Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Feb., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 6th Nov., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 14th Dec., 1888
I, ALBERTUS PHILLIPPUS KAPTEYN of The Westinghouse Brake Company, Limited
of Canal Road, Kings Cross in the County of Middlesex, Engineer do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:
==
This invention relates to those arrangements of fluid pressure automatic brake
apparatus in which the brake cylinder is brought into action by a discharge of air
pressure from the brake pipe that extends along the train and communicates with the
brake apparatus of the several vehicles. The present invention has for its object to
enable the whole of the brake apparatus of the train to be brought very rapidly into
full action when required, and it consists mainly in providing at each apparatus an
escape port governed by a slide or valve connected to or moved by a piston or
diaphragm, whereby the brake pipe may, when required, be put in direct communi-
cation with the atmosphere, so as to rapidly reduce the air pressure therein, and thus
bring the successive brake apparatus more rapidly into action than is the case when
the air pressure is made to pass from the brake pipe into the brake cylinder as
described in the Specifications to Patents No. 1676 of 1887 and No. 275 of 1888.
The invention is applicable as well to that construction of brake apparatus in which
the air pressure is admitted to the brake cylinder from a separate auxiliary reservoir
through a triple valve apparatus of well known construction, as to that arrangement
in which the brake cylinder itself constitutes the auxiliary reservoir, the brakes being
brought into action by exhausting the air pressure more or less from one side of the
brake piston.
Thus referring to the arrangement of triple valve described in Patent 467687 in
which a supplemental valve is caused by a considerable stroke of the triple-valve piston
to open a direct communication between the brake pipe and brake cylinder, according
to the present invention instead of causing the slide to establish such communication,
it is made to open a port leading to the atmosphere, so that the air pressure can
escape directly from the brake pipe into the atmosphere, and in order to automatically
close such port again when the brakes are fully applied, a valve is provided in the said
port which is connected to a piston or diaphragm, one side of which is in restricted

page_text: communication with the brake cylinder, so that the air pressure in the latter in acting
slowly upon the piston or diaphragm will close the said valve and thus prevent any
escape of air pressure when this is admitted into the brake pipe again for releasing
the brakes.
In like manner, the modified arrangements of supplemental valve or slide and piston
described in Patent No. 275 of 1888 may be employed for the purposes of this
invention by doing away the communicationg between the chamber containing the
supplemental valve and piston and the brake cylinder, and forming in the said
chamber a port communicating with the atmosphere, so that when the valve or slide is
opened, the air pressure can escape directly from the brake pipe into the atmosphere
through such port. The air pressure admitted in the space behind the supplemental
piston by the triple valve slide for moving this so as to effect the opening of the valve
or slide, is enclosed in the said space when the triple-valve slide is in its extreme
position, and gradually leaks past the piston into the atmosphere, whereupon the
piston and valve or slide are moved back into the closed position by a spring.
In applying the said invention to the description of brake apparatus in which the
brake cylinder constitutes the auxiliary reservoir, such as is described in Patent
No. 191 of 1882, there is a chamber communicating with the brake pipe and con-
taining the piston and valve that open a communication between the one end of the
brake cylinder and the atmosphere when the air pressure is more or less reduced. In
applying the present invention to this arrangement, the said chamber is provided with
a port leading to the atmosphere, such port being closed by a slide or valve connected
to the said piston, so that when this makes a considerable stroke, the slide opens the
port and causes the air pressure to escape from the brake pipe. When the air
pressure in the brake cylinder and the brake pipe have both become reduced to that
of the atmosphere, a spring forces the piston and the slide back into its original
position again so as to close the exhaust port.
It will be evident that instead of using a lift valve for exhausting the air from the
brake cylinder as described in the Specification 191 of 1882 a slide may be used as in
some other constructions of brake apparatus of this kind.
Dated this 10th day of February 1988
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Fluid Pressure Automatic Brake Mechanism.
I, ALBERTUS PHILLIPPUS KAPTEYN, of The Westinghouse Brake Company Limited,
of Canal Road, Kings Cross, in the County of Middlesex, Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement :-
This invention relates to those arrangements of fluid pressure automatic brake
apparatus in which the brake cylinder is brought into action by a discharge of air
pressure from the brake pipe that extends along the train and communicates with the
brake apparatus of the several vehicles. The present invention has for its object to
enable the whole of the brake apparatus of the train to be brought very rapidly into
full action when required, and it consists mainly in providing at each apparatus an
escape port governed by a slide or valve connected to or moved by a piston or
diaphragm, whereby the brake pipe may, when required, be put in direct communica-
tion with the atmosphere, so as to rapidly reduce the air pressure therein, and thus
bring the successive brake apparatus possibly still more rapidly into action than is
the case when the air pressure is made to pass from the brake pipe into the brake
cylinder as described in the Specifications to Patents No. 4676 of 1887 and
No. 275 of 1888.
The invention is applicable as well to that construction of brake apparatus in which
the air pressure is admitted to the brake cylinder from a separate auxiliary reservoir
through a triple valve apparatus of well known construction, as to that arrangement
in which the brake cylinder itself constitutes the auxiliary reservoir the brakes being
brought into action by exhausting the air pressure more or less from one side of the
brake piston.
Thus, referring to the arrangement of triple valve described in Patent No. 4676
of 1887 in which a supplemental valve is caused by a considerable stroke of the
triple-valve piston to open a direct cominunication between the brake pipe and brake
cylinder, according to the present invention instead of causing the slide to establish
such communication, it is made to open a port leading to the atmosphere, so that the
air pressure can escape directly from the brake pipe into the atmosphere, and in
order to automatically close such port again when the brakes are fully applied, a valve
is provided in the said port which is connected to a piston or diaphragm one side of
which is in restricted communication with the brake cylinder, so that the air pressure
in the latter in acting slowly upon the piston or diaphragm will close the said valve
and thus prevent any escape of air pressure when this is admitted into the brake pipe
again for releasing the brakes.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a vertical section of the valve
apparatus constructed according to my above described invention.
The general construction of the apparatus is precisely the same as described in the
before mentioned Patent No. 46767 except an unimportant change in the slide of the
triple valve referred to hereinafter, the parts being marked by the same letters of
reference and therefore requiring no further description.

page_text: The passage 38 with openings 37 closed by the secondary slide valve 36 instead of
being in communication with the brake cylinder as in the original Patent is in this
case made to communicate through a check valve 45 with one or more escape
openings 46 leading to the atmosphere so that when the slide valve 36 is opened by a
sudden and considerable escape of air pressure from the brake pipe at 17 as described
in the original Patent the air pressure will then escape directly past the valve 45
which it forces open and through openings 46 and will thus enable the excess of air
pressure in the auxiliary reservoir (which is connected at 6 to the space 23) to rapidly
move the piston 12 outward to a still greater extent thereby further opening the
communication between the reservoir and the brake cylinder for the increased
application of the brakes and at the same time cause a quick and large reduction in
the brake pipe pressure which reacts on the triple valve of the following vehicle and
so on with the greatest rapidity.
When this movement has been effected to its full extent it is necessary that the
valve 45 should be closed to limit if desired the escape of air pressure from the train
pipe by giving the spring 52 its propor tension and also to allow the pressure in the
brake pipe to be afterwards increased for releasing the brakes. This is effected
automatically by the air pressure in the brake cylinder when the brakes are applied
by the following arrangement.
The valve 45 is connected to a diaphragm 47 in a chamber 48 which communicates
by a pipe 49 with the passage at 16 leading to the brake cylinder so that when the
air pressure is admitted to the latter it will act upon the diaphragm 47 so as to close
the valve 45. But in order to prevent this action from taking place until the desired
reduction of pressure in the brake pipe has taken place the pipe 49 has its two ends
closed by washers or plugs 50 having only very small openings and in addition a
stem 51 on the boss of the diaphragm is made to fit with tolerable accuracy into the
passage leading to the pipe 49 so that a sufficient lapse of time takes place before
sufficient air pressure can leak through the plugs or washers 50 and past the stem 51
into chamber 48 to effect the closing of the valve 45. When the brakes are released
and the slide valve 36 is closed again the air in the chamber 48 is exhausted through
the exhaust port of the triple valve and the valve 45 is held on to its seat by the
spring 52.
In the Patent No. 4676 the port 32 in the slide of the triple valve was made of a
comparatively reduced size, so as to dolay the arrival of full pressure in the brake
cylinder, in order to give the air from the brake pipe time to arrive there first and so
cause the desired quick and considerable reduction in the brake pipe. Since in the
present arrangement the air from the brake pipe is discharged into the atmosphere
there is no further necessity for delaying the arrival of full pressure in the brake
cylinder and therefore the port 32 is done away with and the slide shortened so as to
uncover the full bore of the passage leading to the brake cylinder when the brakes
are applied with full force.
In like manner the modified arrangements of supplemental valve or slide and piston
described in Patent No. 275 of 1888 may be employed for the purposes of this
invention by doing away with the communication between the chamber containing
the supplemental valve and piston and the brake cylinder and forming in the said
chamber a port communicating with the atmosphere, so that when the valve or slide
is opened the air pressure can escape directly from the brake pipe into the atmosphero
through such port. The air pressure admitted in the space behind the supplemental
piston by the triple valve slide for moving this so as to effect the opening of the
valve or slide is enclosed in the said space when the triple valve slide is in its extreme
position and gradually leaks past the piston into the atmosphere whereupon the piston
and valve or slide are moved back into the closed position by a spring.
Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings shews by way of example the required
modification of the valve apparatus shewn at Figure 8 of the drawing to the said
Patent 275 of 1888, the several parts being indicated by the same reference figures
as in the latter. The only alterations required are firstly that the communication
between the chamber 54 and the port 16 leading to the brake cylinder is closed and a

page_text: communication between this chamber and the atmosphere established through a
port A, and secondly that the check valve 49 and spring 50 of the original arrange-
ment are done away with. The position of the ports in the slide valve of the triple
valve and its seat is slightly altered so as to suit the case as hereafter described. The
action will then be as follows:
For applying the brakes with moderate force the action is precisely the same as
described in the principal Patent.
For applying the brakes quickly with great force a considerable reduction of
pressure is effected in the brake pipe thereby causing the piston 12 to move the
slide valve 14 down so as first to cause some air pressure to pass from the auxiliary
reservoir into the brake cylinder through ports 31 and 56 and passages 60 and 16
then on the further descent of the slide the air pressure passes through ports 31 and 61
to the back of piston 63 which in being pushed forward moves slide 41 so as to open
port 68 and thus allow the air pressure to escape directly from the brake pipe at 17
into the atmosphere at port A. By this rapid exhaust the piston 12 and slide 14 are
inoved rapidly down until port 56 is entirely uncovered by the slide thus allowing the
air pressure to pass freely from the auxiliary reservoir to the brake cylinder and
apply the brakes with full power while at the same time the rapid reduction of
pressure in the brake pipo beyond this valve apparatus will also have the effect of
bringing vory rapidly into corresponding action the triple valve apparatus of the next
vehicle so as to establish direct communication between the brake pipe and the
atmosphere at that point and so on throughout the train.
When the slide valve 14 is thus moved down to the limit of its stroke the port 31
is covered by the valve face between ports 34 and 61 so that no further flow of air
from the reservoir to the secondary piston can take place. The air which has pushed
piston 63 forward is thus imprisoned, and soon leaks into the chamber 54 and from
thence into the atmosphere. Piston 63 thus gets ultimately atmospheric pressure on
both sides and then spring 72 returns it with its slide 41 to the positions drawn and
therefore closing again port 68 so as to prevent any escape of air from the brake pipo
through A when the brake is released.
The arrangements shewn at Figure 2 and Figuro 12 of the original Patent may be
modified in a similar manner to effect a direct communication between the brake pipe
and the atmosphere instead of the brake cylinder by simply in both cases closing the
communication between the brake cylinder at 16 and the chamber 54 and forming in
the latter an escape port leading to the atmosphere and in the construction at
Figure 2 forming holes in the valve 49 so as to allow the brake pipe 17 to com-
municate freely with the chamber 54, this valve serving then simply as an abutment
for the spring 50 and a guide for the stem of valve 41.
In applying the said invention to the description of brake apparatus in which the
brake cylinder constitutes the auxiliary reservoir such as is described in Patent
No. 191 of 1882 there is a chamber communicating with the brake pipe and
containing the piston and valve that open a communication between the one end of
the brake cylinder and the atmosphere when the air pressure is more or less reduced.
In applying the present invention to this arrangement the said chamber is provided
with a port leading to the atmosphere such port being closed by a slide or valve
connected to the said piston so that when this makes a considerable stroke the slide
opens the port and causes the air pressure to escape from the brake pipe. When the
air pressure in the brake cylinder and the brake pipe have both become reduced to
that of the atmosphere a spring forces the piston and the slide back into its original
position again so as to close the exhaust port.
One arrangement of the apparatus for this purpose is shown at Figure 3 on the
accompanying drawings the general construction of the several parts and their mode
of operating being the same as described in the Patent No. 191 of 1882 and the
parts being all indicated by the same letters of reference it is not necessary to repeat
the description thereof.
The valve P on the stem P' when slightly oponed by the piston O in pressing
against the collar P³ on slightly discharging the air pressure from the brake pipe at H

page_text: does not freely open the communication between the brake cylinder A and the
discharge opening at I but is provided with an inward cylindrical extension in which
are formed small passages p through which the air pressure escapes comparatively
slowly. The stem P¹ has connected to it a slide valve S (or it might be made to
actuate a lift valve) closing a discharge opening T in the casing F. When for the
ordinary application of the brakes only a moderate discharge from the brake pipe is
effected the piston O only travels far enough to cause the passage p to be uncovered
by bearing against the collar P' on stem P¹ and when by the consequent discharge
from the brake cylinder through I the pressure has become equal on both sides of
piston O, the valve P will be closed again by means of the spring Q. But if in order
to apply the brakes rapidly with full force a sudden and considerable discharge is
effected from the train pipe the piston O will cause the stem to move the slide S
sufficiently to open the port T and in thus producing a direct discharge of air pressure
from the train pipe the resulting further movement of piston will cause valve P to
be lifted to such an extent as to entirely open the passage to the discharge port I so
that the air pressure will escape rapidly from A causing the brakes to be applied with
full force. When by the escape both at T and at I the pressure has again become
equalised on both sides of the piston O the spring Q will effect the closing both of
the valve P and the slide S.
It will be evident that the use of a secondary valve S as just described is not alone
applicable to an exhaust valve composed of a piston O and conical valve P as
illustrated, but also to any other equivalent device as for instance a piston O working
a slide valve P as shewn at Figure 4.
A moderate reduction of pressure below piston O would lower the upper slide P
sufficiently to uncover the small exhaust port p for the purpose of reducing the
pressure in A to the same extent.
A large and sudden reduction of pressure would as in the previous case bring the
piston far enough down to move the lower slide S and open exhaust port T and at
the same time slide P would uncover a second larger exhaust port I this latter might
also be formed in one with port p.
The feed for the reservoir-side of the brake piston may with this arrangement either
go through the centre of the piston O into A as. indicated and from there along the
cup leather of the brake piston into the reservoir space or it might force its way
along the cup leather of the piston O or both or it might reach the reservoir space
through an independent connection with the brake pipe fitted with a non-return
valve. All these different details are immaterial to the device proposed which is
equally applicable to all automatic air brakes of the kind herein referred to.
According to another mode of applying my invention to differential brake cylinders
such as are referred to in the last described arrangements I substitute for the valve
apparatus shewn at Figures 3 and 4 a modification of the valve apparatus shewn at
Figure 2 or of the construction thereof shewn at Figures 2 to 9 of Patent 275.
For this purpose the said triple valvo apparatus is connected to the brake cylinder
in such a manner that the chamber containing the slide valve 14 which is described
as communicating with the auxiliary reservoir, communicates with the end of the
brake cylinder from which the air pressure is discharged, while the opening 16
which was described as communicating with the brake cylinder, communicates with
the atmosphere. Thus with this arrangement of the apparatus it will be seen that
when a sudden and considerable decrease of pressure is effected in the brake pipe,
the resulting movement of the slide valve 14 and supplemental piston 63 will in the
case of the apparatus shown at Figures 2 to 9 of the Patent No. 275 of 1888, cause
both the brake cylinder and the brake pipe to communicate with the atmosphere
through opening 16 in the case of the arrangement shown in Figure 2 of the
accompanying drawings the brake pipe will be made to communicate with the
atmosphere through the opening A while the brake cylinder will communicate with
the atmosphere through passages 56, 60 and 16.
In this application of the arrangement shewn at Figures 2 to 9 of the Patent
No. 275, the check valve 49 would be formed with openings so as only to serve

page_text: as an abutment for the spring 50, which in this case is made strong enough to
bring the piston 63 back as well as valve 41, when all the air has escaped from
the brake cylinder.
Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings shews a vertical section of another
modification of the said valve apparatus for the above described purpose.
The arrangement is generally similar to that shewn at Figure 2, and the parts
are indicated by the same letters of reference, the modifications in the construction
being as follows: Firstly the chamber containing the slide valve 14, commani-
cates with the discharge end of the brake cylinder through the side opening e
the upper end being closed: secondly the opening 16 of the chamber 54 is done
away with, and is replaced by the opening A leading to the atmosphere-thirdly,
the slide valve chamber in addition to the communication with the atmosphere
through opening 15 by means of passage 34 and port 59, as in the original con-
struction, has a second communication with the atmosphere through an opening B,
and a passage D similar to the passage 34, fourthly the passage 35 in the slide
valve 14 is dispened with, and lastly, the check valve 49 is replaced by a simple
guide piece and abutment E.
From this arrangement it will be seen that when the apparatus is in the
condition of rest, the brakes being out of action, the slide valve 14 will close the
communication between the slide valve chamber and the openings 15 and B leading
to the atmosphere but will establish a communication between these openings and
the
space behind the piston 63 through port 61, so that the spring 50 will keep
the piston 63 in the backward position, and the valve 41 closed.
On effecting
a moderate discharge of air pressure from the brake pipe, the slide
valve in moving down, will establish the communication between the valve chamber
and consequently also the discharge end of the brake cylinder and the atmosphere
at B, through passages 32, 31 and D so as to effect a moderate reduction of pressure
on the discharge side of the brake piston and consequently a moderate application of
the brakes. If however a sudden and considerable reduction of pressure be inade in
the brake pipe, the slido valve will be moved farther down, so as to establish a
communication between its passage 32, 31 and port 61 leading to the back of piston 63,
while at the same time the escape port D is momentarily closed by the upper end of
the slide valve.
The air pressure from the brake cylinder will consequently now force the piston 63
outwards thereby opening valve 41 and establishing a direct communication between
the brake pipe at 17 and the opening A leading to the atmosphere. The further
decrease of pressure below piston 12 thus effected will cause the slide valve 14 to
move still lower down, whereby it will uncover escape passage D, allowing the air
pressure to escape freely and rapidly from the brake cylinder at C and causing the
brakes to be applied with great force. At the same time the slide valve will close the
passage 61 leading to the space at the back of piston 63, so that the air pressure will
be retained in this space in the same manner as was described with reference to
Figure 2, causing the valve 41 to be kept open a sufficient length of time for the
escape of the air pressure in the port of the brake pipe between this apparatus and
the next one, so as to effect the rapid bringing into action of all the brake apparatus
of the train. The confined air pressure will gradually leak past the piston and escape
through A, whereupon the spring 50 will force back piston 63 and close valve 41,
enabling air pressure to be again admitted to the brake pipe, which air pressure will
then move piston 12 and slide valve 14, back into their original positions and in
leaking past the piston 12 will enter the brake cylinder through and effect the
releasing of the brakes by moving the brake piston back to its original position.
It is however for the present purpose unnecessary to confine the air which forced
forward piston 63 with the object of letting it leak away so as to enable spring 50 to
force back the piston 63 and close valve 41. The stroke of the valve piston 12 may
be limited so as to simply admit air from the brake cylinder to act on piston 63,
because the air from the brake cylinder, and in that case also the air which acts on

page_text: piston 63, escapes into the atmosphere through D, whereupon the spring 50 will force
back piston 63 and close valve 4Î.
It will be evident that the above described arrangement is by proper inversion of
the parts equally applicable when the brakes are worked by vacuum, that is to say:
when the air is reduced below atmospheric pressure in the brake pipe, and on both
sides of the piston in the brake cylinder, when the brakes are out of action, and the
brakes are applied by admitting atmospheric pressure into the brake pipe, and to one
side of the brake piston such atmospheric pressure entering through the openings B. A.
and 15.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:
1. In combination with automatic fluid pressure brake valve apparatus wherein the
change of air pressure in the brake pipe causes the movement of a piston or diaphragm
and valve or slide in connection therewith whereby the putting in and out of action
of the brake cylinder is effected, a supplemental valve or slide closing a direct
communication between the brake pipe and the atmosphere and so connected with the
said piston or diaphragm that on effecting a considerable movement of the latter by a
rapid change of pressure in the brake pipe, the supplemental valve or slide is made to
open the communication between the brake pipe and the atmosphere, substantially as
and for the purposes herein set forth.
2. In fluid pressure, automatic brake mechanism wherein the communication of
the brake pipe, the auxiliary reservoir and the brake cylinder are controlled by a
triple valve, the uso in combination with the triple valve of a supplemental valve
or slide worked by a piston or diaphragm subject on its one side to the pressure in
the brake pipe, and on its other side to the pressure in the auxiliary reservoir in such
a manner that when by rapid change of pressure in the brake pipe the piston or
diaphragm is caused to make a considerable stroke, a communication is opened by the
supplemental valve, between the brake pipe and the atmosphere, substantially as and
for the purposes herein described with reference to Figure 1 of the drawings.
3. In fluid pressure automatic brake apparatus such as is referred to in the
preceding claim, the use of a check valve in the passage establishing a communication
between the brake pipe and the atmosphere such valve being combined with a
diaphragm or piston having a restricted communication on one side with the brake
cylinder, so that when full pressure has been admitted to the latter, such pressure will
cause the diaphragm or piston to close the valve substantially as and for the purposes
herein described with reference to Figure 1.
4. In combination with the triple valve apparatus of fluid pressure automatic brake
mechanism, a chamber establishing a direct communication between the brake pipe
and the atmosphere, and containing a valve or slide by means of which the said
communication is permitted or intercepted such valve or slide heing actuated by a
piston or diaphragm which is put in communication with the auxiliary reservoir or
with the atmosphere by ports governed by the slide of the triple valve substantially
as and for the purposes herein described.
5. In triple valve apparatus constructed as described in the specification to Patont
No. 46767 with reference to Figures 2, 8 and 12 of the Drawings establishing a
direct communication between the brake pipe and a port in the chamber 54 loading
to the atmosphere by means of the valve or slide 41, the communication between the
said chamber and the brake cylinder being done away with.
6. So arranging the slide of the triple valve that when it is at its extreme stroke,
it encloses the air pressure behind the piston 63 thus keeping the valve or slide 41
open until by the leakage of the air pressure from behind the piston 63 the spring 72
is enabled to force the piston back, and thus to close the valve or slide 41 again,
substantially as herein described.
7. In pneumatic brake apparatus wherein the brakes are applied by the discharge

page_text: of air pressure from one end of the brake cylinder, by means of a valve or slide
actuated by a piston situated in a chamber communicating with the brake pipe
constructing the said chamber with an escape port into the atmosphere closed by a
supplemental slide or valve connected to the said piston, so that on causing the latter
to make a considerable stroke the air pressure is rapidly discharged from the brake
pipe by the supplemental valve or slide and from the brake cylinder through the
main valve or slide substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 3
and 4.
8. The combination with a differential brake cylinder of valve apparatus constructed
and operating as described with reference to Figures 2 to 9 of Specification No. 27588
or as herein described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawing. The
chamber of the slide valve 14 being connected to the discharge end of the brake
cylinder while the passage 16 is made to communicate with the open air substantially
as herein described.
9. The combination with a differential brake cylinder of valve apparatus constructed
and operating as herein described with reference to Figure 5 of the drawings.
Dated this 6th day of November 1888.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.