IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Charles Blackmore and Tom Blackmore, both of
Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Charles Blackmore and Tom Blackmore, both of
Cardiff in the County of Glamorgan for an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN
BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Charles Blackmore
and Tom Blackmore at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
19th October 1882.
EDWIN CHARLES BLACKMORE and TOM BLACKMORE, both of Cardiff in the
County of Glamorgan, "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER
VEHICLES
"
Our invention which relates to the brakes of railway vehicles, and which is also
capable of application to ordinary road vehicles, consists mainly in the automatic
actuation of the brake mechanism through the medium of the draw-bar, which
mechanism is also capable of being actuated by hand, as hereinafter described. At
a convenient point underneath the frame of the vehicle, the inner end of one of the
draw-bars, extended backwards for the purpose, is connected to a lever or tumbler
keyed on and extending upwards from the brake spindle which, running trans-
versely below the frame and fitted with the usual double levers and pushing arms
connected to the brake blocks, is supported in hangers or brackets bolted to the
sides of the frame. Towards the uppermost end of the aforesaid lever or tumbler,
is attached one end of a spiral spring, the other end of which is anchored to a lug
or eye secured to the crossbearer of the frame furthermost from the coupling hook
of the aforesaid draw-bar, or it may be attached to the crossbearer. The spiral
spring exerts an inward strain upon the draw-bar, and thus tends to maintain
contact of the brake-blocks with the wheels. On exerting an outward strain on
the draw-bar, to move the vehicle forward, the resistance of the spring is overcome
to a sufficient extent to free the blocks from contact with the wheels. Accordingly
as the outward strain is relaxed by reduction of speed, the brakes are corre-
spondingly applied to the wheels by the action of the spiral spring and mechanism
[Price 6dl
'

page_text: aforesaid, with which each vehicle is fitted. The mechanism may also be actuated,
from the interior of a vehicle, by a hand lover or wheel to overcome the inward
strain exerted by the spiral spring, and thus to take off the brakes, which are
re-applied wlien the mechanism is actuated to allow the normal tendency of tho
spring to be exerted. For convenience in shunting operations, the hand lever
attached to the brake spindle is placed at the outside of wagons, trucks and similar
vehicles, and in order to take off the brakes, the handle is depressed and the lever
forced downwards to take into and engage with the desired tooth or notch of a
rack attached, as usual, to the side of the vehicle. The resistance of the spiral
spring is by this means overcome, and the brake-blocks become clear of, the wheels.
To ro-apply the brakes, the lover is freed from engagement with the notched rack,
and the brake-blocks are forced, by the action of the spring, against the wheels.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by,
the said Edwin Charles Blackmore and Tom Blackmore in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 16th April 1883.
EDWIN. CHARLES BLACKMORE and TOM BLACKMORE, both of Cardiff in the
County of Glamorgan IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER
VEHICLES
This invention which relates to the brakes of railway vehicles, and which is also
capable of application to road vehicles, consists mainly in the automatic actuation
of the brake mechanism through the medium of the draw-bar, which mechanism is
also capable of being actuated by hand as hereinafter described..
At a convenient point underneath the frame of the vehicle, the inner end of one
of the draw-bars, extended backwards for the purpose, is connected to a lever or
tumbler keyed on, and extending upwards from, the brake spindle which, running
transversely below the frame and fitted with the usual levers and pushing arms con-
nected to the brake blocks, is supported in hangers bolted to the frame. Towards
the upper
end of the aforesaid lever or tumbler, is attached one end of a spiral
spring, the other end of which is anchored to a lug or eye secured to the cross-
bearer of the frame furthermost from the coupling hook of the aforesaid draw-bar,
or it may be attached to the crossbearer direct.
Instead of the spiral spring attached as aforesaid, a helical, volute or other form
of spring may be used and so placed that, as in the case of employment of the
spiral spring aforesaid, an inward strain is thereby exerted upon the draw-bar
tending to maintain, through the medium of the intervening mechanism, contact of
the brake-blocks with the wheels.
On the application of a pull or outward strain to the draw-bar to draw the
vehicle forward, the resistance of the spring is overcome and the brake-blocks are
freed from contact with the wheels.
Accordingly as the outward strain is relaxed or removed by reduction of speed,
fracture of draw-bars or couplings, the brakes become applied to the wheels
through the action of the spring and the mechanism aforesaid with which each
vehicle is fitted.
The mechanism may also be actuated, when required or desired, by means of a
hand lever placed at the side of a wagon or truck or similar vehicle and connected
at one end with the brake spindle. To take off the brakes, the handle of the lever
is depressed and the lever thereby forced downwards to take into and engage with
the desired tooth or notch of a rack attached as usual to the side of the vehicle.
The resistance of the spring aforesaid is by this means overcome and the brake-
blocks become freed from contact with the wheels by means of the intermediate
mechanism above mentioned.
And in order that our said invention may be properly understood, we now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, reference being, had to the
accompanying sheet of drawings and the figures and letters marked thereon.
Figs. 1 and 2 on the accompanying sheet of drawings represent a longitudinal
and a transverse section respectively of a railway wagon or truck having applied
thereto our improved brake mechanism. Fig. 3 represents a plan of the same, the
flooring being removed.
The draw-bar b, at one end of the vehicle, is extended backwards beyond the
crossbearer A, through which it passes, and is connected to the lever c extending
upwards from the brake spindle d, supported in hangers d' bolted to the frame,
fitted with the usual lever e aud pushing arms f connected to the brake-blocks.a.

page_text: One end of the nut E, as seen moro particularly in the enlarged view partly in
section and partly in elevation shown at Fig. 4, bears against the volute spring D
secured to the crossbearer A, and this nut E being adjustable on the collar E
bearing at its inner end against a shouldor formed on the draw-bar b, the wearing
of the faces of the brake-blocks and the weakening of the spring D are thereby
provided for, the presure exerted by the nut E on the spring D being thus capable
of regulation as desired. Perforation of the pushing, arms f is thus rendered
unnecessary. The outer or hooked end of the draw-bar bis coupled to the inner
portion by means of the adjustable double nut. i. The usual cradle or any
similar or analogous coupling devico may be used in lieu thereof.
The tendency of the spring D is to exert an inward strain upon the draw-bar b
and thus to maintain the wheels braked. On applying a pull or outward strain to
the draw-bar b to draw the vehicle forward, the resistance of the:spring D is over-
come and the brake-blocks a are withdrawn from contact with the wheels.
Accordingly as the outward strain or pull is relaxed by reduction of speed, or
altogether removed by stopping or by fracture of draw-bars or couplings, the
brake-blocks become applied to the wheels by the action of the spring D
forcing the draw-bar b inwards and actuating the lever and pushing arms f
correspondingly.
It is to be understood that the above described action applies also to the brakes
of the wheels at the opposite side of the vehicle to which the brake spindle d, fitted
with lever and pushing arms, is extended.
The brake mechanism may be actuated also from the reverse end of the vehicle
on the application thereto of an inward or compressing strain. Extending inwards
from the buffor Mand supported in place by the headstock O, crossbearer K and
bracket M, is a rod m, the inner end of which is furnished with an adjustable nut o.
A volute spring N contained in the cylinder of the buffer M exerts an outward
pressure upon the piston or buffer head N' to which the rod m is attached. The
nut o bears against the lever of extending upwards for the purpose from the brake
spindle d. On the application of an inward or compressing strain to the buffer
piston N1, the brake-blocks a become freed from contact with the wheels, and on
the removal of the said strain they become re-applied.
The brakes may be operated by means of the hand lever P attached at one and
to the brake spindle d, as shown. To overcome the resistance of the volute spring D
and thus to take off the brakes, the handle of the hand lever P is depressed to the
desired notch of the rack p fixed to the side of the vehicle, the effect being to
force the draw-bar b.outwards and thus to release the wheels from the grasp of the
brake-blocks a The brakes are re-applied by releasing the hand lever P from
the notch of the rack p with which it had become engaged, and the lever is raised
by the action of the spring D. The brake-blocks thus become re-applied to the
wheels. The danger arising from the practice heretofore obtaining of standing on
the lever to depress the same for the purpose of applying the brakes is obviated.
To provide for the actuation of the brakes by the hand lever P independly of
actuation thereof from the draw-bar b, the end of the lever P connected to the
brake spindle d is slotted to receive a stud or projection 8 formed on the latter, as
seen more particularly in the enlarged view shown at Fig. 5. When the hand
lever P is depressed in taking off the brakes, the spindle d is thereby forced to
rotate to the required degree, and as the hand lever is raised to re-apply the
brakes, the spindle d returns accordingly through the tendency of the volute
spring D.
The brakes may operated from the interior of a vehicle by means of a hand
wheel or lever and intermediate mechanism to overcome the tendency of the
spring D to maintain the brakes applied, and to permit the same to be re-exerted,
as desired. Under this invention, which is applicable to all kinds of railway
vebicles, the brake fittings as at present existing, as also other parts, may be still
utilised to a considerable degree. This invention is also capable of adaptation
to road vehicles.

page_text: Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
invention and the manner in which the same may be used or practically into
effect, we claim, as the invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in part recited
Letters Patent,―
The arrangement and construction of the brake mechanism operating and
actuated substantially as herein before described and shown on the accompanying
sheet of drawings.
In witness whereof we, the said Edwin Charles Blackmore and Tom
Blackmore, have hereunto set our hands and seals this fourteenth day of
April in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three