IMPROVEMENTS IN ACTUATING TRAMWAY AND RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, WILLIAM HAMILTON BLAKENEY 10 Dudhope Place, Dundee, in the County
of Forfar, North Britain, Draper, do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ACTUATING TRAMWAY AND RAILWAY BRAKES" to be as
follows:-
This Invention which relates to improvements in actuating tramway and railway
brakes consists in the means for utilizing the momentum of the car or carriage for
this purpose, when the car or carriage is drawn by a steam or other motor.
The draw-bar between the engine and the car is attached to the engine by a pin
pivot or by other suitable means and to the car by the draw-bar being passed
through a slot in a cross bar or other strong part formed upon the end of the car
at the under part thereof, preferably between the end of the car and the near axle.
The ordinary pivoted lever and rods connected to the brake blocks upon the
wheels of the car as at present used in horse tramway cars may be employed but
in lieu of the ordinary chains to move the arms of the pivoted lever, a stiff bar is
employed which is jointed to the arm of the lever and to the end of the draw bar.
When the engine is retarded by its own brakes, the momentum of the car causes
the pivoted arm of the lever to be moved against the connecting bar, the pivoted
arm pulling the rods connected to the brake blocks and applying the blocks to the
wheels of the car.
Upon starting the engine again the draw-bar, by means of the connecting bar,
brings the arm of the pivoted lever back to its normal position and allows the
blocks to be released from the wheels, the draw bar being provided with a stop at
the proper limit.
The slot formed in the framing portion of the end of the car and through which
the draw bar works, is preferably formed as a guide for the draw bar, sufficient
side play being given for the car travelling round curves.
The car is preferably fitted with similar draw-bar connections at each end of the
car so that the brakes can be operated by the momentum of the car in either
direction in which the car is caused to travel.
When it is required to run the car backwards without operating its brakes, a
lever may be provided at the side of the car to shoot a bolt through the draw-bar
and its guide piece or slot.

page_text: In lieu of dispensing with the ordinary chains as hereinbefore referred to, these
may be retained in addition to the connected bars, in order to have hand power
for actuating the brakes in cases of emergency such as the car breaking away from
the engine upon an incline.
When two or more cars are coupled to the engine, each car will be provided with
draw bar connections at each end of the car, the momentum of the cars against
each other actuating their brakes, when the engine or locomotive is retarded or its
brakes applied..

page_text: Improvements in Aotuating Tramway and Railway Brakes.
;
I, WILLIAM HAMILTON BLAKENEY late of 10, Dudhope Place, Dundee and now
of Eden Grove, Dundee in the county of Forfar, North Britain Draper, do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN ACTUATING TRAMWAY
AND RAILWAY BRAKES and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
The object of my invention is to utilize the momentum of a moving vehicle
towards actuating its own brake-blocks when such vehicle is drawn by a steam
or other motor.
Having in my provisional specification described in a general manner the nature
and manner of carrying my invention into effect, I now proceed to describe my
invention more particularly and in detail.
At Fig. I is shown a plan of the.arrangement of the parts of my brake as fitted
to a car and looking from below upwards. In this drawing is shown a car fitted
with a double brake, that is to say fitted in such a manner that the brakes may be
actuated from either end by the motor without reversal of the car.
At a. a. a. a. Fig. I. are shown ordinary brake blocks attached by bars b. b. and
jointed rods c. c. to a pivotted lever d, which is attached to the car in any con-
venient way and as is commonly used in tram-cars and other like vehicles.
At e. e. are shown draw-bars with springs f. f. These draw bars pass through
slots in any convenient part of the framing of the car as shown at g, Fig. II. At
the parts h. h. Fig. I these draw bars are jointed to admit of sufficient play for the
turning of curves. The points for the attachment of either draw-bar to the engine
are shown at i. i. Fig. II. Between the draw-bars e. e. and the pivotted lever d.
are two rigid connecting rods shown at j. j. Fig. I The motion outward of the
draw bars at each end of the vehicle is restricted by the springs ff which serve as
the means of conveying the tractive force of the motor to the body or frame-work
of the car.
The motion inward of the draw-bars is restricted by the pivotted
lever d, which is in turn restricted in its motion by the contact of the brake-blocks
with the wheels.
The springs f. f. may be so adjusted that on the car being at rest they cause the
blocks to lie close to the wheels and may be of such a strength that any shock or
strain in starting is avoided.
At k. Fig. II is shown a locking bolt which may at the will of the operator and
by means of the chain l. be shot or dropped into or by the side of the draw bar in
such a manner as to locke the draw-bar and prevent its inward motion. This bolt
or catch releases itself automatically on the chain being slackened, but there is
provided a small supplimental catch or pin keeping it in position without the
necessity for keeping tension on the chain by hand. At Fig. III is shown the
locking bolt kept in position and abutting against the framing of the car, by the
pin or catch as shown at u.
m. m. Fig. I. are chains leading from the pivotted lever d, to ordinary brake
handles attached to the car to be used as hand brakes-as occasion may require such
as in cases of emergency arising from the car breaking away from the engine when
on an incline,

page_text: At the ends of the rigid connecting rods j. j. slots are provided as shown at n. n.
Fig. L. At Fig. IV is shown a plan and elevation of one of the slotted ends of the
connecting rods j. j.
At o. o. Figs. I and II are shown screw connections which readily admit by
means of right and left screws or other similar device of adjustment from time to
time in order to make up for wear and tear on the brake blocks.
The operation of my improved Brake is automatic and depends for its action on
the momentum of the vehicle and the resistance given by the braked motor in
front. Its action is simple and is as follows;
When the motor in front ceases to pull and is in the act of being braked the
resistance or opposing force thus created to the forward movement of the car is
met by one or other of the draw-bars e. e. and is conveyed through j. j. to the
pivotted lever d and thence through the ordinary means directly to the brake
blocks.
As before explained the backward movement of the draw bar is limited only by
the contact of the brake blocks with the wheels. It follows on an opposing force
being experienced by the draw bar from a braked motor in front that the wheels
and car run forward on the brake blocks with a pressure directly proportional to
the resistance experienced thus utilizing slowly or quickly at the pleasure of the
operator the momentum of the vehicle as a means of deminishing and ultimately
extinguishing its forward movement.
The slots at n. n. Fig. I and at Fig. IV. Firstly; admit at all times of the free
use of the hand brake. Secondly; They allow of a moderately long travel of the
draw-bar forward and therefor permit of the use of springs (f. f.) possessing great
cushioning power, and Thirdly; They allow of the whole of the other brake con-
nections remaining stationary while the draw-bar is being drawn slightly backward
and forward through variation in the tractive force of the motor or in the resistance
of the road.
In the event of the car being required to go in a backward direction the locking
bolt or catch k, Figs. I. & II. is moved by pulling chain l. This altogether
prevents the backward pressure of the motor reaching the brake-blocks.
In the event of a number of cars being run one after another it is sometimes
necessary to insert the small suplimental catch a, Fig. III. holding k. in position at
the back of each vehicle thus preventing both draw bars acting and consequently
reducing the tendency to skidding of the wheels.
I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not bind myself to the exact
proportion, or arrangement or number of parts as shown in the drawings as such
may be considerably modified without departing from the nature of my invention,
and as an instance of such modification, I show at Fig. V. my brake applied to a
bogie tram car in which the rod p. serves to join two separate systems of brakes
with vertical instead of horizontal pivotted levers, but this although a modification
is substantially the same as that already fully described:
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
The attachment and combination of draw-bar with any convenient brake
mechanism whereby the momentum of the vehicle is utilized to actuate the brake
blocks substantially as described.
. 1028