A BRAKE FOR THE WHEELS OF COMMON ROAD CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gibson Mather, Coachmaker, of Newcastle-on-
Tyne, for the Invention of "A BRAKE FOR THE WHEELS OF COMMON ROAD
CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Sealed the 2nd April 1878, and dated the 2nd October 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gibson Mather at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd October 1877.
JOHN GIBSON MATHER, Coachmaker, of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
WHEELS OF COMMON ROAD CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES."
"A BRAKE FOR TITE
My Invention relates to that description of brake for the wheels of common road
carriages and other like vehicles in which the brake is applied by means of a lever,
and it consists of improvements in the construction and arrangement of the appa-
ratus whereby increased efficiency of action is obtained, combined with simplicity
and with economy in the cost of production.
In carrying out my Invention I employ a combination of links and levers attached
to the actuating lever, having its fulcrum by preference upon the front boot of the
carriage near the foot board, which links and levers act by means of a friction clip
upon a drum for communicating motion by means of chains, cords, or ropes, and
india-rubber or other pulleys, to the brake blocks.
The latter are suspended by the chain, cord, or rope, and are carried by lever arms
having their fulcra below the centre of the axle, the arrangement being such that
two wheels are acted upon simultaneously. By the act of operating the lever,
motion is imparted to the drum and thence to the brake blocks, which are main-
tained in contact with the wheels by reason of the drum being retained in the
position to which it has turned by means of a detent and ratchet arrangement.
When it is desired to take off the brakes the detent is released by the act of
depressing a heel plate mounted by preference on the foot board, whereby the parts
are allowed to resume their normal position with the brakes off.
The brake blocks are made of cast metal, with a hollow bed in the wearing part

page_text: fitted with india-rubber or other wearing blocks, and having a cover on the outside
which also forms a lip or guide.
In the ordinary lever brake the pressure has hitherto been excessive upon the
pump handles and springs by reason of the levers being fixed to the body of the
carriage, thereby causing a strain upon the pump handles and springs; this is
avoided by my lever suspension brake, the wearing blocks attached to the lever
arms being suspended, and thereby causing when applied a direct pressure upon
the wheels without any strain whatever upon the pump handles or springs. The
motion thus procured is a sliding one, and combines the great advantage of a direct
pressure.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Gibson Mather in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 2nd April
1878.
JOHN GIBSON MATHER, Coachmaker, of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
WHEELS OF COMMON ROAD CARRIAGES AND OTHER VEHICLES."
"A BRAKE FOR THE
My said Invention relates to that description of brakes for the wheels of common
road carriages and other like vehicles in which the brake is applied by means of a
lever, and it consists of improvements in the construction and arrangement of the
apparatus whereby increased efficiency of action is obtained, combined with sim-
plicity and with economy in the cost of production.
In carrying out my said Invention I employ a combination of links and levers
attached to the actuating lever, having its fulcrum by preference upon the front
boot of the carriage near the foot board, which links and levers act by means of a
friction clip upon a drum for communicating motion by means of chains, cords, or
ropes, and india-rubber or other pulleys, to the brake blocks.
According to one modification the brake blocks are suspended by the chain, cord,
or rope, and are carried by lever arms having their fulcra below the centre of the
axle, the arrangement being such that two wheels are acted upon simultaneously.
By the act of operating the lever, motion is imparted to the druin and thence to the
brake blocks, which are maintained in contact with the wheels by reason of the
drum being retained in the position to which it has been turned by means of a
detent and ratchet arrangement. When it is desired to take off the brakes the
detent is released by the act of depressing a heel plate mounted by preference on
the foot board, whereby the parts are allowed to resume their normal position with
the brakes off.
According to another modification the brake blocks, in lieu of being suspended
by the chain, cord, or rope, are simply operated by the same being carried by
lever arms having their fulcra on arins or brackets attached below the centre of
the axle.
The brake blocks are made of cast metal, with a hollow bed in the wearing
part fitted with india-rubber or other wearing blocks, and having a cover on the
outside.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed Sheet, of Drawings, the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.

page_text: Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side elevation partly in
section of a carriage having applied thereto brakes constructed and arranged
according to my said Invention.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the body of the carriage removed.
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and Figure 4 a plan partly in section of a portion of
the apparatus detached, drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 5 is a side elevation illustrating a modified arrangement of brake; and
Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the construction of the brake blocks, Figure 6 being a
side elevation, Figure 7 a horizontal section, and Figure 8 a longitudinal section of
the block.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, A, A', are the brake blocks arranged in connection
with the hind wheels B, B', respectively of the carriage, which blocks are carried by
lever arms C, C', having their fulcra at a, below the centre of the axle b, and are
suspended by chains, cords, or ropes D, D¹. The chain, cord, or rope D is carried
from the block A over pullies c, c, on the body E of the carriage, and wound on to
the drum F of a windlass, herein-after more particularly described, whilst the chain,
cord, or rope D' leading from the block A¹ is conducted over other pulleys c¹, c¹, on
the body E, and attached to the chain, cord, or rope D, so that the two blocks A, A',
(the lever arms C, C', of which are also connected together) both act in unison.
The brake is applied to the wheels by raising the blocks A, A', (the supporting lever
arms C, C', turning upon their fulcra a, a,) by the act of operating the chains, cords,
or ropes D, D¹, the blocks being thus caused to jamb or wedge tightly by a sliding
or tangential action against the peripheries of the wheels B, B'.
The windlass or apparatus for operating the chains, cords, or ropes D, D¹, in order
to apply and release the brakes is shewn in detail on a larger scale iu Figures 3
and 4, and next herein-after described.
The drum F before mentioned, on which the chain, cord, or rope D is wound, is
mounted fast upon a shaft or axis d, carried in bearings in brackets G, G¹, attached
to the body E of the carriage, and on the shaft or axis d is also secured a rachet
wheel Hand another wheel I, performing the functions herein-after explained.
With the teeth of the ratchet wheel H engages a detent K suspended at e from the
bracket G¹, the arrangement being such as, whilst admitting of the ratchet wheel H
(and consequently of the shaft d with the drum F and the wheel I, which it carries)
turning freely in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, to prevent any
motion in the opposite direction. The wheel I, which is formed with hollows or
recesses in its sides at f, is intended for the reception of a clip L, which embraces a
portion of the periphery of the wheel, and enters the hollow or recess fat cach side.
The clip is carried by an angular or bell-crank lever M, which is attached by a
link N, and also directly at g to another angular or bell-crank lever O, whilst the
latter is in its turn connected by a link P to a hand lever Q mounted on a centre
in the front boot of the carriage at h.
It will be obvious that by moving the hand lever Qin the direction of the arrow
in Figure 1, or imparting to it a to-and-fro motion for a sufficient period, the drum F
will, under the action of the clip L gripping and turning the wheel I, be rotated in
the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, thereby winding up the chain,
cord, or rope D, and consequently applying the brake to the wheels. The brake
will then remain on until the detent K is thrown out of gear with the ratchot
wheel H, when the blocks A, A', will descend by gravitation, unwinding the chain,
cord, or rope D.
The detent K may either be disengaged by hand, or (as preferred and shown in
the Drawings) a treddle.or heel plate R may be employed mounted on a centre at i
on the foot board S, the act of depressing the extremity of the treddle having the
effect, by elevating the opposite end 7, of lifting the detent out of gear with the
ratchet wheel.
By the use of my said Invention the pressure which in the ordinary lever brake
is excessive upon the pump handles and springs by reason of the levers being fixed
to the body of the carriage is obviated, the brake blocks attached to the lever arms

page_text: being suspended, and thereby causing when applied a direct pressure upon the
wheels without any strain upon the pump handles or springs. The motion thus
obtained is a tangential or sliding one, and combines the great advantage of a direct
pressure.
A further advantage consists in dispensing with the necessity for the use of
external levers.
If preferred, the modification shewn in Figure 5 may be adopted, in which the
brake block A is carried on one arm m of a bell-crank lever T, having its fulcrum
at n in an arm or bracket U attached, as shewn, below the centre of the axle b,
whilst the other arm o of the said lever is connected by a rod p to the chain, cord,
or rope D, the block A being forced into contact with the wheel by the act of
operating the chain, cord, or rope D, and caused to resume its normal position under
the action of a spring q on the disengagement of the detent K in the manner herein-
before explained.
It will be understood that a similar brake block is intended to be applied to the
other wheel on the axle b, the two operating in unison in the manner herein-before
described with reference to the arrangement shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
The brake blocks which it is preferred to employ are shewn in detail in Figures
.6, 7, and 8; they each consist of a cast-metal shoe r, in which is fitted a wearing
blocks of india-rubber or other suitable material, the same being enclosed by two
cheeks t attached one at each side of the block, and having projecting lips at u, so
as to embrace the periphery of the wheel.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect, I
would observe in conclusion that 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 employment of brake blocks suspended by actuating chains, cords, or
ropes, and arranged so as to operate with a tangential or sliding motion, and to
relieve the pump handles or springs from any undue pressure from the brakes, sub-
stantially as herein-before described.
Secondly. Actuating brakes by means of a windlass operated by a friction wheel
and friction clip from a hand or manipulating lever through the intervention of links
and levers, substantially as hercin-before described.
Thirdly. The combination of suspended brake blocks operating with a tangential
or sliding motion and of a windlass operated by a friction wheel and friction clip
the whole constructed and arranged substantially in the manner herein-before
described.
Fourthly. A brake block composed of a cast metal shoe, a wearing block contained
within the same, and side cheeks attached thereto, all substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Gibson Mather, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and scal, the Twenty-third day of March, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
JOHN GIBSON MATHER. (L.S.)