IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Smith, junior, of Belfast, in the Kingdom of
Ireland, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR
RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 27th June 1854, and dated the 17th February 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Smith at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 17th February
1854.
I, GEORGE SMITH, junior, of Belfast, in the Kingdom of Ireland, Civil
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVED
MACHINERY FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES" to be as
follows:-
The chief object of this Invention is to distribute equally to a set of con-
nected brakes the pressing power imparted thereto by the brake rod. To this
end, whether the brakes be blocks acting upon the periphery of the carriage
wheels or friction straps acting upon drums carried by the wheels, I distribute
the pressure by means of springs which are affixed to the framing of the carriage,
and are severally connected at their extremities by jointed arms to a pair of
brakes. The brakes I work by a crank motion, which is actuated through the
brake rod by the brakesman in the ordinary way or otherwise, as may be de-
sired; and when employing blocks as brakes, I connect the blocks to the crank
motion by an arrangement of levers forming a kind of parallel motion, which

page_text: will ensure the perfect contact of all parts of the friction surface of the brakes
with their respective wheels.
When using the strap brake I prefer to employ in connection therewith a
drum attached to instead of being cast with the wheel, and in order to attach
it I form the drum with lugs on its inner periphery, and through these I pass
clamping bolts which, by taking hold of the spokes of the wheel, will secure
the drum firmly thereto.
5
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Smith in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 17th
August 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SMITH, junior, of Belfast, in the Kingdom of Ireland, Civil Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Smith, junior, Her special license that I, the said George
Smith, junior, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said George Smith, junior, 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 Invention for
IMPROVED MACHINERY FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said George Smith, junior, by añ
instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 George Smith, junior, do hereby declare
the nature of my 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 Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the
letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say) :-

page_text: The chief object of this Invention is to distribute equably over a set of
connected brakes the pressing power imparted thereto by the brake rod. To
this end, whether the brakes be blocks acting upon the periphery of the carriage
wlieels, or friction straps acting upon drums or friction wheels carried by the
running wheels, I propose to distribute the pressure by means of springs
affixed to the framing of the carriage, and connected at their extremities to
the brakes. The brakes I work by a crank motion, which is actuated through
the brake rod by the brakesman in the ordinary way or otherwise, as may be
desired; and when employing blocks as brakes I connect the blocks to the
crank. motion an arrangement of levers forming a kind of parallel motion,
which will ensure the perfect contact of all parts of the friction surface of the
brakes with their respective wheels.
In the accompanying Drawings Fig. 1 represents in side elevation a railway
carriage frame, with one arrangement of my improved brake apparatus applied
thereto; the apparatus being shewn both in action and at rest, the better to
explain its construction and operation. A is a horizontal wrought iron rod
connected to the brakes by means of bell crank levers B, and intended to
throw the brakes in and out of action. This rod is acted upon by a bell crank
lever and screw in the usual manner. C, C, are short rods connecting the crank
levers B with their respective cross heads or shackles D, which are themselves
connected at opposite ends through the links E, E, E, to the back of a pair of
blocks or shoe brakes F, F; G, G, are fixed guide plates, through a slot in
which the centre pins carrying the cross heads or shackles D pass, and in which
they are enabled to slide vertically; H, H, are bow springs hung on centres,
and connected by means of links I (which are jointed to their extremities).
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-When the connecting rod A is
drawn forward by the screw on the foot-board of the tender or carriage, it acts
upon the bell crank levers B, and through the connecting rods C and the
centre pins of the shackles D these shackles are depressed. The downward
action of the shackles D, in connection with the links E, forces all the brake
blocks or shoes F simultaneously against the wheels of the carriage, and by
means of the springs H, the pressing power imparted to the brakes is equally
distributed to the brake blocks F.
Fig. 2 shews in side elevation a modification of the above-described brake
apparatus applied to the frame of a six wheel railway carriage, friction straps
being in this example used instead of the brake blocks or shoes of Fig. 1. A is
a wrought iron rod to which the friction straps of the several brakes are jointed.
This rod is acted upon by a bell crank lever and screw in the usual manner,
and by its action the friction straps are caused to clip the friction wheel; B, B,

page_text: are bow springs attached to the frame of the carriage, and intended by their
elasticity to compensate for any irregularity arising from unequal wear of the
friction surfaces, or from other causes; C, C, are metal friction straps pendent
from the extremities of the springs B, and lined with blocks of wood D. This
wooden lining is secured to the friction straps by bolts in the usual manner;
E, E, are friction wheels attached to the running wheels of the carriage, and
intended to receive the pressure of the friction straps; F, F, are adjusting
screws for determining the length of the friction straps; G, G, are guides for
the connecting rod A. The drawing back of the connecting rod A contracts
the friction strap C, and causes it to clip the friction wheel E with an elastic
or yielding (in place of a grinding) pressure by reason of the springs B, which
regulate the action of the brakes by correcting any irregularity arising from
wear or other causes, and afford the means of equalizing (as in the former
example) the frictional pressure put upon the several friction wheels.
Fig. 3 represents a further modification of my improved brake apparatus,
coiled springs B being employed in this instance in place of the bow springs of
the above-described arrangements. The springs B, it will be seen, are mounted
on the top of the framing, and they respectively serve to bear up pendent rods
B*, which carry the friction straps. These rods B* pass through their respec-
tive springs, and through guides C bolted to the under side of the framing, and
they are provided at their upper end with a nut or shoulder which bears upon
the top of the spring. Connected to the lower end of each pendent rod is a
cross head or shackle D, to the opposite ends of which the ends of a friction
strap E are jointed. The cross heads D rock on fulcrum studs carried by
the rods B, and they are operated by means of the links which connect them
with the brake rod A. When, therefore, the rod A is drawn forward by the
brakesman in the direction of the arrow, the cross head D will be vibrated;
and caused to draw the friction strap tight against the friction wheel or
drum F, and if too much pressure is put upon the wheel, the spring B will
yield slightly, and adjust the strap to the required pressure.
When using strap brakes I prefer to employ in connection therewith drums
or friction wheels attached to instead of being cast with the running wheels.
In order to attach the drum to its running wheel I provide it with lugs on its
inner periphery, and through these I pass clamping bolts which by taking hold
of the spokes of the running wheel will secure the drum firmly thereto. This
mode of attachment will be readily understood by reference to Figures 4, 5,
and 6, which represent both the inner and outer face of a running wheel so
provided, and likewise an edge view, partly in section, of the wheel. a is the
drum, set concentrically with the running wheel b, and secured to the inner

page_text: face thereof by clamping bolts c, which pass through the lugs d of the drum,
and clip the spokes of the running wheel.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "Improved Machinery
for Retarding and Stopping Railway Carriages," and explained the manner of
carrying the same into effect, I wish it to be understood that under the above
in part recited Letters Patent I claim,―
First, the mode of equalizing the action of connected brakes, as above
explained.
And, secondly, the method above set forth of applying the friction wheel or
drum and strap as a brake for railway carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Smith, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Fourteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
5 Witness,
EDMUND GETTY,
of Belfast.
GEO. SMITH, JUN. (L.S.)