IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Peacock Savage, of Wood Hall, Hilgay,
Downham, in the County of Norfolk, for the Invention of "IM-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Peacock
Savage at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 23rd January 1875.
I, WILLIAM PEACOCK SAVAGE, of Wood Hall, Hilgay, Downham, in
the County of Norfolk, do hereby declare the nature of the said In-
vention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS ON
RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
+
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for
preventing accidents on railways.
In order to prevent the line of railway deflecting at the joints of the
rails I support each joint by means of a triangular forging or casting, or
by an arched bar. The apex is connected with the two rails at the

page_text: joint, and the base at its ends rests upon two transverse sleepers. Or
I employ a V form forging or casting, which I bolt to the rails near to
their ends; and the space enclosed beneath the rail I fill with a solid
block of wood or other material. I employ two such forgings or
castings, one on either side of the joint; or I place under the joint of
the rails a transverse sleeper, which at its two ends I support upon
short longitudinal bearers, and these in turn rest at their ends two
upon
other transverse sleepers placed beneath them.
In order to enable the engine driver or guard to apply simultaneously
the whole of the brakes on the train I employ a rope running from end
to end of the train near the roofs of the carriages on one side. Over
cach pair of wheels it is attached to a lever fixed on a shaft parallel to
the axis; this shaft is carried in bearings on the bed frame, and to it
are fixed arms carrying brake blocks, one on cither side of each wheel.
When the rope is strained tight the brake blocks bear against the
tyres and the train is brought rapidly to a standstill. In order to com-
pensate for the varying distances between the carriages, and for any
stretching which may take place in the length of the rope, I employ
compensating weights, which bring the rope to an uniform tension from
end to end. In some cases I employ springs or weights to apply the
brakes, which are liberated by the pull of the rope.
In order to give the alarm when a carriage is off the line every
carriage has a large bell mounted upon it; it is hung by a steel spring,
so as to be very free to spring when the carriage rolls sideways. The
same bell can also be rung to attract the driver's attention by means
of bell pulls suitably placed in the different compartments of the
carriage.
In order to lessen the risk of breakage of railway tyres I strengthen
them by applying in addition to the present flange a second flange on
the other side, and internal in place of external. In this way I give an
equality of strength to the two sides of the tyre, and it is the inequality
which at present exists which is the main cause of breakage.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Peacock Savage in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 23rd July 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
PEACOCK SAVAGE, of Wood Hall, Hilgay, Downham, in the County of
Norfolk, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her-
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of January, in tho
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in
the thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and
successors, give and grant unto me, the said William Peacock Savage,
Her special license that I, the said William Peacock Savage, my exe-.
cutors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Peacock Savage, my executors, administrators, and 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, usc, excrcise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING ACCIDENTS
ON. RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Wiliam Peacock Savage, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
seals, 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 Scal Patent Office within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent:-
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Peacock Savage, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for pre-
venting accidents on railways.
In order to prevent the line of railway deflecting at the joints of the
rails I support cach joint by means of triangular forgings or castings, or
by arched bars. The apex of each forging is connected with the two

page_text: rails at the joint, and the base at its ends rests upon two transverse
sleepers. The holes formed through the apex of the castings or forgings
may be oblong if required, to allow. of contraction and expansion of
the rails.
There is a
Figure 1 shows a side view of a rail joint with the joint supported by t
a triangular forging or casting a as above described. This forging or
casting may be used either with or without fish plates. If no fish plates
are used the upper part of the forging or casting is formed to fit against
the sides of the rails and to pass partly beneath them, and is secured to
the rails by bolts in the manner shewn at 6, Figure 1.
triangular forging or casting a applied to cach side of the rail
the base of the castings rest upon two transverse sleepers c.
shows a side view of a rail joint with the joint supported by an arched
bar a placed directly under the joint of the rails and held to the rails by
plates at the sides as shown. The bar a rests at its two ends upon
transverse sleepers, and supports the rail at its centre.
joint, and
Figure 2
Another arrangement for supporting rail joints is shown at Figure 3.
In this case a V form forging or casting a is employed, which I bolt to
the rails near to their ends, and the space enclosed beneath the rail I fill
with solid blocks of wood or other material. I employ two such forgings
or castings, one on either side of the joint.
Another arrangement for supporting rail joints is shewn at Figure 4.
In this case a transverse sleeper a is placed under the joint of the rails,
and is supported at its ends upon short longitudinal bearers b, and theso
in turn rest at their ends upon two other transverse sleepers c placed
beneath them.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention the means hercin-before
described of strengthening and supporting the joints of railway rails.
In order to enable the engine driver or guard to apply simultaneously
the whole of the brakes on the train I employ a rope running from end
to end of the train near the roofs of the carriages on one side. Over
each pair of wheels it is attached to a lever fixed on a shaft parallel to
the axis. This shaft is carried in bearings on the bed frame, and to it
are fixed arms carrying break blocks, one on either side of each wheel.
When the rope is strained tight the brake blocks bear against the tyres
and the train is brought rapidly to a standstill. "In order to compensate
for the varying distances between the carriages, and for any stretching

page_text: which may take place in the length of the rope, I employ compen-
sating weights, which bring the rope to an uniform tension from end
to end. '
In some cases I employ springs or weights to apply the brakes which
are liberated by the pull of the rope.
Figure 5 shews a side view and Figure 6 a plan view of railway
carriages with brake apparatus applied to them, as herein-before described.
In the arrangement shewn in these Figures the brakes are applied by a
continuous cord or rope, which passes from end to end of a train or along
any desired number of carriages. Two carriages only are shewn in the
Drawings for the sake of simplicity, but it will be readily seen that any
desired number of carriages may be fitted with the same arrangement of
brake apparatus, and that the brakes on the several carriages may be
actuated from one or two guards' vans, or it might be by the engine
driver if desired.
In the case of a long train there may be two or more guards' vans,
and from each van the breaks upon three, four, or other number of
carriages may be worked. A is the guard's van, in whicli is mounted a
horizontal shaft, upon which are two or (if there are to be break carriages
in front of the break van as well as behind it) four pullies or drums B,
to each of which is connected one end of the continuous cord C, which
is led along the several carriages, one end of the cord being led on to the
top of one pulley, whilst the other end of the cord is led below the other
pulley, so that when the shaft is turned the cord is wound on to one
pulley, and unwound from the other. The cords are led along side by
side over guide pulleys carried at one side of the carriages, and at the
centre of cach carriage are weighted pullies D resting upon the cords
and working up and down in guides to take up any slack in the cords,
and keep a tension upon them insufficient however to liberate the brake
levers, and apply the brakes between cach of the carriages. The cords
pass over pulleys E carried at one end of a lever F, to the opposite end
of which is suspended a weight G, which when the carriages are upon a
straight line of rail holds the cords up out of a straight line, as shewn,
but when the carriages are passing round a curve, and the distance
between the ends of the carriages on the side that the cords are carried
is increased the weight is raised, and no injurious strain comes upon the
cords either to break them or to be sufficient to liberate the brake levers
-

page_text: and apply the brakes. When the carriages are passing round a curve
in the opposite direction, and the ends of the carriages are closer together
at the side where the cords are carried, the cords are prevented from
becoming slack by other pullies H carried by a lever I. A cord from
the opposite end of the lever I is led downwards over a guide pulley, and
after being led over other guide pullies is made fast to the end of the
.next carriage, as shewn, so that as the ends of the carriages on the side
at which the cords are carried approach one another the pullies H are
raised, and the cords or ropes are kept from becoming slack, the raising
of the pullies being caused by the ends of the carriages on the opposite
side receding from one another. By these means there is at all times a
compensating effect to maintain an even tension upon the cords whether
the train is travelling on a straight or upon a curve or either direction,
or whether the distance between the carriages increases or decreases in
ascending or descending inclines. On the last carriage to which the
brakes are applied the rope or cord passes around a pulley K. Over the
axis of each pair of wheels is a cross shaft L, to which are fixed arms M
carrying brake blocks to come upon the opposite sides of the wheels at
both sides of the carriage. Each axis has also fixed to it a lever arm N
on the same side of the carriage as the rope or cord C. The upper ends
of the lever arms at the side of each carriage are coupled together by a
link, so that when the brake blocks are applied to one pair of wheels of
cach carriage, they are also applied to the other pair of wheels.
In order that the brake blocks may be securely held off from the
wheels whilst the carriages are running, one of the levers N when in a
central position comes between two spring stops O, which retain it, and
prevent it from moving. In order to move one or other of these stops
out of the way when the brakes are to be applied the rope C is attached
to an arm of a small lever P pivotted to the lever N. The lever P has
also two other arms by which when the rope C is pulled on, and the
small lever P caused to turn on its pivot, one or other of the spring
catches will be forced back and the brake lever released, and its upper
end set free to be drawn in the direction of the pull upon the rope, and
apply the brakes. By having brake blocks upon both sides of the wheel,
'as shewn, the brake apparatus will work equally well in whichever
direction the levers N are moved.
In order that the brakes may be applied simultaneously by the guard

page_text: cord with a weight R attached. When the axis of the pulleys B is
turned in a direction to take off the brakes the cord is wound up on to
the pulley Q and the weight R thereby raised. When the brakes have
been taken off the weight is prevented from again descending by a
pawl S engaging with a ratchet wheel on the axis. When the brakes
have to be applied all that is necessary is to release the pawl S, the
weight R will then fall and turn the pullies B in a direction to wind up
that end of the cord which is connected to the brake levers, the breaks
will by this means be instantaneously applied with sufficient force to
materially impede the forward movement of the train. If it be then'
desired to apply the brakes with still greater force the axis of the'
pullies B may be turned still further by a toothed wheel T, into which'
gears a pinion which can be revolved by a crank handle. This pinion
when not in use may be drawn back so as to be out of gear with the
3 toothed wheel, and it may be retained either in or out of gear by a
clutch V.
At Figure 7 I have shewn a modification of the above described,
arrangement of brake apparatus, in which modification the brakes aro
when required applied by springs, and are at other times held out of
action by the wire rope or other cord C. The arrangement of the cord
and of the pulleys for maintaining an even tension upon the wire ropo.
or cord may be the same as in the former arrangement. The cord C is
connected, as shewn, to an arm of small levers X mounted at the top of
the carriage. The axis of each lever X has two other arms projecting
from it on opposite sides. These arms are connected by cords or chains
with corresponding lever arms on axes Y at the lower part of the
carriage. On each axis Y is also another arm connected by a link Y'
with a spring W which tends at all times to force the break blocks
against the wheel. When the small levers X are maintained in a
central position by the cord or rope C both brake blocks will be held
away from the wheels, but if the levers X are turned in either direction
one or other of the springs W being no longer held up by the link Y
will force the break block, upon which it acts against tho wheel.
I would remark that the means employed for holding the brake blocks
away from the wheels by means of the continuous rope, or cord C may
be greatly varied, and that I do not confine myself to the arrangement
above described for effecting this object, but claim the use of a con,

page_text: tinuous cord or rope carried along the carriages, as herein-before
described, to hold spring breaks out of action.
I would also remark that in both of the arrangements above described
when I speak of a continuous cord or rope running along any desired
number of carriages I mean that the cord or rope should be continuous
when in working order, but to allow of detaching any of the carriages
from the others I make each carriage to carry its own lengths of cord or;
rope and couple up the several lengths of cord or rope on the several
carriages at the same time that the carriages are coupled together,
double action screw couplings are also used for tightening up the cords
or ropes on each carriage when required.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention the combined arrange-.
ments of mechanism, substantially as herein-before described, for working
the brakes of railway trains.
In order to give the alarm when a carriage is off the line every
carriage has a large bell mounted upon it, it is hung in such a manner
as to be very free to spring or swing when the carriage rolls sideways.
The same bell can also be rung to attract the driver's attention by means
of bell pulls suitably placed in the different compartments of the
carriage.
Figure 8 shows a side view of a railway carriage with a bell hung
upon it above the roof in the manner above described, it is by preference
carried by a flexible spring. A rope Z passes to it from each compart-
ment of the carriage so that it may serve as an alarm bell, and a cord is
also carried forward from it to the guard's brake van, and it may be also
to the engine to strike a bell and warn the guard or engine driver
whenever the bell is sounded. An uniform strain is always kept upon¯
the several cords by weighted pulleys hung upon them between or by the
side of the carriages, and also it might be between the carriages in the
manner described with reference to the brake cords. In place of the
ropes Z being connected to the bell so as to swing the bell when pulled
upon they may be connected with a trip hammer in such manner that
when the cord is pulled upon the hammer is raised and then thrown by
a spring against the bell.
I claim as respects this part of my Invention mounting a bell upon
the top of a railway carriage in the manner herein-before described, so

page_text: -
that it may be free to swing should the carriage get off the line or
oscillate violently from any other cause; and also I claim the arrange-
ments licrein-before described for allowing of such bell being used as an
alarm bell, and be rung from bell pulls suitably placed in the different
compartments of the carriage.
In order to lessen the risk of breakage of railway tyres I strengthen
them by applying in addition to the present flange a second flange on
the other side and internal in place of external. In this way I give an
equality of strength to the two sides of the tyre, and it is the inequality
which at present exists-which is the main cause of breakage.
Figure 9 shows a section of a railway wheel to which the side of the
tyre opposite to that upon which the present flange is now formed is
strengthened by an inner disc or ring fitting accurately within the
interior of the tyre and so affording additional support to this side of the
tyre.
I claim the means above described for giving additional support to
the tyres of railway wheels.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Peacock Savage, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, this Twenty-second day of July,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-.
fivo.