IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Brookes, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC RAILWAY BREAKS."-
A communication from abroad by Leon Hamar, of Pest, in the
Kingdom of Hungary.
Sealed the 22nd December 1868, and dated the 1st July 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Brookes at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the,
1st July 1868.
I, WILLIAM BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of
5 Middlesex, Civil Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRO-MAGNETIC
RAILWAY BREAKS," to be as follows:-
The improvements are adapted to be used with the common hand
breaks now in use in such manner as to admit of the old breaks being
used as heretofore, and only to recur to the electro-magnetic contrivance
in case of emergency.
S
moment
1

page_text: power is shewn by the accompanying Drawings. The endless screw A
is fixed to one of the axles of a train of carriages close to it, the spur
wheel B is supported on a moveable spindle in such manner that by
means of the wedges x, x', between which the lower pivot of the spindle
turns, its cogs may as required be engaged into or disengaged from
the threads of the endless screw A. The Drawing represents the break
contrivance in the engaged position. If required to be disengaged the
rod m, r, is used, indeed when this bar or rod m, r, is pushed in the
end m of the lever m, n, will then be pushed by it and the end of
the same lever will thereby draw out the wedges x, x¹, in the direction
of the arrow, and the position of these wedges clearly shews that they
in being thus drawn will remove the lower pivot of the spindle, and
along with it the teeth of the spur wheel B, from the endless screw A,
and these parts will remain in this position until the break contrivance
is again brought into operation. This open position will be maintained
by shutting off the electro-magnetic current herein-after referred to;
when the bar m, r, is pushed in the cam or tappet of the bent lever
a, b, c, pulled by the spiral spring d, a, will engage into the notch i of
the bar m, r, meanwhile the opposite cam or projection near c will
be acted upon by the horizontal lever d, e, and in consequence the
disengaging of the tappet from its notch can only be brought about by
the pressing down of the arm d of the lever d, e. As soon as the
electro-magnetic pole M attracts the arm d of the lever d, e, the arm e
will quit the projection c and the spring p acting on the bar m, r, will
disengage the tappet from its notch i, so that the parts will be brought
back into the position shewn in the Drawing. Now the lever m, n,
drawing on the wedges x, x¹, will thereby engage the cogs of the spur
wheel B in the threads of the endless screw A, which while turning
with the axle of the carriage will make the spur wheel B to follow its
rotations and thus wind up the chain C, K, fastened to the upper end
of its spindle, and by these same means attract the arm C of the
lever G, C, in the direction K. The arm D in connection with the main
draft rod D, F, of the break is at the same time connected by the
link D, E, through the point E with the single armed lever C, G, thus
the winding up of the chain c, k, will pull the arm D in the direction
E, F, and it is evident that this pulling will go on until the rotation
of the endless screw A stops.
In order to soften down any violent shock arising from the too sudden
action of the breaks, and also for the purpose of submitting the wooden

page_text: soles of the breaks to a yielding or elastic pressure, a strong spiral
spring is introduced between the chain and the lever G, C.
By this system the break apparatus of several of many carriages
arranged and fixed in a similar manner may be effectually brought into
operation by one and the same apparatus and by means of very slight
electro-magnetic current. The necessary galvanic battery of very small
bulk may be fixed either at the locomotive engine or its tender or in
other of the carriages.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Brookes in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 31st December 1868.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
BROOKES, of 62, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil
Engineer and Patent Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the First day of July, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight, in the thirty;
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said William Brookes, Her special liccuce
that I, the said William Brookes, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said William, Brookes, my exccutors,
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
ELECTRO-MAGNETIC RAILWAY BREAKS," communicated to me from abroad
by Leon Hamar, of Pest, in the Kingdom of Hungary, upon the
condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Brookes, my
executors or administrators, 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 im-
mediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: uetail
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
The Drawing
If required to
The Drawing shews an arrangement of apparatus and its connection
with the break power. The endless screw A is fixed to one of the axles
A' of a train of carriages; close to it the spur wheel B is supported on
a moveable spindle in such manner that by means of the inclined
opening between the parts x, x¹, within which the lower pivot of the
spindle turns, the cogs of the wheel B may as required be engaged into
or disengaged from the threads of the endless screw A.
represents the break contrivance in the engaged position.
'be disengaged the rod m, r, is used. When the bar m, r, is pushed in,
'the end m of the lever m, n, will be pushed by it and the end n of the same
lever will thereby draw out the inclined surfaces x, x', in the direction of
the arrow and the position of these surfaces clearly shows that they in
being thus drawn will remove the lower pivot of the spindle and along
with it the teeth of the spur wheel B, from gear with the endless screw A,
and these parts will remain in this position until the break contrivance
is again brought into operation. This open position will be maintained
by shutting off the electro-magnetic current herein-after referred to.
When the bar m, r, is pushed in the projection c¹ of the bent lever a, b, c,
pulled by the spiral spring d, a, will engage into the notch i of the
bar m, r, meanwhile the opposite projection will be acted upon by
the horizontal lever d, e, and in consequence the disengaging of the
projection c¹ from its notch i can only be brought about by the pressing
'down of the arm d of the lever d, e. As soon as the electro-magnetic
pole M. attracts the arm d of the lever d, e, the arm c will quit the
projection, and the spring p acting on the bar m, r, will disengage

page_text: the projection c¹ from its notch i, so that the parts will be brought back
into the position shown in the Drawing. Now the lever m, n, drawing
on the surfaces x, x¹, will thereby engage the cogs of the spur wheel B
in the threads of the endless screw A, which while turning with the
axle of the carriage will make the spur wheel B to follow its rotations
and thus wind up the chain C, K, fastened to the upper end of its
spindle, and by these same means draw the arm C of the lever G, C,
towards it. The arm D in connection with the main draft rod D, F, of
the break is connected by the link D, E, at the point E with the single
armed lever C, G, thus the winding up of the chain C, K, will pull
the arm D in the direction E, F, and it is evident that this pulling
will go on until the rotation of the endless screw A ceases. In order
to soften down any violent shock arising from the too sudden action of
the breaks, and also for the purpose of submitting the wooden soles of
the breaks to a yielding or elastic pressure, a strong spiral spring is
introduced between the chain and the lever G, C. By this system the
break apparatus of several carriages arranged and fixed in a similar
manner may be effectually brought into operation by one and the same
apparatus and by means of a very slight electro-magnetic current.
The necessary galvanic battery of very small bulk may be fixed either
on the locomotive engine or its tender or in other of the carriages.
Having thus described the Invention as communicated to me I would
have it understood that what I claim is, the adaptation and combination
of means for operating railway breaks by electro-magnetism, substantially
as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Brookes, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of December, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
eight.
WILLIAM BROOKES. (L.S.)