AN IMPROVED RAILWAY BRAKE
Year: 1860

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Marc Antoine François Mennons, of the British and
Foreign Patent Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of
France, for the Invention of "AN IMPROVED RAILWAY BRAKE."-A com-
munication from Oscar Prevosté, a person resident at Ham, in the
Department of the Somme, France.
Scaled the 3rd August 1860, and dated the 17th May 1860.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Marc Antoine François
Mennons at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with bis
Petition, on the 17th May 1860.
I, MARC ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent
Offices, 39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED RAILWAY BRAKE,"
to be as follows:-
To an iron framing passing from under the springs at each side of the
vehicle is fitted a semicircular iron bandage, the inner diameter of which is
equal to the outer diameter of the wheels. At the centre of this semicircle is
fixed, by means of flat iron spokes, a nave or boss, forming a curved slide piece
in which the axle of the vehicle moves freely. The bandage being suspended
to the framing at a point behind the axle line, the curved slide piece permits
of its centre boing changed at will. The lower section of the bandage is pro-

page_text: vided with a metallic sole plate or "sabot," which curving towards the rail
takes also the exterior form of the wheel. The apparatus thus arranged
communicates by tie rods with an articulated shaft running in double bearings
over the axles of all the carriages or trucks of the train, and receiving its
movement from a rack and pinion arrangement worked by a hand piece on
the tender of the engine. On turning this hand piece, the sole plates of each
pair of brakes pass between the rails and the wheels, and raising the latter
from the line, check within a short distance the movement of the train. By
reversing the hand gear simultaneously with a backward stroke of the engine
the wheels are freed, and the brakes return to their original position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Marc Antoine François Mennons in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 27th September 1860.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MARC
ANTOINE FRANÇOIS MENNONS, of the British and Foreign Patent Offices,
39, Rue de l'Echiquier, Paris, in the Empire of France, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventeenth day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty, in the twenty-third year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, Her special licence that I, the
said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said. Marc Antoine François Mennons,
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 RAILWAY
BRAKE," (a communication from Oscar Prevosté, a person resident at Ham, in
the Department of the Somme, France,) upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, my executors or adminis-
trators, by an instrument 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 Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons.
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 (that is to say) :-
--
The accompanying Drawing represents the mechanism of this brake in
section and plan. A is a semicircular iron bandage, the inner diameter of
which is equal to the outer diameter of the wheel to which it is applied. At
the centre of this semicircle is fixed a nave or boss B, forming a curved slide
piece, in which the axle E of the vehicle moves freely. The object of this
slide piece is to displace at will the centre point of the semicircular bandage,
to which it is attached at each side of the wheel by four flat iron spokes placed
opposite to each other. The lower part of the apparatus is fitted with a metallic
sole plate or "sabot "C, of about sixteen inches in length, which, curving
towards the rail, takes also the exterior form of the wheel. From this point
it is continued in a straight line to a length of about sixteen inches perpen-
dicularly to the position of the brake when closed. The apparatus is suspended
to the iron frame S, at the point a, about ten inches behind the perpendicular
of the axle of the vehicle. The lower extremity of this frame or support S.
starting from below the spring of the vehicle, rises internally at right angles
parallelly with the axle guard till it overtops the upper plate of the spring, which
forms a slide piece. Above this, and at the level of the carriage frame, it curves
over towards the fixing point a of the semicircular bandage, from whence it turns
at right angles towards the brake of the opposite wheel (on the same axle)
where the same series of angles and curves is repeated. If found necessary, the
arrangement may be consolidated by a chain, as seen in the Drawing, passing
from the fixing point a of the bandage to any desired point of the vehicle
frame. The brakes thus arranged, which are applied to the two wheels at
each extremity of the vehicle, are worked by means of a driving shaft F
running over the axles in double bearings, mounted freely on the latter. The
extremity of this shaft is threaded, as seen in the Drawing, on a length of about
eighteen inches, and the screw thus formed passes through a metallic collar or
puppet P tapped to the same thread, and working freely. Each collar P commu-
nicates with the sole plates C of each series of four brakes A by four connecting
rods p, acting simultaneously. The double bearings and the collar are kept in
position by means of two flat iron rods bolted to the axle bearings at each side,
and passing through two guide mortices formed in the collar. These flat iron
rods are continued up to the extremities of the vehicle, where they are rivetted
to a socket, through which the driving shaft passes freely, thus preventing the

page_text: oscillation or heaving of the latter. Each driving shaft F is fitted at one
extremity with a square socket e, the opposite end being simply filed square.
In coupling the carriages or trucks of the train, the square socket of the first
shaft receives the square extremity of the shaft mounted on the succeeding
vehicle, and so on throughout the series. Each of the sockets should be
sufficiently deep to allow for the variations of the coupling chains. At the
highest tension, the squared end of each shaft should sink at least to the de].th
of nine inches in the corresponding socket. The articulations scen in the
Drawing give free movement throughout the train when passing curves of the
line. The shaft of the first carriage, or rather of the tender, is fitted at its free
extremity beyond the axle, with an angle pinion corresponding with an angle
rackwork of four times its range placed horizontally on a sole plate, rivetted
between the two free ends of the flat iron tie rods. These rods are bent at
right angles immediately beyond the axle bearing, and counterbent as may be
required by the set of the rackwork. The latter is worked by a vertical rod
passing into the tender, and fitted at its upper extremity with a hand gear of
any suitable kind. In turning the hand gear, the tapped collar P of each
carriage or truck is drawn back on the driving shafts F; the brakes descend
simultaneously throughout the train, which is thus rendered inert, each armed
wheel bearing on a plane rubbing surface of about sixteen inches in length, by
the breadth of the rail, and the friction thus developed, combined with the
complete inertia of the vehicles, arrests the onward movement within
an extremely limited distance. In thus opposing resistance to the impetus
of a train at high speed, some risk might be apprehended of throwing it
off the rails, but this is obviated by an equivalent resistance in the oppo-
site direction, resulting from the position of the brake apparatus, the
suspension or fixing point of which is, as seen in a, situated at a certain
distance behind the axle line of the vehicle. By this arrangement a counter
movement ("mouvement de bascule") is established, which neutralises the
movement of impulsion, and maintains the stability of the vehicles on the rails,
while the propulsion of the train, causing it to glide without shock on its
"sabots or soles plates, a dead stoppage is soon obtained. By a back stroke
of the engine, the wheels are freed, and the hand gear being worked in the
opposite direction, the brakes are carried back to their original position.
"
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, I would have it
understood that I do not restrict myself to the precise details above laid down,
as these may be varied in many respects without deviating from the principle

page_text: or main features of the Invention; but what I claim is, the general construc-
tion and arrangement of a railway brake apparatus, the suspension or fixing
point (a) of which is situated at a certain distance behind the perpendicular of
the axle of the vehicle, substantially as above described and represented in the
Figures of the accompanying Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Marc Antoine François Mennons, have
hereto set my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of September, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty.
M. F. MENNONS. (L.B.)