IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKE APPARATUS
Year: 1874

page_text: LEITERS PATENT to John Y. Smith, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings,
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKE
APPARATUS."
Scaled the 6th November 1874, and dated the 28th August 1874.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Y. Smith at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 28th August 1874.
I, JOHN Y. SMITH, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States of
America, now of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BRAKE APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
The said Invention relates to improvements in brakes of that class in
which the power is obtained by producing a partial vacuum, bringing
into operation the natural pressure of the atmosphere to act upon
mechanism which sets the brakes against the wheels, as set forth in the
A

page_text: 1
Specification of former Letters Latent dated January 201 A.D. FOTOS
No. 279. In these brakes the brake mechanism is actuated by means
of a partial vacuum produced in flexible air chambers, so as to bring
into action the external pressure of the atmosphere to set the brakes to
the wheels.
In practising my present Invention the form of vacuum chamber
which I prefer is a tube of india-rubber cloth, folding, when shortened,
like the bellows of an accordion, and strengthened at the angles by rings
of heavy wire. The ends are closed by heads of metal, and a chain is
connected to each head inside the flexible sides to take off the strain :
from the latter.
Another form of vacuum chamber consists of two cups sliding one
within the other by a telescopic joint, having a packing ring of india-
rubber or other suitable material compressed between flanges to make
the joint air-tight.
Another form of vacuum chamber is made of two clastic metallic
plates, preferably of thin spring steel flanged at their edges, and com-
pressed by bolts and nuts against a ring of india-rubbber to close the
joint. Several of these may be connected by tubular bolts to give the
necessary amount of action. On the opposite sides of one of the
metallic heads of the chamber, are studs forming the axles of friction
wheels. These wheels run between parallel rods carried on hangers
bolted to the under side of the carriage. The said rods form ways or
guides for the wheels which are flanged on their faces to confine them
to the ways. The flexible diaphragm may be covered by a casing of
sheet metal to protect it from injury. The other head of this diaphragm.
is rigidly secured to the frame of the carriage, and through this head
enters a branch pipe from one of the pipes which are secured in sections
under each of the carriages.
The aforesaid pipes are of wrought iron as used for gas pipes, and
should be placed on each side of the carriage, so that in case of accident
to one the other may remain operative. The parts at cach end be
may
suspended upon short chains to swing freely, and thus avoid the strain
incident to the motion of the carriages. Between the middle and end
sections of these pipes are short sections of hose, inside of which should
"be coils of wire to prevent their collapsing when the air is exhausted.

page_text: :
The end sections of pipe between two carriages are connected by slip
couplings having spring catches on the outside to hold them together,
not rigidly, but so that when the carriages are detached they will
readily draw apart without breaking the hose.
In order that the brakes shall remain operative in case of a breach in
one of the continuous lines of pipe, the two lines should be connected by
joining the hose at the end of the last carriage in the train, or they should
be connected by cross sections of flexible pipe under cach carriage.
When thus connected the said pipes should extend from the rear of the
train to the locomotive, so that under control of the engine driver the air
may be exhausted whenever it is desired to check or stop the train.
:
For exhausting the air from the pipes and flexible air chambers I
employ three different methods, which may be used independently or in
conjunction.
t
According to one method I extend the pipe into the valve chest of
the locomotive, so that when steam is shut off by opening a valve in the
pipe the piston of the cylinder as it plays from end to end may serve as
an air pump to exhaust the air from the pipe.
According to another method the said pipe is connected with an
exhaust fan to draw the air from the pipe.
But the method I prefer is to place on the said pipe a steam ejector,
to draw the air from the pipe by means of a jet of steam admitted by
the engine driver by opening a valve, as set forth in my said former
Specification.
:
The ejector that I prefer to use for this particular purpose has an
induction pipe, which is extended into the steam dome of the locomotive
and controlled by a valve operated by a lever. The steam enters an
annular chamber surrounding the air induction pipe, which is the
terminus of the pipe extending through the train. The end of this air
induction pipe is surrounded by an annular opening between it and the
converging external pipe, through which steam rushes when the valve is
opened by the said lever, drawing with it the air from the pipe and
flexible air chambers; a check valve is placed between the steam
induction pipe, and a valve which is operated by another lever for tlie
purpose of admitting air to refill the pipes and vacuum chambers when
the brakes are to be detached..

page_text: '
In some cases I discharge the steam after it has passed through the
ejector into the smoke arch, a double ejector is formed by arranging
these parts in duplicate; I propose to use the same ejector when
necessary for lifting water through a connecting pipe into the tender of
the locomotive.
The heads of the said vacuum chambers are retracted by the tension
of springs which are used to withdraw the brake shoes, and as they are
retracted the chambers are filled by air entering through the valve.
It is obvious that an air forcing apparatus might be used to force in
the return air.
The double pipes of the duplicate ejector are attached to the pipes
which are extended on each side of the carriages, and each ejector is
made of larger capacity than its own pipe to provide for leaks in the
pipes. The said ejector pipes are covered by a bonnet similar to those
used in spark catchers, curved plates divert the course of the current of
escaping steam, and turn it down into the casing to catch the water of
condensation which escapes through the drip pipe.
this bonnet the escaped steam may be discharged into the up-take of
the locomotive, or into the tank on the tender.
Instead of using
In a modification of the said ejector the steam induction pipe dis-
charges the steam centrally through a diverging nozzle around a
conical valve adjusted by a screw and crank, while the air is admitted
through an extension of the main exhaust pipe.
I may apply the brakes to the driving wheels of the locomotive as
well as to all the wheels of the carriages, so that it shall not be
necessary to reverse the locomotive in stopping.
In applying the brakes to the wheels of the locomotive and tender,
the flexible air chambers are placed under the tender and attached to
the exhaust pipes. When the heads are drawn inward by the exhaustion
of the air through the pipes by the pressure of the external atmosphere,
they carry with them rods attached to chains, which pass around shives
on the ends of a floating lever placed in stirrups. These chains are
attached to rods connected to a single draught rod which operates the
brakes on the tender, and the rods which operate the brakes on the
driving wheels are also attached to the floating lever, to serve as an
equalizer to apply uniform pressure to all the wheels of the locomotive
E

page_text: and tender.
The brakes on the tender wheels are operated by a rod
which actuates the long arm of a lever, whose fulcrum is on the shank.
of the brake shoe, and the short arm is attached to a rod that extends to
the other wheel, and actuates a similar set of levers for applying the
brakes to these wheels. The brakes are hung on links and aro
connected with springs such as are in common use for releasing tho
brakes.
The brake power is extended to the driving wheels of the locomotivo
through rods attached to the said floating lever at one end, and at the
other to the long arm of a lever which is centrally pivoted to receive
rods on each side of and equidistant from the fulcrum. In applying the
brakes it is of the greatest importance that there should be an equal
pressure on the driving wheels of a locomotive as well as on all the
wheels of a carriage; I therefore use a swinging fulcrum on a link freely
hung on an attachment to the frame of the locomotive or carriage, so as
to equalize the pressure on each wheel or pair of wheels.
The brake shoes for driving wheels are skeleton frames faced with
pieces of steel, so that they may not heat as heavy solid shoes would do.
There should be a vacuum gauge attached to the ejector so that the
engine driver may be able to apply power of determined quantity to the
brakes; in no case should the pressure be sufficient to cause the wheels
of the locomotive to slide on the track, as this would soon ruin them,
and for this reason it has been found impracticable to successfully apply
the undefined and irregular power of other brakes to the driving wheels.
of locomotives. As the power can never in any brake exceed that due
to the atmosphere, it need never be sufficient to cause the driving wheels
to slide, and with the indications of a vacuum gauge the power is under
the perfect control of the engine driver up to the limit.
In applying the power of the flexible air chambers to the brakes the
ordinary brake levers may be employed, or I may use the following:-
A bar with a rack on one side moves freely lengthwise in suitable guides
as the flexible air chambers are expanded or contracted. The teeth of
the said rack engage the teeth upon a pinion which has pins on its
face around which is wound a chain; rods connect the ends of this chain
with the brake beams or a system of levers, as preferred. As the vacuum
chamber is contracted the chain will be shortened and thus the brakes
will be set.

page_text: According to another mode of operating the brakes the chain is wound,
around shives on the short arm and fulcrum of levers attached to the
two moveable heads of the flexible air chamber. The approach of the
heads will cramp the chains and set the breaks.
I have above fully described the mechanism with which the brakes
are operated in ordinary conditions. It remains to provide against the
extraordinary conditions of an accidental severance of the train whereby
a part of the train becoming separated from the locomotive may be
stopped: This object may be accomplished by the use of hand wheels
with chains attached to the ends of one of the brake levers, as in the
case of the ordinary hand brake; or an exhaust fan may be placed in
the near carriage, and which may be operated by hand to draw the air out
of the flexible air chamber, or the fan máy be constructed with a pulley
on its shaft and operated by a belt passing around a corresponding pulley
on the axle, and provided with a belt tightener of any familiar form.
I also employ an automatic device for setting the brakes when the
train separates. In one form of this automatic device the flexible air
chambers are connected by branch pipes with exhaust pipes, and these
branch pipes connected together by an elastic piece of hose. Valves
in suitable chambers in the said branch pipes are held normally open
not to interfere with the free flow of the air out of or into the flexible
air chambers through the pipes. A metallic chamber is connected by a
pipe with the interior of the hose, and has a valve which will permit
the air to be drawn out of the chamber but not to enter it. This valve
is connected by a stem and eccentric yoke to a shaft which extends
through a tube and has its ends beveled to correspond with the beveled
ends of the stems of the said valves, so that when the shaft is turned it
will force these valves against their seats and thus cut off all connection
between the flexible chambers and their exhaust pipes. Within the hose
connecting the flexible chambers is a cylindrical perforated plug which
is clamped outside of the hose by a collar attached to an arm from which
a rope extends the entire length of the train. When the train separates
this rope will be broken, but its strength must be sufficient to shift the
arm and plug keyed to the said shaft and properly set the valves. The
capacity of the metallic chamber should be at least double that of the
flexible chambers, so that the air in the latter will flow into the said
metallic chamber and the pressure of the exteral atmosphere will act on
the heads of the cylinders to set the brakes.

page_text: In another form of this automatic device an auxilary flexible.chamber
is connected with the exhaust pipe and operates like the main flexible
chambers. To its moveable head is fastened a rod which passes through
cliptic springs and is fastened to the further side. It is also attached to
a sliding rack bar which has a longitudinal slot to receive the end of the
lever, the latter is employed in the ordinary operation of the brakes, the
slot being long enough to afford it the requisito play. When the brakes
are off, the end of this lever will rest against the end of the slot nearest
to the springs. A pawl bears against the faces of a ratchet and prevents
the return of the ratchet bar until it is disengaged by pulling the cord
which extends throughout the train. Before the train starts the engine
driver should exhaust the air and set the brakes; this will contract the
auxiliary flexible chamber and compress the springs, and the pawl and
ratchet will hold them thus compressed until a strain comes on the
aforesaid cord or rope sufficient to disengage the pawl, when the
expansion of the springs will force the end of the lever with a power
but little less than that due to the main flexible chambers, and thus set
the brakes.
Another part of my Invention relates to a method of connecting one
flexible air chamber with two sets of the brake shoes of a railway loco-
motive or carriage, so that if one set of brakes or the brakes on one side
of the locomotive or carriage should be disabled the disabled set may
be disconnected and the other set will remain effective. In this arrange-
ment a single rod extends from the moveable head of the flexible air
chamber to a rod. From the end of this rod two chains lead diagonally
one towards each side of the carriage, and passing over pulleys extend
downwards and connect with brake shoe levers whose fulcrums are on
the brake blocks, and so arranged that one movement of the head of the
flexible chamber will cause the brakes to bear on all the wheels; or I
may use two flexible chambers with this arrangement of the levers.
:
I construct an improved break shoe by forming the same with a
number of divisions on its face and placing in each of these divisions
substances of different degrees of hardness to compensate for the
different degrees of wear on the out and intermediate parts of the
bearing surface of the wheel; that is to say, I fill those divisions of
the shoe which bear on the outer portions of the wheel which wear less
than the intermediate portions thereof with silicious or other bard
"
-

page_text: material, while the divisions in the intermediate portions of the shoe
are filled partly with copper and partly with wood, or similar substances.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said John Y. Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 26th February 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN Y.
SMITH, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America, now of
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, send.greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of August, in the
ycar of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Y. Smith, Her special
licence that I, the said John Y. Smith, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Y. Smith, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter 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 Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY BRAKE APPARATUS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I,
the said John Y: Smith, my executors or administrators, by an instru-
ment in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said "Inven-
tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the
same to be filed in the Great Scal 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 Y. Smith, do hereby
declare the nature of my 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 accom-
panying Drawings forming a part of this Specification:-
The said Invention relates to improvements in brakes of that class in
which the power is obtained by producing a partial vacuum and bringing

page_text: into operation the natural pressure of the atmosphere to act upon
'mechanism which sets the brakes against the wheels, as set forth in the
'Specification of former Letters Patent dated January 23rd, A.D. 1873,
No. 279. In these brakes the brake mechanism is actuated by means.
of a partial vacuum produced in flexible air chambers, so as to bring.
into action the external pressure of the atmosphere to set the brakes to
the wheels.
⚫ The brakes of railway carriages and locomotives are commonly
operated by hand power, but several different methods have been con-
trived for operating them simultaneously by power under the control of
the engine driver. Among these methods it has been proposed to
operate them by the pressure, of steam conveyed by means of pipes
leading from the locomotive boiler to cylinders placed under the
carriages in which the steam acts by pressure upon pistons connected
with the brakes to set them against the wheels. It has also been pro-
posed to substitute in such apparatus compressed air for steam.. Others
have proposed to actuate braking mechanism by means of a partial
vacuum produced in flexible air chambers so as to bring into action the
external pressure of the atmosphere to set the brakes to the wheels.
As above stated it is to the latter class that my Invention relates.
And the said Invention consists in improved mechanical devices for
operating or adjusting the said brakes, as herein-after described, and as
illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, which I will now proceed to
describe.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 8 are clevations of a locomotive and tender provided
with the herein-described apparatus.
Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the last two
carriages of a train with my brakes attached to the same.
Figures 3, 9, 10, and 11 are bottom views of tenders and carriages
provided with the said improved brakes.
Figure 14 is a view exhibiting the ejectors and flexible air chambers
with their pipe connections.
The remaining Figures show modifications of parts of the mechanism,
and are herein-after fully described.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.

page_text: I have shown at A. the form of flexible air chamber which I prefer.
It is attached to the tender under the same and also under a portion or
all of the carriages of a train. It is a tube of india-rubber cloth, folding.
when shortened like the bellows of an accordian, and is strengthened at
the angles or folds by rings of heavy wire. The ends are closed by
heads of metal connected by a chain inside the chamber to limit the
strain upon the flexible material of the sides, as shown in section in
Figure 5. One head of the chamber is ordinarily fastened to the frame-
work of the carriage. The other head has its support through the rod
connecting it with the brakes or brake levers, which rod is supported by
stirrups attached to the carriage.
Another method is to support the iron heads on friction wheels
running on ways, which may be formed between two parallel rods a, a,.
Figure 7, or by a bar attached to the inner surface of the shield a³,
sometimes used, and which is bolted to the bottom of the carriage and
encloses the flexible air chamber to protect the said chamber, as shown
in the same Figure. The air is exhausted from the chamber A through
a branch pipe connecting it with the pipe B.
Another form of flexible air chamber, shown in Figure 5, consists of
two cups A2, one sliding telescopically within the other, with a packing
ring of india-rubber or other suitable material compressed between
flanges to make the joint air-tight.
Still another form of flexible air chamber is shown in Figures 3 and 4.
This is made of two elastic metallic plates A³, preferably of thin spring
steel, flanged at their edges and compressed by bolts and nuts against a
ring of india-rubber to close the joint. Several of these chambers may
be connected by tubular bolts, as shown in Figure 3, to give the
necessary amount of action. But, as above stated, I prefer the flexible
tubular chamber A. Through the rigidly secured head of the flexible
air chamber a branch from one of the pipes B enters the said chamber.
Should it be preferred to have both heads of the chamber movable the
communication between the chamber A and pipe B may be made
through a piece of flexible hose, as shown at 6 in Figure 5.
The pipes B are of wrought iron, such as are used for gas, and should
be placed on each side of the carriage, so that in case of accident to one
the other may remain operative. These pipes are usually in sections,

page_text: permanently attached to each carriage, and running from end to end.
On each end of the pipes there is a section of flexible india-rubber hose...
These sections of hose are connected with one another by slip couplings
having spring catches on the outside to hold them together, as shewn at B',
Figure 2, and at C, Figure 9, not rigidly, but so that when the carriages
are detached they will readily draw apart without breaking the hose::
If only one pipe is used under a carriage it should be bifurcated, and
male and female couplings should be attached to the hose in each pipe
or branch. They should be arranged on each carriage with the male
couplings diagonally across the same on opposite sides, and with the
female couplings similarly disposed, so that any carriage will be readily:
connected with either ond of any other carriage by having a male and
female coupling always opposite as the carriages approach each other..
These couplings are sometimes constructed with valves, which aro
forced open when the carriages are coupled, and will be instantly closed:
by the pressure of the air, or by gravity when the carriages are:
uncoupled, whether intentionally or accidentally..
Another method of arranging the pipes B is to divide the same into
three sections, as shown in Figure 10, the middle section being
permanently attached to the body of the carriage, while the end' sections.
are suspended upon short chains, as shown at B³, Figure 13, so as to
swing freely, and thereby acommodate the variable lengths required,
and avoiding the strain incident to the motion of the carriages. Between
the sections of pipe are short pieces of hose B³, inside of which should.
be coils of wire to prevent their collapsing when the air is exhausted..
When these sections of pipe are used the coupling required between the
carriages will be fastened to the outer ends of the pipes without the use
of flexible hose between the carriages.
In order that the brakes shall remain operative in case of a breach in
one of the lines of pipe B, the two pipes should be connected by joining
the hose at the end of the last carriage in the train, as shown at C,
Figure 9; or they should be connected by crossing sections of flexible
pipe under cach carriage. When thus connected the said pipes B should
extend in two lines from the rear of the train to the locomotive, so that
under the control of the engine driver the air may be exhausted from
the flexible chambers whenever it is desired to check or stop a
train.
:
}
}

page_text: and flexible air chambers A, and these may be used independently of
each other or in conjunction.
According to one method the pipes B extend into the valve chest of
the locomotive, so that when the steam is shut off by opening the
valves in the pipes B the pistons of the cylinders, as they play from end
to end, may serve as air pumps to exhaust the air from the pipes.
According to another method shown at B', Figure 1, the pipes B are
connected with an exhaust fan or rotary pump to draw the air from the
pipes and chambers.
A third method, and the one I prefer, is to place on said pipes B
within convenient reach of the driver, as shown at D, Figure 1, one or
more steam ejectors to draw the air from the pipes B and chambers A
by means of a jet of steam admitted at the will of the engine driver by
opening a valve in the steam pipe D², Figure 14.
There are many forms of these ejectors which might be used, but I
prefer to use the ejector shewn in Figure 14, or that shewn in Figure 15.
Figure 14 is an external view of a double apparatus; and Figure 15, a
longitudinal section of a single one. I need only describe the one
shewn in Figure 15, as that in Figure 14 has the same parts in duplicate.
The steam is introduced through the induction pipe D2, which is
extended from the steam dome of the locomotive, and is controlled by a
valve operated by the lever D. The steam enters an annular chamber
surrounding the air induction pipe D³, which is the terminus of the
pipe B extending through the train. The end of the pipe D³ is formed
as shewn, and is surrounded by an annular opening between it and the
converging external pipe, through which steam rushes when the valve is
opened by the said lever D³, drawing with it the air from the pipes B,
and the flexible air chambers A. D' is a check valve placed between
the steam induction pipe D2 and the valve D³, which is operated by a
lever D¹º for the purpose of admitting air to refill the pipes B and
flexible air chambers A when the brakes are to be retracted.
The heads of the flexible air chambers are retracted by springs, which
are used to withdraw the brake shoes, and as they are retracted the
chambers are filled by air entering through the valve D³.

page_text: It is obvious that air-forcing apparatus might be used to force in the
return air.
The double ejector pipes, shown in Figure 14, are respectively attached
to the pipes B, B, which are extended on each side of the carriages, and
cach ejector is made of larger capacity than its own pipe to prevent any.
difficulty from leaks in the pipes. The ejector pipes may discharge into
the open air, or may be covered by a bonnet similar to those used in
locomotive spark catchers. The curved plates of this bonnet De divert
the course of the current of escaping steam, and turn it down into the
casing D' to catch the water of condensation, which escapes through the
drip pipe Ds. A still better method under ordinary circumstances is to
discharge the escape steam into the smoke box or uptake of the loco-
motive, or into the tank of the tender. I propose to use the same ejector
when desirable or convenient for raising water through a connecting
pipe into the tender of a locomotive.
I have shown in Figure 16 a modification of the ejector, in which dis
the steam induction pipe discharging the steam centrally through the
diverging nozzle of the pipe d³ around a conical valve de adjusted by a
screw and crank d' while the air is admitted through the pipe d', which
is an extension of the main exhaust pipe B.
My improvements embrace the application of brakes to the driving
wheels of the locomotive, as well as to the wheels of the carriages, so
that the reversing of the locomotive will not be necessary in stopping a
train.
"
I will first describe the mode of applying the brakes to the wheels of
a locomotive and tender. This application of my Invention is shown in
Figures 8 and 9. The flexible air chambers A are placed under the
tender, and attached to the system of exhaust pipes B. When the heads
are drawn inward by the exhaustion of the air through the pipes B they
carry with them the rods E attached to the chains E', which pass around
slicaves on the ends of the "floating lever E³ loosely placed in
stirrups E. The chains E¹ are attached to rods E² connected to a
single draught rod F, which operates the brakes on the tender; and the
rods G (Figure 9) for operating the brakes on the driving wheels are
also attached to the said "floating" lever E³, which serves as an
equalizer to apply uniform pressure to all the wheels of the locomotive
and tender. The brakes F on the tender wheels are operated by the

page_text: rod F, which actuates the long arm of the lever F³ (Figure 8), whose
fulcrum is on the shank of the brake-shoe, while the short arm is
attached to the rod F that extends to the other wheels, and actuates a
similar set of levers for applying the brakes to these wheels. The
brakes are hung on links F2, and are connected with springs (not
shown) for releasing them, such as are in common use in railway
brakes.
The brake power is extended to the locomotive through the rods G
attached to the said "floating" lever E³ at one end, and at the other
end to the long arm of a lever G', which is centrally pivotted to receive
the rods G² on each side of and equidistant from the fulcrum. It is
of the greatest importance that there should be an equal pressure on
the driving wheels, and this is obtained by the use of a swinging
fulcrum on the link G, which is freely hung on an attachment to
the frame of the locomotive, so as to equalize the pressure on each
driver.
I prefer to usc brake-shoes with skeleton frames G* faced with pieces
of stcel, so that they may not heat as heavy solid shoes would do. Or
I construct an improved brake-shoe by forming the same with a number
of divisions on its face, and placing in each of these divisions substances
of different degrees of hardness to compensate for the different degrees
of wear on the outer and intermediate parts of the bearing surface of
the wheel; that is to say, I fill those divisions of the shoe which bear
on the outer portions of the wheel which wear less than the inter-
mediate portions thereof, with silicious or other hard material, while the
'divisions in the intermediate portions of the shoe are filled partly with
copper and partly with wood, or similar substances. A vacuum gauge
should be attached to the ejector, so that the engine driver may be
able to apply power of determined quantity to the brakes. In no case
should the pressure be sufficient to cause the wheels of the locomotive
to slide on the rails, as this sliding would soon destroy them. For this
reason it has been found impracticable to successfully apply the undefined
and irregular power of other brake apparatus to the driving wheels of
locomotives. But as the power can never with my brake exceed the
limit of atmospheric pressure the driving wheels never need be caused
to slide, and with the indications of a vacuum gauge
the power is under
the perfect control of the engine driver up to this limit.
are shown as attached to the wheels of an eight-wheeled carriage, as
The brakes

page_text: well as to four-wheeled carriages, the principle of operation being the
same in both cases.
In applying the power of the flexible air chambers to the brakes the
ordinary brake levers, such as shown in Figures 10 or 11, may be.
employed; or I may use the apparatus shown in Figure 3, wherein H is
a bar with a rack on one side, which moves freely lengthwise in suitable
guides as the flexible air chambers A are expanded or contracted. The
teeth of the said rack engage the pinion H', furnished with pins on its
sides, around which is wound a chain H³, as shown. Rods H³ connect
the ends of this chain H² with the brake beams, or an arrangement of
levers as preferred. As the flexible air chamber is contracted the chain
E will be shortened, and thus the brakes will be set. Should the
chain H² be located as low as the rod F in Figure 8, I employ in place
of the horizontal pinion a vertical rod for winding the chain.
According to another mode of operating the brakes indicated in
Figure 5 the chain H² is wound around sheaves on the short arm and
fulcrum of the levers I, I, attached to the two moveable heads of the
flexible air chamber A². The approach of the heads will cramp the
chains, and set the brakes.
Another part of my Invention relates to a method of connecting the
flexible air chamber with two sets of brake shoes on the fore and hind
wheels of a locomotive or carriage, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, so
that if one set of brakes, or the brakes on one side of a locomotive or
carriage, should be disabled the disabled set may be disconnected, and
the other set will remain effective. In this arrangement a rod F extends
from the movable head of the flexible air chamber A directly forward,
and from the end of this rod two chains F³ lead diagonally one each side
of the carriage, and passing over pulleys Fo extend downwards and
connect with brake shoe levers F7 on the brake blocks F¹. These chains
are so connected that one movement of the head of the flexible air
chamber A will cause the brakes to bear on all the wheels simulta-
neously; or I may use two flexible air chambers in connection with this
arrangement of brake shoe levers. These short levers may be arranged
to move either horizontally, vertically, or obliquely.
I have above fully described the mechanism with which the brakes
are operated under ordinary conditions. It remains to describe the

page_text: manner in which I provide against an accidental severance of the train,
whereby the part of the train which has become separated from the
locomotive may be promptly stopped. This object may be accomplished
by the use of hand wheels K, Figures 10 and 11, the chains of which
are attached to the end of one of the brake levers, as in the case of the
ordinary hand brake; or I place in the rear carriage of the train an
exhaust fan, which may be operated by hand, to draw the air out of the
flexible air chamber; or I provide the shaft of the said fan with a pulley,
and drive the same by a belt passing around the said pulley, and a cor-
responding pulley on the axle. A belt shifter is provided in order that 1
if the train should be accidentally divided the jerk of a cord extending
to the locomotive will so adjust the belt as to put the air pump or fan
into operation, thereby setting the brakes on the carriages that have
been detached, and stopping this detached portion of the train.
I also employ an automatic device for setting the brakes when the
train is accidentally separated. In one form of this automatic device,
shown in Figures 11 and 12, the vacuum chambers A are connected by
branch pipes with the exhaust pipes B, and these exhaust pipes are
connected by an elastic pipe or hose M². Valves M³ in boxes or chambers
in the said branch pipes are held normally open to prevent their inter-
fering with the free flow of the air out of or into the chambers A
through the pipes M³, M³. A metallic chamber M is connected by a
pipe M with the interior of the said hose, and has a valve Mo, which
will permit the air to be drawn out of the chamber M, but not to enter
it. This valve is connected by a stem and eccentric yoke to a shaft M*,
which extends through the tube M², and has its ends beveled to cor-
respond with the beveled ends of the stems of the said valves, so that
when the shaft is turned it will force these valves against their seats,
and thus cut off all connection between the flexible chambers A. and the
exhaust pipes B. Within the said flexible hose is a cylindrical per-
forated plug M, which is clamped outside of the hose by a collar
attached to an arm M³, from which a rope M extends through the entire
length of the train. When the train separates this rope will be broken,
but the strain as it breaks will shift the arm M³ and plug M³ keyed to
the said shaft M', and adjust the valves M³, and open the valve Me to
set the brakes. The capacity of the metallic chamber M should be at
least double that of the flexible air chamber A, so that the air in the
latter will flow into the said metallic chamber M, and the pressure of the

page_text: brakes.
In another form of this automatic device, shown in Figure 10, an
auxiliary flexible vacuum chamber N is connected' with the exhaust
pipe B, and operates like the main flexible chamber A. To the movable
head of this chamber is fastened a rod N', which passes through onc or
more elliptic springs N2, and is fastened to the side thereof farthest from
the said chamber. It is also attached to a sliding rack bar N³, which
has a longitudinal slot to receive the end of the lever N', which is
employed in the ordinary operation of the brakes, the slot being long
enough to afford it the requisite play. When the brakes are off, the end
of this lever will rest against the end of the slot nearest to the springs N².
A pawl No bears against the faces of the ratchet, and prevents the
return of the ratchet bar N³ until it is disengaged by pulling the cord N°,
which extends throughout the train. Before the train starts the engine
driver should exhaust the air and set the springs. This adjustment will
contract the flexible chamber N, and compress the springs N2, and the
pawl and ratchet will hold them thus compressed until the aforesaid cord
or rope N is subjected to a strain sufficient to disengage the pawl N³,
when the expansion of the springs will push the end of the lever N* with
a power but little less than that due to the action of the flexible air
chambers, and thus set the brakes.
Having thus fully described my said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The combination of the flexible air chambers and intermediate
rods and levers with brakes applied to the driving wheels of a locomotive
to retard them by the action of a limited force.
Second. The application of power to the brakes of a locomotive or
carriage through a lever turning on a "floating" fulcrum, whereby the
pressure on the opposite brakes is equalized.
Third. The mode of equalizing the application of the power to the
brakes on the tender and locomotive through the "floating "lever by
which the brake rods are operated.
Fourth. The skeleton brake shoes faced with steel plates, as hercin
described, to prevent excessive heating of the wheels.
Fifth. The construction of the brake shoes with divisions, filled with
B

page_text: Seventeenth. One or more flexible air chambers in combination with
two sets of brake shoes and brake levers on the two sides of the
carriages, as herein set forth, with reference to Figures 17 and 18 of the
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Y. Smith, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of February, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
Witness,
W. ROBT. LAKE.
JOHN Y. SMITH. (L.S.)