IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in
the County of Middlesex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS."-A com-
munication from Dominique Didier, of Voiron, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 25th January 1856, and dated the 27th August 1855..
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 27th
August 1855.
I, WILLIAM JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middle-
sex, and of Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS," a com-
munication from Dominique Didier, of Voiron, in the Empire of France, to be
as follows:-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of rail-
way breaks, whereby the train may be stopped without skidding the wheels,
thus preventing the great wear and tear of the tyres, which are unavoidable
under the ordinary system of railway breaks.
According to this Invention, the breaks themselves consist of skids or sledges
of hard wood, let into suitable cast-iron frames or sockets, which are bolted
to the carriage franiing. The ends of the ordinary suspension springs are con-

page_text: nected by links to short levers fast on the ends of transverse shafts. These
shafts are each fitted with a lever arm, in connection with rods worked by a
horizontal lever, which works on a fixed fulcrum in the centre of the carriage
framing. Another rod, connected with the end of the horizontal lever by a nut
or fast screw, serves to bring the break out of action when deemed desirable.
This shaft is prevented from turning by means of a suitable forked key or
detent, fitting on to a square or flat portion of the shaft. When this key is
raised or removed to bring the breaks into action, the weight of the carriage
turns over the levers connected with the carriage springs, and thus allows the
entire carriage with its load to descend until the skids or sledges are brought
in contact with the rail or rails, thereby speedily stopping the train. The
carriage is raised again by turning the screwed shaft, and thereby bringing the
rods & levers into their original position. The mechanism of the several
carriages of a train may of course be connected, if found desirable, by suitable
coupling, so that the whole of the skids may be applied simultaneously.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
27th February 1856..
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex, and of
Glasgow, North Britain, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters.
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of August, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said William Johnson, Her special license that I, the said William
Johnson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Johnson, my executors, administrators, or assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times. there-
after 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
RAILWAY BREAKS," a communication from Dominique Didier, of Voiron, in the
Empire of France, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Johnson, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,

page_text: 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 William Johnson, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, 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 :-
This Invention relates to a peculiar construction and arrangement of rail-
way brakes, whereby the train may be stopped without skidding the wheels,
thus preventing the great wear and tear of the tyres, unavoidable in the ordi-
nary arrangements of railway brakes.
According to this Invention, the brakes themselves consist of skids or sledges
of hard wood, let into suitable cast-iron frames or sockets, which are bolted to
the carriage framing. The ends of the ordinary suspension springs are con-
nected by links to short levers, fast on the ends of transverse shafts, placed
below the carriages. These shafts are each fitted with a lever arm, in con-
nection with rods with rods worked by a horizontal lever, which works on a
fixed fulcrum in the centre of the framing. Another rod, connected with the
end of the horizontal lever by a nut and screw, having a large pitch, serves
to bring the break out of action when deemed desirable. This shaft is pre-
vented from turning by means of a suitable forked key or detent, fitting on
to a square or flat portion of the shaft. When this key is raised or removed
to bring the brakes into action, the weight of the carriage turns over the
levers connected with the carriage springs, and thus allows the entire carriage
with its load to descend until the skids or sledges are brought in contact with
the rail or rails, thereby speedily stopping the train. The carriage is raised
by turning the screwed shaft with a winch handle, and thereby bringing the
rods and levers into their original position again. The brake mechanism
of the several carriages of a train may of course be connected, if found
desirable, by suitable coupling, so that the whole of the skids may be applied
simultaneously.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall refer
to the several Figures on the Sheet of Drawings hereunto annexed, the same
letters of reference indicating corresponding parts throughout all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the Drawings represents a side elevation of a carriage framing
with my improved brakes attached, and in action; Figure 2 is a similar view,
with the brakes raised or out of action; Figure 3 is a plan of the under side

page_text: of the framing; Figure 4 is an end elevation, corresponding to Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a similar view, corresponding to Figure 2; and Figure 6 is a detail,
which I shall herein-after more fully describe and refer to.
A, A, are slides or cast-iron frames attached to the framing of the carriage;
B, B, are wooden shoes, fixed to the under sides of the slides A, and maintained
in a parallel position with the rails, a short distance from them. The actu-
ating mechanism is so arranged, that the slides, the framing, and the entire
body of the carriage may be gradually lowered until the slides come in contact
with the rails. At this period they exert no pressure, since the carriage
springs continue in action; but as the machinery continues in play, the pressure
upou the springs is removed, and the slides then support the entire weight of
the carriage.
It will be observed that the contact of the wheels with the rails is not inter-
úpted, although they only support their own weight, thus serving as guides
merely for preventing the carriage from running off the rails. It will thus
be obvious that the operation of putting on the brakes is performed without
any sudden shock, since at the moment when the slides first touch the rails
they exert no pressure upon them.
If, in consequence of its impetus, the train continues to slide upon the rails,
this sliding action will continue for a very short distance only, when the train
will become stationary. During this motion the wheels continue to revolve,
and thus the tyres are not worn out of shape, as is the case with the brakes
at present in use, through the skidding of the tyres along the rails. This
arrangement of slides, besides possessing the advantage of security, which is
its principal object, will effect a considerable economy in the rolling stock.
Each of the carriage springs R are furnished at their extremities with two
bolts, and these bolts pass through links, through which also pass other bolts
at Q, united with the extremities of the curved levers P, Q, which are
attached to the transverse shafts N, passing across the under side of the
carriage. Each of these shafts carries a lever L, the extremity I of which
is connected to the horizontal rod K, K, (as shewn at Figure 6.) The
levers L are thus connected in pairs or couples to the rods K, K. One of
these rods is jointed at G, and the other at H, to a horizontal lever, turning
on a centre at J. This lever is prolonged at F, where it is connected to a
short rod, terminating at one end in an internal screw E. In this internal
screw is engaged the screwed portion of a rod or shaft C, D, to which motion
may be communicated by means of a winch handle. By working the winch
handle a horizontal motion is imparted to the lever F and G.
The motion of the points G and H is transmitted to the levers L through

page_text: the rods K and to the shafts N, upon which the levers are fixed. The same
movement is imparted to the short levers P, Q, thereby raising the main
framing, and bringing the skids or shoes B, B, into position ready for action.
In place of the above-described mechanism, the carriage may be raised or
lowered by means of screws, as, for example, by a wrought-iron rod, with right
and left screw threads formed upon it, for acting directly upon the four levers L.
When it is desired to put on the brakes, it is simply necessary to raise the
fork or detent L (Figures 4 and 5), thereby releasing the shaft C, D, and
allowing it to rotate, whereupon the weight of the carriage itself will bring
the skids into action.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the 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 arrangement and combination of apparatus for stopping
or retarding railway trains, as herein-before described.
Second, the application and use of brakes composed of shoes or sledges,
consisting of wrought or cast iron frames, faced with wooden blocks, and
bolted securely to the main framing of the carriage, in the manner and for the
purpose herein-before described.
Third, the peculiar combination and arrangement of mechanism for bringing
the fixed skids or shoes into or out of action, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Johnson, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Twenty-sixth day of February, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-six.