A New or Improved Automatic Brake for Railway, Tramway, Colliery, and Quarry Carriages, Trucks, and Tubs.
Year: 1889

page_text: ate of Application, 13th Nov., 1889
omplete Specification Left. 2nd Sept., 1890-Accepted, 4th Oct.. 1890)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Brake for Railway, Tramway, Colliery,
and Quarry Carriages, Trucks, and Tubs.
We, ARTHUR WIGGIN, of No. 32 Chesterfield Terrace, Lichfield in the County of
Stafford, Bricklayer, and GEORGE WILLIAM HOMAN, of No. 22 Bore Street Lichfield
aforesaid, Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In the ascent of a series of connected vehicles on an incline on a railway or on other
inclined rails it sometimes happens that the coupling of one of the carriages gives way
and that carriage together with all those behind it, if any, being separated from the
locomotive or other propelling power run down the incline under the influence of
gravity frequently giving rise to deplorable accidents. The object of the said invention
is to prevent such accidents by the automatical arresting of a carriage or vehicle on an
incline immediately the said carriage or vehicle commences a backward or descending
motion.
The new or improved automatic brake constituting the said invention is constructed
and operates as follows:
At the middle (or other part) of the shaft or axle to which the front pair of wheels
is keyed or otherwise fixed, a ratchet wheel is keyed the teeth of the said ratchet
wheel being inclined in such a direction that a pawl working in a bearing fixed either
to the middle of the underside of the carriage or to the cross bracket in which the axle
works permits the ratchet wheel and consequently the axle and pair of front wheels to
rotate in the direction necessary to the advancing motion of the carriage. When
however the carriage under the influence of gravity or otherwise commences a
backward motion the said pawl immediately engages with one of the teeth of the
ratchet wheel arresting its motion and preventing the backward motion of the
carriage.
As however it is necessary under some circumstances that the carriage should be
able to move in either direction means are provided by which the pawl may be raised
and supported at a height beyond the range of the ratchet wheel. The said means
may consist of a nearly vertical hand lever on the side of the carriage the said lever
being fixed on the end of a cross shaft underneath the carriage. This cross shaft
carries an arm which extends underneath the pawl. By inclining the lever at the
side of the carriage in one direction the said arm may be made to lift the pawl and
hold it out of action in which position of the pawl the carriage can move in either
direction; by inclining the lever in the other direction the pawl is pormitted to
descend upon the ratchet wheel and prevent the motion of the carriage except in a
forward direction. The hand lever described may be temporarily fixed in position by
a rack and spring tooth.
The arrangement of ratchet wheel and pawl and appliances described may be
applied to both ends of the carriage the inclination of teeth of the ratchet wheel and
the arrangement of the pawl and lever being in each case such that when the pawl is
at either end of the carriage in action the carriage can only move in a direction in
which the said end advances; the pawl and ratchet wheel preventing the contrary or
backward motion. When both ratchets are in gear with their respective pawls the
wheels are so locked that the carriage cannot move on its wheels in either direction.
By the use of the ratchet and pawl at both ends of the carriage it can be prevented
rom moving in one or other direction by proper manipulation of the levers described.
When carriages are furnished with the said invention at both ends there is no need to
everse the carriage in order to secure the locking of the wheels in either desired
lirection.
Or a double ratchet wheel having teeth inclined in opposite directions, each part of

page_text: the ratchet wheel being provided with a pawl may be used on the same shaft or axle
for permitting the carriage moving in one or other direction or for preventing it-
movement in either direction.
Dated this 13th day of November 1889
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A New or Improved Automatic Brake for Railway, Tramway, Colliery:
and Quarry Carriages, Trucks, and Tubs.
We ARTHUR WIGGIN of No. 32 Chesterfield Terrace Lichfield in the County of
Stafford Bricklayer and GEORGE WILLIAM HOMAN of No. 22 Bore Street Lichfiel
aforesaid Surgeon do hereby declare the nature of the said invention and the
manner in which the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
In the ascent of a series of connected vehicles on an incline on a railway or on other
inclined rails it sometimes happens that the coupling of one of the carriages gives way
and that carriage together with all those behind it if any being separated from the
locomotive or other propelling power run down the incline under the influence of
gravity frequently giving rise to deplorable accidents. The object of the said invention
is to prevent such accidents by the automatical arresting of a carriage or vehicle on
an incline immediately the said carriage or vehicle commences a backward or
descending motion.
The new or improved automatic brake constituting the said invention is constructed
and operates as follows. At the middle (or other part) of the shaft or axle to which
the front pair of wheels is koyed or otherwise fixed a ratchet wheel is keyed the teeth
of the said ratchet wheel being inclined in such a direction that a pawl working in a
bearing fixed either to the middle of the underside of the carriage or to the cross
bracket in which the axle works permits the ratchet wheel and consequently the axle
and pair of front wheels to rotate in the direction necessary to the advancing motion
of the carriage. When however the carriage under the influence of gravity or
otherwise commences a backward motion the said pawl immediately engages with one
of the teeth of the ratchet wheel arresting its motion and preventing the backward
motion of the carriage.
As however it is necessary under some circumstances that the carriage should be
able to move in either direction means are provided by which the pawl may be raised
and supported at a height beyond the range of the ratchet wheel. The said means may
consist of a nearly vertical hand lever on the side of the carriage the said lever being
fixed on the end of a cross shaft underneath the carriage. This cross shaft carries an
arm which extends underneath the pawl. By inclining the lever at the side of the
carriage in one direction the said arm may be made to lift the pawl and hold it out of
action in which position of the pawl the carriage can move in either direction; by
inclining the lever in the other direction the pawl is permitted to descend upon the
ratchet wheel and prevent the motion of the carriage except in a forward direction.
The band lever described may be temporarily fixed in position by a rack and spring
tooth. The arrangement of ratchet wheel and pawl and appliances described may be
applied to both ends of the carriage the inclination of the teeth of the ratchet wheel
and the arrangement of the pawi and lever being in each case such that when the
pawl is at either end of the carriage in action the carriage can only move in a direction
in which the said end advances, the pawl and ratchet wheel preventing the contrary
or backward motion. When both ratchets are in gear with their respective pawls the
wheels are so locked that the carriage cannot move on its wheels in either direction.
By the use of the ratchet and pawl at both ends of the carriage it can be prevented
from moving in one or other direction by proper manipulation of the levers described.
When carriages are furnished with the said invention at both ends there is no need to

page_text: reverse the carriage in order to secure the locking of the wheels in either desired
direction.
We will now proceed to describe with reference to the accompanying drawing the
manner in which the said invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation a colliery truck or tub to which a brake con-
structed according to this invention is applied, a portion of one of the front wheels
and a portion of the frame of the truck or tub being broken away for the purpose of
exhibiting the brake mechanism ;
Figure 2 represents in front elevation the ratchet or toothed brake wheel together
with the pawl shaft the double acting pawl and the pawl lever of the brake mechanism
detached from the truck or tub and
Figure 3 represents a plan of underside of the double pawl Figure 2.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the
drawing.
a is the axle of the front pair of wheels 6 of the truck or tub. At the middle (or
other part) of the said axle a a ratchet or toothed brake wheel c having large teeth of
the kind shown is fixed. This ratchet or brake wheel c can be used in conjunction
with the other appliances of the brake for arresting the motion of the truck or tub in
either desired direction. Over the axle a of the front pair of wheels and parallel with
the said axle is the cross shaft d turning in bearings carried by the frame of the
truck. On the outer end of the said shaft is a hand lever e situated at the side of
the truck by which hand lever the required angular motion can be given to the said
shaft. The upper end of the hand lever e works in the guide fand may be fixed in
any desired position by a rack and spring tooth. On the cross shaft d and over the
ratchet or brake wheel c are two loose pawls g and h which by means of their circular
bosses are capable of a rocking motion on the said shaft. The two pawls g, h are
situated on opposite sides of the centre of the ratchet wheel c.
Both pawls are repre-
sented in their raised or out of action positions. When the pawl g is moved into
action as indicated in dotted lines the other pawl is further raised. On the pawl g
being put into action the brake wheel a is permitted to move in the direction of the
arrow Figure 2 so that the axle a and front pair of wheels 6 can rotate in the direction
necessary to the advancing motion of the truck but should the truck commence to
move backwards the pawl g blocks the backward motion of the brake wheel c by one
of its teeth bearing against the said pawl and the backward motion of the carriage is
thus arrested. As the brake wheel c rotates in the direction of the arrow the pawl g
is lifted out of the path of the said wheel by its teeth bearing on the underside of the
pawl; the pawl consequently has a rocking motion on the cross shaft d during the
advancing motion of the truck or carriage.
When the truck or carriage is reversed the other pawl is used for arresting
the backward motion of the truck or carriage; or the said pawl h may be used for
arresting the advancing motion of the truck or carriage by lowering that pawl into
action. One or other of the pawis is put into action for arresting the truck or carriage
in one or other direction and both pawls lifted out of action to permit of the movement
of the truck or carriage in either direction in the following manner.
Fixed to the cross shaft d carrying the loose pawls g and hand operated by the
hand lever e are arms i and k crossing or passing underneath the said loose pawls
near their bosses (see Figure 3). It is by means of the crossing arms i, & that the
pawls g h are lifted out of action or one or other of them permitted to fall into its
acting position. By inclining the lever e to the left hand as indicated in dotted lines
the changed position of the armi permits the pawl g to fall as indicated in dotted
lines, the other pawl h being supported out of action by the other arm k; and by
moving the lever e to the right hand from its middle position the pawl g is supported
out of action and the other pawl h permitted to fall into action. By moving the
levere to the middle position both pawls are taken out of action as represented.
spring may be used for pressing down the pawl when released into its acting
position.
A
By placing a brake wheel on each of the axles of the wheels of the truck or carriage

page_text: and providing each brako wheel with a single loose pawl arranged on opposite sides
of their respective cross shafts the mechanism may be used for locking both pairs of
wheels so that the truck or carriage cannot move on its wheels in eithor direction.
By the use of the last described arrangement of the brake mechanism there is no
need to reverse the trucks or carriages in order to secure the locking of the wheels in
either desired direction.
The said invention may be applied to railway and tramway carriages and trucks as
well as to colliery and quarry trucks and tubs.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and the manner in which the same is to be performed we declare that we claim
as the said invention :-
The new or improved automatic brake for railway tramway colliery and quarry
carriages trucks and tubs hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, that is to say, a brake consisting essentially of a ratchet or toothed brake
whool fixed on the rotating axle of one or both of the pairs of wheels of the carriage
truck or tub combined with a single or double pawl turning loosely on a shaft parallel
with the wheel axle for engaging with the said ratchet or brake wheel the said pawl
or one or other of the pawls when a double pawl is used being put into and taken out
of gear or action by the operation of a hand lever the several parts being constructed
and combined and working substantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated the 30th day of August 1890.
ARTHUR WIGGIN.
GEORGE WILLIAM HOMAN.