IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Banks, of Derby, Mechanical Engineer, and
Henry Banks, of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Iron Mer-
chant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING
Sealed the 2nd March 1855, and dated the 23rd September 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Banks and Henry
Banks at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with their Petition,
on the 23rd September 1854.
We, THOMAS BANKS, of Derby, Mechanical Engineer, and HENRY BANKS,
of Wednesbury, in the County of Stafford, Iron Merchant, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING
AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS" to be as follows, that is to say:-
The Invention consists of certain improvements in and additions to the
apparatus for retarding and stopping railway trains, for which Her Majesty's
Letters Patent, dated July 26th, 1853, have been granted to us. These im-
provements consist in applying a second clutch rod, parallel to the one specified
and shewn in the Drawings of our former Patent, and furnished with precisely
similar clutches. The outside discs on the axles are both feathered on, instead
of one being feathered, and the other keyed on firmly, and the levers, by which
the clutches are brought into use, are connected with both the clutch rods,
working them simultaneously, and causing the check to take place, or both
sides of the centre disc, whereby the pressure is removed from the journals of
the axles.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Banks and Henry Banks in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 22nd March 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
BANKS, of Derby, Mechanical Engineer, and HENRY BANKS, of Wednesbury,
in the County of Stafford, Iron Merchant, send grecting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us,
the said Thomas Banks and Henry Banks, Her special licence that we, the
said Thomas Banks and Henry Banks, our executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Banks and Henry Banks, our
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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND
STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said Thomas Banks and Henry Banks, by an instrument in writing under our
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.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Banks and Henry Banks, do
hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what mauner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
Our Invention consists of improvements in the construction of brakes to be
applied to the axles of running carriages, for the purpose of checking their
speed, and gradually bringing them to a stop within a short distance, without
suddenly or abruptly checking or blocking the wheels, being in effect improve-
ments upon an Invention having the same purpose in view, for which Her
Majesty's Royal Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-sixth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, have already
been granted to us.

page_text: Sheet A is a longitudinal section of the lower part of a railway tender or
van, shewing the form in which the brake may be adapted for use under ordi-
nary circumstances. Sheet B, a plan of the same.
Sheet C, a longitudinal section of the lower part of a railway carriage,
shewing apparatus, a modification of the above, and forming a brake that may
be applied in cases of danger. Sheet D, a plan of the same.
Sheet E, Figure 1, a transverse section of the brake shewn in Sheets A
and B.
Sheet E, Figure 2, a transverse section of that represented in Sheets C
and D.
We will now proceed to describe the working of the brake, shewn in
Drawings, Sheets A and B, and Figure 1, Sheet E, which is that intended to
be applied to the tender or the guard's van. On the axle of each pair of
wheels are mounted three metal dises (a, b, c), separated if necessary by discs
or plates of wood between each. The centre dise (b), which may be composed
of two metal plates bolted together, with distance pieces between them to give
the requisite thickness, may be made in two parts, as shown at (¹), and
embracing the axle in the centre, sufficient play being allowed by an aperture
in the centre of this disc, being made somewhat larger than the diameter of
the axle. The discs (a) and (c) are attached to the axle by a feather, which
prevents their revolving on the axle, and at the same time admits of their
being moved along the axle horizontally. (D) is a double iron bar, the entire
length of the van, and firmly secured to the framing timbers at either end.
The neck pieces of the centre discs (6) pass up through this double bar, and
are secured by pins or cotters, as seen at (d'); thus these discs are kept in
suspension. (E, E',) are iron rods running parallel to the bar (D), but
instead of being fixed in the framing timbers, they are hung in bearings
screwed to the timbers, and turn slightly on spindles in those bearings. The
clutches (e), provided with small friction rollers (e¹), are firmly keyed on to
these rods (E, E), in position exactly opposite to the discs (a) and (c), and the
bent lever (F), forked at one end, is keyed on to one of these rods and con-
nected to the other by the links (f). The bevil wheels and screw gearing,
seen at (G) are such as are at present used for common brakes, and are
mounted in a suitable carriage secured to the framing timbers, and by
means of the double-threaded screw (h), working in a nut hung loosely in the
fork of the lever (f¹), the brake is applied; the operation being as follows:-
By turning the handle (g), the screw working in the nut in the fork of the

page_text: lever raises the lever, which, being keyed on to the clutch rod (E), and con-
nected by the links (f) to the clutch rod (E'), causes them to turn slightly
in their bearings, and thus bring the friction rollers (e') in the clutches (e) into
close contact with the discs (A) and (C), working these dises tightly against
the centre one (6), which is loose, and the force being continued, this pressure
can be so increased that the axle is checked in its revolution by the amount of
friction due to the pressure between the discs. The revolution of the wheels
is consequently checked, and the carriage brought to a stop. We will now
describe the modification of this brake, as seen in Drawings, Sheets C and D,
and Figure 2, Sheet E, which is the form in which it is intended to be applied
to any number of, or if necessary, even all, the axles of every carriage in a
train, and which is more especially adapted for use as an extraordinary or
danger brake in cases of emergency, its action being instantaneous. It will
be seen, on reference to the Drawings, that all the main features of the
apparatus are identical with those in the brake already described, the mode of
application alone varying; the bevil wheels and screw gearing being dispensed
with, and the following contrivance for applying the brake substituted. (J)
is a transverse rod passing through the longitudinal framing timbers of the
carriage; to the ends of this rod are attached the lever handles (K), an eccen-
tric (1) being fixed on the rod. (m, m',) are two arnis keyed on to one of the
clutch rods, that marked (m) terminating at one end with a balance ball,
and connected with the corresponding clutch rod by the links (m), and
secured at the end opposite to the balance ball to a strong spring (o), fastened
at the top to the framing timber, in manner shewn. The eccentric (l), which
is seen in the Drawings bearing upon the arm (m), in that position prevents
the clutches from operating; but on turning down the lever handle (K), the
arm (m) is relieved of the pressure of the eccentric; the spring (o) comes into
force, raising that end of the arm (m²), causing the rods on which the clutches
are keyed to turn slightly, and thus bring the friction rollers on the clutches
into close contact with the discs; the raising of the lever handle, and thus
restoring the eccentric to its former position, liberates the clutches, and the
carriage travels freely. In order to operate simultaneously with all the brakes
in a train, a connecting rod (p) is attached to the sides of every carriage
framing. Through a slot in this rod the lever handle (K) passes, and each
rod being connected between the carriage to the next by a link, rod, or chain,
instant communication is effected, and all the brakes throughout the train put
in action at one and the same time.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner in
which the same is to be performed, we wish it to be clearly understood that

page_text: we do not confine ourselves to the precise details herein specified, so long as
the principle and main features of our Invention be retained; nor do we claim
the exclusive use of the bevil wheels and screw gearing employed for the
purpose of working the form of brake shewn in Sheets A and B, and Figure 1,
Sheet E, as we are aware that those parts are at present in use; but that
which we claim as the Invention secured to us by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
Firstly, the construction of the brake described, and its application to the
axles of railway, van, or carriage wheels, for the purpose of checking their
revolution, in manner described.
Secondly, the general arrangement and application of all the working parts
belonging to this brake, in either of the forms shewn and described, or any
mere modification of the same, with the exception, as before stated, of the bevil
wheel and screw gearing.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Banks and Henry Banks,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Sixteenth day of
March, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-five.
THOMAS (L.B.) BANKS.
HENRY (L.S.) BANKS.