IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1866

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Marius Macrum, of 36, Hill Street, Knights-
bridge, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY CARRIAGES."—
A communication from abroad by John Davis, of the City and County
of Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of America.
Sealed the 3rd July 1866, and dated the 9th January 1866.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Marius Macrum
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 9th January 1866.
I, JAMES MARIUS MACRUM, of 36, Hill Street, Knightsbridge, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY CAR-
BIAGES," a communication to me from abroad by John Davis, of the City and
County of Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, in the United States of
America, to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar arrangements of self-acting
breaks suitable either for ordinary railway carriages propelled by locomotive

page_text: engines or for vehicles running along tramways and drawn by horse-power,
such, for example, as omnibuses for street tramways.
According to this Invention the breaks are applied to the wheels of the
vehicles by the action of a coiled spring, or of elliptic or other suitably shaped
springs, or of a weighted lever combined or not with a spring, and are kept
out of contact with the wheels by the tractive power exerted upon the vehicle.
According to one modification suitable for railway trains the breaks become
operative and inoperative by the action and inaction of the locomotive and
carriages, and operate with relation to the wheels so that they will adjust
themselves and bring the proper force to bear on the wheels when the engine
becomes inoperative from any cause or when any undue or improper action is
imparted to the carriages...
Another peculiarity in these breaks is that less power is required to hold
them off from the wheels than is required to draw them off the wheels when
applied thereto. The break blocks for each pair of wheels are connected by
cross bars which are coupled by adjustable rods to the ends of two lever
arms projecting from opposite sides of the lower end of a short vertical
rocking spindle carried in two bearings (the lower one of which is slotted) in
the main framing, the object of the slot being to allow the spindle to move
back and forward with the movements of the breaks. The cross bars are
contained in slotted or open hangers attached to the main framing, and tho
breaks are kept a uniform distance from the wheels by springs secured to
the cross bars, and pressing against the hangers. To the upper end of the
vertical rocking spindle there is fitted a lever arm which is connected by one
rod with the draw bar or buffers, and by a second rod with a crank or lever
arm on a transverse shaft which is caused to turn partially in its bearings
either by the action of a coiled or barrel spring or by an elliptic spring
pressing against a cam or eccentric on such shaft. In an eight-wheeled
carriage this spring shaft is situate in the middle of the framing between the
two pairs of axles, the arrangement above described appertaining to one pair
of axles only. The other pair of axles are provided with a precisely similar
arrangement of break mechanism, which is coupled to a second lever arm on
the spring shaft above referred to. The tendency of this shaft when the
spring is in a state of tension is to press the breaks firmly against the
wheels so long as no tractive strain is exerted upon the draw bar, when
a tractive strain is exerted upon the draw bar such strain will over-
come the tension of the spring and will remove the breaks from off the
wheels. If it be desired to retain the breaks out of contact with the
wheels a ratchet wheel may be fitted to the transverse shaft, and a detent.

page_text: engaged therein, which detent is acted upon by a short cord in connection
by means of a ring or metal eye with a long cord running the entire
length of the train, and under the control of the guard and driver.
The cranks or lever arms on the transverse spring shaft are so
disposed that when the breaks are applied they will assume an anglo
of about 45°, but when the breaks are drawn off the cranks will be
in a vertical position, by this means less power is required to hold the breaks
out of contact with the wheels than is required to draw them off when in
contact therewith, such result being due to the angles of the levers on the
spring shaft. These improved breaks may be readily operated upon by the
ordinary hand lever and chain and barrel with a view to drawing them from off
the wheels, the chain being connected to the end of the upper lever arm on the
vertical rocking spindle and wound round a small barrel or drum on the axis
of the hand lever, so that by turning the same the breaks will be drawn off.
In the modification applicable to four-wheeled vehicles, whether railway
carriages or omnibuses for street tramways, the break bars are connected
directly by means of rods with two levers on a horizontal transverse spring
shaft situate between the two axles, which shaft is partially rotated so as to
apply the breaks to the wheels by the action of a coiled spring; or in lieu of
a coiled spring two elliptical springs may be employed, the connecting rod of
one pair of breaks being coupled to one spring, and the rod of the other pair
to the other spring. A third lever projecting horizontally from the spring
shaft is connected by a cord or chain passing over convenient guide pulleys
and attached to a lever arm on a vertical spindlo, which spindle is provided
with a hand wheel for the purpose of taking off the breaks by hand, it being
simply necessa ry for that purpose to pull upon the cord or chain by imparting
apartial rotatory motion to the spindle. The lever arm of this spindle is further
connected to the draw hook of the vehicle by another short length of chain
or cord, and this draw hook is allowed a few inches play in a slot in the
main framing, so that on the application of tractive force thereto the hook
will be partially drawn out, and will at the same time pull upon the chains,
and by their action on the spring shaft will remove the breaks from off the
wheels and keep them so removed till by a relaxation of the tractive power
the chains are released again and the spring or springs allowed to act upon the
transverse shaft and apply the breaks. The spindle of the hand lever is
furnished with a double ratchet wheel and detent for the purpose of holding the
breaks off the wheels or for preventing them from being drawn off as desired.
In both these modifications a weighted lever may be used either in sub-
stitution for a spring, or in combination therewith, such lever being fixed on

page_text: the transverse shaft in such a position that when the breaks are pressing the
wheels hardest the lever will be horizontal or producing its greatest effect, and
.that when the action of the motive force is brought to bear upon the vehicle
the weighted lever will move through' a quarter of a circle and assume a
vertical position above the shaft, in which position it would exert no power
whatever upon the breaks.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said James Marius Macrum, in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 9th July 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JAMES
MARIUS MACRUM, of 36, Hill Street, Knightsbridge, in the County of
Middlesex, Gentleman, send greeting.
our
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Ninth day of January, in the year of
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six, in the twenty-ninth year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said James Marius Macrum, Her special license, that I, the said
James Marius Macrum, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said James Marius Macrum, my executors, administrators, or
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 Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY CARRIAGES," a
communication to me from abroad by John Davies, of the City and County
of Allegheny, in the State of Pennsylvania, United States of America, upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James Marius Maerum, by
an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, 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 James Marius Macrum do hereby
declare the nature of the 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 accompanying Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-

page_text: My said Invention relates to certain peculiar arrangements of self-acting
breaks. suitable either for ordinary railway carriages drawn by locomotivo
engines, or for vehicles running along tramways and drawn by horse-power,
such, for example,, as omnibuses for street tramways. These breaks are made
to operate by the motion, action, and inaction of the tractive force and of the
carriages, whether such action or motion be given by the motive power whilst
travelling on a level track or b the motive power or the gravity of the carriages
on gradients, the said breaks always operating with relation to the wheels so
that they will adjust themselves and bring the proper force to bear on the
wheels when the engine becomes inoperativo or when any undue or improper
motion or action is imparted to the carriages. According to this Invention
the breaks are applied to the wheels of the vehicle by the action of a coiled
spring, or of eliptic or other suitably shaped springs, or of a weighted lever
in combination or not with a spring, and are held out of contact with or free
from the wheels by the tractive power, exerted upon the vehicle..
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose I shall
refer to the several Figures. on the Sheets of Drawings hereunto annexed,
the same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
corresponding Figures..
Figure 1 (Sheet 1) of the accompanying Drawings represents a longi-
tudinal section of a railway carriage framing furnished with one arrangement
of the improved breaks which are hero shewn as operated by a system of
horizontal levers; Figure 2 is an inverted plan or under side view of the
same; Figure 3. is a transverse section of the framing taken along the line 1, 2,
in Figure 2 Figure 4 is an enlarged detail showing the position of the
cranks of the spring shaft when the brakes are on and off the wheels; and
Figure 5 represents a combination of a cam and lever which can be used in
combination with an eliptic spring as a substitute for the coil spring and
spring shaft herein-after described.
a represents a portion of the frame ;. b; the wheels; c, the axles; d, the
break; e, the break bars;, and 9, the "hangers" for the break bars; 20
and 29 represent the drawheads or buffers, and P the floor or bottom of the
carriage body, all of which parts may be of the ordinary or other construction,
and separately form no part of the present Invention.. To the cross bar f of
the frame a are secured two bearings 1 and 2, which support the perpendicular
shafts, on the upper end of which shafts are secured horizontal levers 18,
and on the lower end similar levers 16, to which are attached rods i and h,
and and, secured to the break bars e, and assisted by screw nuts 3 and 4..

page_text: To the upper levers 18 are attached rods j, k, and j, k; the rods j and j¹
are secured to the draw heads or buffers 20 and 29, and the rods k and are
secured to the cranks or lever arms o, o¹, on the spring shaft 11, which is
held in the desired position by means of bangers 5 secured to the bottom P
of the carriage body. To the spring shaft 11 is attached a coil spring which is
enclosed by a case y secured to the bottom of the car body. One end of this
coil spring is attached to the shaft 11, and the other end to the side of the
casey. On one end of the spring shaft 11 is placed a ratchet wheel n,
which is connected with a pall m, secured to the bottom of the carriage, and
is used for holding the breaks off the wheels when so desired. To the end of
the pall m is attached a cord 8 which passes up the side of the carriage
body, and on the upper end of the cord 8 there is a ring 10 through which
passes a cord 9, passing out through the ends of the carriage.with the bell
rope to the locomotive so as to be under the control of the engineer. The
lower end of the vertical shafts a are placed in a slot made in the bearings 2,
so that the shaft & can move back and forward with the movements of the
breaks. The breaks d are maintained at a uniform distance from the wheels
by the springs 30, which are secured to the bars e, and which press against
the hangers g. The combination of the cam R and lever C with the eliptic
spring D (shown at Figure 5) can be readily substituted for the coil spring
shaft 11, and cranks o and o¹, represented in Figures 1, 2, and 3, and
about the same result obtained as that which results from the use of the
coil springs, shafts, and cranks, therefore I do not confine myself to the
use of the coil spring, shaft, and cranks for operating the rods, levers, and
breaks.
The construction and arrangement of the several parts will readily be
understood by reference to the Drawings, therefore I will proceed to describe
the operation of my Invention.
11, and couple the
Now by coupling
Having the various parts constructed and arranged as herein described and
represented I adjust the breaks to the wheels by means of the screw nuts 3
and 4. I then turn the shaft 11 until the coil spring has sufficient tension
to hold the breaks ou the wheels with the force desired. I then attach the
rods and to the cranks or levers o and o¹ on the shaft
carriages and locomotive together in the usual manner.
the locomotive to the buffer or draw head 20 the draft of the engine will
draw forward the rods j and k and the crank o, which will force back the
crank o¹ and the rods and k¹, which movements of rods and cranks will
move the levers marked 18 and turn the shaft x and lever 16, which will
move the rods i and h and and in the direction indicated by the arrows,

page_text: and thereby force-the breaks from off the wheels.
When the drawing power
is attached to the draw head or buffer marked 29 then the draft will draw
forward the rods and and the cranks o', and thereby force back the
crank o and rods k and j and operate the levers 18 and 16, which will move
the rods i, i, and h, h', in the direction indicated by the arrows and force the
brake off the wheels.
When I desire to take the breaks off and hold them off a forward motion
is given to the locomotive, which will draw forward the draw heads or buffers
and operate the rods, cranks, or levers in the manner described, and take the
breaks off. I then draw the cord 9 forward, which will cause it to approach
a straight line, and thereby draw up the line 8, which will bring the pall ก.
in contact with the ratchet wheel n, and thereby hold the breaks off the
wheels.
It will readily be seen by reference to the Figures 1 and 2 that the
improved breaks can be operated by the hand lever 21 and chain 22 attached
to the lever 18. By winding up the chain it will cause the rods, cranks, and
levers to operate in the manner described, and thereby take the breaks off the
wheels. The breaks are brought to bear on the wheels by the action of tho
spring upon the shaft 11 and cranks o and o¹, which are connected to the rods
and levers operating the breaks. When the breaks are' off the wheels the
crank o and o¹ are in the position represented by the dotted lines 9 (see
Figures 4), and when the breaks are on the wheels the cranks o and o¹´are in
the position represented by o and o' in the same Figure. By thus arranging
the cranks o and o' with relation to the spring shaft a less power will hold the
breaks off from the wheels than is required to draw them off, for the leverage
of the cranks o and o¹ is gradually increased as they approach the position
represented by the dotted lines g, seen in Figure 4, which is the position of
the cranks when the breaks are held off from the wheels.
Figure 1 on Sheet 2 of my Drawings represents a plan of a slightly;
modified arrangement of break-actuating mechanism applied to a locomotive
tender, the coil spring and shaft 11 berein-before referred to being replaced
by eliptic springs, which through a system of horizontal levers apply the
breaks to the wheels. A, A, are two eliptic springs, the ends of which play.
in slots in the brackets B, B, secured to the main framing. To the centre of
each spring there is secured one end of a rod C, which is connected at its
opposite end by an adjusting nut with one of the four break bars D, D,
carrying the break blocks E, E; F, F, are two levers, which in this Drawing
are represented as situate horizontally, although they may equally well be
placed so as to work vertically, as herein-after described. These levers work -

page_text: on fulcra f, f, and their longer ends are coupled together by the adjustable
coupling rod G, whilst their shorter ends are connected by the rods H, H,
with the other two break bars D', D'. These levers are also connected, but
on the opposite side of their fulcra, by a pin g with the break rods C, C. I is
the draw bar, which is attached to the longer arm of one of the levers F, and
is caused to work on a pin i in the centre of the framing. When at rest or
when the steam is shut off and the engine no longer exerts a tractive strain
upon the draw bar I the breaks will be applied through the agency of the
eliptic springs, but on applying draught to the draw bars the levers F, F, will
be pulled forward in the direction of the arrows, and will consequently remove
the breaks from off the wheels, as will be clearly seen on referring to the
Drawing. If a vertical system of levers be employed the fulcra f, f, will be
situate in the centre of the line of the framing.
Figure 2 on Sheet 2 of my Drawings represents a longitudinal vertical
section of one half of a railway carriage framing provided with a set of
breaks operated according to my Invention, but by means of vertical levers
in lieu of horizontal levers as herein-before described, The other.half of the
framing which is not shown in the Drawing is precisely similar.
A, A, are two "bogies" attached in the ordinary manner to the main
framing B of an eight-wheeled carriage; C, C, are the break bars working
in hangers D, D, attached to the "bogies," and carrying at each end a break
block E. The two break .bars of each "bogie" are respectively coupled by
means of the rods F, F, with a vertical lever G above and below its fulcrum
9. Near the upper end of each lever G there is connected one end of a rod
H, the other end of which is connected by a slot and pin with the draw hook s
I. A second rod K connects the end of the vertical lever with a chain L,
which is capable of being wound on to a drum M on the verticle spindle N,
provided with a hand wheel O and ratchet and detent P. The object of this.
spindle is to afford facility for taking off the breaks by hand and holding
them off when requisite, as, for example, when backing or shunting. Q is a s
rod also connected with the upper end of the vertical lever, and coupling it with
one of two lever arms or cranks o, o¹, on a spring shaft 11, actuated by a coil
spring in a case y, precisely as described in reference to Figures 1, 2, and 4,
on Sheet 1 of my Drawings. In order to assist the action of the coil spring
a weighted lever R may be fitted to the spring shaft 11, as shown in the
Drawing; n is the ratchet wheel on the spring shaft for holding the breaks.
out of action when backing the carriages or pushing them on to sidings, and
m is a detent acted upon by the cords 8 and 9 as herein-before described.
The cord 9 may pass in a continuous manner from end to end of the train, or

page_text: it may extend only along the framing of each individual carriage. It will be
readily seen on referring to the Drawing, that on applying a tractive strain to
the draw hook at either end of the carriage the breaks will be drawn fron
off the wheels, and that on the cessation of any active pull upon the draw
hooks the coil spring will by its action apply the breaks unless they are held
off by the means provided for that purpose.
Figure 1 on Sheet 3 of my Drawings represents a sectional elevation of an
arrangement of self-acting break. applicable either to vehicles running on
tramways or to four-wheel railway carriages; the Drawing, however, repre-
sents the framing of a vehicle intended for a street tramway. Figure 2 is a
plan of the under side of the carriage.. In this arrangement I have repre-
sented double eliptic springs operating in conjunction with vertical and
horizontal levers for applying and taking off the brakes.
In these two Figures A represents the floor of the carriage body; b, the
truck or main framing; c and c¹ represent an inner framing; d, d, are the
wheels; and e the axles. R is a cross shaft which is held in position by
hangers y secured to the timbers c¹; B, B¹, are two eliptic springs, the ends
of which work in suitable brackets or hangers attached to the framework c¹;.
r, r, are two short vertical levers carried by the shaft R, to which levers are
respectively attached or jointed the rods and t, which are secured to the
break bars 2, 2, carrying the breakes J. The rod i is also connected to
the centre of the spring B, whilst the rod t is similarly connected to the
spring B', as is clearly shown in the Drawings; h is a horizontal lever pall
on the shaft R, to the end of which lever is attached a cord or chain m
which passes up and over a pulley 10, and along a groove in the bottom of
the carriage body to the arm 8 (shown clearly in the detail plan Figure 3,)
on the upright shaft or spindle 5 which is furnished with a hand wheel for
turning the same, and with a double ratchet wheel 7, the said ratchet wheel
and its double pall being used for the purpose of holding the breaks off the
wheels or for holding them so that they cannot be drawn off, as may be
desired in either case. The draw hook 8 is secured to the platform of the
carriage body by means of a bolt 6, which bolt passes through slots o made
in the plates 9 and in the platform of the carriage. In some cases the
carriage body may be made to turn horizontally on a central pivot so as to
reverse the position of the draw hook when the carriage is about to commence
its return journey, or if preferred the body may be fixed and a second draw
hook cord m and apparatus connected therewith, the same as shown in
Figure 3, may be applied to the rear end of the vehicle. To this bolt 6 is
attached a short length of cord or chain 11, which is also secured to the

page_text: arm 8 of the shaft 5 herein-before referred to. It will readily be observed
that a barrel or coil spring may be used instead of eliptic springs for turning
the shaft R and applying the breaks.
The operation of this improved break as modified and herein represented
is as follows:-The drawing power is attached to the hook 3, which will draw
forward the cord 11, arm 8, and cord m, and thereby draw up the lever h,
which will cause the levers r and on the shaft R to move the rods i and t
in the direction indicated by the arrows, and so relieve the wheels from the
breaks j. The moment that the drawing power ceases to act the tractive
power of the spring or springs on the shaft R will cause the various parts
to assume their original or normal position, and so hold the breaks on the
wheels.
Figure 4 (Sheet 3). represents a modified arrangement of break mechanism
stiitable for a locomotive engine eight-wheeled tender, a portion only of the
tender framing being shown. The break mechanism for each pair of axles is
the same, and therefore a reference to one pair of axles with their four wheels
and corresponding breaks will be sufficient.
The arrangement may be
described as a modification of the arrangement herein-before described in
reference to Figure 1 (Sheet 2) and the parts corresponding to that figure
are indicated by corresponding letters of reference. In this modification
vertical levers F are substituted for the horizontal levers F in the arrange-
ment above referred to. A represents one of two eliptic springs, the ends of
which work in brackets attached to hangers B secured to the main framing of
the tender; a rod C connects the centre of the spring A with one of the break
bars D which carry the break blocks E; this rod is connected also by a
pin with the vertical lever F at a point above its fulcrum f, such lever
being situate in the centre line of the main framing, and having its fulcrum in
a bracket secured to a cross bar B¹. The bottom end of the lever below its
fulcrum is jointed to the rod H, which is connected at its opposite end to
the break bar D¹; G is an adjustable rod, which connects the upper end of
one of the vertical levers F with the upper end of a precisely similar lever for
operating the breaks of the leading set of 4 wheels, which are not shown in
the Drawing; I is a rod which is also jointed to the upper end of the hinder
lever F, and either constitutes the draw bar itself or serves to connect the
lever F with the draw hook. On reference to the Drawing it will be obvious
that a tractive strain being exerted upon the rod I in the direction of the
arrow the breaks will be taken off the wheels, and that when the tractive
force ceases to operate on the bar I from any cause the springs A will,
through the levers F and rods. C, II, and G, apply the whole of the breaks to

page_text: As
the wheels. When a weighted lever is used in combination or not with a,
spring, as herein-before described in reference to Figure 2 (Sheet 2) it should
be so placed upon the shaft that when the breaks are pressing the hardest
upon the wheels the weighted lever will be in a horizontal position, but when
the tractive strain is brought to bear upon the carriage the weighted lever
should move through a quarter of a circle and then stand in an upright or
vertical position, when it will exert no power whatever upon the breaks.
the tender is always connected with the locomotive it is only necessary that
its break should pull off at the back end. The spring or springs, moreover,
of the tender breaks should have double the power of those of the passenger
carriages, for when the steam is shut off the momentum of the tender has a
tendency to keep the tender breaks off its wheels. The luggage van which
is next to the tender should have a slightly less break power than the tender,
and each passenger carriage should have an equal break power, which may be
rather less than that of the leading luggage van. By applying a ratchet
wheel and detent to the shaft R in Fig. 1, Sheet 3, and connecting such
detents by means of cords extending throughout the length of the train, as
herein-before described in reference to Figs. 1 and 2 (Sheet 1) and Fig. 2
(Sheet 2) the breaks may be held off the wheels when required.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe, in conclusion, that what I consider to be novel and
original, and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
First, the general construction, arrangement, and mode of operating breaks
for railway or tramway carriages, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated by the Drawings annexed.
Second, the combination of the pall m, ratchet wheel u, shaft 11, cranks
o, o', and coil or other spring arranged to operate substantially as herein-
before described.
Third, the combination with the above of horizontal or vertical levers with
rods for coupling such levers with the spring shaft and with the break bars
and draw hooks, the whole being arranged and operating substantially as
herein before described.
Fourth, the combination of an eliptic spring or springs with horizontal or
vertical levers, and with rods or their equivalents, for connecting such levers
with the break bars, draw hooks, and springs, the whole being arranged and
operating substantially as herein-before described.
Fifth, the application and use of a weighted lever, either alone or in

page_text: combination with a spring, and with the mechanism herein-before referred to,
substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.
Sixtb, the so arranging the self-acting break mechanism of railway or
tramway carriages that less power shall be required to hold or maintain the
breaks clear of the wheels when drawn off than is required to draw them off
the wheels, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I,, the said James. Marius Macrum, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, the Ninth day of July, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-six.
JAMES MS. MACRUM. (L.s.)
JAMES MS. MACRUM.. (L.8.)