Improvements in Brakes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 5th Sept., 1893-Accepted, 8th Apr., 1899
Improvements in Brakes.
We, WILLIAM HENRY SAUVAGE, HENRY NEWTON WOOD and DAVID MATTHEW
DEARING, all of Denver, in the County of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, United
States of America, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement; -
This invention relates to improvements in brakes, adapted to be operated manu-
ally or automatically, for street railway cars, railway trains, wagons, and all
vehicles, and also for machines and rotating devices to which it is necessary to
apply a brake;
To these ends, the invention consists of the features, arrangements and com-
binations hereinafter described and claimed, all of which will be fully under-
stood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated an
embodiment thereof.
In this drawing
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the brake mechanism, the rock shaft carrying
the pinion being shown in cross-section.
Fig. 2 is a rear view of the wedge, shown in detail.,
Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line a-, Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a detail view of the pinion which co-operates with the wedge in
applying the brake.
Similar reference characters indicating corresponding parts in these views, let
the numeral 5 designate a wedge, to which is attached the brake shoe by means
of bolts 7 passed through registering apertures formed in a pair of separated
lugs 5 formed on each extremity of the wedge, and two lugs 6" formed on the
rear surface of the shoe, one lug 6 passing between the two lugs 5ª of each
pair. Hence, the wedge and the shoe proper form in effect a shoe composed of
two parts, the part 6 which is exposed to the frictional wear incident to engage-
ment with the car wheels being readily detachable as it becomes worn.
rear face of the wedge 5 is oppositely curved from the car-wheel-engaging face
of the brake shoe 6, and provided with two sets or rows of cogs 5° located on
opposite sides of a plain face 5d. The racks 5° and the surface 5d are all curved
to conform to arcs whose radii have a common center. The racks 5° and the
face 5d of the wedge are respectively engaged by the two sets of cogs 8ª and
the surface 8 of a pinion 8 fast on a rock shaft 9 journaled in compensating
boxes mounted on the truck frame.
The
The arrangement of the parts is such that when the wedge and pinion are in
the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, the brake shoe is released from the wheel;
while when it is desired to set the brakes, the shaft 9 is given a partial turn,
causing the brake shoe and wedge to move in the direction of the rotating car-
wheel, and bringing the shoe in contact with the wheel, since the wedge and
shoe increase in thickness from the center line - either up or down (see
Fig. 1). As soon as the shoe engages the moving wheel, the setting of the

page_text: brakes is automatic, since the constant tendency of the wheel is to continue the
movement of the shoe and cause it to wedge tighter between the pinion and
the car wheel, the plain faces 5d of the wedge and Se of the pinion being in
contact. It must be understood that instead of the curved rack formed on the
wedge, a double inclined rack may be employed, the two inclines diverging rear-
wardly from a common center located at the thinnest part of the wedge.
To the wedge is applied a shield or cover 13 which is hollowed out to slip
over the pinion and engage the shaft 9 on opposite sides of the pinion. This
cover is fastened to the wedge by means of bolts 14 engaging half bearings
formed respectively in the adjacent parts of the cover and wedge.
The mechanism is so adjusted on the car that the brake shoes normally stand
close to, but clear of the car wheels. When in this position, the pinion S
engages the center or thinnest portion of the brake shoe wedges. Hence, a
movement of the rock shaft in either direction will cause the brake shoes to
engage the wheels and result in applying the brakes as set forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
--
1. A brake comprising a shoe adapted to bear upon the surface of a wheel or
like article, a curved or inclined rack formed on the rear side of the shoe, and
means engaging said rack for forcing the shoe into operative engagement with
the wheel by a wedging action, the curve or inclines of the rack serving to cause
the bearing surface of the shoe to contact with the wheel.
2. A brake comprising a brake shoe provided with a curved or inclined rack
formed on the rear side of the shoe, a pinion engaging said rack, and mounted
on a shaft to which a partial turn is given to force the shoe into operative posi-
tion, the rear side of the shoe adjacent the rack, and the pinion adjacent its cogs
being provided with plain surfaces whereby binding of the pinion in the rack
when operating the shoe, is prevented.
3. A brake comprising a brake shoe provided with a curved or inclined rack
on its rear side, a pinion to operate the rack, and mounted on a shaft to which a
partial turn is given, the pinion being provided with a plain surface adapted to
bear on a similar surface on the shoe.
4. In a brake, the combination of a shoe having its front face curved to engage
the wheel, its rear face being oppositely curved and provided with a cogged
rack, a pinion engaging the rack and normally occupying a central position in
the rack, whereby the turning of the pinion in either direction causes the shoe
to wedge between the wheel and the pinion.
5. In a brake, the combination of a shoe having its front face curved to engage
the wheel to be acted upon, its rear face being oppositely curved and provided
with a cogged rack, and a plain surface adjacent the rack, and a pinion engaging
the rack and having a plain surface engaging the plain surface of the shoe to
prevent binding of the pinion in the rack, the shoe and pinion being normally
or when the brake is released, so located that the turning of the pinion in
either direction will cause the shoe to engage the wheel with a wedging action.
6. In a brake, the combination of a wedge having its rear face curved oppo-
sitely from the curve of the wheel to which the brake is to be applied, the said
rear face having a rack formed thereon and a plain surface adjacent the rack,
a brake shoe detachably applied to the front part of the wedge, a pinion engag-
ing the rack on the wedge and having a plain face co-operating with the
corresponding face of the wedge, and mounted on a shaft to which a partial turn
in either direction is given, whereby the shoe is applied to the wheel by a wedg-
ing action, substantially as described.
7. In a brake, the combination of a wedge having its rear face curved oppo-
sitely from the curve of the wheel to which the brake is to be applied, the said
rear face having a rack formed thereon and a plain surface adjacent the rack, a

page_text: brake shoe detachably applied to the front part of the wedge, a pinion engaging
the rack on the wedge and having a plain face co-operating with the corresponding
face of the wedge, a rock shaft on which the pinion is mounted, and a cover or
shield detachably applied to the wedge and adapted to embrace the pinion from
the rear and engage the shaft adjacent the pinion.
8. A brake comprising a shoe adapted to bear on the surface of a wheel or
like article, the said shoe being provided on its rear surface with a double
inclined rack, the two inclines diverging rearwardly from a central point, and
means engaging said rack for forcing the shoe into operative engagement with
the wheel by a wedging action, the inclines of the rack serving to cause the
bearing surface of the shoe to contact with the wheel.
Dated this 16th day of August 1898.
WILLIAM HENRY SAUVAGE.
HENRY NEWTON WOOD.
DAVID MATTHEW DEARING.