AN IMPROVED CONNECTING APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS AND EFFECTING A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RAILWAY GUARDS AND DRIVERS
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Seaborn Parkinson, of No. 10, Lambton
Terrace, Kensington, Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "AN
IMPROVED CONNECTING APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS AND
EFFECTING A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RAILWAY GUARDS AND DRIVERS."
Sealed the 25th January 1859, and dated the 29th July 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Seaborn Par-
kinson at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 29th July 1858.
I, GEORGE SEABORN PARKINSON, of No. 10, Lambton Terrace, Kensington,
Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"AN IMPROVED CONNECTING APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS AND
EFFECTING A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RAILWAY GUARDS AND DRIVERS," to be as
follows:-
My Invention consists of a new system of communicating power by tension
along two or more of the carriages composing a railway train, and in so
arranging the apparatus that the slack which would be occasioned by the
working of the buffer rods is taken up and obviated. To effect this, where
buffer rods are used, I propose to employ a cross bar working loosely at its
ends in supporting collars attached to the buffer rods inside the under frame.

page_text: To the centre of this cross bar is attached a chain, which is carried over a
guide pulley fixed to the frame, and thence to the smaller groove of a double
pulley supported from the frame of carriage, and to which pulley such chain is
to be connected. To the larger groove of the double pulley is to be attached
another chain which passes over a friction pulley carried by the end of a
supported rod, which rod passes under the carriage framing to near the other
end of the frame, and terminates with a similar friction pulley. This second
chain, after passing over the friction pulley before mentioned, is carried under
and beyond the end of carriage frame, and terminates with a hook for con-
necting to the apparatus of the next carriage, and is furnished with a screw
coupling for adjustment. The other end of the carriage frame is provided with a
precisely similar arrangement of cross bar, double pulley, chains, screw coupling,
&c. At equal distances from the centre of the rod, under the frame, chains or
rods are attached, which are connected to the two ends of a double lever
secured to the rocking shaft, to which rocking shaft are of course attached in
the usual manner levers for working the breaks. The ends of this system of
rods and chains are connected with the usual apparatus for working the breaks
contained in the guards' vans, and thus by the agency of tension the breaks can
be put into action; to release the breaks suitable springs or counterpoise
levers must be provided. As this apparatus terminates alike at the ends of
every carriage or truck, the carriages do not require to be turned. This system
can be carried through every carriage or truck in a train, and can be worked
from either end as desired. I may observe that any of the carriages may havo
the connecting apparatus without the breaks; and in the case of a connection
throughout the train the same apparatus may be used to give signal by sound-
ing a bell or other suitable contrivance. To compensate for any slight
difference in the pressure of the breaks upon the wheels, I propose to use a
layer of some elastic material or metallic springs between the break blocks
and iron backs of the same.
In the case where the carriages have no buffer rods, I propose to actuate a
rod, placed at the side of or under each buffer, by the buffer heads, and each
rod should pass through or under the end beam, and have attached to it under
the carriage frame a collar to carry a similar cross-bar-to-that-previously
described; the rest of the apparatus would be similar to the arrangement
specified.
My Invention can also be worked by a central buffer rod passing under the
carriage frame and terminating with a hook, to which the chain should be
attached which proceeds from the smaller groove of the double pulley. On
this buffer being driven back by a similar buffer carried by the next carriage,

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Seaborn Parkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 27th January 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SEABORN PARKINSON, of No. 10, Lambton Terrace, Westbourne Grove West,
in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said George Seaborn Parkinson, Her special licence that I, the said Georgo
Seaborn Parkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said George Seaborn Parkinson, 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 Inven-
tion for "AN IMPROVED CONNECTING APPARATUS FOR WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS
AND EFFECTING A COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RAILWAY GUARDS AND DRIVERS," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Seaborn Parkinson,
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 George Seaborn Parkinson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
My Invention consists, firstly, of a system of communicating power by
tension to the breaks of railway carriages through two or more carriages of a
railway train, and in so arranging the apparatus that the slack which would
be caused by the working of the buffer rods is obviated, and the extra tension

page_text: which would be caused by the drawing out of the draw rod is allowed for;
and, secondly, of a means of effecting a communication between the guards and
drivers. To effect the first purpose in carriages where buffer rods are used,
I propose to employ a cross bar a, Fig. 1, Sheet 1, working loosely at its ends
on the buffer rods inside the under frame of the carriage, and kept from
receding by the fixed stops b, b. To the centre of this cross bar (a front view
of which is shewn in Fig. 2) is attached a chain c, which chain, after passing
over a movable pulley d, is connected with a bar e affixed to the draw rod.
Another chain fis connected at one end to the movable pulley d, and the
other end is carried partly round and attached to the smaller diameter or
groove of a double pulley g, held by a support h, affixed to the cross beam.
A third chain is attached to the larger diameter or groove of this double
pulley, and also passing partly round it, is conducted over a pulley j,
carried by the end of a rod k, which rod is held in position by the
supports 1, 1, carrying friction rollers if desired, and passes under the carriage
framing to near the other end of the frame, and terminates with a similar
pulley. The chain i terminates with a hook or clip for connecting to the
apparatus of the next carriage, and is furnished with a screw m for adjustment;
the other end of the carriage frame is provided with a precisely similar
arrangement to that above described. To explain the action of this apparatus,
let it be supposed that the cross bar a is carried back by the buffer rods, say
one foot, the movable pulley d being then drawn by the chain c, receives but
half this distance or six inches, and draws off the same length of the chain f
from the smaller diameter of the double pulley g, which double pulley at the
same moment takes up double this length, or one foot of the chain i on its larger
diameter, and thus compensates for the movement of the buffer rods.. On
the other hand, when the draw rod draws out, say six inches, the moveable
pulley & advances lialf this space or three inches, and allows the double pulley g
to let off from its larger diameter the proper amount, or six inches of the
chain i, and thus allows for such extra tension as would otherwise occur.
At equal distances from the centre of the rod k pendent arms n, n, are affixed,
which work in slots-at-each end of a bar o, resting on the rocking shaft. The
chains p, p, are connected to the bar o and to the end-of-a-double lever q
keyed to the rocking shaft R, to which rocking shaft are of course attached
in the usual manner levers for working the breaks. This arrangement
permits the arms n, n, to work up and down in the slotted bar o, with the
movement of the carriage on its springs.
Fig. 3 shews a sectional elevation of a carriage exhibiting a modification of
the above specified arrangement. To the centre of the cross bar a, carried by

page_text: the buffer rods with their fixed stops b, b, as before explained in Fig. 1, a
chain c is attached and carried over a fixed pulley d, and then passes over
another pulley e, carried by a support f, pinned to the draw rod, and is con-
tinued over pulley g, carried by the support h, and thence to the pulley j,
carried by the rod k, held by the supports 1, 1, carrying friction rollers if
desired, and terminates with a hook or clip and screw m for adjustment.
The rod k passes under the carriage framing to near the other end of the
frame, and terminates with a similar pulley. Over the pulley e a stop at i is fixed
to the chain c to allow of its being drawn only in one direction, whereby only
such length of chain is released as may be required from the drawing out of the
draw rod carrying its pulley e. When the buffer rods actuate the cross bar a
by means of the fixed stops b, b, the chain c is carried over the several pulleys,
and thus any slack is prevented forming. The other end of the carriage frame
is fitted with a similar apparatus connected by the rod k.
This carriage is provided with a simpler plan for working either slide or
flap breaks than that previously described. A lever n is keyed to the rocking
shaft R, and to which lever a chain o has one end attached, which after
passing between two pulleys h, h, (carried by a support 9 affixed to the cross
beam of the carriage frame) is connected to the rod k, which rod on being
drawn from either end of the carriage, will cause the chain o to pull the
lever n in one direction only, and thus work the breaks. Fig. 4 shows a front
view of the cross bar a. When the carriages have outside buffers, I propose
to actuate a rod c placed at the side of or through each buffer, Fig. 5, Sheet 2;
and each rod should pass through the end cross beam and carry a cross bar a,
similar to that before described; the rest of the apparatus would be the same
as either of the above arrangements.
Fig. 6, Sheet 1, is a sectional elevation of a carriage shewing another
compensating arrangement. The loose double sliding bar a is furnished with a
socket at one of its ends, and is left plain at the other so as to form a right
and left hand socket coupling with a similar bar carried by the opposite
carriage, as shown in the plan, Fig. 7. This double bar may be if desired
furnished with stops, as shewn in the Figure, to prevent its receding too far
under the carriage, and works on supports, with friction rollers if preferred
affixed to the carriage frame. One end of a chain c is attached to the curved
end of the double bar a, and is carried over a central pulley carried by the
support b, and thence passes over another pulley d, carried by the rod e, and
terminates with a hook or clip and adjusting screw g. The rod e carries
another pulley at its other end, and is held in position by the supports f; the

page_text: other end of the carriage carries a similar apparatus. The compensation in
this arrangement is obtained by the sliding of the double bar a, by which the
contrary movements of the buffer rods and draw rod are provided for, and the
chain c always kept in a state of tension. The arrangement for working the
breaks is similar to that shewn in Fig. 3, Sheet 1.
Fig 8, Sheet 2, shews a break van fitted on the above principle, one end
only being furnished with the compensating apparatus and exhibiting the
manner of connection with an ordinary screw for working the series of breaks
The rod e is connected to the bent lever of the guard's screw by a slotted link
so as to permit this rod being drawn a short distance by the guard or driver at
the other end of the train, and thus strike a bell or other sounding apparatus
by means of the chain or cord c, which is conducted in any convenient manner
into the guard's compartment. It is obvious that this link could be kept
drawn up when the communication is not carried throughout the train, and
thus the time required to work the breaks would be economised. A central
bar, Figure 9, Sheet 2, fitted with a rotating buffer head, and terminating with
a hook, might be used in lieu of the double bar if desired, or the central bar
might be provided with a sliding tube and spring or other convenient coupling.
Fig. 10 shews the arrangement for carrying the tension under carriages
which have not breaks applied to them, and thus extending the system
throughout the train, so as also to act as a means of communication between
guards and drivers, as well as to have a continuous system of breaks.
Fig. 11 exhibits a break van, shewing the principle of working the breaks
from one end only of a van, or from both ends simultaneously, or of carrying
the tension through without acting on the screw when the van is mixed in a
train. The compensating apparatus in this van is similar to that described in
Fig. 6, Sheet 1, with the exception of the part now to be explained. A chain c
is carried over two pullies d, d, carried by the rods e, e, and thence is conducted
between two other pulleys f, f, held by a support affixed to the carriage beam,
and is then connected to a rod g, which is pinned to the break lever. This
rod G acts as a stop when the through tension is applied by another break
van, and when its own screw is worked draws the two pulleys d, d,
simultaneously if both ends of the compensating apparatus are connected to
other carriages, or consecutively if one end only is in gear and the other loose.
Fig. 12-shews-a-break-block supplied with a layer of vulcanized india
rubber or other suitable elastic material between it and its iron back, to be
used to compensate for any slight difference in the pressure of the blocks on
the wheels, should such be found necessary.

page_text: To release the breaks suitable springs or counterpoise levers or weights may
be used, or flap breaks might be set at an angle, and thereby release them-
selves by their own weight.
Having now described the nature of my Invention and the mode by which
it is to be carried into practice, I desire it to be understood that I do not
claim the exclusive use of rods and chains for gathering up the slack, but
only as shewn and described in this Specification and in the Drawings
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Seaborn Parkinson, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-seventh day of January, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
GEORGE SEABORN PARKINSON. (L.s.)