Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 15th Dec., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 15th Jan., 1889
I, JOHN GOLDSBURY PARKER, of 905 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, in the County of
Pierce, and Territory of Washington, United States of America, Steamboat Captain
and Pilot, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My Invention relates to hand trucks, such as are commonly used in and about
steamboats, steamships, wharves, docks, railroads, warehouses, and other places, for
moving heavy loads of merchandise, freight, or baggage, and carrying the same down
an incline; and its object is to provide a brake for such trucks which may be applied
to one or both of its wheels while both hands of the person operating the same are
grasping its handles.
The brake shoes are applied by means of a longitudinal rod which extends from a
rock shaft on the forward part of the truck to one of the handles where it is attached
to a pivoted lever adapted to be conveniently operated by the pressure of the hand.
The rock shaft is supported in bearing on the under edge of the side frames of the
truck, and the ends of said shaft are provided with gudgeons which are eccentric to
the shaft and carry the brake shoes. The gudgeons are secured to the rock shaft by
a cross-pin between which and a shoulder on the gudgeons, the shoes are confined.
The brake rod is connected to a downwardly extending arm on the rock shaft by a
forked coupling which is screwed to receive the end of the brake rod and a spring is
applied to the arm and to the head of the truck for the purpose of withdrawing the
brake shoes from the wheels. The connection between the rock shaft and brake rod
is such that the latter may be shortened or lengthened, so as to lengthen or shorten
the coiled spring, making it more or less positive in its action; and the brake rod
may also be adjusted upon the hand lever for a similar purpose. To apply the brake,
it is only necessary to press on the horizontal member of the hand lever whereupon
the brake rod causes the rock shaft to turn in its bearings against the tension of the
coiled spring, and press the brake shoes upon the periphery of the truck wheels.
Upon releasing said member of the lever, the spring exerts itself, reverses the rock
shaft, and' causes the brake shoes to be drawn away from the wheels.
Dated this 23rd day of October 1888
J. G. PARKER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Hand Trucks.
] JOHN GOLDSBURY PARKER, of 905 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, in the County of
Pierce, and Territory of Washington, United States of America, Steamboat Captain
and Pilot, 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 :-
My Invention relates to hand trucks such as are commonly used in and about
steamboats, steamships, wharves, docks, railroads, warehouses, and other places, for
moving heavy loads of merchandise, freight, or baggage, and carrying the same down
an incline; and its object is to provide a brake for such trucks which may be
conveniently applied to one or both of its wheels while both hands are grasping its
handles.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specifica-
tion, in which figure 1 is a side clevation of a hand truck having my invention
applied. Figure 2 is an inverted plan view. Figure 3 is a detail view of the rock-
Similar letters
shaft and eccentric, and figure 4 is a sectional end view of the same.
of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.
A A are the wheels of the truck, its axle, and CC its side frames which are
supported upon the axle in the usual manner. D is a rock shaft supported in suitable
bearings secured to the under edge of the side frames C, the ends of which shaft carry
gudgeons which are eccentric to the shaft, upon which gudgeons are loosely mounted
the brake shoes E. The ends of the shaft D are passed into holes bored eccentrically
in the gudgeons and the gudgeons a are secured to the shaft D by means of a cross-
pin or screw b which is passed through the gudgeons and rock shaft. The pin band
à shoulder a¹ on the gudgeons serve to confine the brake shoes laterally. ¹ is a
downwardly extending arm attached to the rock shaft within the side frames of the
truck, and e a strong coiled spring attached to said post and to the head F of the
truck above the axle A¹. To the arm d, and embracing the same, is pivoted a forked
coupling G having at its rear end a threaded socket not shewn adapted to receive the
threaded extremity of the brake-rod H, which extends rearwardly parallel with one
of the side frames C to its handle and is there pivoted to the vertical member of a
hand lever I fulcrumed on a support i secured to the under side of said handle the
vertical member of said lever being provided with a series of holes into any one
of which the pivot of the brake rod may be inserted. By means of the connection
described between the rock shaft and brake rod the latter may be shortened or
lengthened thereby lengthening or shortening the coiled spring making it more or
less positive in its action and the connection of the brake rod and the lever I may
also be adjusted for a similar purpose.
To apply the brake to the wheels of the truck, it is only necessary to bear with the
hand on the horizontal meinber of the lever I whereupon the brake rod acting upon
the arm seated in the rock shaft, causes the latter to turn in its bearings against the
tension of the coiled spring and apply the brake shoes to the wheels of the truck
Upon releasing the lever I, the coiled spring exerts itself, reverses the rock shaft and
causes the brake shoes to be. withdrawn from the wheels.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:
1. A brake for hand-trucks, comprising a transverse rock shaft, eccentric
gudgeons on said shaft, a brake shoe or shoes carried by said gudgeons, an angle
lever secured to a handle of tho truck, an adjustable connection between the angle
lever and rock shaft, and a rectractile connection between the rock shaft and the
body of the truck, substantially as shewn and described.
2. The combination, with the side frames and wheels of a hand truck, of a rock
shaft journaled on said side frames eccentric gudgeons carried on said shaft, a brake
shoe or shoes held on said gudgeons, an angle lever secured to a handle of the side
frames, an adjustable connection between the angle lever and rock shaft, and a
retractile connection between the rock shaft and the body of the truck, substantially
as shewn and described.
3. The combination, with the side frames and wheels of a hand truck, of a rock
shaft journaled on said side frames, eccentric gudgeons carried on said shaft, a brake
shoe or shoes loosely held on said gudgeons, an angle lever secured to a handle of the
side frames, an adjustable connection between the angle lever and rock shaft, and a
retractile connection between the rock shaft and the body of the truck, substantially
as shewn and described.
of a rock
4. The combination, with the side frames and wheels of a hand truck,
shaft journaled on said side frames, eccentric gudgeons carried on said shaft, a brake
shoc or shoes loosely held on said gudgeons, an angle lever fulcrumed on a handle of
the side frames, a rod pivotally connected to said angle lever, a threaded coupling
connecting said rod and the rock shaft, and a spring connecting the rock shaft and
the head of the truck, substantially as shewn and described.
5. The combination, with the side frames and wheels of a hand truck, of a rock
shaft journaled on said side frames, gudgeons having an outer head or shoulder
carried on said shaft, a brake shoe or shoes loosely held on said gudgeons a pin
passing through said gudgeons and rock shaft and limiting the inward movement of
the brake shoe, an angle lever fulcrumed on a handle of the side frames, a rod
pivotally connected to said angle lever, a threaded coupling connecting said rod and
the rock-shaft, and a spring connecting the rock shaft and the head of the truck,
substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 14th day of December 1888.
J. G. PARKER.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
.53, Chancery Lane, London,
Patent Agents.