IM- PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Seaborn Parkinson, of No. 14, Devonshire
Terrace, Kensington, Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Seaborn Parkinson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st September 1855.
I, GEORGE SEABORN PARKINSON, of No. 14, Devonshire Terrace, Kensington,
Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS" to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in fixing a fixed and a moveable " clutch " on one of the
axles of a railway carriage, and to the collar of the moveable clutch a chain is
attached in such manner as to work the jambs or shoes which break the wheels.
The moveable clutch is put in or out of gear by means of a long rod, working
other rods, and terminating with couplings at the ends of the carriage. The
clutch on the guard's carriage is brought into action by a nearly similar
arrangement, and when in gear, by means of the chains or rods connected
with it, it draws the long rods under. all the carriages in the train, and thus
brings the whole series of jambs into simultaneous action.
This Invention can be applied either as a single or continuous break.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Seaborn Parkinson in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th March 1856.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
SEABORN PARKINSON, of No. 14, Devonshire Terrace, Kensington, Middlesex,
Gentleman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of September, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said George Seaborn Parkinson, Her special licence that I, the said
George Seaborn Parkinson, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said George Seaborn Parkinson, 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 Inven-
tion for IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said George Seaborn Parkinson, my executors or adminis-
trators, 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 George Seaborn Parkinson, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement (reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed)
that is to say:-
My Invention consists in fixing a fixed and a moveable "clutch" on one of
the axles of a railway carriage, and to the collar of the moveable clutch a
chain or lever is attached or connected in such manner as to work the jambs
or shoes which break the wheels. The moveable clutch is put in or out of
gear by means of a long rod, working other rods, and terminating with couplings
at the ends of the carriage. The clutch on the guard's carriage is brought
into action by a nearly similar arrangement, and when in gear, by means of the

page_text: chains or rods connected with it, it draws the long rods under all the carriages
in the train, and thus brings the whole series of jambs into simultaneous
action.
This Invention can be applied either as a single or continuous break.
The manner in which my Invention is carried into effect is shown in the
accompanying Drawings. Figure 1 is a front elevation of an axle fitted with
my Invention for working the breaks; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the
same applied to a carriage frame; Figure 3 is a side elevation, showing the
manner in which the breaks are worked from a guard's carriage or truck.
A is a fixed, and B a moveable clutch or gland, furnished with one or more
rounded projections; the whole made of two or more separate pieces, properly
secured together by bolts or bands, or in any other convenient manner. On
the collar of the moveable clutch a cam or cam-like projection C, of any
desired size and curve, is cast or otherwise secured. The fixed clutch is keyed
to the axle A', so as to revolve with it, while the moveable clutch is free to
slide on the axle, and when brought into gear with the fixed clutch it revolves
with it. Under each carriage is a long rod D (Figure 2), held in supports
a, a, a, upon friction rollers. The rod is furnished at both ends with chains and
coupling hooks b, b. Dependent from the carriage is a support E (Figures 1
and 2), to which is centred a pronged lever F, bent and formed in such manner
as to allow for the play of the carriage on its springs. The lower ends of this
lever press against a flange c on the moveable clutch, and thus keep it out of
gear. A fixed roller G, a short moveable arm or lever H, carrying another
roller a', and a rod J, held in position by a vulcanized caoutchouc spring d,
which lies in a groove in the rod, or is connected to it in any other convenient
manner (shown detached on an enlarged scale at Figure 4), are also attached
to the bottom of the carriage, and rest on a support b', b', and a chain or
wire or other cord from the rod J passes over a roller e, and is connected to
the rod D. The support E carries a small rod f, one end of which presses
against a spring 9, and the other end against the upper end of the lever F,
and thus the moveable clutch can be thrown out of gear when required. From
the jambs or shoes which break the wheels, levers and rods or chains are
connected in such manner as may be most convenient to a pendent lever K
(also bent and formed in such manner as to allow for the play of the carriage
on its springs), resting against the collar of the moveable clutch, and free to
work upon a pin h attached to the bottom of the carriage. On the long rod D
being drawn from either end, the rod J is drawn by its chain or cord between
the fixed roller G and the roller a³, carried by the short moveable arm H,

page_text: which, by pressing back the upper end of the lever F with its rod f'and
spring g, brings the moveable clutch B into gear with the fixed clutch
which, being thus forced to revolve, causes the cam Con each revolution of the
axle to work the lever K, and thus bring into action and release the jambs or
shoes without effectually locking the wheels. The rod J should be of such
length as to allow for the play between the carriages without permitting the
clutches to come out of gear until released. Any kind of springs may be used
to ease the action of the jambs or shoes, if necessary. On the guard's carriage
(Figure 3), instead of the long rod, two shorter rods L, L, (to one of which
rods the chain or cord from the rod J is attached), also furnished with chains
and coupling hooks j, j, are used, and are attached by means of chains, wire,
or other cords to a drum M, which is connected to an ordinary screw N. 'On
the drum being made to revolve by the screw, the chains or cords are wound
up and the rods drawn, which rods, having been coupled to the long rods of
the next carriages, their action on the rods, levers, &c. throughout the train
causes the moveable clutch on each carriage to be brought into gear, and
thus brings all the jambs or shoes into simultaneous action. If applied as a
single break, the drum and screw need not be used, unless preferred; but the
chain or cord from the rod J should be conducted in any convenient manner
to the guard's compartment, and on being pulled by the guard the clutches
are brought into gear. On account of the play of the carriage on its springs,
the lever K should either be set at an angle, or be more or less bent, according
to the size of the cam, so as to prevent the wheels being locked when the
clutches are in action.
Figures 5, 6, and 7 show a modification of the preceding arrangement, the
main difference being the manner of bringing the clutches into gear. Two
supports O, O, attached to the bottom of the carriage (Figures 5 and 6), carry
cylinders or rollers k, k; also a parallel lever P, which by means of a cross bar
bears a cylinder. This lever P is held back by elastic springs m, m. The
long bar (which is held in supports upon friction rollers, and terminates
with chains and coupling hooks, as already explained,) has another bar R
affixed to it (Figure 7), with a grooved or bevelled cavity on one side, in which
the cylinder carried by the parallel lever rests when the moveable clutch is out
gear. On the long bar being drawn, the parallel lever is pressed forward by
the thicker part of the bevelled bar, and thus brings the clutches into gear.
The bar Q is held in position by elastic springs n, n.
of
And having now described the nature of my said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, as my improve-

page_text: ments in railway breaks, the causing of jambs or shoes to press against
and release the wheels in one or more carriages in a train at every revolution
of the wheels when required by means of a fixed and a moveable clutch
connected to the axle or axles, in the manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Seaborn Parkinson, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Twelfth day of March, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-six.
(L.S.) GEORGE SEABORN PARKINSON.