Improvements in and relating to Electric Car Brakes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Electric Car Brakes.
I, MILTON EUGENE CAMPANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at
Hamilton, in the County of Allegan and State of Michigan, one of the United
States of America, Gentleman, 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 consists in an automatic brake for cars, which is so constructed
that should the cars accidentally break apart or separate, the brakes will be
instantly and automatically applied to each car; using the momentum or force of
each car to stop it, as hereinafter explained; and my invention will be hereinafter
fully described and claimed.
Referring to the accompanying drawings—
Figure 1 is a bottom plan view partly in section; and Figure 2 is a side view of
a locomotive and the car of a train provided with my invention.
Figure 3 is a sectional plan view showing the brake "set" or applied;
Figure 4 shows the brake released by hand; and
Figure 5 is a detail view.
The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.
fixed
1, indicates the body of a railway car, upon one of the axles 2 of which
the conical clutch sleeve 3. 8, indicates a lever which is pivoted upon the bearing
piece 6, and has the bifurcated inner end 9. 13, 13, indicate two insulated copper
wires which run the full length of each car, the ends of the corresponding wire
being coupled between the cars, the wires running to the locomotive to a small
dynamo 15, which is run in any suitable manner, and from the dynamo to the small
lever 14, by means of which the engineer makes and breaks the current in the
usual manner.
Beneath each car two smaller insulated wires 16, 16, run from the
main wires 13 to a closed box or casing, 17.
The above specified parts are described in detail in my Patent of the United
States No. 494,505, dated March 28, 1893, "Electric Car Brakes," and are not
claimed specifically in this application.
4, indicates a loose conical pulley or clutch-sleeve, which encircles and ruus
A bend 19,
loosely upon the axle 2 between the fixed cone 3 and a stop-collar 5.
secured to the loose sleeve 4, prevents dirt of all kinds from entering between the
inclined faces of the two clutch-cones or sleeves.
10 indicates a chain, one end of which is made fast to the loose pulley, 4, while
the other end is attached to a rod, 11, which runs to the trucks at the other end
of the car, where it is attached to a powerful brake lever, 12, which will draw the
brake shoes against the wheels. Within the closed casing, 17, is arranged a
suitable electrical device or motor, 21, the one shown being similar to that shown
in my above-mentioned Patent; but any suitable electrical motor can be sub-
stituted. The chain 22, at the end of the rod 22, is attached to the revolving
shaft 21, of this motor, the other end of this rod being connected to the outer end
of the lever 8. The circuit is kept normally closed by the engineer, with the
motor 21 holding the rod 22 drawn in, thus holding the pivoted lever 8 so that its
inner end will not press against the loose clutch-sleeve 4.
When the engineer desires to set or put on the brakes, it is only necessary for
him to move the small lever 14 to break the circuit, when the rod 22 is released
from the "pull" of the motor 21, and a spring 23, connected to the outer end of
the pivoted lever 8, on the side opposite to the rod, will at once draw it in
the opposite direction, thus causing its inner end to press the loose clutch-
sleeve 4 in contact with the fixed cone 3, when the loose clutch-sleeve will revolve

page_text: with the fixed one, winding the brake-chain 10 upon it, and applying the brakes
automatically.
This spring 23, can be arranged in various ways, but I prefer to enclose it in a
tubular casing, 24, having end-caps. In one end of this casing is arranged a
movable disk, 25. A wire rope (or chain or rod) 26, is secured at one end to
the centre of this disk, and at its other end to the outer end of lever 8, while
to the end of the cylinder 24, opposite to the lever, is attached the end of a
wire rope 27, the other end of which is secured to the cranked inner end of a
hand-lever, 28. The casing 24 is preferably inclosed in a cylindrical casing, 29, to
protect it, and the spring 30, from dirt; this spring, 30, which is made weaker
than the spring 23, being arranged between the right-hand end of the casing, 24, in
the drawings, and that end of the outer casing, 29, as shown. The outer end of
the hand lever 28, engages in a notched rack, 31, which holds it when turned in
either direction.
The end of the cranked hand-lever is normally held over to the right, drawing
the tubular casing 24 in that direction and compressing the spring 30, as shown in
Figure 3.
The spring, 23, is normally compressed; and it will now be seen that
when the engineer breaks the circuit, thus releasing the lever 8 from the pull on
the rod, 22, the spring 23 will expand, moving the disk 25 back to the end of the
cylinder 24, and, through the connection, 26, drawing the outer end of the lever 8
in that direction, thus pressing the loose clutch-sleeve up in contact with the fixed
sleeve 3, and thus putting on the brakes.
It will be seen that by this construction not only will the brakes be applied on
the whole train when the engineer breaks the electric current, or circuit, but
also that should any of the cars break away from the rest of the train, should
any of the couplings between the cars break, the spring 23, will at once
automatically put on the brakes; for should a car break away from the train
the electric wires would be broken apart, and the motor 21 thus ceasing to
work, the rod 22 would be slacked, and the spring 23 be free to work. When
the brakes are set on a separated car, to release them the hand-lever 28 is
turned to the left, when the spring 30 will slide the casing 24 to the left, thus
slacking the wire 26, and releasing the pressure of the lever 8 on the loose clutch
sleeve.
The casing 24 can be reversed within the outer casing 29, as shown in Figure 5,
so that while the spring 23 operates on the lever 8 in the same manner, the spring 30
is dispensed with.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, of a clutch-sleeve fixed on the revolving axle of a car, a
clutch-sleeve loosely mounted on said axle, a chain secured to the loose clutch-
sleeve and connected to the brake-levers, the pivoted lever 8, a spring arranged
to pull said lever against the loose clutch-sleeve, and an electrical device, con-
trolled, preferably, from the cab, which will hold said pivoted lever pulled away
from the loose clutch-sleeve until the electric current is broken; substantially as
set forth.
2. The combination, of the clutch-sleeves fixed on the revolving axles of the
cars, the clutch-sleeves loosely mounted on said axles, chains secured to the loose
clutch-sleeves and connected to the brake-levers, the pivoted levers 8, springs
arranged to pull said levers in contact with the loose clutch-sleeves, the lever-rods
and chains, 22, the main wires 13, arranged with the dynamo as specified, a circuit-
closing lever, 14, electric motors, 21, and the wires, 16, running from the main
wires 13 to said motors, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with the car axle having a driving surface, of a drum having
a driving surface arranged to engage with said surface of the axle, a chain
secured at one end to said drum and at its other end to a brake-lever, the said

page_text: brake-lever, a clutch-lever pivoted to the car and connected at one end to said
drum, whereby the driving surfaces may be thrown into and out of engagement,
a spring secured at one end to said clutch lever for throwing said surfaces into
engagement, means for holding said driving surfaces normally out of engagement,
whereby said spring is held under tension, and a lever attached at one end to the
other end of said spring, whereby the tension thereof may be relaxed, substantially
as set forth.
4. The combination with the car axle, having a driving surface, of a drum
having a driving surface arranged to engage with said surface on the axle, a chain
secured at one end to said drum and at its other end to a brake-lever, a clutch
lever pivoted to the car and connected at one end to said drum whereby said
driving surfaces may be thrown into and out of engagement, means for holding said
surfaces normally out of engagement, a movable casing mounted on the car, a spring
arranged in said casing and connected at one end to said clutch-lever whereby said
surfaces are thrown into engagement when the clutch lever is released, a lever
pivoted to the car and connected at one end to said casing, whereby said surfaces
may be disengaged, and a spring for retracting said casing, substantially as set
forth.
5. The combination with a car axle having a driving surface, of a drum
having a driving surface arranged to engage with said surface on the axle, and a
chain attached at one end to said drum and at its other end to a brake lever,
the brake lever, a clutch lever pivoted to the car and connected at one end to
said drum, whereby said driving surfaces may be thrown into and out of engage-
ment, a movable casing mounted on the car, a spring arranged in said casing, a disk
arranged in said casing behind said spring, said disk being connected to the clutch
lever, a lever pivoted to the car, one end of which is connected to said casing, and
a spring arranged behind said casing and having bearing on the car, substantially
as set forth.
Dated this with 1
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Patent Agents.