IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BRAKES FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents, 66,
Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BRAKES FOR RAILWAYS." A communication
from abroad by Orson Branch Kendall, of Buffalo, in the State of New York,
United States of America.
Sealed the 27th January 1880, and dated the 31st July 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Edward Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st July 1879.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BRAKES FOR
RAILWAYS." [A communication from abroad by Orson Branch Kendall, of Buffalo,
in the State of New York, United States of America.]
The object of this Invention (which has reference to that class of brakes under
the control of the driver, and acting simultaneously of all the wheels of the train)
is to produce a brake easily worked, instantaneous and positive in its action-either in
putting on or throwing off the brakes, and holding the wheels rigidly with any
amount of pressure desired.
The Invention may be described as the arrangement under any convenient part
of the locomotive or tender of one or more steam cylinders with steam chests and
valves of any ordinary and approved kind, the pistons of which operate through
cranks to rotate a shaft set parallel to the axles of the wheels. Upon this shaft is
mounted a worm, which intermeshes with a worm gear keyed on to a continuous
shaft made in sections connected together by universal joints, and coupled between
the cars by thimbles, allowing the independent movement of the cars. The rotation
of this shaft winds around it chains secured to it, which, preferably through the
medium of a double pulley or sheave lever, act directly on the levers or other usual
mechanism for bringing the brake shoes in contact with the wheel tires.
Eccentrics mounted on the transverse crank shaft operate in the usual way
(ie., link motion) through links to govern the valve cranks, and the stroke is
reversed in the usual way by a lever under the driver's control.

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The action of the above mechanism is instantaneous, since as soon as the steam
is admitted into the cylinder or cylinders the pistons through the transverse crank
shaft worm and worm gear wind up very rapidly the continuous shaft with its
attached chains and brake all the wheels. By stopping the action of the piston or
piston's the brakes are held on, and by reversing it they are thrown off by positive
motion, the chains being unwound by the rotation of the continuous shaft.
A dial and pointer placed in a suitable position on the locomotive, and actuated
by a vertical shaft receiving motion through mitre gears from the continuous shaft,
shows the number of turns taken in the chains, and the degree of force applied by
the brakes.

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SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 31st
January 1880.
HENRY EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STEAM BRAKES FOR
RAILWAYS." A communication from abroad by. Orson Branch-Kendall, of Buffalo,
in the State of New York, United States of America.
The object of this Invention (which has reference to that class of brakes under
the control of the driver and acting simultaneously on all the wheels of the train)
is to produce a steam brake that will be quick and positive in its action, and will
act upon the wheels with any amount of pressure desired.
The Invention may be described as the arrangement under any convenient part
of the locomotive engine or tender of one or more steam cylinders with steam
chests and valves of any ordinary and approved kind, the pistons of which operate
through cranks to rotate a shaft set parallel to the axles of the wheels. Upou this
shaft is mounted a worm, which intermeshes with a worn-gear keyed on to a
continuous shaft similar to that described in the Specification of a Patent granted
to me and bearing date July eighth, One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine,
No. 2783. This shaft is made in sections, which are connected together by universal
joints. The lengths of the jointed shaft are coupled together between the cars by
thimbles for allowing of the independent movement of the cars. The rotation of
this shaft winds around it chains secured to it, which, preferably through the
medium of a double pulley or sheave lever, act directly on the levers or other usual
mechanism for bringing the brake shoes into contact with the wheel tyres.
In the accompanying Drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of a railway
train as will serve to explain the nature of the present Invention, and Fig. 2 is an
inverted plan view corresponding to Fig. 1.
These Figures show the rear end of a tender or tank engine coupled to the first
carriage of the train, the same being fitted with a continuous jointed shaft A, A,
which has a thimble coupling at B; C, C, is a pair of steam cylinders situate below
the tender, and D, D, are the piston rods of these cylinders, connected with a crank
shaft E, which carries a worm F at about the middle of its length. This worm
gears into and drives a worm wheel G keyed on the forward end of the jointed
shaft A, and thus imparts rotary motion to that shaft, thereby causing it to wind
up the brake chains with which it is fitted, and apply the brakes throughout the
train simultaneously.
It will be understood that the crank shaft E will be fitted with excentrics for
operating in the usual way, through the link motion, the valves for supplying the
steam to the cylinders and working the same expansively. The stroke will also be
reversed in the usual way by a lever under the driver's control.
The action of the above mechanism is instantaneous, since as soon as the steam
is admitted into the cylinders the pistons, through the transverse crank shaft, worm
and worm-gear, wind up very rapidly the continuous shaft with its attached
chains and thus apply the brakes. By stopping the action of the pistons the brakes
are held on, and by reversing the action of the valves they are thrown off by
positive motion, the chains being unwound by the back rotation of the continuous
shaft.
H is a dial and pointer placed in a suitable position on the locomotive. The
pointer is actuated through suitable gear by a vertical shaft I, which receives
motion through mitre gears K from the continuous shaft A. By this means the
number of turns given to the shaft A for taking up the brake chains_will_be
indicated, and consequently the degree of force applied to the brakes by the action
of the steam.

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Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of "Improvements in Steam
Brakes for Railways," as communicated to me from abroad, 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,-In combination with a 'continuous
shaft used for actuating railway carriage brakes, the use of steam power, applied as
above described, for imparting rotary motion to such shaft, and the means described
for indicating the amount of axial motion imparted to such shaft for the purpose.
above set forth.
:.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Edward Newton, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the Thirty first day of January, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
:H. E. NEWTON. . (L.S.)