Ta TV BRAKES ROD RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Jennings the younger, of Lorton, in the County
of Cumberland, Flax Spinner and Thread Manufacturer, for the Inven-
tion of "Ta TV BRAKES ROD RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES"
NG
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Jennings at the.
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 11th
February 1854.
I, JOHN JENNINGS the younger, of Lorton, in the County of Cumberland,
Flax Spinner and Thread Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CAR-
RIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of self-acting brake for
railway carriages, trucks, and other conveyances, and consists in attaching a
spring to a brake in connection with the buffers of the train, so that when the.
steam is shut off, the momentum of the carriages behind the engine acts upon
the buffers and springs, and the brakes are thereby caused to press upon the
wheels, gradually stopping the train without inconvenience to the passengers.
One of these brakes is applied to every wheel, or as many as may be required
to stop the train in case of sudden danger. In applying the brake to common
Flax Spinner and Thread Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of -the-
said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CAR-
RIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved construction of self-acting brake for
railway carriages, trucks, and other conveyances, and consists in attaching a
spring to a brake in connection with the buffers of the train, so that when the.
steam is shut off, the momentum of the carriages behind the engine acts upon
the buffers and springs, and the brakes are thereby caused to press upon the
wheels, gradually stopping the train without inconvenience to the passengers.
One of these brakes is applied to every wheel, or as many as may be required
to stop the train in case of sudden danger. In applying the brake to common

page_text: road carriages the backing action of the horse in descending a hill causes the
break to bear upon the wheels, thereby tending in a great measure to retard
the motion of the vehicle.
In conveyances of two wheels a slide will be employed in addition to the
brake, which will allow the body of the vehicle to move back on the axle in
descending a hill, thereby lessening the weight on the back of the horse when
a backward pressure is exerted. In ascending a hill the body of the vehicle
is moved forward over the axle, to bring the weight more over the back of
the horse.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Jennings in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN
JENNINGS the younger, of Lorton, in the County of Cumberland, Flax Spinner
and Thread Manufacturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of February, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said John Jennings the younger, Her special license that I, the said
John Jennings the younger, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Jennings the younger, my executors, administrators,
or 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 BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John Jennings the
younger, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Jennings the younger, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be

page_text: performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the accompanying Drawings and to the
letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say:-
My said Invention relates to an improved construction of self-acting brake
for railway carriages, trucks, and other conveyances, and consists in attaching
a spring to a brake in connection with the buffers of a railway train, so that
when the steam is shut off, the momentum of the carriages behind the engine
acts upon the buffers and springs, and the brakes are thereby caused to press
upon the wheels, gradually stopping the train without inconvenience to the
passengers, and with a considerable saving of time in stopping the trains at the
stations. One of these brakes is applied to every wheel, or as many as may
be required to stop the train in case of sudden danger.
In applying the brake to common road carriages, the backing action of the
horse in descending a hill causes the break to bear upon the wheels, thereby
tending in a great measure to retard the motion of the vehicle.
In conveyances of two wheels a slide will be employed, in addition to the
brake, which will allow the body of the vehicle to move back on the axle in
descending a hill, thereby lessening the weight on the back of the horse when
a backward pressure is exerted. In ascending a hill the body of the vehicle
is caused to move forward over the axle, so as to bring the weight more over
the back of the horse.
And in order that my said Invention may be more readily understood I
shall now proceed to describe the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed. Fig. 1 of the accompanying Sheet of Drawings repre-
sents a longitudinal section of part of two railway carriage framings, shewing
my improvements in elevation. Fig. 2 is a corresponding part plan of the
same, shewing only one side of the carriage framing. Fig. 3 represents a.
longitudinal section of a portion of the frame of a two-wheeled conveyance
for common roads, shewing my improvements in elevation; and Fig. 4 is a
detail plan of a portion of the same, which will be herein-after described.
A, A, is the carriage framing, through which are passed the rods B, B, of the
buffers C, C. A recessed disc or cup D is fitted on to the inner ends of each
of the buffer rods, and receives one extremity of the helical springs E, E,
which fit into it. The opposite ends of these springs bear against and fit into
a similar recessed disc or cup F, on the end of the brake rod G. This rod
slides in the fixed brackets H, H', (secured to the carriage framing,) and is
kept pressed towards the helical spring E by the short counteracting spring I,
which bears against a recessed or cupped collar J, fitted on to the brake rod

page_text: and against the bracket H', which is bolted to the framing. The counteracting
spring I is for the purpose of removing the brake block K from the periphery
of the carriage wheel L, after the undue pressure against the buffers which
has brought the brake into action has been removed. In place of helical
springs, ordinary plate or other springs may be used. The brake blocks may
be composed of wood, and may be connected by a transverse bar M, which
serves to unite or tie them together. They are connected to the brake rod G
by the brackets N, which are bolted to the brake rod at O. The action of
this brake is as follows:-When the steam is shut off on the engine, the
momentum of the carriages in the after portion of the train will act upon the
buffers and compress them, thereby bringing the brake into action by pushing
back the brake rods in the direction shewn by the arrows in Fig. 1 and 2;
and as the whole or a greater portion of the buffers will be fitted with brakes
similar to that shewn in my Drawing, it follows that the train will be brought
to an easy and gradual stoppage, without any sudden shock or other incon-
venience to the passengers. By reversing the engine the brakes will, of
course, be brought into action much quicker. The same principle is employed
in the application of this brake to common road conveyances, the "backing"
or backward pressure exerted by the horse producing the same effect as the
momentum of the railway carriages. This will be better understood, perhaps,
on reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the Drawings. A represents the shafts of
a two-wheeled conveyance; they are connected with two cranked metal slides
B, by the ordinary springs C, one of which only is shewn in the Drawings.
The slide B rests upon & slides over the surface of the grooved metal sup-
port D, which is secured to the axle E. A pin or bolt F is passed vertically
through the axle, & serves to secure the supporting piece D thereto. This
pin projects through a metal sliding piece F, which slides in a slot G, about
six inches back and six inches forwards, formed in the slide B, as shewn
in the detail plan of the slide, and supports D at Fig. 4. The break
blocks (one of which only is shewn) are attached to a transverse bar,
which is suspended from the shafts A by links I, & is connected by
rods J to the helical or other springs K, in the metal slides before men-
tioned attached to each shaft. These springs are secured at one end to
the slide B, and bear at their other ends against the pin F. Another pair
of springs L, only one of which is shewn in the Drawing, is secured to
the opposite end of the slides B, & bears against the opposite side of the
pin or sliding piece F, to keep it near the centre of the slot G, as shewn at
Fig. 4. The action of this apparatus is as follows:-When the vehicle is

page_text: ascending a hill the increased amount of tractive power exerted by the horse
in the shafts a, will cause the shafts with the body of the vehicle (not shewn
in the Drawings) to move forward or slide along the supports D, thereby
bringing the weight of the vehicle more over the back of the horse, by altering
its equilibrium on the axle. In descending a hill, however, the backward
pressure exerted by the horse against the shafts will cause the body of the
vehicle to slide back along the supports D, thereby lessening the weight on
the back of the horse, whilst at the same time the brakes H are brought into
action, as the rods J, which are attached to the springs K, will move back-
wards, & the brake will thereby be brought in contact with the periphery of
the running wheels M. By attaching the rods J to the springs K, an elastic
pressure will be exerted against the wheels, which will allow for any sudden
shocks which may occur by the uneveness of the road. It will thus be
obvious that as the vehicle is ascending or descending a hill, a certain pressure
will be exerted against one or other of the helical springs K and L, which
bear against the pin F as a fixed centre, and thereby afford a species of elastic
drawing medium, which will greatly relieve the horse by obviating the sudden
shocks occasioned by irregularity in the road, as well as render the conveyance
more easy to ride in by obviating any irregularities of traction. Although I
have only described my self-acting brake as applied to common road con-
veyances of the two-wheeled class, yet it is obviously applicable to carriages,
coaches, carts, or waggons with four wheels, the same principle of the back
pressure of the horse bringing the brake into actioin being carried out
much as in the manner herein-before described with reference to the railway
brakes illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2 on my Drawings.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict
myself to the precise details or arrangements which I have had occasion
to describe or refer to, as many, variations may be made therefrom without
deviating from the principles or main features of the said Invention; but
what I consider to be novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent, is,―
First, the general construction and arrangement of self-acting brakes for
railway and other carriages or waggons, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of the counteracting spring I, in Fig. 1
and 2 of the Drawings, for returning the brake rod after having been brought
into action, as herein-before described.

page_text: Third, the peculiar construction and arrangement of vehicle herein-before
described, wherein the body of such vehicle is made to change its equilibrium,
and thereby increase or diminish the weight on the back of the horse when
ascending or descending a hill.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Jennings the younger, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Seventh day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and fifty-four.
JOHN JENNINGS. (L.S.)