IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR RAILWAYS
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Sutherland Grant Colquhoun, of 1, Royal Terrace, in
the City and County of Edinburgh, North Britain, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR RAILWAYS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Sutherland Grant Colquhoun
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 18th March 1880.
SUTHERLAND GRANT COLQUHOUN, of 1, Royal Terrace, in the City and County
of Edinburgh, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR
RAILWAYS."
This said Invention has reference to certain improvements upon and additions
to the Invention for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to the petitioner,
dated Nineteenth September 1879, and numbered 3772, in which the power or
re-acting force of the draw springs of each railway carriage, truck, or waggon of
a train when stopped, or not caused to be drawn through, or by their drawing
hooks or rods, or when these were broken, would at once put all the brake blocks
into action, and, vice versa, free and relieve the brakes from their action on the
wheels as soon as the draw hooks were pulled again by the engine.
The force exerted by the buffers and their rods is made to act through the draw
hook rods, and other supplementary rods, levers, or equivalent simple gear; to
also take the brake blocks out of gear automatically while the train of carriages
is being backed by the locomotive, this backing force being greater than the
force of the draw springs allowed to put the brake blocks into action.
The new improvements of this Invention consist, first, in allowing a certain
amount of motion (as two inches or so) on the draw rods of the draw hooks, and
also on the buffer rods when these are used, or it might be equivalent rods fitted
on mineral or other waggons not constructed with spring buffers, the amount of
motion being in addition to that necessary for and given by the yielding of the
draw springs and the buffer springs (or their said equivalent in the waggons
where there are usually none), and which springs would be first tightened up to
the contained force or tension they were desired to act as draw or buffer springs,
independently of the said new brake action.
The new and additional improvements of this Invention for effecting the said
automatic brake action (forming the substance and purpose of this Invention)

page_text: consists in mounting a helical or other spring or springs on the draw hook rod or
rods, or on supplementary slide or buffer rods connected to the former, or draw
rods by angled rods, which springs would be powerful enough to put the brake
blocks into action the moment a carriage or train ceased to be drawn by the
locomotive and the draw chains and hooks. In some cases a spring would be fitted
on each draw rod sufficient to put or keep the brakes out of action, in which case
the extra spring connected to the said rods of the draw hooks would require to
be able or powerful enough to automatically overcome these springs and put on
the brakes the moment the drawing of the train ceased, all as explained. Slots
would be formed in the rods or their connections with the buffer springs to allow
of the extra motion of these and the draw springs for their ordinary and proper
action, independently of that of the new additional springs for automatically
actuating the brakes, all as explained. Movable or spring buffers might when
desired be fitted on the ordinary mineral waggons (in which there are none at
present) for pressing back the new brake springs, and taking off the brakes when
pushing back and shunting trains; or cords, chains, or rods, or ordinary hand lever
arrangements could be used for this when desired. These new automatical spring
arrangements are also applicable to goods carriages and waggons with separate coil
or conoidal springs on the draw hook rods, or on the buffer rods, or where the long
bow blade springs are used; and also where the draw rods and hooks are formed
and fitted to act as buffers with the same or double conoidal coiled springs.
And although this is not preferred it will be evident that heavy weighted levers
might be made to automatically put on the brakes when the draw links and rods
are made to act instead of the new additional springs described, either fitted with
the springs or not as desired for pushing out the draw links or their rods to their
normal acting position against the actual or ordinary draw springs proper, which
weighted levers would be lifted and the brakes taken out of action the instant the
full drawing power was given to the draw hooks and their rods.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Sutherland Grant Colquhoun in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 17th September 1880.
SUTHERLAND GRANT COLQUHOUN, of 1, Royal Terrace, in the City and County
of Edinburgh, North Britain. "IMPROVEMENTS IN CONTINUOUS BRAKES FOR
RAILWAYS."
My said Invention has reference to certain improvements upon and additions to
the Invention for which Royal Letters Patent were granted to me, dated Nineteenth
September 1879, and numbered 3772, in which the power or re-acting force of draw
springs and fittings on each railway carriage, truck, or waggon of a train, when
stopped or not caused to be drawn through or by their drawing hooks or rods, or
when these are broken, would at once put all the brake blocks into action, and, vice
versa, free and relieve the brakes from their action on the wheels as soon as the
draw hooks were pulled again by the engine; and the force exerted on or through
the buffers and their rods is made to act through or by the draw hook rods and
other supplementary rods, levers, or equivalent simple gear to also take the brake
blocks out of gear automatically while the train of carriages is being backed or
pushed by the locomotive, this backing force being greater than the force of the
springs used to put the brake blocks into action.
The new improvements of this Invention consist, first, in allowing a certain
amount of motion (as two inches or so) on the draw rods of the draw hooks, and
also on the buffer rods when these are used, or it might be equivalent rods fitted
on mineral or other waggons not constructed with spring buffers, the amount of
motion being in addition to that necessary for and given by the yielding of the
draw springs and the spring buffers (or their said new equivalent rods in the
waggons where there are usually no moving buffers), and these springs would be
first tightened up as usual to the contained force or tension they are desired to act
as draw or buffer springs, independently of those of the new brake action.
The further or new additional improvements of this Invention for effecting the
said automatic brake action (forming the substance and purpose of this Invention)
consists in mounting a special helical or other spring or springs on the draw hook
rods, or on supplementary slide or buffer rods connected to the former or draw rods
by transverse or angle rods, which springs would be made powerful enough to put
the brake blocks into action the moment a carriage or train ceased to be drawn by
the locomotive and the draw chains and hooks. In some cases a spring would or
might be fitted on each draw rod sufficient to put or keep the brakes out of action,
in which case the extra brake spring connected to the said rods of the draw hooks
would require to be able or powerful enough to automatically overcome these
springs, and also put on the brakes the moment the drawing of the train ceased, all
as explained. Slots would be formed in the rods or their connections with the
buffer springs where required to allow of the extra motion of these and the draw
springs for their ordinary and proper action, independently of that of the new addi-
tional springs for automatically actuating the brakes, all as explained.
Movable or spring buffers might when desired be fitted on the ordinary mineral
waggons (in which there are none at present) for pressing back the new brake
springs and taking off the brakes when pushing back and shunting trains; or cords,
chains, or rods, or ordinary hand lever arrangement could be used for this when
desired. These new automatical spring arrangements are also applicable to goods
carriages and waggons with separate coil or conoidal springs on the draw hook rods,
or on the buffer rods, or where the long bow blade springs are used; and also where
the draw rods and hooks are formed and fitted to act as buffers with the same or
double conoidal coiled springs.

page_text: And in order that the nature, novelty, and mode of performing or putting my
said Invention into effect or practice may be properly understood, I shall now
proceed to describe the several Figures on the two Sheets of explanatory Drawings
which I have hereunto appended for that purpose, the same reference letters and
numerals indicating the same or like parts in all the Figures where shown.
Figure 1, on Sheet 1, is a sectional side elevation on the line 1 - 1; in Figure 2
is a corresponding plan of the horizontal part of a railway luggage or goods truck
or carriage frame Z, and its wheels Z¹, and drawing hook rods z, 2, and buffers x, x¹,
with their respective usual or ordinary springs z" and ", shown as fitted with one
arrangement or combination of my improved continuous automatic brake mechanism
constructed in accordance with and illustrative of a modification of my Invention
as applied thereto; while Figures 3 and 4 are transverse sections as taken on the
lines 1-1 and 2 - - 2 respectively on the former Figures 1 and 2 to show the
details more clearly. In this arrangement the main frame Z is much of an ordinary
construction used in four wheeled railway goods waggons or vans, with strong cross
ends Z and working spring buffers x, x, with strong bow blade springs x, x11,
secured back to back by straps at X to the longitudinal beams Z in the central
space between the cross beams Z³, these springs being tightened up to their usual
buffing tension to act by their free ends on the guide pressure blocks ✗¹ secured on
the inner ends of each buffer rod x, and abutting on plates on the inner face of the
cross beams Z2, while separate helical or conoidal draw springs are mounted and
tightened up to the desired tension within their containing boxes 111 on the inner
ends of the draw hook rods z, z¹, against the inner face of the said cross beams Z³,
all so far much in a usual manner. But by these improvements a sufficient free
space and motion is left between the projecting pressing collar of the draw
springs and the abutting nuts or equivalent on the extreme ends of each draw
rod to allow of this putting the break blocks 1 into or out of action on the
wheels Z¹ of each carriage or waggon, in accordance with the improvements of this
Invention, as will hereinafter be described. The brake blocks 1 are each shown as
hung or mounted by links 1¹ from brackets 111 on the carriage frame Z over and
in front of the inner face of each wheel Z, and connected by joint pins to the short
arm 2' of an angled actuating lever 2, 21, fulcrumed by a joint pin to an adjustable
or screw bracket 3, carried in strong supports 3' stayed to and projecting down
from the frame Z, Z³ of the carriage, the free end of the long arm 2 of each brake
lever 2, 2¹, being carried up at an angle and jointed by a slightly elongated or
elliptical joint hole and round pin to snugs 4', with different adjustable joint
holes on a collar or boss 4 secured on the inner part of each draw bar z', which
thus by its said slight motion to and fro actuates the lever 2, 2¹, and
brake block 1 on either side of the two wheels 7, Z, of the adjacent axle Z*.
Each draw bar ¹ is fitted with spiral or helical springs S between the inner side
of the end frame Z", and a collar boss S¹ secured on it. This spring is made of
sufficient strength to force in the draw bar z¹ and levers 2, 2¹, and put on the
brakes 1, 1, as soon as the draw hooks are slacked back by the stopping of the
locomotive, so that the brakes 1, from the stops to the back action of the draw
bars, and not the back shoulder of their hooks, as usual, all as indicated in this
back position of the parts in Figures 1 and 2 ; and, vice versa, so soon as the draw
hooks and rods z and 2 are pulled out again by the traction of the engine, and
power required to pull each carriage, its brakes are relieved or taken out of action
by compressing the springs S, S, which are much less powerful than the draw
springs z,, and which come or go with these, forming an additional draw spring
which, after these stop, act in the backward direction to put on the brakes as stated.
The further improvement for making the pressing force of the buffers a take off the
brakes when they come together by and while the locomotive is pushing or backing
the carriages, consist in this modification of fitting a sliding rod r, ¹, to project a
sufficient distance beyond the buffer heads x so as to be pushed in and effect this
when the buffer heads come together. Each rod r, r³, working in guides or slots 11,
through the heads x and end frame Z" of the carriage, and attached by a short

page_text: slotted joint at ¹ to the outer free end of a lateral beam lever 1, 1, having its inner
arm jointed to the boss S' of the spring S and draw rod 2¹, this lever always
remaining in proper working position, notwithstanding the motion of the buffer
rod by being fulcrumed at on a differential moving lever L, L³, fitted above
it on the one side, and below it on the other side, each fulcrumed at its inner end L
to the centre of a plate L secured to the frames Z, the one over and the other
under the boss S', while the other or outer free end L' of each lever is jointed to a
boss or collar L³ secured to its respective buffer rod xl, so that when this movea
with the compression of the buffers and rods x, x', these carrying the fulcrums ¹¹
of and levers 7, 1, with them, so as to allow the rods r, r', to act on and compress
the springs S, S, and take the brake blocks 1 out of action, as stated, when the
draw hooks z are slackened, or the buffers x are compressed, or allow them to come
into action when the hooks are drawing the carriage and the buffers drawn apart.
Although the additional or supplementary springs S have been shown as a single
spiral spring mounted on each hook rod z¹ for giving the last part of the inward
backward shift and pressure thereto, and putting on the brakes, this being con-
sidered the simplest and therefore the best arrangement, yet still it will be evident
that two such springs might be used mounted in like manner, one on each buffer
rod x¹, and so connected by intermediate angled rods or lateral acting levers to the
draw hook rods z¹, that the least inward shifting of these would put on the
brakes; and, vice versa, the first part of their outward motion would take off the
brakes; and, further, that other forms of these springs might be used, so that they
were coupled to and made to actuate the brake mechanism by the said motion of
the hook rods ', all as and for the purposes herein before described, slots being
formed in the connections to allow of the respective motions of the draw springs
and buffer springs where there are such. And in some cases, when desired, as
indicated in the modified form or arrangement shown in the under plan view of one
end of a luggage van or carriage frame in Figure 5 on Sheet 2, each supplementary
pressing in rod r, rl, would be formed with a slot, and fulcrumed on a moving
centre at to work as a beam lever in the guide slots at 11 so as to be auto-
matically angled, as shown at the dotted lines at 4 - - 4 in the Figure, and taken
out of the acting line of the buffer heads x, x, for any desired pause or time by the
traction of the locomotive and draw-hook rod z, z¹, when it was not desired to
take the brakes out of action by the inward compressing of the buffer heads and
rods x, x¹; as before described in reference to Figures 1 to 4. And this is effected
by connecting the inner end r¹ of the rods r, 71, through an angled or wedge shaped
slot at to the pin 2, on the outer free ends of the levers 1, 1, while a prolonga-
tion at the inner end of the rod r, ¹, is connected by a lateral link or connecting
rod to the piston rod of a small air cataract cylinder fitted with a re-acting
spiral spring, which would be tightened up in compression or extension by the
pin in the end 7 of the lever 1, 0, acting on the inclined slot 1 by the traction
of the draw hook and rod z, zl, while pulling the rod r, r¹, to the angled position
44; but which would automatically assume or go back into its straight acting
line with the buffer heads x, x, as or during the time the air was escaping from the
close end of the cylinder 7 behind the piston, and which would be regulated by a
small air escape tube and controlling tap to suit the time it was required to keep
the said compressing rods in the buffer heads out of action.
And in all arrangements where these new buffer compressing rods r, r², are used
they would be fitted with their connecting acting levers 1, 1, in a plane above or
below the centre line of the buffer heads x, x, on the opposite sides and ends of
each carriage frame, or in "a right and left hand manner," so that which ever end
of the carriages were coupled the end of these rods would never come opposite or
in a line with each other, but always opposite a solid plain acting part of its
opposite acting buffer x.
A further improvement consists in fitting a lever arrangement for taking off or
putting on the brake by hand, as shown particularly in Figures 1, 2, and 3, which

page_text: consists of a horizontal hand lever T, T¹, fulcrumed on a fixed centre at T³, pre-
ferably nearthe middle of the frame, with a guiding and securing guide or segment
T, T, and having two connecting rods t, t', jointed at their inner ends t to the
hand lever T, T', each at some distance on opposite sides of its fulcrum T2, and
connected at their outer ends t¹ by open slots to studs at t on the boss 4 of the hook
rods z¹, so as to push these out against the power of the springs S, and take the
brakes out of action when the lever is shifted to the one side T" of the guide
TT, and when shifted to the other T allow the springs S to put the brakes
into action, in either of which positions the lever handle T may be shifted by the
hand of a person from the side of the carriage frame, or by a cord connected to
these levers throughout the train, with compensating arrangement of levers and
springs, which would elongate or give out and take up the slack of the cord as the
carriages separate or approach each other at their end draw hooks z and buffers x
in proportion to the traction or compression on these and their springs.
--
Figures 6 and 7, are a longitudinal vertical section and a plan of the under
horizontal main frame Z of a mineral or luggage waggon or truck, with solid buffers
Z³, the former Figure taken near the section line 5-5 in the latter; and Figures 8
and 9 are respectively transverse sections taken near the lines 6 - 6 and 7 -- 7 in
the former Figures 6 and 7, all of another arrangement of my improvements, as
described in reference to the former Figures 1 to 5, and having the corresponding
parts indicated by the same reference letters, and therefore will only require to be
further described as regards the changes or modifications of the improvements and
combination of the parts to suit the fixed or solid buffers Z³. The differences in
this arrangement (Figures 6 to 9) are that the additional moving rods 7, 3, are
fitted to slide in the fixed buffers Z³, and have their outer ends projecting beyond
their outer end, and their inner slotted ends ¹ connected to the outer free ends of
the simple beam levers 7, 7, in this case fulcrumed to fixed centres or brackets Z¹¹,
secured to the longitudinal beams Z of the main frame, and having the inner
arms of these levers connected respectively to the upper and lower studs or
centres in the boss St of the draw hook rods 21, without the compensating fulcrum
levers L, L', described in reference to the former Figures 1 to 4, but so as to act all
otherwise substantially as described in reference to these Figures, namely, when
the solid buffers Z³ come together they press in the projecting ends of the rods r, r¹,
and oscillate the levers 1, 1, and compress. the springs S on both the draw hook
rods z, z', and automatically release the brakes 1 of each truck or carriage throughout
the train while being pushed or backed by the locomotive, and, vice versa, allow.the
springs S to put on the brakes again the moment the locomotive stops or ceases. to
push the train, or draw it by the hook rods 2, 2', which also relieve the brakes, all
as hereinbefore described in reference to the former Figures. Although supple-
mentary draw springs S only have been shown and described on or connected with
the draw hook rods 2, 21, for putting the brakes into action when these are slackened
back, still it is to be understood that weighted levers might be used as an equivalent
therefor.
Having thus particularly described the nature of my said Invention, and the
manner in which the same is or may be performed, I wish it to be understood that
what I consider.novel and original and therefore claim as the Invention secured to
me by the herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
First. The general arrangement and combination of the parts of the brake
mechanism of railway luggage carriages, trucks, vans, or waggons, so connected to
the draw hook rods z, z¹, and additional springs S, and to the buffer rods x, x¹, or
supplementary buffer rods r, r¹, as to automatically put on the brakes respectively
in each carriage or waggon throughout the train when the drawing chains and
hooks are slackened back by the stopping of the locomotive, or that of the traction
on the drawing chains by their breaking or other cause, and the taking off of the
brakes when the locomotive is hauling and the traction is on the chains and hooks,
or when the engine is pushing the carriages or waggons by the buffers, all substan-

page_text: tially as and for the purposes and advantages herein described in reference to and
shown in the Figures on Sheets 1 and 2 respectively of the accompanying
Drawings.
Second. The fitting of the draw hook rods z, z¹, with a short amount of back
shift or motion 21, and a special extra spring S for automatically putting on or
taking off the brakes in each carriage or waggon throughout the train by the
respective slackening and traction motion of the draw hook rods z, z¹, substantially
as and for the purposes herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification.thereof.
3
Third. The arrangement and use in railway carriages, trucks, or waggons of
sliding bars r,, whether oscillated or not, as shown in Figure 5, actuated by the
compression of their moving, or solid fixed buffers x or A³, so as to automatically
take the brakes 1 out of action while being " pushed or "backed" by the
locomotive, which are otherwise put into or out of action respectively in each
carriage throughout the train by the slackening back or drawing out of the hauling
or traction chains and hook bars 2, 21, all substantially as and for the purposes
herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any
mere modification thereof.
Fourth. The arrangement and use in railway carriages, trucks, or waggons of a
lever T, T¹, and its links or rods t, t', for the purpose of putting the brakes out of
action, or allowing them to be put into action, by the hand of the attendant direct,
or through a cord, all substantially as and for the purposes herein described in
reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings, or any mere modification
thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said Sutherland Grant Colquhoun, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixteenth day of September, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty.
S. G. COLQUHOUN. (L.S.)