IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY WAGONS AND TRUCKS
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Samuel Adams, of the Flintshire Wagon Company, near
Mold, in the County of Flint, Railway Wagon and Carriage Builder, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY WAGONS AND
TRUCKS."
Sealed the 28th May 1878, and dated the 1st December 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Adams at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 1st December 1877.
SAMUEL ADAMS, of the Flintshire Wagon Company, near Mold, in the County of
Flint, Railway Wagon and Carriage Builder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR
RAILWAY WAGONS AND TRUCKS."
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of brakes for
railway wagons and trucks in the manner herein-after described, whereby the
brakes are made more effective in action, less likely to get out of order, and more
durable than brakes of the ordinary kind.
Instead of making the brake blocks of wood as usual, I make them of cast iron,
and of such configuration that they clip or embrace the flange of the wheel, and
when in action they not only press upon the circumference of the wheel, but also
upon the flange of the wheel. The efficiency of the brake is thus increased in con-
sequence of the surface on which the brake block bears being increased. By making
the brake block clip the flange of the wheel the proper position of the brake block
is secured, the brake block having no tendency to leave the wheel as the ordinary
brake blocks have.
I hang or suspend the brake blocks by means of link plates, so that the brake
blocks are always free of the wheels, excepting when the brake is put into action
and the loss of engine power attendant on the use of the ordinary wood brake blocks
is avoided.
I prefer to make each pair of blocks press on opposite sides of the same wheel,
but they may be made to press upon different wheels.

page_text: I work the brake by means of a compound lever of the ordinary kind, excepting
that in place of the fixed connecting rod by which the motion of the weighted hand
lever is transmitted to the compound lever. I employ a connecting rod screwed at
one or both ends, and capable by being turned of advancing into screw boxes at one
or both ends, and thus of being virtually lengthened or shortened.
When the connecting rod is screwed at both ends, I make a right-handed screw
at one end, and a left-handed screw at the other, the screw boxes being similarly
right and left handed. By turning the connecting rod in one or other direction
the position of the brake blocks with respect to the wheels can be adjusted with the
greatest nicety.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Samuel Adams in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 29th
May 1878.
SAMUEL ADAMS, of the Flintshire Wagon Company, near Mold, in the County of
Flint, Railway Wagon and Carriage Builder. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR
RAILWAY WAGONS AND TRUCKS."
My Invention consists in constructing and arranging the parts of brakes for rail-
way wagons and trucks in the manner herein-after described, whereby the brakes
are made more effective in action, less likely to get out of order, and more durable
than brakes of the ordinary kind.
Instead of making the brake blocks of wood as usual, I make them of cast iron,
and of such configuration that they clip or embrace the flange of the wheel, and
when in action they not only press upon the circumference of the wheel, but also
upon the flange of the wheel. The efficiency of the brake is thus increased in con-
sequence of the surface on which the brake block bears being increased. By making
the brake block clip the flange of the wheel, the proper position of the brake wheel
is secured, the brake block having no tendency to leave the wheel as the ordinary
brake blocks have.
I hang or suspend the brake blocks by means of link plates, so that the brako
blocks are always free of the wheels, excepting when the brake is put into action
and the loss of engine power attendant on the use of the ordinary wood brake blocks
is avoided.
I prefer to make each pair of blocks press on opposite sides of the same wheel, but
they may be made to press upon different wheels.
I work the brake by means of a compound lever of the ordinary kind, excepting
that in place of the fixed connecting rod by which the motion of the weighted hand
lever is transmitted to the compound lever, I employ a connecting rod screwed at
one or both ends and capable, by being turned, of advancing into screw boxes at
one or both ends, and thus of being virtually lengthened or shortened.
When the connecting rod is screwed at both ends, I make a right-handed screw
at one end and a left-handed screw at the other, the screw boxes being similarly

page_text: right and left handed. By turning the connecting rod in one or other direction,
the position of the brake blocks with respect to the wheels can be adjusted with the
greatest nicety.
I will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying Drawing the
manner in which my Invention may be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a portion of a railway wagon or truck, to
which brake blocks and brake mechanism constructed according to my Invention
are applied; and Figure 2 is a section of one of my improved brake blocks drawn
of the full size, and shown in connection with a portion of a wagon or truck
wheel a, b.
a, b, represent a pair of brake blocks arranged to press on the opposed sides of the
two wheels c, c. The brake blocks are made of cast iron and their construction will be
best understood by an examination of Figure 2. The said cast-iron break block
a, b, in addition to the ordinary part a, which presses upon the circumference of the
wheel c, is furnished at one of its sides with a clip-like part b of such a configuration
that it will clip or embrace and press upon the flange d of the wheel c. By con-
structing the brake blocks in this way they not only press upon the circumferences
of the wheels, but also press upon the flanges of the wheels, whereby the power
and efficiency of the brake are much increased. In addition to these advantages
the flange clipping part b of the brake block retains the brake block in its
proper position on the wheel and prevents all tendency in the brake block to leave
the wheel.
The brake blocks a, b, a, b, are suspended or hung by the link plates or
hangers e, e, jointed at top to the body of the truck or wagon, and at bottom to the
brake blocks. By thus hanging the brake blocks they are free of the wheels,
excepting when the brake is put into action, whether the wagon is loaded or
unloaded.
The brake blocks are worked by the following mechanism: -f is the ordinary
brako lever turning on the centre g, carried by the bracket h, the said lever being
connected to the brake blocks a, b, a, b, by the connecting rods or links i, i; k is
the weighted hand lever, by the motion of which the brakes can be put into and
taken out of action. The short cranked arm 1 of the weighted hand lever kis
connected to the top of the brake block lever ƒ by means of a connecting rod m.
This connecting rod is screwed at both ends, the screw at one end being right-
handed, and the scrow at the other end left-handed. The screws tako respectively
into screw boxes n, n, provided with right and left banded screws, corresponding
with the screws on the ends of the rod m. Fixed at the middle of the rod m is an
angular boss or part p upon which a spanner is fitted for turning the rod. By
turning the rod m in one or other direction the ends of the rod simultaneously
retire from or advance into the screw boxes m, n, so as virtually to lengthen or
shorten the said rod. By lengthening or shortening the connecting rod m in this
way the position of the lever may be adjusted with great nicety, and consequently
the position of the brake blocks a, b, a, b, with respect to the wheels c, c.
Instead of using right and left handed screws on the ends of the connecting
rod m, one end only of the said rod may be screwed, a single screw box being used
for receiving the screwed end of the rod; I prefer however to use the arrangement
of parts represented in the Drawing.
Instead of making the pair of blocks a, b, a, b, press on different wheels,
as represented, a pair of blocks may be made to press on opposite sides of the
same wheel.
My improved brake blocks may be applied to railway wagons and trucks pro-
vided with the ordinary lever mechanism for working them, and the arrangements
described and illustrated for hanging the brake blocks and for adjusting their
position with respect to the wheels may be applied to brake blocks of the ordinary
kind.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which the

page_text: same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my Invention
of improvements in brakes for railway wagons and trucks,-
First Making the brake blocks of cast iron and of such a construction that
they clip or embrace the flanges of the wheels and retain their position of the wheels,
and when in action not only press upon the circumferences of the wheels, but also
press upon the flanges of the wheels, substantially as herein-before described and
illustrated in the accompanying Drawing,
Secondly. The arrangement of parts, herein-before described and illustrated in
the accompanying Drawing, for accurately adjusting the position of my improved
brake blocks and ordinary brake blocks with respect to the wheels, that is to say,
connecting the ordinary brake block lever with the weighted hand lever, for
working the brakes by a connecting rod screwed at one or both ends, and capable
by being turned of advancing into or retiring from a screw box or screw boxes
at one or both ends of the rod, for the purpose and substantially as described and
illustrated.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Adams, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-third day of May, in the year of our Lord One thousand
night hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
WILLIAM TENNANT,
Flintshire Wagon Co.,
Padeswood Junction,
Nr Mold.
SAMUEL ADAMS. (L.S.)