PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAK APPARATUS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAK APPARATUS."-A communica
abroad by Claude Parigot and Antoine Grivel, Engineers, both of 29,
Boulevart St. Martin, Paris.
Sealed the 21st June 1864, and dated the 30th January 1864.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
30th January 1864.
1, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAK APPARATUS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to an improved skid brake for railway carriages.
This apparatus may be used, 1st, as an ordinary brake for stopping trains,
and 2ndly, as a self-acting skid in case the couplings break, preventing the
carriages from running back should such an accident take place on an incline,
as is most frequently the case from the greater strain at such points.
The apparatus is fitted with a double arrangement of parts, so that it is not
necessary to turn the carriages in order to use it. The part acting as a brake
when travelling in the one direction serving as a skid when moving the
reverse way. The locking power of this brake is very great, and it has the
further advantage of preventing the wear of the wheels of brake vans occasioned
by the sliding of said wheels on the rails, the apparatus is also under the
complete control of the brakesman, may be used with any number of carriages,
allows of backing a train with freedom, and in fact may be used as an ordinary
brake, or as a skid under any conditions without altering existing rolling stock.

page_text: The only permanent expense incurred is in the renewal of the brake surfaces
as they become worn out, which is the case with all brakes.
A disc signal may be fixed at each end of the van to which this improved
apparatus is applied, as seen in Fig. 3 of the Drawing. The signal being set
in motion by the levers working the skid brakes would apprize the detached
portion of the train of an accident caused either by a coupling breaking, or
voluntarily in case of distress, as when baving an insufficient amount of steam,
being over weighted, the machinery becoming disarranged, or from other
cause. This improved disc signal may be further used for indicating to a
following train the position of the portion abandoned through accident or
distress, as the train following may always by reason of its brake power
perceive the obstacle in sufficient time to avoid a collision. The employment
of this disc signal also offers the following advantages, viz., that if in conse-
quence of insufficient steam or being over weighted the driver is obliged to
stop the train on an incline to get up steam or otherwise, it is only necessary
for him to depress the lever of the skid brakes, which would immediately act
on the disc protector. The mechanical arrangements for producing the results
herein-before described may be varied as desired. I have, however, represented
one arrangement in Fig. 1 of the accompanying Drawings, which I prefer as
being the most simple, while Fig. 2 represents a plan of same.
In Fig. 1, the brakes are represented as being balanced, that is, they do
not touch or fall by their own weight on the wheels. The brakes are worked
by the ordinary hand lever, while the safety skids are depressed a part G¹,
but as in this arrangement the brakes may serve both purposes alternately, I
find it of advantage to connect the part G, which is placed on the side of the
ordinary brake, and disconnect part G₁ on the side of the safety brake.
In Fig. 1 the metal block G is seen bearing on the brakes, while the
part G¹ bears on the rear brakes. The brakesman in applying the brakes has
only a weight of about 1 cwt. to act on, which he brings to bear on the rear
brakes, if, on the contrary, a breakage takes place, this weight represented by
the part G' forces down the rear brakes and immediately stops that part of
the train. If the train be running in the opposite direction the part G will
gear with the brakes and the part G be raised. The same letters apply to
the three Figures of the Drawing.
A, A', jointed coupling rods; B, B', brake levers; C, C', bars connecting
said levers to short arms D, D, connected to levers E, carrying brake
surfaces F; G, G₁, metal blocks mounted loosely on the brake levers.
Fig. 3 represents the action of the disc signal before described on the brake
lever is fixed a rod I connected to a crank J, fixed to the lower end of a

page_text: stem K carrying the disc L. It will thus be understood that when the rear
brakes are depressed they bear against the actuating lever, thereby turning
the crank of the said disc, the same action taking place on each side of the
carriage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
29th July 1864.
.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer and
Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh
year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Clark, Her special licence, that I, the said William
Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the
said William Clark, my executors, administrators, and 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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY BREAK APPARATUS," a communication to me from abroad by
Claude Parigot and Antoine Grivel, Engineers, both, of 29, Boulevart St.
Martin, Paris, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Clark, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my,
or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain 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 William Clark, 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 two Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
-
This Invention relates to an improved skid brake for railway carriages.
This apparatus may be used, 1st, as an ordinary brake for stopping trains;

page_text: and, 2ndly, as a self-acting skid in case the couplings break, preventing the
carriages from running back should such an accident take place on an incline,
as is most frequently the case from the greater strain at such points. The
apparatus is fitted with a double arrangement of parts, so that it is not neces-
sary to turn the carriages in order to use it. The part acting as a brake
when travelling in the one direction, serving as a skid when running the
reverse way. The power of this brake is very great, and it has the further
advantage of preventing the wear of the wheels of brake vans occasioned by
the sliding of said wheels on the rails, the apparatus is also under the
complete control of the brakesman, may be used with any number of carriages;
allows of backing a train with freedom, and in fact may be used as an ordi-
nary brake and as a skid under any conditions without altering existing rolling
stock. The apparatus may be applied in several ways, either by single acting
brakes being applied in the manner shown at Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, double acting
by means of a chain, that is, each brake acts in the same direction, or they
may be mounted on a separate shaft, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case the
chains may be replaced by rods and levers. In cases where the brake is not
desired to be worked by the driver, this may be effected either by placing a lever
at each end of the carriage, or it may be one at the centre, the lever being
attached to the bar connecting the small levers D, which in this case may be
jointed, or any other known means may be employed. The only permanent
expense incurred is in the renewal of the brake surfaces as they become worn
out, which is the case with all brakes.
A disc signal may be fixed at each end of the van to which this improved
apparatus is applied, as seen in Fig. 3 of the Drawings. This signal being
set in motion by the levers working the skid brakes would indicate (especially
by night) the detached portion of the train if an accident caused either by
a coupling breaking, or voluntarily in case of distress, as when having an
insufficient amount of steam, being over weighted, the machinery becoming
disarranged, or from other cause. This improved disc signal may be further
used for indicating to a following train the position of the portion abandoned
through accident or distress, as the train following may always by reason of
its brake power have ample opportunity to avoid a collision from the time
the obstacle is first seen. The employment of this disc signal also offers the
following advantage, viz., that if in consequence of insufficient steam, or being
over weighted, the driver is obliged to stop the train on an incline to get up
steam or otherwise, it is only necessary for him to depress the lever of the
skid brakes, which would immediately act on the disc protector. The mecha
nical arrangements for producing the results herein-before described may be

page_text: varied as desired. I have however represented one arrangement in Fig. 1 of
the accompanying Drawings, which I prefer as being the most simple.
In Fig. 1 the brakes are represented as being balanced, that is, they do
not touch or fall by their own weight under the wheels. The brakes are
worked by the ordinary hand lever by the driver or other person appointed,
while the safety skids are depressed by a part G', but as in this arrangement
the brakes may serve both purposes alternately, I find it of advantage to
connect the part G, which is placed on the side of the ordinary brakes, and
disconnect part G₁ on the sides of the safety brakes.
In Fig. 1 the metal block G is seen bearing on the brakes, while the
part G bears on the rear brakes. The brakesman in applying the brakes has
only a weight of about one hundredweight to act on, which he brings to bear
on the rear brakes, if, on the contrary, a breakage takes place, this weight,
represented by the part G, forces down the rear brakes, and immediately stops
that part of the train. If the train be running in the opposite direction, the
part G will gear with the brakes, and the part G raised. The same letters
apply to the three Figures of the Drawing.
A, A', jointed coupling rods; B, B', brake levers; C, C', bars connecting
said levers to short arms D, D, connected to levers E carrying brake sur-
faces F; G, G¹, metal blocks mounted loosely on the brake levers. Fig. 3
represents the action of the disc signal before described; on the brake lever
is fixed a rod I connected to a crank J fixed to the lower end of a stem K
carrying the disc L. It will thus be understood that when the rear brakes
are depressed they bear against the actuating lever thereby turning the crank
of the disc, the same action taking place on each side of the carriage.
Fig. 4 represents a detached view of a railway carriage wheel furnished
with brakes both in front and rear. In this Figure it will be seen that the
brake levers carry pins at their ends which support and guide the brake.
These pins traverse in slots made in the body of the brake for the purpose of
ensuring its perfect action; even when much worn these pins may either slide
freely in said slots or they may be fixed therein by means of bolts and nuts.
In the latter case and when the wear is very considerable the brake surfaces
should be lowered and again fixed in the requisite position.
Fig. 5 shows an arrangement in which the brakes instead of being lowered
by the action of parts G and G' are worked by means of chains wound on
a barrel carried under the carriage. The end of these chains are attached to
the coupling bars and answer the same purpose as the levers shown in
Figs. 1 and 2. The brakes in their application can be varied according to
their form, nature, and material, as also according to the kind of carriage

page_text: to which they are to be applied and the construction of the lines on which
they are to act. The brake block B which is made of wood may also be
shod with iron at the extreme end or its frictional parts might be entirely
encased in iron, or lastly the brake may be made entirely of iron or steel
if judged expedient. Any other arrangement on the same principle as those
herein described may also be adopted which experience may suggest.
Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of a brake block on an enlarged scale
in position and as it would appear in action, and with the line rail and guard
rail as at a crossing, it is composed of three pieces; the part a is fixed to the
levers E before mentioned between which and part a' bolted thereto the
frictional surface b is fixed.
Having described the nature of this Invention and the manner of perform-
ing the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by
the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the arrangement of self-acting skid brakes herein-before described,
which act in case of couplings breaking on inclines, and serves otherwise as
ordinary brakes, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the peculiar arrangement and disposition of the parts of the brakes,
whereby either one or other may serve as a skid or brake without reversing
the carriage, as herein described.
Thirdly, the arrangements of parts described, whereby a powerful locking
action is induced which in a comparatively short time reduces the acquired
speed of the train.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
Witness,
JAMES DAISH,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)