of the device on the locomotive for operating the brakes.
Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line y, y, Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 a cross section on line 2, 2, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 a cross section on line, a, Fig. 1.
Fig. 5 a top view of the floor of the cab.
Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevation of the car brake operated by the device shown in
Figs. 1-5.
Fig. 7 a bottom view thereof.
Fig. 8 a sectional end view thereof.
Fig. 9 a side view of the device on the locomotive for operating the switches and
signals.
Fig. 10 a side view of part thereof.
Fig. 11 a sectional side view and
Fig. 12 a top view of the mechanism engaged by the devices shown in Figs. 9
and 10 to operate the switches and signals.
Fig. 13 is a face view of the switeli operated by the mechanism shown in Figs. 11
and 12.
Fig. 14 a top view of the box e, showing it open.
Fig. 15 an end view of one of the rails 3.
Fig. 16 a detail view of the lever 130.
Fig. 7a top view of box
Fig. 18 a side view thereof.
showing main track closed.
Fig. 19 a section on line 30, 30, Fig. 17.
Fig. 20 a top view of box 1, showing side track closed and
Fig. 21 a section on line y30, 30, Fig. 20.
y

page_text: With particular reference to Figs. 1-5, the lefter a, represents an axle or shaft
connecting two of the wheels of a locomotive or other motor, so as to be revolved by
such wheels. The central part a', of axle a, is engaged by a pair of jaws b, b', of a
clutch free to open or close at the top, so as to grasp the axle. These jaws have for
their object, to brake the locomotive itself and they are operated as follows: c. is a
treadle rocking to a slight extent a sleeve d', on shaft d, by bearing upon a projection d²,
of said sleeve. To the sleeved, there is secured a nose or projection e, which is
slightly raised by the depression of the treadle.
The axle a at either side of the clutch, is grooved spirally as shown. I prefer to
make the axle of varying thickness-that is to say, the spiral ribs f, near the center
of the axle are of a larger diameter than the spirals, near the ends of the axle The
object of this construction is to enable full or half brakes to be applied according to a
more or less deep engagement of the nose or noses with the grooves of the axle, as
hereinafter described.
The nose e, by bar e', is connected to a sliding rack g. The rack is engaged by a
pinion h. fast on screw shaft 4. This screw shaft passes through a threaded bearing 2,
of jaw, and through a perforated hearing 13, of jaw b.
The operation of the device as thus far described is as follows:-
The treadle e, being depressed against action of spring el, will rock sleeve d', and
cause the nose e, to enter the spiral groove of shaft a. This shaft on revolving will
cause the nose to travel along the groove or from the center towards the end of the
shaft. The nose will draw the sliding rack g, with it and the rack will revolve
pinion. The pinion on revolving, will cause the free ends of the jaws b, b, to be
drawn together by means of the action of its screw shaft upon the threaded bearing be.
Thus the jaws will be drawn together, to clutch the shaft and brake the locomotive.
The motion of the sliding rack causes the distention of a spring i, and thus after the
train has stopped and pressure on the treadle has been released (so as to cause a
release of the nose from the spiral groove) the spring i, will draw the rack back into
its original position.
I will now describe the mechanism for operating the brakes on the cars.
j, is a hand lever, that may be thrown back to engage either of a pair of notches j, j²,
the former being the "half brake" and the latter the "ful! brake notch. The hand
lever, is provided with a cam j³, bearing upon a perforated plate or sleeve k, free to
slide and rock upon a shaft k¹, and provided with a nose 2, that by the oscillation of
sleeve k, is thrown into engagement with the spiral groove of shaft a. To nose ²
there is connected cable, running over pulleys, 1, and operating the brakes on
the cars
On this cable there may be the tension device, to take up any slack.
If the hand lever j, is thrown back, the sleevek, is rocked, so as to cause an
engagement of its nose k², with the spiral groove of shaft a. By the revolution of
this shaft the nose is drawn along from the center toward the end of the shaft. This
causes a direct pull upon cable 3, that applies the brakes. When the lever, is
released, the sleeve k, is rocked backward by a spring 7, which at the same time,
draws the sleeve k, laterally into its normal position, such spring having been both
twisted and compressed by the previous action of the parts.
When the lever, is thrown only into the half brake noteh j, the nose k², is rocked
so far only that, though it engages the spiral ribs f, it is liberated as soon as it passes
these ribs and reaches the ribs. In this way, the brakes are applied but by a light
pressure, inasmuch as the cable is not drawn perfectly taut; but when the lever j, is
thrown back into the full brake notch 2, the nose k, is rocked so far that it will be
engaged and held by the ribs, as well as by the ribs. Thus it will not be released,
until after it has cleared ribs and, and this causes the cable to be stretched
perfectly taut.
,
In order to provide a positive withdrawal of the brake shoes after the train bas
been stopped, 1 employ a lever m, which by rods m³, m², engages a shaft me, connected
by arms m, to a rock shaft m³.
Upon rock shaft m³, there slides a sleeve m³, carrying nose m², and having
7

page_text: spring m. The nose m³, engages the shaft a, at the side opposite to nose ². By
throwing lever m, backward, it draws shaft m³, back with it.
This shaft bears directly against nose m², and thus throws the nose into engage-
ment with the spiral groove of shaft a. The nose m', is attached to a cable n,
running over pulleys, ², and which is connected to the brakes, so as to take them
off when the cable is drawn iaut.
The revolution of shaft a, causes the nose to travel along its groove in the manner
described, so as to draw the cable faut. After the train has started, the parts are
thrown back into their original position by spring m³.
In Figs. 6-8, the letter a", represents the platform of a car. from which projects
downwardly a socket, that receives a screw rode. To this screw rod there is
pivoted one end of a brake lever do, and this fixed end may be adjusted by being
raised or lowered by first taking it off the screw rod and then turning the latter in
its socket. To the lever d, there is bolted a strong spring elo, and to the free end of
this spring, there is connected the mechanism for raising and lowering the free end
of the lever, in order to apply or take off the brake. This mechanism is described
further below.
To the lever, there is swiveled by pin ", a bar d, to which are secured the
brake shoes . These brake shoes engage shoulders, on the axles d¹º. Within
the concave working surface of each brake shoe, there is secured one end of a
curved spring 16, which is depressed as soon as the shoe is raised sufficiently against
the axle. The spring do, when depressed, operates a push button ", which opens a
lubricating chamber d, and thus allows the lubricant to flow out upon the working
surfaces. The means for operating the free end of the brake lever, so as to raise or
lower the brakes by hand are as follows:—
10 is a hand-brake shaft, upon which is keyed a gear wheel f", engaging a gear
wheel, fast upon a screw shaft 13. By turning the wheel, the shaft 13, is
raised or lowered. The shaft 3, is connected to the spring e, to thus raise or lower
the brake-lever.
I prefer to place upon the brake shaft 10, a split spring sleeve, to which the
hand brake-wheel, is attached. The shaft, is provided with a pin, that
engages a slot g of sleeve g". When the brake wheel is revolved, the slot will bear
against the pin and revolve the brake shaft. It will be seen, that the sleeve and
brake wheel may be lowered, so as to be entirely out of the way.
When in its lowermost position, the brake wheel is received by a recess g¹³, in the
beam of the platform.
The means for operating the brake directly from the motor consist of two rods or
cables joined to the cables of Figs. I and 2. To the cable 40, there is secured
a rack, engaging a pinion 4, upon the brake shaft./10. Thus when the cable is
drawn taut, the rack, is moved to revolve pinion, which, in turn, revolves the
shaft. The shaft, by pinious", 12, raises the shaft 3, to in turn raise the
biake-lever.
When the brakes are to be taken off, the cable 720, is drawn taut and the cable 10,
is relaxed. The cable 2, is connected to the opposite or rear end of cable 10, by
means of a chain, running over fixed pulley j When tension is applied to
cable it will move cable , in the opposite direction. Thus the brake lever will
he lowered and the brake shoes will be taken off.
car.
Of course, the improvement herein described, should be applied to both trucks of a
The brakes on one of the trucks are used with the motor coupled to one end,
while the brakes on the other truck are used with the motor coupled to the other
end. In the drawing, the cables m¹º, n, are used for operating the brakes on the
truck. (Not shown.)
10
, is a spring which aids the cable, in taking off the brakes.
in Figs. 9 and 10 the letter a represents a locomotive or other motor to which
there is pivoted by pin, a lever, shoe or bar 20, adapted to be turned on its pivot,
so as to be raised or lowered at one end.

page_text: When the lever is raised. it clears the ground; but when it is lowered it engages
the switch, signal or gate setting device, as hereinafter described.
In order to operate the bar c, I employ the following mechanism, is a
hand-lever connected by rod e20, an arm, to a rock shaft . This rock shaft is
provided with staple, passing through a perforated bar 20, having a tooth or
notch. The lower end of bar 20, is pivoted to lever c When the lever (20, is
thrown forward, it rocks shaft g, and raises the staple which in turn, through
bar, raises lever c; but when the lever do, is thrown backward, the shaft g20, is
rocked in the opposite direction and the staple is lowered, to in turn lower lever c
through har When arrived in this position, a spring, draws bar, into an
approximately-upright position, so that its notch 21, engages a block jo, which locks
lever, in its lowermost position and prevents it from automatically rising when it
encounters pressure from the bottom. A second spring causes a disengagement
between notch, and block jo, when the lever do, is thrown forward.
The lever, should be provided with a corrugated lower surface, to engage a
gearing on the switch setting device and revolve the same; but when the mechanism
is to operate upon a smooth surface, a rack ", is applied to the lever, which engages
its teeth and has a smooth lower surface.
In Fig. 10, I have shown a leaf spring, attached to the upper surface of the
lover by a pair of screws, so that a free space is left between spring and lever.
This spring extends only over the forward half of the lever and it receives the pivot 620,
by which the lever is connected to the locomotive. It will be seen, that as the lever
is oscillated in manner described, the slight play between lever and spring will reduce
the shock, when the lever engages the switch setting device.
In Figs. 11 and 12 the mechanism is shown which is set by the lever . This
lever passes over a pair of spring levers m², and when lowered, as described, depresses
them. The levers 20, being depressed, move rack m", downward, to turn cog
wheel m. This cog wheel, by its shaft m23, revolves cog m2, meshing into co m2,
which turns pulley 20. This pulley winds the cable m", which operates the switches,
gates or signals.
In Figs. 13-21, the letters a, a, represent the two movable rails of a switch.
1,30, 130, are the rails of the main track and e30, 30, the rails of the side track.
'
30, is a cable to which tension is applied by being connected to cable m27, of
Fig. 12. This cable d, is secured by means of arms e30, 31, in box e2, to a rod 33,
which it draws out against the action of a spring 34, in box . The rod 33, is
secured to the slide or block 30, having a projection or nose at its end, bearing
against either side of rail 30. This projection thus serves as the switch-block device,
which holds the switch in place until it is drawn inward by rod e³, as described.
The slide 30, when drawn in, as described by bearing against the lever g
vibrates
said lever around its fixed pivot 3. To the lever 30, there is attached a rod 20
passing through a box, and surrounded by a spring 32. The rod 430, is provided
at its free end with a head 4, as shown. It is moreover surrounded by a recessed
slide 30, and between the head 434, and the slide 3, there is interposed a loose movable
tongue, which rests upon an incline, on the bed plate of box 41. Across the
slide, there is stretched a pin or stop 3, upon which one end of the tongue sets.
Thus this end of the tongue is always held up.
When the rod 30, is drawn as
described (by the vibration of lever ) the head 4, will bear against a tail piece 3,
of the tongue. Thus the tongue will be pushed against a shoulder, of slide 30,
and move the slide in the same direction as the rod 30, has been moved. During this
pushing motion of the head, the tail of the tongue is held up over incline, by being
crowded, by the head, against the slide, which in turn is pushed against the resistance
of a spring, surrounding rod 1, back of the slide. Thus the head 4, cannot come
into actual contact with the slide, but there is always a space between them equal to
the length of the tail. Through a slot of the bed plate of box 31, there projects
upwardly, a spring catch 3. This catch is shorter than the tail, so that the slide
must have passed the catch before the head arrives at the catch. As soon as the slide
has passed the catch, the latter flies up to arrest it. (A shoulder ³, may be used to

page_text: limit the backward motion of the slide, so as to prevent overdrawing of spring 36.)
At the moment the catch, has flown up, the pull on cable ceases and the
spring, is at liberty to throw the head, forward into its normal position (shown
in Fig. 18). The slide, of course stays back and the spring 3 remains com-
pressed; but the tail, of tongue, being no longer pressed between the parts ³, 30,
and thus held upward, drops down below the lower sides of the slide and head. Thus
at the next motion of the head, such head can come into actual contact with the
slide, as described further below.
The slide 30, is slotted at one side and into this slot enters one end of a lever 1,
pivoted to a fixed support by a pin passing through opening 13. The lever 150, has a
slot 32, into which enters a pin ³, depending downward from one of the rails a
Thus by the notion of the slide, the lever 130, is vibrated and draws the rail a³, into
the position shown in Fig. 13, in which it connects the main tracks 30.
If the switch is to be set to the side track, a pull on cable d³, will cause the
head to travel inwards. As the tail j³, is no longer in the path of the head, the
latter is free to move over the catch, so as to depress it. As soon as the catch has
been depressed, it liberates the slide 30. At this moment the pull on the cable d³,
ceases and the spring, will push the head 34, forward into its original position,
while the spring, being now liberated will push the slide 30 also forward into its
original position. The slide will carry the tongue 31, with it and up the incline 3², so
that the tail, is again raised, when the parts assume their normal position of rest,
Fig. 21. Thus the parts are in the proper position for the next setting of the switchi
to the main track. The just described motion of the slide, will have caused a vibration
of lever and this in turn, by bearing against pin 133, as described, causes the
rails a. to be shifted, so as to make connections with the side track. Of course, the
rails a, a, are connected by the usual cross piece m³, so that the motion imparted
to one rail by the slide, is transmitted to the other rail. To this rod m³, is connected
a rack m³, that sets the signal m
The object of the spring, is to take any sudden strain off the mechanism that
may be caused by a sudden pull on the cable ³0.
may be
On the right hand side of Fig. 13, I have shown a star-wheel 30 which
engaged directly by the locomotive. The star wheel in revolving, turns a drum,
which winds the cable and thus operates the switch.
It will be seen, that by my invention, a pull on the cable closes the side tracks or
the main tracks, according to the previous position of the switch.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :
1. The combination of a motor having a spirally grooved shaft with a sliding
vibrating nose and with a lever or treadle for causing an engagement of the nose
with the shaft, substantially as specified.
2. The combination of a shaft having two differently sized spiral ribs with a
vibrating and sliding nose adapted to engage the ribs substantially as specified.
3. The combination of a spirally grooved shaft a, with a pair of jaws b, b', a nose,
a rack, a pinion engaged by the rack, and with a screw shaft revolved by the pinion,
and adapted to operate the jaws b, b, substantially as specified.
4. The combination of a spirally grooved shaft with a sleeve, a nose connected
thereto, a lever for vibrating the sleeve and a spring for throwing the sleeve back after
the nose has been released, substantially as specified.
5. The combination of a spirally grooved shaft a, with rod m³, armis m², rod m³,
and with sleeve me, carrying nose m², substantially as specified.
6. The combination of a revolving spirally grooved shaft with a sliding sleeve
carrying a nose that engages the shaft and is connected to the brake shoes, and with
a lever for turning the sleeve, substantially as specified.
7. The combination of a truck with a brake lever pivoted thereto at one end and
with a sliding rack engaging one of a train of gearing adapted to operate the free
end of the brake lever, substantially as specified.

page_text: 8. The combination of a truck with a socket 60, and with a screw c, engaging
said socket and with a brake lever adapted to be raised and lowered, substantially as
specified.
9. The combination of a car with a pivoted brake lever and with a har 1, swiveled
thereto and with the shoes ¹³, upon said bar and with springs d, push buttons d",
and lubricating chamber d, substantially as specified.
10. The combination of a car with a brake lever pivoted thereto at one end and
provided with a spring e, at its free end and with a shaft 13, connected to said spring
and with a brake shaft, and a train of gearing for transmitting motion from said
shaft to shaft 3, substantially as specified.
II. The combination of brake shaft 10, having pin ", with a sliding slotted
sleeve 9, surrounding shaft 10, and with brake wheel 7" secured to said sleeve,
substantially as specified.
12. The combination of cable 410, with a rack ", secured thereto, a train of gearing
revolved by the rack, a shaft 13, revolved by the gearing and with a pivoted lever do
operated by said shaft, substantially as specified.
13. The combination of cable 4, having rack ", with train of gearing and with
a shaft 3, revolved thereby, and with a lever d operated by said shaft and with
cable, chain 10, and pulley 11, for reversing the rack, substantially as specified.
14. The combination of hand lever do, with a rock shaft connected thereto, a staple,
a perforated bar, and with a pivoted lever 20, connected to said bar, substantially as
specified
15. The combination of a pivoted bar 20, with a notched bar 20, operated by a
hand lever and with a stop 20, for engaging the notched bar, substantially as
specified.
16. The combination of the following elements: a hand lever, a rock shaft con-
nected thereto a staple and notched bar 20, operated by the rock shaft, a pivoted
lever, connected to bar 20, and a stop for engaging said notched bar, substantially
as specified.
17. A lever, pivoted to a motor, with a spring 20, attached to the lever in
combination with mechanism for raising and lowering said lever, substantially as
specified.
18. The combination of lever m, with rack m2, and pawl m², substantially as
specified.
19. The combination of a lever 930, operated by a cable, with a rod 0, secured
thereto, and with a slide operated by said rod and with a lever 130, operated by the
slide and adapted to set the switch, substantially as specified.
20. The combination of slide, with the rod 30, having head 34, and with spring
catch 30, adapted to be depressed by the head and to lock the slide, substantially as
specified.
21. The combination of slide 30, with rod 130, having head 3, and with the
tongue, and the spring catch 30, substantially as specified.
22. The combination of a slide operated by a cable with a rod having a head, a
tongue, a spring catch and a lever connected to the slide and operating the switch,
substantially as specified.
23. The combination of block 30, with a lever g, and rod h30, connected io said
lever, a slide, and a lover 130, vibrated by the slide and adapted to operate the
switch, substantially as specified.
24. The combination of slide 30, with rod 30, having head, and with catch 30,
and tongue, resting upon an inclined plane j³, and engaging a stop ja³, substantially
as specified.
Dated this 31st day of October 1800
HERBERT J. ALLISON,
Agent for the Applicant.