A NEW OR IMPROVED BRAKE APPLICABLE TO VEHICLES WHICH RUN ON 'TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS
Year: 1884

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
I, HARRY BOOTH of Number 5 East Albert Street, Leith, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, Tramway Rolling Stock Superintendent do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED BRAKE
APPLICABLE TO VEHICLES WHICH RUN ON 'TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS" to be as
follows:-
This Invention, which relates to a new or improved brake applicable to vehicles
which run on tramways or railways, consists of a pair of hollow tubular or
equivalent guides which are situated at one or both ends of the framing of a
train-car or railway carriage, van wagon or other such vehicle. These guides each
contain a strong spiral spring which acts upon a rod having at its lower or outer
end a wedge-shaped brake-block, which, when the brakes are being applied, is
forced into the angle formed by the tyre of the wheel with the rail, and in this
manner, that is to say, by the wedge-shaped brake-blocks acting partly upon the
surface of the tyres and partly upon the rails, the tramcars, railway carriages, or
other vehicles are retarded or stopped.
The normal condition of the said new or improved brake is to be on and in
order to release it and maintain it in the released position a chain or continuous
cord is provided which when wound up by either the guard conductor or engine
man draws the rods against the action of the spiral springs that is to say up into
their guides and therefore pulls the brake-blocks back out of contact with the
rail and tyres. The brakes apply themselves therefore automatically upon the
release of the retaining cords or chains, or in the event of the said cords or chains
becoming accidentally fractured. In the case of a train of vehicles the said
retaining cords or chains are connected from vehicle to vehicle continuously by
coupling hooks.

page_text: I, HARRY BOOTH, of number 5 East Albert Street, Leith, in the County of
Midlothian, North Britain, Tramway Rolling Stock Superintendent do hereby
declare the nature of my invention for A NEW OR IMPROVED BRAKE APPLICABLE
TO VEHICLES WHICH RUN ON TRAMWAYS OR RAILWAYS and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My Invention, which relates to a new or improved brake applicable to vehicles
which run on tramways or railways, consists of a pair of hollow tubular or
equivalent guides which are situated at one or both ends of the framing of a tram-
car, a railway Carriage, van, wagon or other such vehicle. These guides each
contain a strong spiral spring which acts upon a rod having at its lower or outer
end a wedge-shaped brake-block, which, when the brakes are being applied, is
forced into the angle formed by the tyre of the wheel with the rail, and in this
manner, that is to say by the wedge-shaped brake-blocks acting partly upon the
surface of the tyres and partly upon the rails, the tram-cars, railway carriages, or
other vehicles are retarded or stopped.
The normal condition of the said new or improved brake is to be on, and in
order to release it and maintain it in the released position a chain or continuous
cord is provided which, when wound up by either the guard, conductor or engine
man, draws the rods against the action of the spiral springs, that is to say, up
into their guides, and therefore pulls the brake-blocks back out of contact with the
rail and tyres.-The brakes apply themselves therefore automatically upon the
release of the retaining cords or chains, or in the event of the said cords or chains
becoming accidentally fractured. In the case of a train of vehicles, the said
retaining cords or chains are connected from vehicle to vehicle continuously by
coupling hooks.
In order that my said Invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed
Figure 1, is a side elevation of a portion of a tramway car provided with a set
of brakes constructed according to and constituting my present Invention.
Figure 2, is horizontal section of the same representing in plan the brake
apparatus constituting my present Invention.
In carrying out my present Invention, I provide for each wheel a, of the car or
other vehicle the hollow tubular guide b. or its equivalent. The upper part of this
guide is secured by the eye c to the brackets d, which are secured to the longi-
tudinal beam e, provided at the under-side of the car or other vehicle. The
Guide b, is provided at each end with a cap, the upper of these being preferably
formed in part with the eye c, the lower cap f, is formed with a square opening,
in and through which the square rod or bar g, is free to slide. The upper and
lower caps of the guide b, are secured against longitudinal motion by being drawn
tightly down upon the ends thereof by means of the bolts and nuts h, which pass
through and bear upon lugs formed on the said caps. Within the guide b, there is
provided a strong spiral spring the upper end of which bears against the upper
cap of the guide b, while the lower end, encircling a portion of the rod or bar g,
bears against a collar or its equivalent secured upon the said rod or bar g.—To the
lower end of the rod or bar g, is secured the fork i, by means of the cotter j, or by
its equivalent. This fork i, carries the wedge-shaped brake-block k, preferably of
hard wood, which is secured thereinto by a bolt and nut l, or by other means.

page_text: The block k, when applied to tramway cars is preferably formed at its under-side
with a longitudinal projection which travels in and along the groove of the rails,
while at its surface adjacent to the periphery of the wheel a, it is provided with a
groove for receiving therein the Hange of the said wheel. The mechanism
hereinbefore described is stayed by the forked bracket m, which prevents any
radial motion, while the arms of the fork i, at either side of the wheel a, prevent
any lateral or swaying motion of the said brake apparatus. The rods or bars g,
of the transversely opposite brakes, are connected together by means of the bar n,
at or about whose centre is secured the grooved pulley o.
_From
The normal condition of the hereinbefore described brake, is to be on, and in
order to release it and maintain it in the released position, a chain or cord as
represented upon the annexed drawing by the dotted line p, is secured at its one
end preferably to the body of the car, and then passed around the pulley o.-
the pulley o, the chain or cord p, passes over the pulley g, secured to the body of
the car or other vehicle, and thence the opposite end thereof is secured to the
vertical shaft r.- -The chain or cord p, when wound up around the shaft r, draws
the rods or bars n, against the action of their spiral springs and up into their
guides, and in this way pulls the brake-blocks k, back out of contact with the
surfaces of the rails and tyres of the wheels a. The brakes are maintained in
their released position, by the ordinary well-known means vizt:-the ratchet
wheels, and pawl t, or their equivalents. Upon the release of the shaft r, the
brakes apply themselves automatically by the spiral springs acting upon the rods
or bars g, so that, if by any accident the chains or cords p, should become fractured,
the springs would extend themselves into their normal position and thereby prevent
any serious results arising therefrom. In the case of a number of vehicles provided
with my improved brake, being joined in series, the retaining chains or cords p, are
connected from Vehicle to Vehicle continuously by coupling hooks.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my Invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
An improved brake applicable to vehicles which run on tramways or railways,
wherein a brake-block k is caused, by the action of a spring, to be forced into the
angle formed by the tyre of a wheel thereof, with the rail upon which it travels
and is released therefrom by a chain or cord p, all operating substantially as and
for the purposes hereinbefore set forth with reference to the annexed drawings.
Dated this 8th day of December 1884.
J. H. JOHNSON, DAY & JOHNSON,
Agents for the said Harry Booth.