Means for Utilizing the Force Expended by Railway Trains or Vehicles whilst being Brought to Rest at Stations or other Places.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 17th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th May, 1890-Accepted, 5th July, 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Means for Utilizing the Force Expended by Railway Trains or
Vehicles whilst being Brought to Rest at Stations or other
Places.
I ROBERT KIRK BOYLE of 15 St. Stephens Avenue Shepherds Bush in the County
of Middlesex Electrician do hereby declare the nature of this Invention to be as
follows:-
My Invention has for its object to utilize the force which has hitherto been
wasted in bringing railway trains or vehicles to rest at stations or other places.
According to my Invention I cause the train or vehicles at the places where
they are to be brought to rest to act upon an applianco by which air or other fluid
is compressed so that the said appliance not only acts as a brake to facilitate the
bringing of the train to rest but also as a means of utilizing the force which would
otherwise be wasted. An appliance suitable for the purposes of my Invention
consists of a long air tight cylinder situated in or under the permanent way at or
near a station; within this cylinder is a piston which is connected to ropes or chains
passing over pulleys or guides and led along the permanent way and provided with
projections upon which a projecting part from the engine or other convenient part
of the train can come into contact so as to draw the piston along in the cylinder
and so compross the air or other fluid therein which can pass therefrom through
a valve loaded to open under any predetermined pressure into a storage receptacle.
The projection from the engine will be released from the aforesaid projection on
the rope or chain and then will come into contact with another similar projection
whereby the rope or chain and piston will be drawn over in the other direction
compressing the air therein and passing it to the storage receptacle.
The pro-
jections on the rope or chain are preferably arranged with spring buffers so that
sudden shock is obviated. The projection from the engine may be released by a
releasing device coming against a projection on the permanent way such a projection
being situated at the necessary distance in advance of the normal position of each
of the projections on the rope or chain.
Dated this 17th day of Anril 1800
J. H. JOHNSON & Co.,
47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Means for Utilizing the Force Expended by Railway Trains or
Vehicles whilst being Brought to Rest at Stations or other
Places.
1 ROBERT KIRK BOYLE of 15 St. Stephens Avenue, Shepherds Bush in the County
of Middlesex, Electrician, 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 has for its object storing and utilizing the force required in reducing
the speed of trains and vehicles or in bringing them to rest at stated places.
According to my Invention I cause the train or vehicles at the places where they
are to be brought to rest or their speed is to be reduced to act upon an appliance by
which air or other fluid is compressed so that the said appliance not only acts as a
brake to facilitate the bringing of the train to rest, but also as a means of atilizing the
force which would otherwise be wasted. An appliance suitable for the purposes of my
Invention, consists of a long air tight cylinder, situated in, or under, the permanent
Pris 1

page_text: way, at, or near a station. Within this cylinder is a piston which is connected to
ropes or chains passing over pulleys or guides, and led along the permanent way and
provided with or attached to a projection or projections upon which a projecting part
from the engine or other convenient part of the train or vehicle can come into
contact so as to draw the piston along in the cylinder and so compress the air or
other fluid therein which can pass therefrom, through a valve loaded to open under
any predetermined pressure into a storage receptacle. The projection from the engine
will be released from the aforesaid projection on or attached to the rope or chain
and then will come into contact with another similar projection whereby the rope or
chain and piston will be drawn over in the other direction compressing the air therein
and passing it to the storage receptacle. The projections on the ropes or chains are
preferably arranged with spring buffers so that sudden shock is obviated.
projection from the engine may be released by a releasing device coming against a
projection on the permanent way, such a projection being situated at the necessary
distance in advance of the normal position of each of the projections on the rope or chain.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to the several
Figures on the annexed sheets of drawings the same letters of reference indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
The
Figure 1 is a side elevation and Figure 2 is a plan of a portion of the permanent
way of a railway shewing the general arrangement of apparatus for compressing air
according to my Invention. Figures 3, 4 and 5 are respectively a side elevation, a
plan and a transverse section of a portion of the same drawn to a larger scale,
illustrating the arrangement for supporting the buffer cylinders, and the compressed
air cylinder. Figure 6 is an end elevation of a portion of the frame of a locomotive
engine, provided with means for operating the plunger of the buffer cylinders.
Figure 7 is a side elevation. Figure 8 a part plan and part horizontal section, and
Figure 9 a fransverse section of one of the buffer cylinders and its guides in which
it moves.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2 A. are the rails of the permanent way on which the
trains run.
At suitable distances apart and preferably at or near the stations along
the line are arranged between the rails, two buffer cylinders B B2 and an air coin-
pressing cylinder C. The piston of the air compressing cylinder C is connected by
wire ropes D D2 to plungers of the two buffer cylinders B B2 so that when one of the
plungers is acted upon by a passing train the piston of the air compressing cylinder
is moved towards the opposite end of its cylinder, and when the plunger of the
other buffer cylinder is acted upon by the train, the said piston is moved back
towards that end of the cylinder from which it was previously moved. The piston
of the air compressing cylinder is thus caused to make a to and fro motion by the
passage of a train in one direction the air contained in the cylinder being com-
pressed at either or each stroke or passage of the piston and forced through
pipes EE2 into a receiver or reservoir, or conducted to the place where it is to be
utilized or stored.
The buffer cylinders as shewn in Figures 7 8 and 9 carry wheels F which run in
guides G secured between the rails A to the sleepers H and connected together by
girders I at suitable distances apart to give strength and stability thereto. In the
interior of the cylinder is a strong helical spring K preferably made in parts or
lengths with plates L interposed between the lengths as shewn in Figure 8. One end
of this spring K bears against the end M of the cylinder and the opposite end is acted
on by the plunger N. The outer end of the plunger N is provided with a crosshead O,
carrying wheels F2 to run on the guides G, and to this crosshead is secured one
end of the hauling rope D, which passes through a central passage in the plunger,
and through the cylinder B, and out through an opening in the end cover M to
the piston of the air compressing cylinder C, it being guided thereto round or over
guide pulleys P, suitably arranged beneath the track. The plunger N carries a
tube or sheath Q extending through the cylinder and through this tube is passed
the rope D, so that friction of the rope with the opening in the cover M is prevented.

page_text: The rope enters the air compressing cylinder through a stuffing box R, and is
attached to one side of the piston contained therein by any convenient mode of
fastening. The opposite side of this piston is attached to another rope D² arranged in
a similar manner to the rope D, and connected at its opposite end to the plunger N2 of
the other buffer cylinder B².
E²,
The air compressing cylinder C, which is fixed on suitable supports in a trough or
recess, beneath the track is provided at its opposite ends with valve boxes S S con-
taining suitable valves which will admit air to pass from the cylinder into pipe
but prevent the return of the said air into the cylinder. The pipes E E² may be
connected with any suitable reservoir for compressed air, or direct with signalling or
other devices which the compressed air is to operate as desired.
Any suitable device may be employed in connection with the vehicles for operating
the piston of the air compressing cylinder, for example, as shown on the drawing
suspend from the frame of a locomotive engine so as to turn on its support a projection
or frame U, the lower end V of which is normally held in position, so as not to act on
the buffer cylinders, by a spring W or a weight, but which frame may be lowered or
brought into position by the driver to act upon the said cylinders at the required
time, by means of a lever handle X mounted on the rod or support Y on which the
frame U is suspended.
The frame is maintained in its lowered position by another lover or detent Z
fast on a rod a carried in brackets a on the frame of the locomotive or other vehicle,
which detent engages a heel or projection on the frame U. Fast on the rod a is a
projection c which as the train is travelling along the track is acted on by an inclined
projection d Fig. 1 arranged in a suitable position along the line so as to force the
detent Z out of engagement with the frame U at the required time, which frame will
then under the action of the spring W. be raised out of the range of the buffer
cylinders.
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When a train for example is nearing the railway station or other place whereat the
buffer cylinders and air compressing device hereinbefore described are provided, the
driver by means of the lever X lowers the frame U, whereupon the detent Z will fall
by its gravity into position to engage the projection 6 and thus retain the frame
in its lowered position. The lower end V of the frame U will then be in position to
come into contact with the buffer cylinder B and force the said cylinder forward along
its guides G, the spring K contained in the cylinder at the same time yielding to the
pressure so as to counteract or take up the force of the concussion. The motion of the
cylinder B along its guides as described effects through the rope D the motion of
the piston in the air compressing cylinder from the end e towards the end thereby
compressing the air contained in the cylinder in front of the piston and forcing it
through the valve in the box S into the pipe E by which it is conducted into a com-
pressed air receiver or reservoir. When the cylinder B has been forced along its
guides to a certain distance determined by the length of the air compressing cylinder
or the degree of compression to be given to the air, the projection c carried on the
frame of the locomotive comes into contact with the fixed inclined projection d Fig. 1
thereby releasing the frame from engagement with the cylinder B. The driver then
again depresses the frame U as before described so as to cause it to come into contact
with the other buffer cylinder B2 which may be situated at any desired distance from
the cylinder B. The cylinder B2 is then forced by the frame U along its guides and
through the rope D³ traverses the piston of the air compressing cylinder from the end f
to which it had been moved by the motion of the cylinder B back to the end e, the
air contained between the piston and the end e of the cylinder being thus compressed
and forced past the valve in the box S2 into the pipe E by which it is conducted to
the compressed air reservoir. The buffer cylinders not only serve to effect the
compression of the air in the cylinder c, but also act as buffers to retard the motion of
the train when it is required to retard its motion or to stop it.
Although I have described the apparatus for acting on the plungers of the buffer
cylinders, as being carried by the locomotive engine, it is obvious it may be arranged

page_text: on any carriage in the train or on any other vehicle, and although I have described
the frame U as being brought into position by the driver to act on the buffer cylinders
and removed out of this position by a spring if desired, the spring may be dispensed
with, and the frame after being released from its engagement by the inclined pro-
jection d may return by its own gravity into position to engage the said plungers.
In the expression railways I include the form of railways called tramways.
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 employment in the permanent way of railways of an appliance tube or vessel
in or by which air or fluid is compressed by the action of the trains or vehicles in
reducing their speed or bringing them to rest substantially as herein before described.
2. In connection with railways a tube or vessel with a part or piston moveable
therein and adapted to be acted upon by the force of trains or vehicles expended in
bringing them to rest, or "braking" them, substantially as hereinbefore described.
3. In connection with railways a tube or vessel with a piston moveable therein and
having, attached to it a flexible connection led along the path of the trains or vehicles
and provided with projections or means whereby the said piston is moved when the
train or vehicles, or a part connected to it or them comes into contact with the said
projections or means, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
4. In combination with trains or vehicles and the railways or roads on which they
run of a projection on the former which can be lowered when required, in combination
with an air or fluid compressing device upon which the aforesaid projection acts
substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore described.
5. The general arrangement and combination of parts constituting an apparatus for
compressing air or fluid by the force exerted in "braking" or arresting the motion of
trains or vehicles substantially as hereinbefore described.
6. Storing and utilizing the force exerted by trains or vehicles on railways in
reducing their speed or bringing them to rest substantially as hereinbefore described.
Dated this 8th day of May 1890.
ROBERT KIRK BOYLE.