Improvements in Automatic Air Brake Operating Devices and Locomotive Fenders.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 10th Oct., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Air Brake Operating Devices and
Locomotive Fenders.
1. DAVID BENTLEY, of 530 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
United States of America, Stationer, a citizen of the United States, 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 improvements in safety attachments for railway
locomotives and the like, and consists in an improved automatic air brake operating
device and locomotive fender whereby the ordinary air brakes are operated
whenever the locomotive strikes any object of sufficient size to endanger the train,
while the brake operating device also serves as a fender to the locomotive in a
measure protecting the same against injury from collision with obstructions on the
track.
My invention will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein the same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the several
views.
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive provided with my improved guard
rail for the cow-catcher, and shows the connection with the main drum of the air-
brake system.
Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and
Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.
A represents the locomotive, which is provided with the usual air-pumps A' and
air drum or reservoir B connected by a pipe a', as shown in Fig. 1. A pipe C
leads from the air reservoir through the cab of the locomotive, where it is
provided with a valve for operation by the engineer, and leading backward from
the locomotive is provided with a suitable coupling for connection with pipes
leading to the brake cylinders of the cars, as in the well known Westinghouse
system of air-brakes.
I make no claim to the air brake system as described above, which is shown in
the drawings and herein referred to, simply in order that a clear understanding of
my invention may be had.
My invention consists as follows:-
Referring more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, D represents a pipe leading from
the air reservoir B forward beneath the locomotive, to a point under the front
thereof immediately in rear of cow-catcher F, where it connects with one or a pair
of branch pipes E which lead backward and connect at their rear ends with the air
pipe C. Or if preferred, these pipes E may lead by means of independent
connections, to the brake cylinders beneath the cars of the train.
A valve d is provided in the pipe D near its junction with the pipes E and a
lever or arm a¹ extends laterally from said valve for operating the same.
The cow-catcher F may be of any suitable construction and attached to the front
of the locomotive in any suitable manner.
The base F of the cow-catcher is provided with a fender or guard composed of
two sections H and H', as seen in Fig. 2.
One section H, of this guard is shorter than the other and straight, while the
other one H is made long enough to extend over the point of the cow-catcher
and is bent backward as at towards the forward end h of the shorter
section H

page_text: The two sections of this guard are connected to the base of the cow-catcher
by means of bolts 2 adapted to slide backward and forward through the base
timbers F, and coil springs A, surrounding these sliding bolts, normally hold the two
sections of the guard forward. Rods 43 are connected to each of these sections H
and H' and are pivotally connected at their rear ends to the two sliding bars I
and 1', the rods from each section to its corresponding sliding bar being
separate, and independent of the other section and its corresponding sliding bar.
The rear ends of these two sliding bars I and I are slotted as shown in Fig. 3,
forming elongated links adapted to receive the arm d' of the valve d. The end of
the arm d' is preferably made T-shaped as shown at for preventing the dis-
engagement of the links i and therefrom, but any other suitable means may be
provided for this purpose. The sliding bars I and 1' rest upon the cross piece F" of
the cow-catcher, and are adapted to slide freely backward or forward with the
sections of the guard.
The object of having the slots in the rear ends of the sliding bars elongated as
shown is to prevent the yielding guard from turning the arm d back to its original
position, and thus closing the valve, when the said guard rebounds, as it is likely to
do after an object has been struck and thrown off from it. By having these links
made long enough, the bars may slide back to their normal position after opening
the valve without moving the arm d', which may be thrown to the closed
position by hand, or in any other suitable manner after the train has come to a
standstill.
The operation of my device is as follows:-
When an obstruction is struck by either one of the sections H or H of the cow-
catcher guard, the corresponding sliding bar I or I will be thrown backward, and
will turn the arm d' of the valve d to the open position, allowing the compressed
air to escape from the pipe D to the branch pipes E, and thence back to the main
supply pipe C leading to the brake cylinders on the cars, and thus applying the
brakes automatically. Upon the rebound of the guard, the sliding bar will be
drawn forward again, but the length of the link on its rear end will allow it to
return to its full forward position without throwing the arm to the closed
position. The pressure will thus be maintained in the brake system until the train
comes to a standstill, independently of whether the engineer opens his valve in the
cab or not. After the train has come to a standstill, the valve d can readily be
closed, and the pressure from the auxiliary pipes be removed.
It will be seen that I provide a very simple and efficient means for applying the
air brakes, and stopping the forward motion of a train automatically upon its striking
an obstruction on the track.
Having thus particularly ascertained and described the nature of my said inven-
tion, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. The improved automatic air brake operating device and locomotive fender,
substantially as berein described and shewn in the drawings hereunto annexed.
2. The combination with a locomotive carrying an air pump and reservoir, and
connections for operating a system of air-brakes from the cab thereof, of a pipe
leading from the air reservoir forward beneath the locomotive, to the front end
thereof; a valve in said. pipe at or near its forward end; an arm on said valve for
operating the same; branch pipes leading from the front end of said pipe backward
and connected to the main air pipe to the brake-system, a yielding guard composed
of two independent sections carried by the front of the cow-catcher; a pair of
sliding bars connected to the arm on said valve, and a plurality of rod's pivoted to
each of said sliding bars and connected to each section of said yielding guards,
whereby the said valve may be opened when either of said sections strikes an
obstruction, independently of the other, substantially as described.
3. The combination with a locomotive carrying an air pump and reservoir, and
connections for operating a system of air-brakes from the cab thereof, of a pipe
leading from the air reservoir forward beneath the locomotive to the front end

page_text: thereof; a valve in said pipe at or near its forward end; an arm on said valve for
operating the same; branch pipes leading from the front end of said pipe back-
ward and connected to the main air pipe to the brake system, a yielding guard
composed of two independent sections carried by the front of the cow-catcher; a
pair of sliding bars each having an elongated link at its rear end engaging the arma
on said valve; and a plurality of rods independently connected to each section of
said yielding guard and independently pivoted to the forward end of each of said
sliding arms, substantially as described.
4. The combination with a locomotive carrying an air pump and reservoir, and
pipes leading from said reservoir to a system of air-brakes; of the pipe D leading
forward beneath the locomotive to the front end thereof and having a valve d
therein; the arm d' on said valve: branch pipes E leading from the forward end
of the said pipe D backward and connected to the main supply pipe to the brake-
system; a yielding guard composed of the two independent sections H and H¹,
the latter having the curved end ; the sliding bars I and I¹ provided with
elongated links i and at their rear ends engaging the arm d¹ on said valve d; rods
pivoted to sliding bar I and connected to said section H, and rods pivoted to said
sliding bar I and connected to said section H', each section adapted to open the
valve when an obstruction is struck thereby, independently of the other section,
substantially as described.
י
1000
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
TONGUE & BIRKBECK,
Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.