Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Railway Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 4th Jan., 1897-Accepted, 27th Feb., 1897
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Apparatus for Railway Vehicles.
I, FRED PLATT, of 59 Shelton Road, Forest Gate, in the County of Essex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
According to this invention in order that the hand operated brake of a railway
waggon or other vehicle may be applied and released and fixed in the "on" or
"off" position from either side or end of the vehicle indifferently by operations
that are similar for either side or end of the vehicle, the ordinary hand brake
levers arranged at the respective side of the vehicle are connected directly or
indirectly by connecting mechanism comprising links and one or more levers so
Constructed and arranged that when either hand lever is operated to disengage it
from its holding rack at the corresponding side of the vehicle, the hand lever at
the opposite side of the vehicle will be similarly operated through the connecting
mechanism to disengage it from its corresponding rack, and when the first
mentioned lever is re-engaged with its rack, the second lever will be re-engaged
with its rack.
My invention is specially designed for application to the ordinary hand brake
apparatus now in common use.
In one arrangement the two hand brake levers at the respective sides of the
vehicle extend in the same direction and are connected by two links or rods having
their outer ends jointed to the hand levers, or to two movable links or guides in
which the hand levers are free to move vertically or laterally. The inner ends of
the links or rods are connected to a lever of the first order pivoted to the underside
of the vehicle arranged to work' in a vertical or horizontal plane.
In another arrangement the hand levers at the respective sides of the vehicle
extend in opposite directions, one of them being fixed upon a cross shaft that is
connected with the brake blocks in an ordinary manner and is provided with an
arm that is connected by a link to the inner and shorter arm of the other hand
lever which is suitably pivoted to the vehicle framing, the arrangement being such
that movement of the free end of either hand lever will produce a corresponding
movement of the outer end of the other hand lever. The two hand levers may be
connected in either of the ways herein before explained with reference to the
other arrangement hereinbefore described. The arrangement is such that vertical
motion, of either lever is transmitted to the other lever by the link connecting one
hand lever to the brake shaft, and the lateral motion of either lever is transmitted
to the other lever either direct through the links or rods and lever or through
these parts and the movable links or guides.
The connecting mechanism may be variously modified to suit different require-
ments. Thus in the case of hopper waggons, instead of a pair of links and
centrally arranged intermediate lever, there may be three or more links connected
by bell crank levers.
To compensate for the radial motion of the transverse links, the vertical racks
used for holding the hand levers may be curved, or inclined downwards and

page_text: inwards. Also in some cases, as in the second arrangement herein before described,
a weight or spring may be used for counterbalancing the connected hand levers.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1896.
vehicles.
I, FRED PLATT of 59 Shelton Road, Forest Gate in the County of Essex
Engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to he particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement:-
According to this invention in order that the hand operated brake of a railway
waggon or other vehicle may be applied and released and fixed in the "on
"off" position from either side of the vehicle, indifferently, by operations that are
similar for either side of the vehicle, the hand brake levers arranged at the
respective sides of the vehicle are connected directly or indirectly by connecting
mechanism so constructed and arranged that when either hand lever is operated to
disengage it from its holding rack or other holding device at its side of the
vehicle, the land lever at the opposite side of the vehicle will through the aforesaid
connecting mechanism be similarly operated or affected to disengage it from its
holding device or rack, and when the first mentioned hand lever is re-engaged with
its rack or holding device the secondly mentioned hand lever will he re-engaged
with its holding device or rack.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are side view, plan and end view of one arrangement applied or
adapted to the ordinary hand brake apparatus now in common use. The two hand
levers AA at the respective sides of the vehicle are fixed on the cross shaft B
and extend in the same direction. They are connected so to say indirectly ei. by
two links or rods K K having their outer ends jointed to two movable links or
guides H H in which the had levers A Aare free to move vertically, the guides
being hung from brackets H2 on the underframe of the vehicle. The other or
immer ends of the rods K K are connected to a double armed lever L or one of
the first order pivotel to a bracket M on the underframe of the vehicle and
arranged to work in a vertical plane. Gand Gare the racks or devices for
holding the hand levers in the required positions for "on" and "off." One rack
has a number of teeth, but the other needs only to have one tooth or holding ledge
as shewn. By this arrangement the vertical movement of one hand lover is trans-
mitted to the other hand lever by the cross shaft B, while the lateral movement of
one hand lever is transmitted to the other hand lever but in the opposite direction
by means of the guides H11, the rods K K and the levers L. The push
rods D D are as usual connected to the levers CC on the cross shaft B and to the
brake blocks E E' which are suspended by hangers FF
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are side view end view and plan of another form in which the
guides are omitted and the parallel rods K K are at their outer ends jointed
to brackets H H fixed to or lorined on the hand levers A A' while their inner
ends are jointed to the double armed lever Las in the first example. To
compensate for the radial motion of the transverse links or rods K K the vertical
racks for holding the hand levers may in this case be curved or inclined
downwards and inwards.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are side view, end view and plan of another arrangement in

page_text: which the land levers A A' at the respective sides of the vehicle extend in opposite
directions one of them A, being fixed upon a cross shaft B that is connected with
the brake blocks E E in the usual manner (viz. by the levers C and push
rods D D) and has an arm or lever J that is connected by a link J' to the
inner and shorter arm of the other hand lever A' which is suitably pivoted on a
fulcrum pin K on the vehicle underframe. The hand levers work vertically in
swinging links or guides H H and the rods K K are jointed to snid guides and
to the horizontally working double armed lever L. The arrangement is such that
vertical motion of either hand lever is transmitted to the other hand lever by the
link J and lever J on the cross shaft B; and lateral motion of either hand lever
is transmitted to the other hand lever, but in the opposite direction by means of
the rods K K and the lever L. The lever L is pivoted at L'.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 are side view, plan, and end view, of another arrangement in
which the hand levers at the respective sides of the vehicle extend in opposite
directions. The hand lever A is here prolonged at A beyond its fulcrum so far
as to pass through the guide H which by a rod K is connected to the guide H' in
which the hand lever A' moves vertically. The lateral movement of one hand
lever is thus transmitted to the other hand lever but in the opposite direction.
N is a counterweight for balancing the weight of the levers. Such counterweight
may also be applied in any of the other constructions of brake apparatus herein
described.
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are side view, plan and end view of yet another such
arrangement of the haml levers. In this case the guides H H in which the hand
levers move vertically are connected by means of bell crank levers L* L2 and the
rods K and K. This arrangement is especially suitable for hopper waggons or
those fitted with bottom doors.
Fig. 16 is a plan view of an arrangement similar to that described with reference
to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, with the exception that the double armed lever L works
horizontally, its fulcrum pin being on a bracket M fixed to the underframe. The
rods K and K are jointed at one end to the arms of the lever L and are fixed at the
other end to the guides H and H' respectively which are hung from the underframe
as in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and wherein the hand levers A A' are capable of working up
and down.
Fig. 17 is an end view and Fig. 18 plan section shewing a preferred form of the
end of the shaft where the hand lever is fixed by a pin B the shaft being in this
place made oblong and a little one sided and the hole in the lever also oblong but
somewhat longer. The hand lever is thus given more freedom to move laterally
when required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is.
1. The application to hand brake levers, arranged one on each side of a railway
waggon or other vehicle, of connecting mechanism so constructed and arranged
that when either hand lever is operated to disengage it from or engage it with its
rack or other holding device the other hand lever shall also through the said
connecting mechanism be disengaged from or engage with its rack or other holding
device while being moved in the opposite direction substantially as set forth.
2. The application to hand brake levers, one on each side of a railway waggon
or other vehicle, of connecting mechanism comprising a double armed lever such
as L, ruds K K and a guide or guides H substantially as and for the purpose set
fortb.
3. The construction of hand brake lever mechanism in which the said levers
fixed on a cross shaft B are connected by guides H wherein the levers can move
vertically, a double armed lever L mounted vertically (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) or
horizontally (Fig. 16) under the underframe and rods K K connected to the
guides and to the lever L, substantially as described.

page_text: 4. The construction of hand brake lever mechanism in which the said levers
'fixed on a cross shaft B are connected by rods K K and a double armed lever L
mounted vertically under the underframe substantially as described with reference
to Figs. 4 to 6.
5. The construction of hand brake lever mechanism in which the said levers
extend in opposite directions towards the ends of the vehicle and are connected by
guides wherein the hand levers can move vertically, a double armed lever L
mounted horizontally under the underframe, rods K K, a lever J on the shaft B
which carries a single armed hand lever, and a rod J which is jointed to the other
hand lever that is double armed, substantially as described with reference to
Figs. 7-9.
6. The construction of double armed brake lever mechanism in which the said
levers extend in opposite directions towards the ends of the vehicle and are
connected by guides H wherein the hand levers can move vertically, a rod K,
a lever J on the shaft B which carries one of the hand levors, and a rod J' jointed
to the lever J and to the other hand lever substantially as described with referenco
to Figs. 10 to 12.
7. The construction of hand brake lever mechanism in which the said levers
extend in opposite directions towards the ends of the vehicle and are connected by
guides H wherein the levers can move vertically, bell crank levers L L³, rods K**
and K, a lever J on the shaft. B which carries one of the hand levers and a rod J
jointed to the lever .J and to the other hand lever which is double armed, substantially
as described with reference to Figs. 13 to 15.
8. The mode of mounting hand brake levers upon their shaft substantially as
lescribed with reference to Figs. 17 and 18.
Dated this Fourth day of January 1807
JENSEN & SON,
77 Chancery Lane, Loadou, W.C., Patent Agents.