IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Westinghouse, junior, of No. 20, Southampton
Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK."
Sealed the 31st January 1879, and dated the 15th October 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Westinghouse at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 15th October 1878.
GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, junior, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK."
The brake blocks employed for railway rolling stock are frequently made of cast
iron or steel. When these are new, the surface presents a hard scale, such that
unless the blocks are applied with extreme pressure to the wheels, the necessary
friction for retarding and stopping the train is not obtained. Again, such break
blocks, after the hard surface scale has been worn off, are liable to undergo con-
siderable variation in their frictional hold of the wheels owing to a portion of the
metal being rubbed off the surface in the form of fine powder or dust, which acts as
a kind of lubricant between the rubbing surfaces. My Invention relates to means
of avoiding these inconveniences by constructing such break blocks in the following
manner:-Instead of casting the blocks with an even surface I cast them with a
surface grooved, or serrated, or presenting only a number of projecting parts to the
frictional wear. The hard scale on these protuberances becomes shortly worn off,
exposing the softer metal below, which under moderate pressure takes sufficient
bite on the periphery of the wheel to which it is applied. In order to provide
against the lubricating effect of the metal dust, I make the break block with trans-
verse slots or grooves at intervals apart, these grooves having a depth exceeding
the extent of the wear which the block has to undergo. The dust or powder pro-
duced by the rubbing of the wheel against the block, instead of remaining between
the rubbing surfaces, is carried by the movement of the wheel over the intervals
between the grooves, in which it is deposited, and from which it is shaken or can
from time to time be cleared out.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Westinghouse in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th
April 1879.
GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE, junior, of No. 20, Southampton Buildings, in the County
of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK."
The break blocks, employed for railway rolling stock are frequently made of cast
iron or stecl. When these are new, the surface presents a hard scale, such that
unless the blocks are applied with extreme pressure to the wheels, the necessary
friction for retarding and stopping the train is not obtained. Again, such break
blocks, after the hard surface scale has been worn off, are liable to undergo con-
siderable variation in their frictional hold of the wheels owing to a portion of the
metal being rubbed off the surface in the form of fine powder or dust, which acts as
a kind of lubricant between the rubbing surfaces. My Invention relates to means
of avoiding these inconveniences by constructing such break blocks in the following
manner: Instead of casting the blocks with an even surface, I cast them with a
surface grooved, or serrated, or presenting only a number of projecting parts to the
frictional wear.
The hard scale on these protruberances becomes shortly worn off,
exposing the softer metal below, which under moderate pressure takes sufficient
bite on the periphery of the wheel to which it is applied. In order to provide
against the lubricating effect of the metal dust, I make the break block with trans-
verse slots or grooves at intervals apart, these grooves having a depth exceeding the
extent of the wear which the block has to undergo. The dust or powder produced
by the rubbing of the wheel against the block, instead of remaining between the
rubbing surfaces, is carried by the movement of the wheel over the intervals be-
tween the grooves, in which it is deposited, and from which it is shaken or can
from time to time be cleared out.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side view, and Figs. 2 and 3
represent front views of brake blocks according to this Invention. A, A, are pro-
truberances with intermediate shallow grooves formed in the face of the block so
that when it is first applied the protruberances only become worn, exposing the
softer metal below the scale. B, B, are transverse grooves to receive the metal dust
produced by wear. The block may be made either with the protruberances A alone,
or with both the protruberances A and the grooves B, as shewn in Figs. 1 and 2, or
with the grooves B alone, as shewn in Fig. 3, which corresponds with the condition
of the block when the protruberances A are worn off. These protruberances, though
shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as simple transverse ribs, may obviously be varied in form,
as oblique ribs, or crossing ribs, or as projecting studs of various shapes.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I claim,--
First. Casting break blocks with grooved or serrated faces, substantially as and
for the purpose herein set forth.
Second. Casting break blocks with transverse grooves, substantially as herein
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Westinghouse, junior, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine
GEO. WESTINGHOUSE, JR. (L.S.)