IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO BRAKES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Phillips Thompson, of the Firm of Win. P.
Thompson and Co., Agents for Procuring Patents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool,
in the County of Lancaster, 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
and Berridge St., Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Civil Engineer, for
an Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPERTAINING TO BRAKES FOR
RAILWAY TRAINS." A communication from abroad by Carl Frederick Sim
and William Studer, both of the City of Montreal and Province of Quebec,
Canada.
(
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Phillips Thompson
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th November 1880.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Procuring Patents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, and Berridge St.,
Leicester, in the County of Leicester, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPERTAINING TO BRAKES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS." A communication from abroad
by Carl Frederick Sim aud William Studer, both of the City of Montreal and
Province of Quebec, Canada.
This Invention, which is specially intended for use on luggage trains, has for
its object mainly to provide an apparatus which applied to the carriages of such
trains will furnish a continuous brake, acting simultaneously on all the wheels.
Whatever may be the construction of such cars and the way in which they are
coupled together, the slack of all the couplings between the cars being previously
taken up by its action.
This apparatus is capable of being worked by any ordinary hand-brake
mechanism, and from any of the carriages of the train, and will operate in both
directions, or it may be worked by any of the power brakes now in use, and be
under the control of the guard from the brake van or the locomotive driver.
Special devices by which the brake may be operated from the guard's van are
also included in the Invention which is constructed and arranged as follows:-
Under each of the carriages of which the train is made up is arranged a rod,
carried on its longitudinal axis in proper hangers, passing out beyond each end of
the carriage, and having its own ends provided with any suitable device, such as a
1

page_text: snap or hook for connecting it with the corresponding ends of the rods of the
carriages immediately in front of and behind it.
The rod under each carriage, although in one line and acted upon by draught in
either direction, is not continuous, but divided into two sections connected, as will
now be described. A frame in which are carried two sheaves placed side by side
is hung from and slides on a bar or traveller placed preferably, though not
necessarily, over the bogie or axle of the wheels to which the brake shoes are to be
applied; the brake beams, hangers, levers, and shoes, as also the wheels, bogies,
et cetera are of any usual and approved pattern.
To the end of one section of the rod is secured a chain or rope of any kind,
which is taken to, and passes round the sheave nearest to it, being then led back
and secured to the hand-brake.
To the inner end of the other section of the rod is also attached a chain or rope
passing round the other of the sheaves carried in the sliding frame, and then
brought back to and connected with the end of the brake lever.
Whenever the hand brake is put in action so as to wind up on it the chain
connected thereto, an equal amount of draught is by the arrangement of the chains
round the duplicate sheaves put upon the chain connected with the brake, and thus
on both ends of the rod pulling equally in either direction. As soon as this
draught has taken up the slack of the couplings of the brake rods throughout the
train, all the brake levers are simultaneously acted upon and bring the brake shoes
in contact with the wheel tires.
The operation of the devices will be identical in all cases in which the rods arc
drawn upon, the hand brake in those carriages in which the brake is not put on
serving as a point of attachment for the end of the chain.
In the guard's van the chain which is secured to the brake lever may be carried,
after having passed round its sheave, either directly or through intermediate
sheaves to the end of a pivotted arm, to which is connected a chain secured to and
wound upon a shaft on which are formed frictional surfaces. This shaft is carried
in a hanging frame, acted upon by a screw, in such a way as at will to bring the
frictional surfaces thereon in contact with similar surfaces formed on the axle of
one pair of wheels, so that the revolution of these wheels will rotate the shaft and
wind up on it the chain, thus drawing on the system of rods, et cetera, just
described, and putting on the brakes.
To avoid wear and tear of these parts and allow the frictional surfaces to be
moved apart while keeping the brakes on, we mount on the spindle of the pivotted
arm to which the chains are secured a ratchet arc intermeshing with a pivotted
pawl lever, which holds the arm in the position into which it has been drawn,
until by the action of a detent or releasing spring communicating with the paw!
it is disengaged from the arc and all the brakes are thereby thrown off.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, filed by the said William Phillips Thompson
in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th May 1881.
WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, of the Firm of Wm. P. Thompson and Co.,
Agents for Procuring Patents, of 6, Lord Street, Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, 323, High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex, and Berridge Street,
Leicester, in the Counter of Leicester, Civil Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND
APPERTAINING TO BRAKES FOR RAILWAY TRAINS." A communication from abroad
by Carl Frederick Sim and Willian Studer, both of the City of Montreal and
Province of Quebec, Canada.
This Invention, which is primarily and specially adapted to be employed on
freight trains, enables a continuous brake acting simultaneously on all the cars to
be applied for the purpose of retarding or stopping a train, whatever may be the
difference in the height of the cars composing it, or the way in which they are
coupled.
The motive power may also be exerted equally well from the locomotive, guard's
van, or any intermediate point of the train.
The Invention consists mainly in the construction 'under each car of the devices
immediately acting upon the brake levers, and also in special devices by which
these may be operated from the guard's van.
For full comprehension however of the Invention reference must be had to the
annexed Drawings, in which Fig. 1 shows a plan, looking up, of part of the guard's
van, the brakes being off, and part of any ordinary freight car, and Fig. 2 a
sectional elevation of same showing the brakes on, similar letters of reference
indicating like parts.
The construction and arrangement of the trucks, wheels, axles, and brake beams
with their levers and shoes may be of any approved kind, and need not therefore
be further described.
A is a frame hung from the bar B secured to the underside of the car by an
eye A', in which is preferably set a roller so as to enable it to slido casily
thereon.
In this frame A are carried the ends of the spindles c and d of the sheaves C
and D. Round the sheave C is taken the chain E secured at one end to the hand
brake F (of any suitable construction), and with its other end fastened to the rod G
preferably provided with a shoulder upon it, and usually carried in a hanger out
beyond and under the draw-bar, and having secured to its loose end any suitable
dovice, such as is shown, by which it may be connected with the corresponding rod
of the next car.
Round the sheave D passos, as shown, the chain I with one end attached to the
end of the brake lever and the other to the rod K carried out under the draw-bar
at the other end of the car and having connecting device.
The foregoing describes the apparatus placed under each car, the operation of
which is as follows:-
In the car on which the brake is applied its rotation will wind up on it the
chain E, thereby drawing equally both on this chain and the chain I, and pulling
in both directions until the full amount of the slack through the train has been
taken up.
As soon as this is done all the brake shoes will be simultaneously brought in
contact with the wheel tires.
In those cars which are acted upon from the car where the brake is applied the
result is that either one of the rods G or K will be drawn upon, and through

page_text: these the chains E or I, until the full amount of the slack, as before described, is
taken up and the brakes then put on.
In this case and throughout all the train when power is employed the hand
brake F may be dispensed with, or merely serve as a point of attachment for the
end of the chain E to the car.
In many cases we prefer to operate the brakes from the guard's van by, as
mentioned, special mechanism devised for the purpose, the construction and operation
of which may be thus described.
Upon the axle L of any one pair of the wheels of this car are formed frictional
surfaces L' of any suitable section corresponding to frictional surface M¹ on
shaft M, carried in bearings in the frame N, pivotted at n to the underside of the
car, and raised and lowered by means of a screwed spindle O pivotted thereto, and
operated by hand or any suitable means so as to bring at will the frictional surfaces
on the shaft M carried therein in contact with those L' on the axle, and detach
them therefrom.
The chain I, one end of which is, as before mentioned, connected to the end of
the brake lever of the car, has its other end, after passing round the sheave D
attached to the shaft DI.
When the frame N is lowered by means of the spindle 0 (the screw of which
may be of any pitch) so as to bring the frictional surfaces L', Al, in contact, the
revolution of the axle L will rotate the shaft M, thereby winding up on it the
chain I, and drawing on the whole series of rods and chains throughout the train,
thus putting on all the brakes, as before described.
Although this chain I may be carried directly from the sheave D to the shaft M
we prefer to interpose devices which serve the purpose of holding the brakes when
once put on, thus allowing the frictional surfaces to be moved apart and obviating
wear.
P is a lever pivotted at P in a suitable bearing under the car, and having
connected thereto the chain I leading from the brake lover, and the chain I' taken
to the shaft M.
Upon the pivot point or axis P' of this lever I mount rigidly with the lever an
arc or segment of any desired number of degrees, and having its outer edge
formed of ratchet teeth q, q. R is a pawl or lever pivotted at to the underside
of the car, and formed with a tooth or projection R', which engages with the
teeth I and retains the arc Q in place.
S is a link connecting the free end of this lever with a lever or treadlo S',
operated by the brakeman or other train hand, and Ta spring keeping the points q
and R' in close contact.
Qis a spring which directly the lever R is detached from the arc restores the
latter and the lever to their normal position, simultaneously throwing off the brakes
throughout the train.
Whenever tension is exerted on the continuous line of rods and chains which
operate the brakes by winding up on the shaft M the chain I, the lever I taking
with it the are Q is pulled over towards that point, the point R' of the pawl
playing into the ratchet teeth q. As soon as the necessary strain has been put on,
the frictional surfaces M' are removed from contact with those L' on the axle by
raising the hanging frame N, the several brakes being, however, held in their
position by means of the pawl R engaging with the are mounted on the spindle of
the lever P. In addition to this, in order to prevent extra strain being put on the
brakes, or the chains overwinding themselves, the ends of the several brake levers
may be attached to the underside of the cars at any desired point by links or
chains adjustable as to length so as to give them the exact amount of play
required.
By touching the treadle S¹ this pawl is disengaged from the are, which then at
once with the lever resumes its position, throwing off all the brakes.
The other end of the lever P is provided with a rod or other connection
corresponding to 1 in case it should be needed.

page_text: It will of course be understood that the swinging frame and the other
mechanism will be so arranged as not to interfere with the draw bar, and that
these may be slightly varied in proportion or relative position to cach other, or
that ropes or chains may be used entirely for the continuous connection throughout
the train.
Having now described this Invention as communicated to me, and the best
modes known to me for carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that
what I claim and desire to protect under the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent is,
First. A brake mechanism operated either by hand or power, composed of a rod
passing beyond and under draw bar, and connected by a chain or rope with a hand
brake or fixed point, and a rod passing out beyond other end of car, and connected
by a rope or chain with end of brake lever, cach of these chains or ropes passing
over a separate sheave, both of which are carried in a sliding hanging frame, all
substantially as set forth and for the purposes described.
Second. In a continuous railway brake the combination of the following
clements, namely, a frame pivotted to the underside of the car or tender, raised
and lowered at will, and carrying a shaft, on which is wound a chain drawing
through a lever on a continuous line of rods connected with the brake levers, and
operating same, said shaft being furnished with frictional surfaces formed on one of
the axles, and when brought into contact therewith receiving rotary motion
therefrom, all substantially as herein described.
Third. In a railway brake, the combination with a lever pivotted below the car
(connecting chain leading from brake lever and chain wound upon frictional shaft)
of ratchet arc or equivalent mechanism mounted on its axis and pawl, or its
equivalent engaging therewith, and holding same in desired position, and detached
therefrom by detent or treadle, substantially as herein set forth and for the purposes
described.
Fourth. The brake levers having their ends attached adjustably to the cars, as
and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Phillips Thompson, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
WM. P. THOMPSON. (L.S.)