Improvements in Friction-brakes for Gun-carriages.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Nov., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 13th July, 1891-Accepted, 22nd Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by DIE ACTIEN GESELLSCHAFT GRUSONWERK, of
Magdeburg, Buckau, in the Empire of Germany.]
Improvements in Friction-brakes for Gun-carriages.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to friction-brakes for gun-carriages and is designed to
increase the effect of such brakes and to facilitate the operation of the same.
In carrying the said invention into practice, I secure upon each journal of the
axle a disc having fixed therein two pins or studs upon which are pivoted two bent
or curved levers. When these levers are turned outwards upon the pins they force
a brake-spring with such force against a ring loosely mounted upon it that the two
parts are firmly coupled to each other. The said ring has on its outer periphery
two projections or tappets and is surrounded by another ring formed or fixed on
the nave of the wheel and provided on its inner periphery with two projections or
tappets.
Between the outer ring and the inner ring are inserted two pieces of suitable
elastic material.
When, on applying the brake, the said spring is frictionally coupled to the inner
ring by the turning of the said bent levers about their pivots, one of the tappets
on the outer ring, in the movement of the wheel, forces the corresponding clastic
piece against one of the tappets on the inner ring whilst the other tappet on the
outer ring forces the other elastic piece against the remaining tappet on the inner
ring. Accordingly the pieces of elastic material are compressed, and a period of
transition from the movement to the stoppage of the wheel, such as is necessary
in applying the brake to a wheel, is thus obtained.
The turning of the said bent levers is effected by means of a rod which is suitably
supported upon the axle and which has flattened heads extending between the
upper ends of the said bent levers. When the said rod is turned about its axis
the head of the same in the ring of each nave forces the corresponding bent levers
asunder and causes them to turn about the aforesaid pivot-pins.
Now as the turning of the said rod can be effected by a long lever or arm, whilst
a very short arm (viz. :-half the breadth of the said flattened head) acts upon the
bent levers, and as moreover the bent levers are applied with a very great leverage
to the brake spring, it is evident that the brake can be operated with a small
expenditure of power and yet be applied with very great force.
The brake is completely protected against the entrance of dust or other foreign
matter, the said disc fitting accurately against the outer ring.
The inner ring and the elastic material are not absolutely necessary, as the
spring may if desired be adapted to press directly against the outer ring.
In this case there will be no period of transition from the motion to the stoppage
of the wheel, the stoppage taking place suddenly or abruptly.
Dated this 10th day of November 1890.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Friction-brakes for Gun-carriages.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 friction-brakes for gun-carriages, and is designed to
facilitate the operation and increase the efficiency of such brakes.
My improved brake comprises a spring which is circular or has the form of an
incomplete ring, and which is applied by expanding it within another ring; and an
important feature of my said invention is the employment, in combination with
this brake-spring, of bent or curved pivoted levers, and a rod having a flattened or
oval end or head which works in the space between the free ends of the said
levers, and, by the partial rotation of which about its axis, the said levers may be
forcibly turned about their pivots to expand the said spring.
I find it advantageous to employ two concentric rings surrounding the said spring,
the outer ring being firmly secured to the nave of the wheel and the inner ring
being free to turn through a greater or less angle relatively thereto; and to provide
elastic devices between the said rings in such a manner that the transition from
the movement of the wheel to the stoppage thereof will occupy an appreciable
period of time, and the stoppage of the wheel will not be effected so abruptly or
suddenly as to cause injurious shock or concussion.
In the accompanying drawing I have shown how the said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is an end elevation, partly in transverse section, showing a gun-carriage
having the present improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a vertical section on the line x, x, Figure 1, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation, and
Figure 4 an end elevation, showing the aforesaid rod or spindle having the
flattened or oval end or head.
A, A are the cheeks of the gun-carriage, B is the axle, C, C are the wheels.
On the nave C of each wheel C is formed or fixed a ring a; within this ring
and concentric therewith is arranged another ring b, which is free to turn through
a greater or less angle relatively to the ring a. The circular brake-spring c is
arranged within the inner ring b, and is of such diameter that, when the said spring
is not expanded, the said ring & can rotate freely upon it with the ring a and
wheel C.
Upon cach journal of the axle B is secured a disc d having fixed therein two
pins or studs d', d, upon which are pivoted two bent or curved levers e, e'.
e,
The said levers e, el are arranged to be turned about the pivot-pins d', d² by
means of a rod or spindle, which is suitably supported upon the axle B, and which
has flattened or oval ends or heads extending between the upper or free ends of
the said bent levers e, el, so that, when the said rod or spindle f is turned about
its axis into the position shown in Figure 2, the end or head of the same within
the rings a, b, of each nave, will force the corresponding bent levers e, el asunder,
and cause them to turn about the said pivot-pins d', d². The said levers e¹ bear
against projections c¹ on the brake-spring c; therefore, when these levers are turned
outwards upon the said pins d', d, they expand the brake-spring c and press the
same with such force against the ring b, that these two parts are firmly coupled
to each other. The said ring b has on its outer periphery two projections or
studs 61, 62, and the ring a is provided on its inner periphery with two projections
or studs a', a. Between the outer ring a and the inner ring b are inserted two
pieces g, g' of suitable elastic material.
When, on applying the brake, the said spring c is frictionally coupled to the

page_text: inner ring b by the turning of the said bent levers e, e¹ about their pivots into the
position shown in Figure 2, the projection or stud a¹ on the outer ring a, in
the movement of the wheel, forces the corresponding elastic piece against the
projection or stud 6 on the inner ring b, whilst the projection a² on the outer ring a
forces the other elastic piece 9 against the projection 6¹ on the inner ring b.
Accordingly the pieces g, g¹ of elastic material are compressed, and the transition
from the movement to the stoppage of the wheel takes place gradually, in a manner
such as is necessary in the application of a brake to a wheel.
As the turning of the rod or spindle f can be effected by means of a long lever
or arm, whilst a very short arm (that is to say, half the breadth of the said
flattened or oval end or head of the rod f) acts upon the bent-levers e, e¹, and as,
moreover, the said bent levers are applied with a great amount of leverage to the
brake-spring c, it is evident that the brake can be operated with a small expenditure
of power and yet be very forcibly applied.
The brake is completely protected against the entrance of dust or other
foreign matter, the disc d fitting accurately against the outer ring a.
The inner ring and the elastic material g, g' are not absolutely necessary,
as the spring c may, if desired, be adapted to press directly against the outer
ring a of the nave. In this case, there will be no appreciable period of transition
from the motion to the stoppage of the wheel, the stoppage taking place suddenly
or abruptly.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven
Gion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First. The employment, in a friction-brake, of a rod or spindle adapted to
be turned about its axis and having a flattened or oval end or head which
extends between the levers for applying the brake, and serves for actuating such
levers.
Second. A friction-brake in which bent or curved levers for applying a circular
brake-spring are arranged to be forced asunder by the flattened or oval end or
head of a rod which extends between the free ends of the said levers and is
adapted to be turned about its axis, substantially as, and for the purpose, above
specified.
Third. The employment, in a friction-brake, of pieces of elastic material
inserted between projections on inner and outer rings, so that they will, when the
brake is applied, be compressed and serve as cushions to permit a gradual
transition from the movement to the stoppage of the wheel, substantially as
herein before described.
Fourth. A gun-carriage provided with the improved friction-brake constructed
substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawing, and
operating as above specified.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant,