Improvements in Brakes for Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 31st July, 1897--Accepted, 9th Oct., 1897
Improvements in Brakes for Vehicles.
I, MARTIN RAABE, of Kulm, West Prussia, in the Empire of Germany, Merchant
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:
-
This invention for improvements in brakes for vehicles relates to a brake for
automatically effecting the braking of vehicles as soon as the tractive power
ceases. For this purpose one two or more brake blocks are brought into such
connection with elastic tension devices that the brake block or blocks are lifted
off the wheel during the time tractive power is exerted on the vehicle, but when
the power is removed, when desirable to stop the vehicle, or in descending an
incline, the brake block or blocks are instantly strongly applied to the wheel or
wheels by spring pressure, thereby producing automatically a braking effect on
the vehicle.
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a brake constructed
according to this invention showing the application thereof to a vehicle; Fig. 2
is a plan, and Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail views.
The cross beam or bar a is rigidly connected with the fork i which carries the
bolt e for the pole to which the draught animals are yoked. Upon the tenon or
draw-rod f of the fork i india rubber buffers d (Fig. 3) or springs m (Fig. 4) are
fitted, the tension of which can be adjusted by a screw nut f¹ to effect the requisite
braking action. The buffers or springs, respectively, are preferably enclosed in
a casing c in order to be efficiently protected from dust and injury; they may
however also be arranged without such casing. These buffers or springs apart
from their actuating the brakes, also serve on the one hand to partly reduce the
inevitable concussions resulting from unevenness' of the roads, and on the other
hand to partly equalize the varying tractive power produced by the draught
animals, so that not only the vehicle is drawn far more steadily but that especially
the draught animals are greatly protected. The casing c is connected to the frame
of the vehicle by means of a flange g and of a bolt g¹ traversing said flange. Two
stays o may be provided in order to ensure a more reliable guide for the cross bar
or beam a in the slots o¹. The angular pieces h serve in addition to more rigidly
fix the case c by means of bolts k.
Upon the extremities of the cross beam or bar a two short arms 6¹ are mounted,
to the lower end of which the brake blocks b are pivoted so that the brake surface
of the block will always properly fit on to the rim of the wheel. The arms 6¹
are preferably made adjustable upon the extremities of the cross bar or beam a
so that as the brake device is desired to act more or less efficiently the arms 6¹
can be more or less removed from the wheel. But the brake blocks b may also
be rigidly connected with the cross bar or beam a.
It will be readily seen that the buffers d or the springs m have a continuous
tendency to draw back the cross bar or beam a toward the vehicle so that the
brake blocks 6 are applied to the wheels when tractive power ceases. In this
position the vehicle consequently is braked. To increase the effect of the buffers
n

page_text: or springs auxiliary springs or other tension devices may be arranged so, for instance
that these springs are fixed to the cross bars or beams.a or to the casing c. When
tractive power is applied to the vehicle the bolt e together with the cross bar or
beam a is pulled forward and the brake blocks automatically recede from the
rim of the wheel. The wheels are thus totally or partly released so long as the
whole tractive power or part thereof is applied to the vehicle. The pole bolt e
may also be differently arranged and without a fork i, for instance directly on
the cross bar or beam a.
As vehicles vary greatly in construction the described device must be made
adaptable thereto by modifying its constructional arrangement. One modification
is represented in Fig. 5. In this instance the draw-rod f of the cross bar or
beam a extends through the axle-tree 7 of the vehicle and the springs mor
india rubber buffers are arranged so as to lie behind the axle of the vehicle. The
rod however is not made in one piece but consists of two parts, the adjacent ends
of which are provided with right and left screw threads and with a corresponding
internally threaded sleeve or coupling so that by turning this sleeve or coupling
the draw rod f can be extended or shortened and the tension of the springs thus
be modified. By arranging a second cross bar or beam with corresponding brake
blocks the brake device may be applied to the four wheels of a vehicle.
The represented brake device may be modified in form to suit minor con-
structional details of different classes of vehicles. The fundamental idea of the
invention is a self-acting brake for vehicles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In brakes for vehicles, brake blocks 6 automatically receding from the rims
of the wheels as the vehicle is drawn, these brake blocks being directly
connected to the cross beam or bar a or mounted on the arms 61 and being strongly
applied to the wheels when the traction is stopped and the buffers & springs m
or other elastic bodies force back the cross beam or bar a.
. 2. In brakes for vehicles a protecting case c for the buffers or springs and a
screw nut fl for adjusting the tension, substantially as described.
3. In brakes for vehicles the arrangement of of auxiliary springs or other
connecting means for increasing the tension.
4. In brakes for vehicles the arrangement of springs or buffers behind the axle
tree P of the vehicle along which the tenon f of the cross beam or bar a extends.
5. The application of the brake device to the four wheels of a vehicle by
arranging a second cross beam or bar with brake blocks.
6. The improvements in brakes for vehicles substantially as described with
reference to the drawings.
Dated this 31st day of July 1897.
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.