IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Frederick Robert Ellis at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th October 1883.
FREDERICK ROBERT ELLIS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO RAILWAY BREAKS"
My Invention relates to certain improvements hereinafter more particularly
mentioned, on a railway break system patented to Robert Joseph Ellis N° 622
dated 15th February A.D 1879 and has for its object to simplify, reduce the weight
of, and render easier of application the said system.
The break patented as above N° 622 A.D. 1879. may be thus described namely
it consists of a suitable vacuum or air compressing engine, which engine, is situated
by preference on the locomotive and under the control of the engineer and is
connected by means of suitable continuous pipes to cylinders placed one underneath
the frame of each carriage, van, truck, or other description of rolling stock. Each
cylinder is provided with a piston, which is connected through its piston rod and
by suitable rods and levers to the friction breaks applied to the wheels of the
carriage. The piston rod of each cylinder is arranged to withdraw the breaks
from the wheels by acting against and taking off the pressure of volute springs,
which in their normal state exert their power to apply the breaks to the wheels.
The springs are eight in number exerting their power to apply the eight breaks to
the four wheels. The power is applied by the extension of the springs and by
compression of the springs by means of the piston rod and its attendant gear the
break is withdrawn. The power used for acting upon the piston rod is that of a
vacuum produced behind the piston of the cylinder, or of compressed air acting on
the front of the piston.
In the above system the break power was applied by volute springs carried by
brackets and exerting the break power by the reaction of the springs directly upon
the break blocks, four springs being required to each pair of wheels. The
connection between the piston rod of the vacuum, or compressed air cylinder, and
the springs being by means of central connecting rods, weigh shafts and connecting
rods, and return connecting rods fitted at the sides of the truck. My Invention
consists in dispensing with the volute springs and their brackets and substituting
spiral springs, which are carried and fitted in the following manner. The break
D. 17

page_text: blocks are provided with strong lateral bars, which connect together the break
blocks of each pair of wheels, namely these lateral bars extend from the break
block of of one wheel across the track to the break block of the other wheel, and
the lateral bars are connected together by spiral springs arranged to apply their
power either in tension, or compression, so that the four break blocks of each pair
of wheels have the break power applied uniformly, namely the break power is
equally distributed over the four break blocks. Each break block is connected to
a lever on the weigh shaft, which works it by a rod, so that the vacuum, or
compressed air cylinder, can by its piston rod simultaneously withdraw the break
blocks against the break springs. The advantages gained by my improvements
are that I ensure an equally distributed application of the break power. I also
materially reduce the weight of the break mechanism and simplify the parts