AN IMPROVED METHOD OF STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to. John Raywood,. Engineer, of Wentworth, in the
County of Yorkshire, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF
STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 26th November 1855, and dated the 28th June 1855.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign. did, for Herself. Iler heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said John Raywood, Her special licence that I, the said John Raywood, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said John
Raywood, 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, use, exercise. and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "AN IMPROVED METHOD OF STOPPING
RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said John
Raywood, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should par-
ticularly 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 John Raywood, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My Invention consists in the application of steam when necessary to certain
apparatus in connexion with railway trains, for the more safe and expeditious
retarding or stopping of the same, thereby preventing collissions or shocks, and
for ease and safety in travelling; but I wish it to be distinctly understood that
I do not claim the exclusive right to use steam; nor do I confine-myself-to-its
use or application at all times in reference to the above-named improvements,
as the same may be worked by hand gearing, self-acting, or otherwise, as on the
guard's van, or when the carriages or trucks are detached from the engine or
tender. Neither do I consider that the term break blocks as generally under-
stood necessarily compels me to use or apply these improvements to the wheels
only; but I claim the right to apply them in any way most desirable to any
part of an engine, tender, carriage, van, or truck, with or without the aid of
steam, to the whole or any part of a train, and notwithstanding such or similar
appliances are technically called break blocks, buffer blocks, draw bars, re-
sistance springs, or otherwise. Neither do I confine myself to use the whole
of the above-named apparatus at one and the same time, but such part or parts
only as may be deemed necessary, or the whole if required. And I propose

page_text: carrying out my Invention in the manner herein described, and shewn by the
accompanying Drawings.
Fig. 1 is a line of rails as usual, having also an additional line of wood or
iron of a suitable or necessary length to be laid down principally at stations,
or at short curves, or at any part of the line where considered necessary; upon
which rails I force the breaks a, a, a, Fig. 2, by the application of a lever,
screw, or steam. By this means I bring the whole weight of resistance or
pressure to bear by breaks and springs upon the rails as well as the wheels; and
instead of entirely stopping the wheels as at present, I should allow them to
revolve sufficiently to remove the great amount of friction from the rails, and
thus prevent the serious wear and grinding of the same. What I claim in this
my Invention is, the introduction of one or more additional rails, and
part of
the application of the breaks to the rails as well as the wheels.
Fig. 2. Under the tender or in any convenient position I place one or more
cylinders a, a, which are to be supplied with steam from the boiler by pipes,
valves, or cocks at the will of the engine driver or other person.
(Mode of Operation).-Steam being admitted, it acts upon the piston B,
which works the draw bars C, C, moving the cranks D, D, and bringing into
operation the breaks E, E; at the same time that steam acts upon the piston B
it may be made to act upon the piston F, forcing out the buffer block G, which
will retard and force the train from the tender to the extent of chain or coupling,
and enable the driver to reverse his engine much sooner and with less injury
to the same. Attached to the rod G is a cross head or bar, which works the
draw bars and breaks for the next carriage, and so on, throughout the train;
or it
may not be necessary to extend the breaks beyond the first carriage, inas-
much as that when the engine and tender are retarded, the line of carriages
close upon each other, and the whole weight or impetus is upon the tender, and
the pressure of steam upon the piston of the buffer brake G must be overcome
before the train can again come in contact with the tender. By this method I
form one continuous buffer break thoughout the line of carriages, if necessary.
Fig. 3 shews the whole of the internal construction of that part of the
apparatus marked H, in connection with the buffer break G, as follows:-
G, the rod; G 1, Fig. 2 A, a watch-form flat or horizontal spring, of suitable
strength and dimensions, working in B, a chamber or recess, having ledges or
stops to prevent too great a strain upon any single turn of the spring A ; C, C,
one or more air vessells, of leather, gutta percha, india-rubber, or other flexible
material; D, a rod working in a spring E, and terminating in the form of a
wedge to force open the clams F, which expands the springs G, G, and con-

page_text: tracts the springs H, H. That part marked × × ×, will consist of a brass
lining and covering, which will be soldered into and on the metal casing rods
ör box, or the same may be of metal altogether."
...I do not confine myself to the precise method of fixing any of the above, but
shall be.regulated by circumstances, of construction, convenience, or utility,
the same may be made available in any possible manner for the purposes before
mentioned, viz., the stopping or retarding of trains, and thereby securing ease
and safety in travelling.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Raywood, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
JOHN RAYWOOD (LS)