IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO RAILWAY VEHICLES AND BRAKE APPARATUS THEREFOR
Year: 1883

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Harris Lake at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st January 1883. Communicated to
him from abroad by Thompson Hersee, of Buffalo, New York, United States
of America
HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton, Buildings London "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO RAILWAY
VEHICLES AND BRAKE APPARATUS THEREFOR [a communication to him from
abroad by Thompson Hersee, of Buffalo, New York, United States of America]
"
This invention relates to railway vehicles and brake apparatus therefor, and has
for its object to render the said vehicles light and strong, to increase their carrying
capacity, to reduce the resistance of the running gear, and to facilitate the application
of the brakes.
The said invention comprises the peculiar construction of the body of the vehicle
and of the running gear; and it also comprises brake apparatus which may be
applied either automatically or by hand all, as hereinafter set forth.
In a railway vehicle constructed according to the said invention the floor is
composed of cross-beams of rolled iron, preferably I-shaped, and of flooring which
is bolted, or otherwise secured, to the upper sides of the said beams and which
extends lengthwise of the vehicle thereby greatly increasing the resistance of the
floor to the longitudinal shocks and strains to which it is subjected when the
vehicle is in use.
The said cross beams are further connected by two longitudinal stringer-plates
secured to the under side of the said beams by angle-irons and extending from end
to end of the vehicle. Lateral diagonal braces are arranged at suitable distances
apart, and secured at their lower ends to the said stringer plates and at their upper
ends to the ends of the said cross-beams so that the said plates are firmly connected
with the beams. The said plates are connected by cross stays composed of curved
plates, which are secured at their ends to the inner sides of the stringer plates by
means of flanges.
The sides and ends of the vehicle are composed of an outer sheathing of sheet
iron, and an inner lining of wood, firmly bolted together. The lower portion of the
iron sheathing covers the ends of the said beams and is secured to the latter by
means of longitudinal angle irons secured respectively to the upper and lower sides
of the beams. The corners of the body of the vehicle are rounded so that a very
firm connection of the sides and ends is effected.

page_text: The roof is composed of rafters which are supported at their ends upon the sides
of the body of the vehicle and which carry stringers or longitudinal pieces to which
are secured the roof boards. The latter extend transversely across the vehicle and
are bent to the desired curvature which is that of an arc of a circle.
The body of the vehicle constructed as herein before described is light, strong,
nent in appearance, and very durable.
Each wheel of the vehicle is securëd to a séparate axle which projects about the
same distance on both sides of, the wheel and an axle box of any well-known
and suitable construction is applied to the outer portion of each axle and an elliptic
or other suitable spring is secured to the upper side of the said box and to the
under side of the floor of the vehicle.
A journal bearing rests on the inner portion of the said axle and a spring of
suitable construction is secured to the said journal-bearing and the under side of
the floor of the vehicle. The said springs, are secured to the, floor by means
of longitudinal pieces secured to the under sides of the said cross beams. The two
journal bearings applied to the inner portions of two opposite axles are connected
by a tube or box to which both bearings are firmly secured, and which surrounds
and incloses the inner portions of both axles.
Each axle is formed near its inner end with a reduced portion or neck which is
held in a bearing secured in the said tube or box by bolts.
The aforesaid stringer plates are provided with openings for the accommodation
of the said tubes or boxes, and two cross stays are arranged on opposite sides of
each tube or box so that the weakening of the plate by the said openings is
compensated for. The said tubes or boxes are provided with hinged covers or lids
and closed ends fitting snugly around the axles, whereby the entire interior of the
tube or box is made available as an oil-reservoir, Each tube or box is connected
with the axle boxes on the same axles by curved pipes, whereby communication is
established between these parts. A portion of the oil which is introduced into
either of the axle boxes passes into the tube box and lubricates the journals
arranged therein. The tube or box forms a large oil reservoir, in which a
considerable quantity of oil can be stored, and from which it is gradually fed to
the several journals arranged therein or connected therewith by the said pipes.
The draw heads may be of any suitable and well known construction but I
prefer to construct them to receive a flat coupling bar provided with shoulders or
enlargements at its ends, which engage behind shoulders of the draw head, and
which is disengaged from the shoulders of the drawhead by a lever which is
pivotted to the side of the drawhead and is operated by hand-levers terminating
near the sides of the vehicle and a rod extending to the roof so as to be within
convenient reach. Rods are secured to the inner ends of the drawhend and are
connected at their inner ends by means of two links so that each drawhead, and
the rod attached thereto, can be pushed back without moving the other drawhead
and rod. The inner ends of the said rods can be connected by a telescopic joint,
instead of by the said links, with the same results.
A spiral or other suitable spring which surrounds the inner ends of the said rods
is seated at both ends in two followers. The latter are provided with laterally
projecting ears which are guided in ways composed of slotted horizontal bars
secured to the under side of the body of the vehicle. The said ears support the
followers and prevent them from turning and the followers retain the spring in its
proper position The said rods are constructed with reduced portions or necks
which pass through the said followers and which form shoulders bearing against
the outer sides of the followers. A shoulder is formed on the lower side of each
drawhead and plays in a longitudinal slot formed in the supporting plate of the
draw-head. The said slot arrests the movement of the draw-head in either
direction before the spring is compressed to an undue degree, while permitting a
limited movement of the drawhead back and forth on its supporting plate. The
under side of the drawhead is preferably made V shaped and the supporting plate
of a corresponding form so that the drawhead will tend to return to a central

page_text: position after having been drawn therefrom in going around a curve or otherwise
The lateral movement of the draw head is limited by stops which are preferably
provided with horizontal rollers The spring and connecting parts permit of a
limited lateral movement of the draw head between the said stops
The brake shoe is attached to bars and the brake lever is constructed in the form
of a bell crank lever the upright arm of which turns on a transverse rod which is
secured to a stringer plate and upon which the brake lever slides during the lateral
movements of the drawhead. A wedge or included or curved projection is secured
to the rod of the draw-head and adapted to engage with the horizontal arm of the
brake lever. The latter is composed of two parallel bars, similar in form, and
secured side by side by a bolt A horizontal slot is formed in the end of both parts
of the upper arm of the brake lever and a bolt slides in this slot Two rollers are
mounted on this bolt between the two parts of the upper arm of the brake lever,
and an arm is pivotted on the said bolt between the said rollers The opposite
end of this arm is attached to a crank shaft, which is journalled in bearings attached
to both parts of the upper arm of the brake lever. The said shaft is provided with
a hinged extension to the side of the vehicle where it is provided with a hand
lever By turning the said shaft by means of the hand lever the said bolt is
moved through the slot by the said arm.
In
A rod connects the upper end of the brake lever with one or more of the brake
shoes applied to the wheels under the middle or under the opposite end of the
vehicle. The said wedge will raise the said rollers when the draw-head is pushed
back, thereby swinging the upper arm of the brake lever toward the right, and the
lower arm toward the left, whereby the shoes are pressed against the wheels.
this manner the brakes are applied simultaneously on all the vehicles of the train
by the backward movement which the draw-head receives when the speed of the
locomotive is reduced. When the draw-head to which the brake lever is connected
happens to be at the forward end of the vehicle, the resistance of the adjacent
vehicle pushes the draw head back and applies the brake When this draw-head
happens to be at the rear end of the vehicle the momentum of the next following
vehicle presses the draw-head back and applies the brake. As the draw-head
returns to its former position the brake lever is released from a projection and
returned to its normal position by the overhanging weight of its upper arm.
When the said bolt and rollers are placed at one end of the slot, the rollers cannot
be reached by the said incline and the movement of the draw-heads will not apply
the brakes.
A slotted link or links are attached to the upper arm of the brake lever and
connect the same with an arm which is mounted on a horizontal shaft. The slot in
the said link is long enough to permit the upper arm of the brake-lever to swing
forward and back, when actuated by the said wedge without the interference of
the said arm. The said shaft extends to the side of the vehicle where it is provided
with a hand-lever or any other suitable contrivance reaching to the roof of tho
vehicle to enable the brake to be applied by hand when desired.
The brake can either be applied by hand or by the movement of the draw-heads
without one mode interfering with the other; but whenever desired the mechanism
for applying the brake by means of the draw-heads can be thrown out of gear by
shifting the said bolt and rollers.
When it is desired that the brake mechanism be operated independently of the
draw-heads, the latter may be constructed as follows that is to say, the springs are
arranged in cavities formed in the body of the draw-heads and the aforesaid rods
are dispensed with. This construction permits the same backward and forward
movement of each draw-head as above explained.