IMPROVE- MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CONTROLLING RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Salvatore Garau, of Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, now
of No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CONTROLLING RAILWAY BRAKES."
ealed the 5th June 1877, and dated the 8th December 187
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Salvatore Garau at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th December 1876.
SALVATORE GARAU, of Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, now of No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR
CONTROLLING RAILWAY BRAKES."
My Invention is designed to afford the means whereby the brakes of railway
trains may be more promptly and efficiently controlled by the guard or brakesman
than heretofore, and to enable him to apply the brakes instantaneously, and thereby
check and stop a train running at a high speed on perceiving an indication of
danger.
For carrying my said Invention into practise I employ apparatus which I term
clockwork in combination with the brakes, which apparatus is inoperative under
ordinary circumstances, but which, when released by the guard or brakesman will
immediately effect the application of the brakes to the wheels.
The said apparatus comprises an electro magnet or electro magnets preferably
formed of the usual bobbins. In connection with these magnets I arrange armatures,
whose free ends are provided with hooks or teeth that take into the teeth of ratchet
wheels carried on a shaft or spindle which turns freely in suitable bearings. These
wheels are attached to a pinion that gears with a toothed sector which is fitted to
oscillate on another shaft or journal. This sector has an arm, which is connected
with a strong spiral spring; this sector also has on it a tooth or projection which
On the vertical shaft which carries the
serves the purpose herein-after described.
handle or hand wheel whereby the brakes are applied in the usual manner by the
guard or brakesman I fit a drum or pulley, around which I coil a rope, cord, wire,
or chain, to which is attached a weight sufficient to apply the required pressure to
Davis G21

page_text: the brakes. One side of this drum has recesses, in which are fitted pawls or catches
which work on centres or pivots so that they can project beyond the periphery of
the drum or drop within the same. In combination with these pawls I arrange a
lever with a long arm and a short arm. ' The short arm is formed with a tooth or
projection which is adapted to take under a similar projection on the said pawls,
and act as a stop to prevent the rotation of the said drum.
The long arm of the said lever extends to the electrical apparatus, and is
provided with a curved bar pivoted to its extremity; this curved bar is formed and
arranged to bear against a fixed shoulder, and is held in this position by the tooth
or projection on the aforesaid sector. And while the parts are in this position the
drum cannot rotate and the apparatus is inoperative, leaving the brake free to be
applied in the usual manner. But if the guard or brakesman, by pressing a small
stud or key, makes or completes the electrical circuit, the magnets attract the
armatures and release the aforesaid ratchet wheels from the hooks or teeth on the
armature levers. The spring then pulls the said toothed sector in such a manner as
to withdraw the tooth or projection on the said sector away from the curved bar on
the long arm of the aforesaid lever, leaving the latter free to fall away from the
fixed shoulder against which it rests. The short aim of this lever is thereby with-
drawn from the pawls on the drum, which, being thus left free, is caused by the
falling of the weight to revolve rapidly, and-thereby set or put on the brake almost
.instantaneously.
With the ordinary means for applying the brakes by band a considerable time is
lost and a long distance travelled over after the warning of danger is perceived
before the brakes can be put on. By my Invention this delay is avoided, and a
sudden check is given to the train, and the same is stopped within a very short
distance without serious inconvenience to the passengers.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Salvatore Garau in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th June
1877..
SALVATORE GARAU, of Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy, now of 8, Southampton
Buildings, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR GOVERNING OR CON-
TROLLING RAILWAY BRAKES."
My Invention is designed to afford the means whereby the brakes of railway
trains may be more promptly controlled by the guard or brakesman than heretofore,
so that he may apply the brakes instantaneously, and thereby check and stop
within a short distance a train running at a high speed on perceiving an indication
of danger.
For carrying my said Invention into practice I employ electrical apparatus
arranged in combination with the brakes through the medium of a series of gear
wheels and mechanism somewhat similar to that employed in ordinary clockwork.
The said apparatus is inoperative under ordinary circumstances, that is to say, it
'is not used for applying or setting on the brakes for ordinary stoppages, but it may
be released or reudered operative at any moment by the guard or brakesman, and
will then immediately effect the application of the brakes to the wheels.
My improved apparatus is constructed as shewn in the accompanying Drawing,
in which Figure 1 is a plan, and Figure 2 is a longitudinal section on the line x, x,
Figure 1.
Like letters indicate the same parts throughout the Drawing.
The said apparatus comprises an electro magnet or electro magnets a, preferably
forined of the usual bobbins, as shewn. In connection with these magnets I arrange
'armatures b, whose free ends are provided with hooks or teeth b¹ that take into

page_text: the teeth of the ratchet wheels c, carried on a shaft or spindle d which runs freely.
in suitable bearings in the plates or cheeks e. The said shaft also carries a ⚫pinion
that gears with a toothed sector g. This sector is fitted to oscillate on another.
shaft or journal h, and has an arm g¹, which is connected with a strong spiral
spring i. This sector y also has on it a tooth or projection g², which serves the
purpose hereinafter described. is the vertical shaft whereon is fixed the handle
or hand wheel k, whereby the brakes are applied or set in the usual manner by the
guard or brakesman. On this vertical shaft I fit loosely a drum or pulley L, and
around the latter I coil a rope, cord, wire, or chain m, to which is attached a weight
sufficiently heavy to apply the required pressure to the brakes. One side or face of
this drum has recesses, wherein are fitted pawls or catches n which work on
centres or pivots n¹ so that they can turn thereon and project beyond or outside of
the periphery of the said drum or be withdrawn and lie within the same.
In com-
bination with these pawls n I arrange a lever o with a long arm ol and a short
arm o. The short arm o² is formed with a tooth or projection o³, which is adapted
to take under a similar projection n³ on the said pawls and act as a stop to prevent
the rotation of the said drum.
The long arm o¹ of the said lever extends to the above-described electrical
apparatus, and to its extremity a curved bar is pivotted, as clearly shewn in
Figure 1. This curved bar is formed and arranged to bear against a fixed shoulder
q, and is held in this position by the tooth or projection on the aforesaid sector,
as shewn in Figure 1. And while the parts are in this position the drum or
pulley cannot rotate, and the apparatus is inoperative, leaving the brake free to
be applied by the handle in the usual manner. But if the guard or brakesman, by
pressing a small stud or key or other device provided for the purpose, makes or
completes the electrical circuit, the magnets a attract the armatures b and release
the aforesaid rachet wheels c from the hooks or teeth b' on the armature levers.
The spring then pulls the said toothed sector in such a manner as to withdraw
the tooth or projection on the said sector away from the curved bar p on the long
arm of the aforesaid lever o, leaving the latter free to move or fall away from the
fixed shoulder q, against which it rests. The short arm o³ of this lever is thereby
withdrawn from the pawls n on the drum l, which being thus left free is caused
by the falling of the weight to revolve rapidly, and thereby set or apply the
brake or brakes to the carriage wheels almost instantaneously.
As above specified the drum is fitted loosely on the vertical shaft. The neces-
sary connection between the said drum and shaft is effected by means of the stud r
and pawl 8.
The said stud projects from a boss ¹, which is keyed or otherwise
fixed on the said shaft, and the pawl 8 is fitted on the said stud. On the face of
the drum are formed shoulders or projections t, with which the said pawl engages.
This connection between the drum and the vertical shaft allows the shaft to turn
independently of the drum when turned by its hand wheel, but ensures the turning
of the shaft by the said drum when the latter is actuated by the weight as above
described.
With the ordinary means for applying the brake by hand considerable time is
lost, and the train runs a long distance after the warning of danger is perceived
before the brakes can be put on. By my Invention this delay is avoided, and a
sudden check is given to the train and the same is stopped within a very short
distance without serious inconvenience or discomfort to the passengers.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I wish it understood that I claim,―
First. The apparatus for governing or controlling railway brakes by the aid of
electricity, and comprising the drum or pulley arranged in combination with the
vertical shaft and with the devices or mechanism, whereby the said pulley is held
and released by means of the electric or electro magnetic apparatus, as above set
forth.
Second. The arrangement of the connection between the said drum and the

page_text: vertical shaft in such a manner that the brakes may be applied in the ordinary
manner while the said governing or controlling apparatus remains inoperative,
as above set forth, and for the purpose specified.
In witness whereof, I, the said Salvatore Garau, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-seven.
Witness,
H. H. LAKE,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.
SALVATORE GARAU. (L.S.)