IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC OR CONTINUOUS BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1873

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Warner, of Holborn, in the City
of London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC OR
CONTINUOUS BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES.”—A
communication from abroad by Joseph Hirsiger, of Berne, Swit-
zerland.
Sealed the 29th August 1873, and dated the 1st March 1878.
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Warner
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 1st March 1878.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT WARNER, of Holborn, in the City of London, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AUTOMATIC OR CONTINUOUS BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES,"
to be as follows :—
This Invention has for its object the means of enabling a train of
railway carriages of any length to stop in the shortest possible time, a
brake being applied to each carriage, the stoppage of the engine acting
in an automatic manner on the buffers of each carriage.
By this improved arrangement of apparatus the pressure of the blocks

page_text: the engine acting on the buffers of each carriage continuously, the wheels
being by this pressure entirely stopped and the train of carriages brought
to a stand in a distance of between 20 and 80 yards without any shock.
In case the train is required to go backward then these buffers can be
so fixed as to reverse the entire action of the brake so as to enable it to
act under such circumstances. The same automatic brako can also,
should it be so required, be under the control of the guard or brakesman
who can employ the same independently of the engine; or if from any
cause the train should be divided, then the guard or brakesman can stop
either part of such train.
Between the two axles of the wheels of the carriage a transverso
horizontal shaft is placed, carried by suitable supports, and on the shaft
a pinion or a lever is placed for actuating two bars which act direct on
the brako blocks. On the same shaft a lever is placed which receives its
movement from a connecting rod and lever fixed to and acted on direct
by the buffer rod. The brake blocks are suspended by a vertical con-
necting rod which has moveable joints, one part on the blocks and the
other part on supports, and the same are acted on by means of a lover
and connecting rod. To guide the two brake block bars rollers arc
placed between the supports of the shaft. By the pressure (more or less)
the buffer rods are pushed back in their guides; the buffer rod acts on
the lever which by means of a connecting rod transmits the movement
to the lever on the transverse shaft which will then act on the pinions of
the bars carrying the wood brake blocks, which then press on the out-
side of the wheels with a force more or less considerable in proportion to
the pressure of the buffer.
When the carriage resumes its motion, the buffers by the action of the
spring of the same relieves the pressure and places the brake in its
former position, the play of the various lovers acting in an inverse
manner to loosen the brake blocks and render the wheels free.
On the transverse shaft either a rack pinion or a lever may be
employed for moving the bars and brake blocks.
To enable the screw brake to be used by hand on the transverse shaft,
a lever is placed, which is acted upon by a connecting rod with a
moveable joint; this connecting rod is moved by a double lever, which
receives its movement by the intermediation of two connecting rods
from the nut at the soffet of the screw. The connecting rod where

page_text: it acts on the lever is formed with a slot so that when the automatic
brake acts it shall not interfere with the hand brake, and when it is
required to work the hand brake by turning the screw, the transverse
shaft is caused to move in the same manner as with the automatic
brake so that the brake blocks act on the wheels. The contrary move-
ment of the screw allows the pressure on the blocks to be removed and
places the brake in its former position. The hand brake is arranged so as to
act by a screw or by a hand lever. By the action of this brake the train
or carriage can of itself be allowed to go at any speed required without
completely stopping. To effect this each carriage is provided with an
automatic brake, and has a longitudinal shaft carried by and turning in
suitable supports; the longitudinal shaft at one extremity has a
moveable connecting coupling link or socket, and at the other end a
male connecting coupling link to engage with the end of the adjoining
link of the shaft of the next carriage. The moment the carriages are
joined the coupling links of the adjoining carriages are united and the
longitudinal shaft throughout the train is then straight and connected.
There is sufficient space between the extremities of the coupling links
to allow the buffers to play by the action of the train without interfering
with the longitudinal shaft or the brake. By means of this longitudinal
shaft when joined together by the links the whole train is connected as
one, and when it is desired to stop the buffers acting on the brake by
working at one extremity of the train on the longitudinal shaft by means
of a hand lever, all the combined longitudinal shafts are turned as one,
and by the movement of the hand lever turning the longitudinal shaft
connecting rods are moved to actuate a cottar and cause it to fix the rod
spear of the buffer; the cottar slides in a guide and the buffer becomes
fixed in its guide so as to become immoveable, and consequently cannot
act on the brake. When it is desired to set the brake at liberty the
movement of the longitudinal shaft is reversed by moving the hand lever
backwards, the cottar is then released from the rod spear of the buffer
and the brake can act in the usual automatic manner.
The self-adjusting coupling links of the longitudinal shaft move on
joints, one horizontally, the other vertically, for the purpose of keeping
the shafts in their supports notwithstanding the different height or
turning of the carriages.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Warner in the Great Scal Patent
Office on the 1st September 1873.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT WARNER, of Holborn, in the City of London, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the thirty-
sixth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Warner, Her special
license that I, the said William Robert Warner, my executors, admini-
strators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert
Warner, 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 "In-
PROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC OR CONTINUOUS BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND
OTHER CARRIAGES," a communication to me from abroad by Joseph
Hirsiger, of Berne, Switzerland, upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said William Robert Warner, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and scals, 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 I, the said William Robert Warner, 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 thereof, that is to say :--
This Invention has for its object the means of enabling a train of
railway carriages of any length to stop in the 'shortest possible timo, à

page_text: By this improved arrangement of mechanism the pressure of the
blocks on the wheels of the carriages is produced by the slacking or
stoppage of the engine acting on the buffers of each carriage con-
tinuously, the wheels being by this pressure entirely stopped, and the
train of carriages brought to a stand in a distance of between 20 and 80
yards without any shock..
:
In case the train is required to go backward then the buffers can be
so fixed as to reverse the entire action of the brake, so as to enable it
to act under such circumstances. The same automatic brake can also,
should it be so required, be under the control of the guard or brakesman,
who can employ the same independently of the engine; or if from any
cause the train should be divided, then the guard or brakesman can
stop either part of such tran.
Figure 1 shows a sectional elevation of brake apparatus arranged to.
act in accordance with this Invention, showing the action of the blocks
and system of working the same by hand, actuated by the guard or
brakesman.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal plan of Figure 1, shewing the arrangement
of the cottar key for locking the buffers.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, shewing the arrangement of
mechanism for locking the buffers.
Figure 4, plan of Figure 3; Figure 5, end elevation of Figures 8
and 4; Figure 6, plan of brake arranged with hand lever.
A is a transverse shaft carried by and turning in the supports or
bearings B; C, angle lever acting on shaft A; D, rods connected with
wood blocks; E, rollers for guiding rods D; F, wood blocks; G,
suspended. rods for wood blocks F; H, supports for rods G; I lever
for shaft A; K, connecting rod acting on lever J; L, lever acted on by.
the buffer; M, supports of lever L; N, buffer rod.

page_text: Method of locking the buffers :-0, longitudinal shaft; P, angle lever
on shaft O; Q, connecting rods between cottar and lever P; R, cottar
for locking buffers; 8, guide for cottar; T, bearing of longitudinal
shaft; U, connecting link of shaft O; V, connecting link of U on
reverse end of shaft O; W, buffer box; X, buffer rod; Y, rack pinion |
on shaft A.; Z, hand lever for acting on shaft O.
Arrangement of brake to be actuated by hand power. a, lever acting
upon shaft A; b, connecting rod on lever a; c, double lever; d,
supports for same; e, connecting rod acting on lever c; f, nut for
acting on e, worked by screw g; g, screw for working f.
Between the two axles of the wheels of the carriage to which this
improved brake apparatus is applied a transverse horizontal shaft A
is arranged to revolve in the bearings or supports B, and on the shaft A
a pinion or lover is mounted for actuating the two rods D, which act
directly upon the brake blocks F. On the same shaft A is placed a
lever I, which receives its movement from the intermediation of a
connecting rod K and a lever L, which is fixed to and acted on direct
by the buffer rod. The brake blocks F are suspended by a vertical
connecting rod G which has moveable joints, one part on the blocks F
and the other part on the supports H, and the same are actuated by
means of the lever I and connecting rod D. In order to guide the two
rods D two rollers are placed between the supports B of the shaft A.
By the pressure more or less the buffers are pushed back in their
guides W, the buffer rod N acts on the lever L, which by means of the
connecting rod K transmits the movement to the lever I on the shaft A,
and the pinions or lever Y will then act on the bars D, and the wood
brake blocks F to press them on to the outside circumference of the wheels
with a force more or less considerable in proportion to the pressure of
the buffer.
Upon the carriage resuming its motion the buffers by the action of
the spring of the same relieves the pressure and places the brake in its
former position, the play of the various levers acting in an inverse
manner so as to loosen the block and render the wheels free.
On the shaft A either a rack pinion Y or a lever may be employed for
moving the bars D and brake blocks F.

page_text: is placed which is acted upon by a connecting rod 6 with a moveable
joint. This connecting rod is moved by a double lever o which receives
its movement by means of two connecting links from the nut at the
soffet of the sorew. At the head of the connecting rod 6 where it acts
on the lever a is placed a slot g, so that when the automatic-brake nots
it shall not interfere with the hand brake, and when it is required to
work the hand brake, by turning the screw g the screw nut is moved
upwards and carries the rod e acting on the lever o, and the shaft A is
actuated in the same manner as with the automatic brake to cause the
blocks to act on the wheels. The contrary movement of the screw
allows the pressure on the blocks to be removed and places the brake in
its former position. The hand brake is arranged so as to act either by
means of a screw or by a hand lever. By the action of this brake the
train or carriage can of itself be allowed to go at any speed required
without completely stopping. To effect this each carriage is provided
with an automatic brake, and has a shaft O carried longitudinally,
turning in supports T. The shaft O at one extremity has a moveable
connecting link U, and at the other end a connecting link V acting.
upon the link U. The moment the carriages are joined the connecting
link V is fitted on the moveable connecting link U, and the whole is
then straight and connected. There is sufficient room between the
extremities of the moveable connecting link U and the connecting:
link V to allow the buffers to play by the action of the train without
interfering with the shaft O or the brake. By means of this shaft when
joined the whole train is connected as one, and when it is desired to
stop the buffers acting on the brake by working at one extremity of the
train on the longitudinal shaft O by means of a hand lever Z, all the
shafts O are turned as one, and by the forward movement on the lever Z
turning the shaft O, the connecting rods Q are moved to work the
cottar R and cause it to fix the rod spear of the buffer. The cottţar R
slips in its guide S, and the buffer becomes fixed in its box W so as to
become immoveable, and consequently cannot act on the brake. When
it is required to set the brake at liberty the shaft O is reversed by
replacing the lever Z; by the backward movement the cottar R is then
released from the rod spear of the buffer, and the brake can act in the
usual automatic manner.

page_text: keeping the shafts in their supports notwithstanding the different height
or turning of the carriages. It is equally possible to actuate the shaft O
whatever length the train may be, or upon two or more carriages as may
be required.
Having thus described the nature of the Invention, and the manner
of carrying the same into practice, what I claim under the above in part
recited Letters Patent is,—
First. The improved arrangement and construction of railway brake
apparatus, whereby the pressure on the wheels is obtained by the brako
blocks being put into action by the slackening or stoppage of the engine, 1
the action on the buffers being transmitted from them to the mechanism
connecting the same with the brake blocks, substantially in the manner
as herein-before described and shewn in the Drawing hereunto annexed.
Secondly. I claim the improved arrangement and construction of
railway brake apparatus whereby it is capable of being used either auto- 1
matically from the engine or by hand separately, or in combination,
substantially as herein-before described and shown in the Drawing here-
unto annexed.
Thirdly. I claim the improved arrangement and construction of
railway brake apparatus whereby it is capable of being actuated by hand 2
as shown in Figure 6, substantially as herein-before described and shown.
in the Drawing hereunto annexed.
Fourthly. I claim the improved arrangement and construction of
railway brake apparatus whereby the buffers when required may be
fixed by means of the longitudinal shaft O connecting the entire train of 2
carriages, and by which the action of the brake can be prevented,
substantially in the manner as herein-before described and shewn in the
Drawing hereunto annexed.
Fifthly. I claim the improved arrangement and construction of
railway brake apparatus whereby it is rendered capable of being used g
should the direction of the train be reversed or go backwards by fixing.
the buffers, substantially in the manner herein-before described and
shewn in the Drawing hereunto annexed.
Lastly. I claim the improved general arrangement and combination
mila brake annaratus, substantially in the manner and for the 3

page_text: purposes herein-before described and shown in the Drawing hereunto
annexed.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Warner, have
hereunto sot my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of August,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
three.
Witness,
J. G. TONGUE,
Patent Agent,
WN. ROBT. WARNER. (L.B.) ·
34, Southampton Buildings,
Chancery Lane,
W.C.