AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING PROAL
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Griffiths, of Old Street, Ludlow, in the
County of Shropshire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Griffiths at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 13th
June 1865.
I, JAMES GRIFFITHS, of Old Street, Ludlow, in the County of Shropshire,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED
SELF-ACTING BREAK FOR FOUR-WHEELED CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention is designed principally for four-wheeled carriages to be used
upon common roads, but is also equally applicable to carriages to be used upon
railways. The Invention is intended to cause the break to be self-acting, that
is to say, that the break shall be applied to the wheels whenever the carriage
descends an incline and whenever the horses are checked, or in the case of a
railway carriage, whenever the engine is slackened in speed or stopped. In
constructing a four-wheeled carriage for common roads according to this
Invention, I construct the turn plate for the fore carriage of two circular
plates or rings connected by a central bolt, the upper ring being attached by
iron loops to the body of the carriage, and the lower ring firmly connected to

page_text: the under carriage, and by means of the springs to the fore axle; the pole or
shafts is or are firmly connected to this lower ring. So far it resembles the
ordinary arrangement, but instead of the central bolt merely passing through
circular holes in the turn plates, so that they have merely a revolving or turning
motion one over the other, I construct the upper plate with a slot or mortice,
so that it is capable of a sliding motion in the direction of the draught as well
as a turning motion round the central bolt. To the centre of the lower plate
is hinged a connecting rod attached at the other end to a cross bar carrying
two break blocks a little in advance of the front part of the tires of the hind
wheels. The result of this arrangement is that as soon as the horses are
checked the progress of the under carriage is checked also, whilst the impetus
of the body of the carriage carries it still forward, and the upper plate sliding
upon the lower (in consequence of the slot or mortice), the tires of the hind
wheels of the carriage come in contact with the break blocks, and thus the
break is self-acting. It will be evident that in descending a hill or incline
the tendency of the carriage to overrun the horses will cause the upper turn
plate to slide over the lower, and thus apply the break. A projection from
the back of the upper plate serves to support and steady the carriage when
the break is on. In order to prevent the break from acting when the horses
are backed, a stop or bolt is depressed (by means of a treadle or lever) by the
driver, so as to fill up the slot or mortice, and thus prevent the turn plates or
rings from sliding one over the other. As soon as the pressure of the foot or
hand is removed from the treadle or lever the stop or bolt is withdrawn from
the slot or mortice by means of a spring or springs, and the break is then in a
position to act as before.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Griffiths in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th December 1865.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
GRIFFITHS, of Old Street, Ludlow, in the County of Shropshire, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen. Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-eighth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the s
said James Griffiths, Her special licence that I, the said James Griffiths,

page_text: my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said James
Griffiths, 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 "AN IMPROVED SELF-ACTING
BREAK FOR FOUR-WHEELED CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said James Griffiths, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Griffiths, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, and on reference to the accompanying Sheet of
Drawings, that is to say:―
This Invention is designed principally for four-wheeled carriages to be used
upon common roads, but with slight modifications is also equally applicable to
carriages to be used upon railways. The Invention is intended to cause the
break to be self-acting, that is to say, that the break shall be applied to the
wheels whenever the carriage descends an incline and whenever the
horses are checked, or in the case of a railway carriage, whenever
the engine is slackened in speed or stopped. In constructing a four-
wheeled carriage for common roads according to this Invention, I construct
the turn plate for the fore carriage of two circular plates or rings connected
by a central bolt, the upper ring being attached by iron loops to the body of
the carriage, and the-lower ring firmly connected to the under carriage, and
by means of the springs to the fore axle; the pole or shafts is or are firmly
connected to this lower ring. So far it resembles the ordinary arrangement,
but instead of the central bolt merely passing through circular holes in the
turn plates, so that they have merely a revolving or turning motion one over
the other, I construct the upper plate with a slot or mortice, so that it is
capable of a sliding motion in the direction of the draught as well as a
turning motion round the central bolt. To the centre of the lower plate is
hinged a connecting rod attached at the other end to a cross bar carrying two
break blocks a little in advance of the front part of the tires of the hind
wheels. The result of this arrangement is that as soon as the horses are

page_text: checked the progress of the under carriage is checked also, whilst the impetus
of the body of the carriage carries it still forward, and the upper plate sliding
upon the lower (in consequence of the slot or mortice), the tires of the bind
wheels of the carriage come in contact with the break blocks, and thus the
break is self-acting. It will be evident that in descending a hill or incline the
tendency of the carriage to overrun the horses will cause the upper turn plate
to slide over the lower, and thus apply the break. A projection from the
back of the upper plate serves to support and steady the carriage when the
break is on.
In order to prevent the break from acting when the horses are
backed, a stop or bolt is depressed (by means of a treadle or lever) by the
driver, so as to fill up the slot or mortice, and thus prevent the turn plates or
rings from sliding one over the other. As soon as the pressure of the foot or
hand is removed from the treadle or lever the stop or bolt is withdrawn from
the slot or mortice by means of a spring or springs and the break is then in a
position to act as before.
Such being the nature and object of my said Invention for "An Improved
Self-acting Break for Four-wheeled Carriages," I will now proceed to describe
more in detail the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or
carried into practical effect; and in order that the same may be distinctly
understood I have annexed hereunto a Sheet of Drawings illustrative thereof,
and have marked the same with figures and letters of reference corresponding
with those in the following explanation thereof, that is to say :-
The upper plate a, a, instead
In the annexed Drawing Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 a plan
view of my improved self-acting break as applied to a four-wheeled carriage
for common roads. The turn plate for the fore carriage is constructed of two
circular plates or rings a, a, b, b, connected by a central bolt c, c.
The upper
ring a, a, is attached by iron loops d, d, to the body of the carriage, and the
lower ring b, b, is firmly connected to the under carriage, and by means of the
springs to the fore axle in the usual manner.
The shafts are also connected
to this lower ring by means of the sockets e, e.
of merely having a circular hole in the centre for the bolt c, c, to pass through,
is provided with a slot or mortice f, f, so as to be capable not only of a turning
motion round the holt c, c, but also of a longitudinal sliding motion over the
plate b, b. To the centre of the lower plate b, b, is hinged a connecting rod
9, 9, attached at its other end to a lever h, h, fixed on a rod or shaft i, i, the
outer ends of which are cranked, and carry the break blocks k, k. It will
be evident from the foregoing description that this break will be self-acting,
that is, that whenever the speed of the horse is checked, or there is a tendency
of the carriage to overrun the horse, (as in descending & hill, for instance,) the

page_text: momentum of the body will cause the plate a, a, to slide over the plate b, b,
and thus apply the breaks k, k, to the front of the hind wheels, as shewn by
the red lines in the Drawing, the projection on the plate a, a, resting upon
the plate b, b, and serving to support the carriage when the break is on. As
soon as the horse commences to draw again, being connected by the shafts to
the lower plate, the latter must necessarily be first drawn back to its original
position, and the breaks be thus withdrawn from the wheels before any tractive
force is communicated to the body of the carriage. I, 1, is a bolt, by depressing
which by means of the foot or a lever so as to enter the slot f, f, or come
behind to bolt c, c, the driver can prevent the plate a, a, from sliding over
the plate b, b, whenever he wishes the breaks not to act (as in backing for
instance) and this bolt 1, 1, is raised again by a spring m, m, as soon as the
pressure of the hand or foot is removed.
Having now described the nature and object of my said Invention for
"An Improved Self-acting Break for Four-wheeled Carriages," together with
the manner in which the same is to be or may be performed or carried into
practical effect, I would remark in conclusion that I claim as my Invention
the self-acting break represented in the Drawings annexed, and above
particularly described, or any mere imitation or modification thereof constructed
and operating in substantially the same or a similar manner.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Griffiths, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Ninth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five.
JAMES GRIFFITHS. (L.9.)