IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED TO CARRIAGES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CHECKING OR ARRESTING THEIR PROGRESS ON INCLINES OR WHEN GOING DOWN HILL
Year: 1861

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Edward Newton at the
Öffice of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th
September 1861-A communication from abroad by William Goode
Caporn, of Sydney, New South Wales, Merchant.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS TO BE ADAPTED TO
CARRIAGES FOR THE PURPOSE OF CHECKING OR ARRESTING THEIR PROGRESS ON
INCLINES OR WHEN GOING DOWN HILL," to be as follows:-
This Invention of improved apparatus to be adapted to carriages for the
purpose of checking or arresting their progress on inclines is applicable to
railroad carriages, or to carriages or vehicles intended to run either on common
roads or tramways.
In railroad carriages, trucks, or waggons in which the running wheels are
usually keyed fast on to the axle, which rotates in suitable bearings, a strong
ratchet barrel is keyed or otherwise secured on the rotating axle, and one, two,
or more palls are mounted on a transverse shaft or attached to a strong beam,
which is secured to the under framing of the carriage. These palls are
capable of being lifted up away from the ratchet barrel when out of use, and
if it be required to check the progress of the train, they may be instantaneously
lowered so as to take into the ratchet teeth of the barrel, and thereby prevent
the axletree from rotating, the wheels will thereby be stopped, and by rubbing

page_text: on the surface of the rails will creato such an amount of friction as will quickly
stop the train. It will, of course, be understood that each of the axlctrees of
the carriage, truck, or waggon must be provided with a similar apparatus and
stopping palls or levers, but the teeth of the two ratchet barrels must bo
inclined in opposite directions, so that whichever end of the carriage may be
advancing the stopping apparatus may be brought into use by the guard or
attendant. If desired these palls may be mado self-acting, so that when it
may bo desired to stop a train the driver will only be required to check tho
progress of the engine and tender, which instead of pulling the train forward,
will then press back tho carriages, and by that means drop the levers or
palls, and simultaneously skid or stop the rotation of at least half the wheels
throughout the train. When the train is required to proceed again the draft
of the engine will lift the palls away from the ratchet barrels, and release the
wheels and axletrees, which will then rotate freely again.
A similar arrangement of apparatus may be adapted to carriages or waggons
intended to run on common roads, but as the axletrees in this description of
carriage do not rotate, the ratchet barrels must be adapted to the naves of the
wheels. The palls or stopping lovers are, as in the other instances, secured to
a transverse shaft or beam that forms part of the under carriage.
It will be evident that by means of this apparatus a waggon may be stopped
either when going up a steep hill so as to give the horses a rest, or its progress
may be checked when going down hill, by stopping one or two of the wheels,
as may be considered desirable. The apparatus will also lock the wheels
of a carriage when standing still, and will effectually prevent the horses from
running away.