IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAK APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE GENERALLY AS A STEAM PUMP
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edward Dunning Barker, of No. 45, Bedford Row, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BREAK APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE GENERALLY AS A STEAM
PUMP."
Sealed the 15th December 1876, and dated the 8th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Dunning Barker at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th July 1876.
EDWARD DUNNING BARKER, of No. 45, Bedford Row, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAK APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE
GENERALLY AS A STEAM PUMP."
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway break apparatus, part
of which is applicable generally as a steam pump.
Hydraulic breaks are now worked by salt and water or other liquid stored under
pressure in an accumulator. To pump the salt and water or other liquid into the
accumulator I employ a direct acting steam pump, which can be worked by steam
from the boiler of the locomotive, and is constructed in the following manner :-The
steam cylinder and pump cylinder are, as usual in direct acting steam pumps, in a
line with one another, and a piston rod secured to the piston of each cylinder passes
through stuffing boxes in the two cylinder covers in the ordinary manner.
The admission and escape of steam from the steam cylinder I control by a piston
valve. From the valve a rod passes out through the end of the valve chamber, and
lies parallel with the piston rod of the steam and pump cylinders. Between the
two cylinders the piston rod has a cross head attached to it, which embraces the
valve rod, and is free to slide to and fro upon it. Upon the valve rod are two
coiled springs of equal length, one on either side of the cross head, and abutting at
their opposite ends against collars upon the valve rod. By this means when the
piston of the steam cylinder passes beyond the centre of its stroke, one or other of
the coiled springs is compressed, and tends to shift over the valve from one position
to another. The valve is however prevented from moving over by a projection upon.
the valve rod coming against a stop carried by a lever. This lever is free to turn
upon a pin at one end, and is held down by a spring at its other end. As the

page_text: piston of the steam cylinder completes its stroke, a roller upon the cross head of the
piston rod acts upon an incline on the lever above mentioned, and lifts the free end
of the lever; the stop upon the lever is thereby moved out of the way of the pro-
jection upon the valve rod, and the valve is at once thrown over by the action of
the coiled spring, which had previously been compressed, and the valve is held over
in its new position by the spring. As the piston of the steam cylinder travels back
the stop lever is drawn down by its spring, and retains the valve from moving over
until the completion of the stroke, when it is again set free and shifted in the
manner previously described.
The width of the stop upon the lever and of the projection upon the valve rod
may be so adjusted as to allow a slight movement of the valve at the centre of each
stroke. By this means steam may be partially or entirely cut off at the middle of
the stroke, and the steam in the cylinder be so allowed to work expansively. The
extent of movement of the valve at the end of each stroke is limited by the pro-
jections upon the valve rod coming alternately against a fixed stop. Concussion is
avoided by discs of vulcanized india-rubber interposed between them, or other means
may be adopted for avoiding shock.
The piston valve I employ is composed of two pistons at a distance apart from
one another. Each piston serves alternately to admit steam to and shut it off from
the port leading from one end of the cylinder, and at the same time to open or close
the communication of this port with the exhaust steam. Steam is admitted to the
central space of the valve chamber between the two valves, and the exhaust is led
off from its two ends.
The ports for admitting steam to and exhausting from the two ends of the
steam cylinder enter the cylinder at some distance from its ends.
From cach port
is a branch port of contracted dimensions leading to the end of the cylinder. The
piston of the steam cylinder at the ends of its stroke passes beyond and so closes the
main port, whilst the contracted branch port remains open, whereby the piston is
both brought to rest and started back again quietly.
•
The pumps are provided with india-rubber lip valves, but in place of forming
these valves wholly of soft rubber, as heretofore, I form the interior surfaces of hard
rubber and the exterior of soft rubber. When so made the valves are much less
liable than heretofore to fail under heavy pressures.
The apparatus for applying the breaks to the wheels of the guard's van I con-
struct in such manner that it can be worked both by hand in the ordinary manner,
and also by liquid under pressure from the continuous pipe of the hydraulic break
apparatus, which is carried along the train. For this purpose the link which rises
up from the ordinary break gear below a guard's van, and which link has to be
lifted to apply the breaks, I couple by a pin joint to a cap which comes above a nut
upon the vertical screw of the ordinary hand gear. Below the cap is also a hollow
tubular plunger working in a hydraulic cylinder. When fluid under pressure is
admitted to the hydraulic cylinder the hollow plunger rises, whereby the cap and
link are raised and the break applied without moving the nut or the screw.
guard can also apply the break by turning the screw with the ordinary hand gear;
the nut then travels upwards along the screw, carrying the cap with it and applying
the break.
The
In order that, when a continuous hydraulic break apparatus is used, breaks may
be applied to any carriage in case of its becoming detached from a train, I. in
addition to mounting the ordinary hydraulic break apparatus upon the carriage also
mount upon it a small cylinder, to one end of which fluid under pressure is per-
manently admitted from the accumulator. Within the cylinder is a piston which
by the fluid pressure is forced against and compressing a coiled spring. If the
carriage becomes detached the communication between the cylinder and accumulator
is broken, and the piston in the cylinder is forced back by the coiled spring. In
doing so it closes the passage through which fluid under pressure was previously
supplied to the cylinder, and turns a three-way cock, thereby closing the passage
between the break cylinder and the continuous pipe leading to the accumulator, and

page_text: at the same time opening a passage between the small spring accumulator just
described and the break cylinder, thereby applying the break.
In order to couple up the flexible pressure pipes between the carriages I insert
into each end of the flexible pipes a metal nozzle. On the nozzle beyond the end of
the flexible pipe a flange is provided; it has a groove in it. I lay a number of short
wires longitudinally around the end of the flexible pipe and the flange, and I bind
another wire tightly around the flange, securing the longitudinal wires to it; then
I bind wire around the end of the flexible pipe to secure it to the nozzle in the usual
way, except that this binding is applied over the longitudinal wires.
I provide the metal nozzles witli vulcanized india-rubber rings suitably formed
to make a tight joint when butted together. To hold together the two nozzles of a
coupling I joint to one of them a double lever, in which are curved slots which
embrace studs formed upon the other nozzle, and so the parts are drawn together.
The lever is so weighted as to hold the parts together until they are intentionally
released.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Dunning Barker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the Sth
January 1877.
EDWARD DUNNING BARKER, of No. 45, Bedford Row, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAK APPARATUS, PART OF WHICH IS APPLICABLE
GENERALLY AS A STEAM PUMP."
This Invention has for its object improvements in railway break apparatus, part
of which is applicable generally as a steam pump.
Hydraulic breaks are now worked by salt and water or other liquid stored under
pressure in an accumulator. To pump the salt and water or other liquid into the
accumulator I employ a direct acting steam pump, which can be worked by steam
from the boiler of the locomotive, and is constructed in the following manner :-
The steam cylinder and pump cylinder are as usual in direct acting steam
pumps in a line with one another, and a piston rod secured to the piston of
cach cylinder passes through stuffing boxes in the two cylinder covers in the
ordinary manner.
The admission and escape of steam from the steam cylinder I control by a piston
valve. From the valve a rod passes out through the end of the valve chamber,
and lies parallel with the piston rod of the steain and pump cylinders. Between
the two cylinders the piston rod has a cross head attached to it which embraces
the valve rod, and is free to slide to and fro upon it. Upon the valve rod are two
coiled springs of equal length, one on either side of the cross head, and abutting at
their opposite ends against collars upon the valve rod. By this means when the
piston of the steam cylinder passes beyond the centre of its stroke one or other of
the coiled springs is compressed, and tends to shift over the valve from one position
to another. The valve is, however, prevented from moving over by a projection
upon the valve rod coming against a stop carried by a lever; this lever is free to
turn upon a pin at one end, and is held down by a spring at its other end. As
the piston of the steam cylinder completes its stroke a roller upon the cross head of
the piston rod acts upon an incline on the lever above mentioned and lifts the free
end of the lever. The stop upon the lever is thereby moved out of the way of the
projection upon the valve rod, and the valve is at once thrown over by the action
of the coiled spring which had previously been compressed, and the valve is held
over in its new position by the spring. As the piston of the steam cylinder travels
back the stop lever is drawn down by its spring, and retains the valve from moving
over until the completion of the stroke, when it is again set free and shifted in the
manner previously described..
The width of the stop upon the lever and of the projection upon the valve rod

page_text: may be so adjusted as to allow a slight movement of the valve at the centre of each
stroke. By this means steam may be partially or entirely cut off at the middle of
the stroke, and the steam in the cylinder be so allowed to work expansively. The
extent of movement of the valve at the end of each stroke is limited by projections
upon the valve rod coming alternately against a fixed stop. Concussion is avoided
by discs of vulcanized india-rubber interposed between them, or other means may
be adopted for avoiding shock.
The piston valve I employ is composed of two pistons at a distance apart from
one another. Each piston serves alternately to admit steam to and shut it off from
the port leading from one end of the cylinder, and at the same time to open or
close the communication of this port with the exhaust steain. Steam is admitted
to the central space of the valve chamber between the two valves, and the exhaust
is led off from its two ends.
The ports for admitting steam to and exhausting it from the two ends of the
steam cylinder enter the cylinder at some distance from its ends. From each port
is a branch of contracted dimensions leading to the end of the cylinder. The
piston of the steam cylinder at the ends of its stroke passes beyond, and so closes
the main port, whilst the contracted branch port remains open, whereby the piston
is both brought to rest and started back again quietly.
Figure 1 of the Drawings hereunto annexed shews a side view partly in section
of a steam pump constructed in the manner above described; Figure 2 is a plan
view of the same.
A is the pump cylinder; B, tlie steam cylinder; C, the piston rod uniting the
pistons of the two cylinders; D is a cross head on the piston rod; D', an arm
extending from the cross head, and at its end embracing the valve rod E; F, F, are
'coiled springs surrounding the valve rod, one on either side of the end of the arm D¹.
These springs at their opposite end abut against collars upon the valve rod. Upon
one of these collars is a projection G, which at the centre of each stroke comes
against one or other side of a stop H on a lever arm H. This arm turns upon a
pivot at one end, and is drawn downwards at its opposite end by coiled springs I;
J is a roller upon the cross head D. At the end of each stroke this roller comes
against one or other of the inclines H on the lever H, and moves the lever upwards
until the stop H has been moved clear of the projection upon the valve rod; the
valve rod is then shifted end wise by whichever of the coiled springs is in compression,
as before explained. The piston then travels back, and the stop H comes into
position to again control the movement of the valve.
As before explained the valve may at the centre of each stroke be allowed to
move a short distance before being arrested by the stop H, so as then to partly
or entirely cut off the admission of steam to the cylinder.
K is a fixed stop, which controls the amount of movement given to the valve at
the end of each stroke; L, L, are two collars upon the valve rod, one on either side
of the stop K; L', L', are discs of vulcanized india-rubber carried by these collars
to avoid shock; M, M, are the two pistons or discs forming the valve; they are at
a distance apart upon the valve rod. Each piston serves alternately to admit and
cut off steam from the ports N, N, which lead to the two opposite ends of the steam
cylinder. Steam is admitted constantly to the central space O between the discs,
and the exhaust is led from its two ends. P, P, are small branch ports from the
ports N to the extreme ends of the steam cylinder. When the piston travels past
and covers one or other of the ports N the steam enclosed in the space between
the piston and cylinder end forms a cushion to arrest the movement of the piston,
as the steam can only escape through the small port P in the same way. When
the valve has been shifted over at the end of the stroke steam is at first admitted
slowly to the cylinder end through the small branch port until the piston has com-
menced to move back, and has travelled past the end of the port N; steam then
enters the cylinder freely through this port.
I have not thought it necessary to shewn in these Figures any arrangement of
-pump valves and connections, as these may be of any ordinary kind.

page_text: I claim as respects this part of my Invention,
First. The combined arrangement of direct-acting steam pump, substantially as
described.
Second. The combined arrangement for giving motion to the rod of the valve
employed for controlling the admission of steam to the steam cylinder at the times
required, substantially as described.
Third. The combined arrangement by which the piston of the steam cylinder is
gradually brought to rest at the end of each stroke, and again gradually started
back again, substantially as described.
In some cases I provide the pumps with india-rubber lip valves, but in place of
forming these valves wholly of soft rubber, as heretofore, I form the interior surfaces.
of hard rubber, and the exterior of soft rubber. When so made the valves are much'
less liable than heretofore to fail under heavy pressures.
Figure 3 shews a section of a pump valve thus formed. a is the outer valve
casing; b is an inner cylinder, with holes b¹ in its sides; c, c, are rings of india-
rubber made, as shown, with lips abutting against one another. The lips are
pressed one against the other by the screwing on of the cover a¹ of the valve case;
the cylinder b is closed at the top, and at its lower end has a flange around it,
between which and the bottom of the valve case a tight joint is obtained by a
ring d of vulcanized india-rubber interposed between them. The lip valves c are,
as above explained, composed of an inner ring of hard rubber c¹, and an outer ring c
of soft rubber, with which the lips are formed, as shewn. By constructing the lip
valves in this manner, partly of an inner ring of hard rubber, and partly of an outer
ring with flexible lips of soft rubber, the soft rubber lips are prevented from being
forced by high pressure into the holes of the cylinder c, and from being thereby
destroyed.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention the construction of lip valves partly:
of hard rubber, and partly of soft rubber, substantially as described.
J
The apparatus for applying the breaks to the wheels of the guard's van I construct
in such manner that it can be worked both by hand in the ordinary manner, and
also by liquid under pressure from the continuous pipe of the hydraulic break.
apparatus which is carried along the train. For this purpose the link which rises
up from the ordinary break gear below a guard's van, and which link has to be
lifted to apply the breaks, I couple by a pin joint to a cap which comes above a
nut upon the vertical screw of the ordinary hand gear. Below the cap is also a
hollow tubular plunger working in a hydraulic cylinder. When fluid under pressure"
is admitted to the hydraulic cylinder the hollow plunger rises, whereby the cap and
link are raised, and the break applied without moving the nut or the screw.
guard can also apply the break by turning the screw with the ordinary hand gear;
the nut then travels upwards along the screw, carrying the cap with it, and applying
the break.
The
Figure 4 shews a side view, Figure 5 a vertical section, and Figure 6 a horizontal.
section of brake apparatus thus constructed."
a, a, are the links which rise up from the ordinary break gear fitted below a
guard's van. In place of simply jointing these links to a nut which can be raised
by turning a screw working with it, as in ordinary hand break apparatus, I joint
them, as above described, to a cap b, from the under side of which descends a hollow.
tubular plunger c, which works in a hydraulic cylinder d, and is closed at the
bottom, as shewn. e is the screw passing freely through the cap at the top of the
plunger, and f is the nut below the cap, into which the screw e enters. The nut is
prevented from turning by grooves in its sides fitting over projecting ribs c¹ formed
down the interior of the plunger c, as shewn at Figure 6. By this arrangement
the guard can, as above explained, apply the breaks by turning the screw in the
ordinary manner by the hand wheel e¹ at its upper end, or fluid under pressure can
be admitted to the cylinder d, and the plunger c so raised and the breaks applied.
The above described arrangement is applicable not only when water under pressure;

page_text: is usod for applying continuous breaks, but also when air, steam, or other fluid
under pressure is similarly used.
What I claim as respects this part of my Invention is the combined apparatus
substantially as herein described for enabling the breaks upon a guard's van to be
applied not only by the guard working the ordinary hand gear, but also by means
of the fluid under pressure used for applying the other breaks throughout a railway
train.
In order that when a continuous hydraulic break apparatus (or other break
apparatus where the breaks are applied by fluid under pressure) is. used the breaks
may be applied to any carriage in case of its becoming detached from a train, I, in
addition to mounting the ordinary hydraulic break apparatus upon the carriage,
also mount upon it a small cylinder, to one end of which fluid under pressure is
permanently admitted from the accumulator. Within the cylinder is a piston,
which by the fluid pressure is forced against and compresses a coiled spring. If
the carriage becomes detached the communication between the cylinder and accumu-
lator is broken, and the piston in the cylinder is forced back by the coiled spring.
In doing so it closes the passage through which fluid under pressure was previously
supplied to the cylinder, and turns a three-way cock, or actuates valves to close the
passage between the break cylinder and the continuous pipe leading to the accumu-
lator, and at the same time to open a passage between the small spring accumulator
just deccribed and the break cylinder, thereby applying the break.
Figure 7 shews a side view, and Figure S a plan view, partly in section, of
apparatus constructed as above described; Figure 9 shews a plan view, Figure 10 a
side view, and Figure 11 an end view on a smaller scale of the apparatus affixed to
a railway carriage.
In these Figures a is a hydraulic cylinder with a hollow plunger b working in
it; c is a cup leather to form a tight joint between the plunger and the top of the
cylinder a. The top of the plunger has extending from it a rod d, around which
is a coiled spring e. This spring is, as shewn, enclosed by a tube f fixed by arms
to the cylinder a, and the spring at its end bears against the outer closed end of the
tube. Water or other fluid under pressure is admitted continuously from an
accumulator or reservoir on the guard's van or engine by a small pipe g to the end
of the cylinder a. The pressure exerted by the spring e upon the plunger bis
somewhat less than that if exerted upon it by the fluid, and consequently the
spring is maintained in a state of compression; h is a valve by which the inlet of
fluid under pressure to the cylinder a can be closed and the fluid in the cylinder
be prevented from escaping by this inlet. The valve h has a rod h¹ passing from it
and through a ring %, carried by arms at the inner end of the plunger b. On the
end of the rod ¹ is a knob 2. When the plunger is pressed outwards from the
cylinder to the extreme of its traverse, the ring comes against the knob and holds
the valve at a short distance from its seat, as shewn at Figure 8. Should,
however, any of the couplings which connect the small pipe g on one carriage to
the same pipe on another carriage be broken an outlet is thereby made for the
fluid under pressure in the cylinders a, the plunger b of the cylinder a on each of
the carriages will then be forced inwards by its spring e until the valve / comes on
to its sent, no more of the fluid under pressure in the cylinder a can then escape
by the orifice by which the fluid originally passed into the cylinder; is a spring
to ensure the closing of the valve h. From the end of the cylinder a is a small
passage, not shewn in the Drawing, communicating with a small valve chamber
in which is an exit valve l¹, ordinarily kept closed by the pressure of the fluid and
the spring. When the exit valve is opened it admits the fluid under pressure to
a passage m which conducts to the hydraulic cylinder n, by which the break blocks
are applied to the wheels of the carriage. From the passage m is also an opening
into a small cylinder o, which is in connection with the continuous pipe 2 which
passes from end to end of the train. When the breaks are to be applied in the
ordinary manner the fluid in the continuous pipe p is put under pressure by the

page_text: guard or engine driver, and passing through the passage m goes to the hydraulic
break cylinders and puts on the breaks; 7 is a valve in the small cylinder o by
which the opening from it into the passage m can be closed, this valve is ordinarily
held open by an arm on a rod r, as shewn at Figure 8. The rod passes out
through a stuffing box 8 and has upon it a collar 2, against which presses a spiral
spring t and tends to force the collar up to a hinged stop u held in the position
shewn at Figure 8 by springs ¹. When, however, the plunger b is allowed to
move inwards by the escape of fluid from the cylinder a, an arm b² projecting from
the plunger acts upon an incline on the stop and moves it away from the collar 22,
the rod r is then moved endwise by the spring t, the arm 7 is thereby moved away
from the valve q, so allowing this valve to be closed by the strong spring q', at the
same time the arm comes against the valve 7 and opens it, so allowing fluid
under pressure to pass from the cylinder a to the break cylinder to apply the
breaks. Thus all the breaks will be applied automatically in case of any of the
carriages becoming detached from the remainder of a train. I prefer that the small
pipe g, by which the water under pressure is supplied continuously to the cylinders a,
should be carried along below the centre of each carriage, and at the end of each
carriage have a branch g¹ passing to either side of the carriage. At the end of each
branch I provide a valve by which it can be closed. I also provide small flexible
coupling pipes g by which the ends of the branch pipes on two adjoining carriages
may be coupled together at either side of a train, as shewn at Figures 9 and 10.
In order to be able to put out of action the automatic arrangement for applying
the breaks should this apparatus from any cause get out of order, I couple the end
of the rod by a link to a small bell-crank lever w, a pin at the end of this link
entering a slot in the lever. The lever wis by other links and bell cranks coupled
to a weighted lever a. By turning this lever into the position shewn at Figure 10
the rod can be drawn back and be prevented from moving forward, even should
the stop be raised by the moving inwards of the ram b, thus the valve
always be held open and the hydraulic break apparatus can be worked by fluid
under pressure supplied to the break cylinders by the main pipe p, as before
explained.
will
By throwing over the weighted arm of the lever x into its other position the
small crank lever w is shifted into the position shewn at Figure 7. The slot in this
lever will then be in a line with the link v, so leaving this link and the rod free
to be moved forward by the spring t whenever the catch u is raised.
The above
arrangement of apparatus is applicable not only when water or other liquid is
employed for applying the breaks, but also when air or other fluid under pressure is
similarly used.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention the combined arrangement of
apparatus substantially as described for enabling the breaks of brake apparatus
which are worked by fluid pressure to be applied automatically in case of any of
the carriages breaking off from the remainder of a train.
In order to couple up the flexible pressure pipes between the carriages I insert
into each end of the flexible pipe a metal nozzle. On the nozzle beyond the end of
the flexible pipe a flange is provided; it has a groove in it. I lay a number of
short wires longitudinally around the end of the flexible pipe and the flange, and I
bind another wire tightly around the flange securing the longitudinal wires to it;
then I bind wire round the end of the flexible pipe to secure it to the nozzle in the
usual way, except that this binding is applied over the longitudinal wires.
Figure 12 shews the end of a flexible tube thus attached to a metal nozzle or
end.
a is the metallic nozzle; it is inserted, as shewn, into the end of the flexible
pipe b on the nozzle a, and beyond the end of the flexible pipe is a grooved flange c,
around which is a wire, to which are attached other wires d; these are laid longi-
tudinally along the end of the flexible tube. Wire is then bound round the end
of the flexible tube, binding in the wires d; the ends of the wires are then turned
over as shewn.

page_text: I claim coupling metallic nozzles or ends to the ends of flexible tubes, substan-
tially in the manner described.
I provide the metal nozzles with vulcanized india-rubber rings suitably formed
to make a tight joint when butted together. To hold together the two nozzles of a
coupling I joint to one of them a double lever, in which are curved slots which
embrace studs formed upon the other nozzle, and so the parts are drawn together.
The lever is so weighted as to hold the parts together until they are intentionally
released.
"
Figures 13 and 14 shew two metal nozzles thus coupled together. Each nozzle
has two studs a, a, projecting from it. Upon the stud of one nozzle is carried a
weighted lever b, made double, as shewn, so that the two parts come upon the
opposite sides of the other nozzle; in each part is a curved slot c, which embraces
the studs upon this nozzle, and thereby the two nozzles are drawn and held together.
Each nozzle carries a flexible washer d', as shewn at Figure 12; the two washers
meet together, and form a tight joint between the nozzles.
I claim the combined arrangement of coupling, substantially as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Dunning Barker, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
ת עגומה
DIDIZED