IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS. AND IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE SAME."
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jean Alexandre Gasse, of Paris,, in the Empire of
France, Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BREAKS. AND IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE SAME."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jean Alexandre Gasse
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
12th October 1858.
I, JEAN ALEXANDRE GASSE, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY BREAKS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING THE SAME," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in constructing breaks in such manner that they
may be applied to every carriage throughout a train by means of connecting
rods worked from either or both ends of a train, and connecting between each
carriage by means of two X levers, which cross each other, and are united at
the centre by a pin or stud, around which they are free to move as a centre.
These X levers permit of the distance between the carriages being increased
or diminished within reasonable limits without interfering with the action of
the breaks. The connecting rods are united to a cross lever, which, upon
being drawn in one direction, presses two bars or springs, to the ends of which
the break blocks are attached between and against the wheels; while being
drawn in the reverse direction the lever moves the springs or bars in such
manner as to release the break blocks. The rods which work the breaks act

page_text: in a zig-zag direction throughout the train, that is to say, the motion of the
rod, say, on the left side of one carriage, will, through the X connecting lever,
communicate motion to the rod on the right side of the next carriage, and so
on in succession.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jean Alexandre Gasse in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 12th April 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEAN
ALEXANDRE GASSE, of Paris, in the Empire of France, Merchant, send
greeting.
WHEREAS IIer most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of October, 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 Jean Alexandré Gasse, Her special licence that I, the said Jean
Alexandre Gasse, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Jean Alexandre Gasse, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS, AND IN APPARATUS FOR WORKING
THE SAME," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Jean Alexandre
Gasse, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer-
tain 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 Jean Alexandre Gasse, 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 thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, that is to say:-
My Invention consists in constructing railway breaks and apparatus for
working the same in such manner that the breaks may be applied to every

page_text: carriage throughout a train by means of rods worked from either or both ends
of a train, and connected between the adjacent carriages by means of two
X levers, which cross each other, and are united at the centre by a pin or
stud, around which, as, a centre, they are free to move. These levers permit
of the distances between the carriages being increased or diminished within
reasonable limits, without interfering with the action of the breaks. At or
near the middle of each, the connecting rods are united in pairs to a cross
lever, which turns about a pin or stud at its centre, and which, upon being
drawn in one direction, moves two bars or springs, to the ends of which the
break blocks are attached, and thereby presses the blocks against the wheels;
while being drawn in the reverse direction, the lever moves the springs or
bars in such manner as to release the break blocks. The rods which work
the breaks, act in a zig-zag direction throughout the train, that is to say, the
motion of the rod, say, on the left side of one carriage, will, through the
X lever, communicate motion to the rod on the right side of the next carriage,
and so on in succossion.
In the Drawings hereunto annexed, I have illustrated the manner in which
my Invention may conveniently be carried into effect. Figure 1 is a longi-
tudinal section of the frame of one carriage and part of another with my
improvements applied thereto, and Figure 2 is a plan of the same. A is a
small vertical shaft, carrying at its lower part a double lever B, and at its
upper part another double lever C. To the lever B are fixed the rods D, D,
which are attached at their other extremities to the springs E, E, by means
of the clasps or holders F, F. The springs E, E, carry at their extremities
the break blocks G, G, which are connected in pairs by the cross bars G¹, G¹.
The weight of the springs and breaks is sustained partially by means of the
rods H, H, which suspend them from the frame. 1, I, are the rods, which
extend longitudinally along the carriages. Near to the middle of these rods
the levers C, C, are pinned, and the extremities of these rods are pinned to
the X levers J and K. These X levers are carried by the support N, the pin
which connects them moving freely in a slot made in that support. O, P, are
rods, terminating the one in a cross stud and the other in a simple slotted
hook, which falls over and embraces the said stud for the purpose of con-
necting the apparatuses throughout the train.
The parts before described are employed as follows:-The carriages being
placed end to end throughout the train, and connected by any suitable known
means, the hooks and studs last mentioned are connected by the former being
dropped over the latter, as explained. If the carriages be now either forced
together or drawn apart, the X levers J and K will close up as it were, and

page_text: also move, if necessary, along the slot in N without interfering in any way
with the rods I, I, or with the breaks worked by them. On the other hand,
the arrangement of the respective parts is such, that when motion is com-
municated to the longitudinal rods I, I, to put the breaks either into or out of
action, the whole of them will be gradually subjected to any required degree
of pressure without acting excessively upon any. The rods I, I, may be put
in motion by any suitable means, but I prefer working them all by means of
a single rod or shaft under the guard's van, moved by a handle, worm, and
worm wheel, or otherwise. When a single shaft is used in this manner, it is
necessary to adopt a contrivance for transmitting opposite or contrary motions
from it while it is moving in one direction to two rods leading to the first pair
of X levers, as will be readily understood. For this purpose I pin a transverse
'connecting rod to the ends of the single shaft and of one of the two said rods
where they meet, and to this connecting rod I attach an arm or lever, leading
to a similar connecting rod on the opposite side of the frame. To the end of
this second connecting rod, which moves of course in an opposite direction to
the like end of the first, I pin the remaining rod of the two. The other ends
of the connecting rods are slotted, and move freely upon pins in the under
side of the carriage frame.
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same may be performed, I declare that I do not confine myself to
the minor details before described, but I claim,-
First, the construction and method of operation of railway breaks and
apparatus for working the same, essentially as herein-before described and
illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
Second, the employment as apparatus for working railway breaks, of
longitudinal rods connected by cross levers, and giving motion to transverse
levers, and through them to the breaks, essentially as hercin-before described
and illustrated in the Drawings hereunto annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jean Alexandre Gasse, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of April, One thousand eight
hundred and fifty-nine.