IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CARRIAGE-BRAKE APPARATUS "
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Corteen of 41, North Church Street in
Sheffield in the County of York Carriage Maker for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CARRIAGE-BRAKE APPARATUS "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION. left by the said William Corteen at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th June 1883.
WILLIAM CORTEEN, of 41, North Church Street, in Sheffield, in the County of
York, Carriage Maker, "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CARRIAGE-BRAKE
APPARATUS
"
In existing or ordinary carriage-brake apparatus the power is usually applied
by the driver or other person having control of the carriage.
The chief object of my invention is to employ or utilize the power created by
the resistance or backing of the horse or horses attached to a carriage or vehicle
according to the weight or pressure of the same in descending a hill or incline.
The said invention may be applied to any carriage constructed with ordinary
futchell check plate, and wheel-iron terminations, and the ordinary shaft or splinter
bar.
To effect the object of my invention I place a properly shaped support or frame,
usually under the back of the lower transit plate, and I then attach to this
support, a rod or bar which is bent at the ends and so shaped, as to come or
extend to the back of the wheels; to these ends of the bar are fixed the usual
metal plates or other devices to act as brakes. To each side of the aforesaid bar
and within a few inches of the wheels I attach thin iron rods which extend, and
are fastened, to the front part of the futchell, at the point where the shaft is
connected thereto. This shaft is usually attached to a block roller or swivel, and
in some cases I find it advisable to use a slide in connection with the swivel.
Where a splinter bar is used, the pole does not fit in a socket in the lower bed,
as at present usually arranged, but works on swivel pins, and one advantage
thereby gained is that I avoid the rising of the pole at the front end on going
down hill

page_text: The aforesaid support or frame varies in size and strength according to the form
and construction of the carriage; it is in some cases used in substitution for the
lower transit plate, and is always adapted to provide against the wear and tear of
the road driven over.
To provide for actuating the brake, in going up hill or on a level road, I 5
introduce, in lieu of the perch bolt, a tube through which a rod connected with the
roller by horizontal or perpendicular pivots, works, in such manner, as to apply
the brake, and the power is, in this case, by a lever or otherwise, applied by the
driver or other person in charge of the carriage.
To stop or prevent the application of the brake when requisite, I employ a 1
swivel, screw, spring or slide-movement which-operates-as-a-check.
According to my invention I provide for applying a brake at the front of a
carriage without interfering with the action of the rear springs of the same. And
I prevent the locking of the wheels or any undue pressure of the same against the
carriage.
The plates, rods and fastenings are usually made of iron, but may be made of
other materials, and the sizes and strength of the parts respectively, have to
correspond with and be adapted to, the kind and character of carriage to which the
brake has to be attached.
1

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Corteen in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
19th November 1883.
WILLIAM CORTEEN, of 41 North Church Street, in Sheffield, in the County of
York, Carriage Maker "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO CARRIAGE-BRAKB
APPARATUS
"
In ordinary carriage brake apparatus the power is usually applied by the driver
or other person having control of the carriage.
The chief object of my invention is to utilize the momentum of the carriage or
other vehicle for automatically applying the brake or brakes when the horse or
horses exerts or exert a backward pressure upon the said vehicle, for example, in
descending a hill or incline. My invention is also designed to provide means
whereby the brakes can be applied to the rear parts of the front wheels in such a
manner as to reduce the wear and tear of the carriage and obviate the liability of
the springs to become depressed at their front ends.
My said invention may be applied to any carriage constructed with ordinary
futchel, cheek-plate and wheel-iron terminations and the ordinary shafts, or pole
and splinter-bar; it may also be applied to tram-cars.
To provide for actuating the brake by hand, if desired, I introduce, in lieu of
the perch-bolt, a tube through which passes a rod or cord connected with the brake
and with a hand lever. By these means the brake apparatus can be readily applied
to the front wheels of a carriage without interfering with the "locking" or turning
of the same.
I sometimes provide means for preventing the automatic application of the
brake, when, for example, it is desired to move the vehicle backwards.
In the accompanying drawings, I have shewn different methods of carrying my
said invention into practice
Figure 1 is a side elevation of part of a carriage provided with one form or
modification of my improved brake-apparatus
Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same, and
Figure 3 is a side elevation, shewing another form or modification of the said
apparatus.
Figure 4 is a side elevation, and
Figure 5 a rear elevation, shewing a further modification of the said
apparatus.
Figure 6 is a side elevation, and
Figure 6 a plan, both drawn to an enlarged scale, shewing a device for
preventing the automatic application of the brakes when desired..
Figure 7 is a front view of the splinter-bar of a carriage.
Figure 8 is a side elevation shewing the means for attaching the pole to a
carriage.
Figure 9 is a side elevation,
Figure 10 a rear elevation, and
Figure 11 a plan, shewing the improved means for applying the brakes
by hand.
Figure 12 is a side elevation shewing my improved brake-apparatus fitted to one
end of a tram-car.
Figures 13 and 14 are diagrams shewing my improved brake-apparatus adapted
for heavy vehicles.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

page_text: In Figures 1 and 2, the shafts A are attached to the bars B which slide in the
guides C. A stop B₁ is provided upon each of the bars B to bear against the
guide C when the vehicle is being drawn. The upper part of this guide is formed
on the end of the piece C, and the lower part thereof is formed on the end of the
piece C. The bars B are each coupled to one end of a lever D which is pivotted
at D' to a bracket fixed to any suitable portion of the lower carriage. The
levers D are coupled at their other ends to the connecting rods E which are
attached to the brake blocks or shoes F. These connecting rods may, if desired,
be arranged so that the driver can apply the brakes, in case the horse or horses
should take fright. Supports G are provided at the rear part of the under carriage
for-the-rod-or-shaft-H,-which-is-bent_to_form_two_arms Ĥ' carrying at their ends
the brake blocks or shoes F. This arrangement prevents the swerving of the
carringe on slippery roads, by causing the upper and lower beds to be pressed more
firmly together when the brake is applied.
When the carriage is being drawn on a level road, the moment the horses are
checked by the reins, the brake blocks are applied so as to arrest or retard the
movement of the wheels. When descending a hill, the power applied to the brakes
depends upon the weight of the carriage and the steepness of the hill.
Figure 3 shews an arrangement of mechanism, similar to that shewn in Figures 1
and 2, for use in combination with either a central polo or a splinter-bar.
The splinter-bar I is made as shown in Figure 7, and is provided with a socket K
to receive the pole if desired.
The pole J, Figure 8, instead of being fitted into a socket in the lower bed, as is
usually the case, is connected to the lower bed by a link L. When the vehicle is
being drawn, the said link assumes the position shewn in dotted lines in the said
figure. By connecting the pole in this manner I avoid the lifting of the same at
the front end, which frequently occurs with ordinary carriages when going down
bill, or when the horses are suddenly checked. The pole may, however, be
connected in any other suitable manner.
In Figures 4 and 5, I have shewn another mode of attaching the shafts to the
carriage, and in Figures 6 and 6* I have shewn the means for rendering the brakes
inoperative when desired. M is a lever to which the shaft A is coupled and which
is arranged to apply or take off the brakes by means of the connecting rod E. This
lever is pivotted to the piece N projecting from the lower bed of the carriage. a is
a check lover which is pivotted on the stud a¹ and which is made hook-shaped at
its front end to engage with the lever M. d is an india-rubber ring or other spring
which tends to keep the said check lever disengaged from the lever M. b is a cord
or chain attached to the lever a; this cord passes around the roller or pulley c to
any desired point, for example, through the perch-bolt or around a wheel carried in
a bracket as hereinafter described. e is a stop for the lever M to bear against
when the carriage is being drawn.
One arrangement for operating the check-levers is shewn in Figure 3, in which.
fis a handle or lever which is pivotted at f¹ to any suitable support and which can
be raised or depressed at by the driver or other person. g is a rack to hold the
said handle in the desired position. h is a connecting rod attached to the said
handle and to the lever i which is pivotted at to the boot of the carriage and is
connected to the rod or cord j. This rod or cord passes through the tubular perch-
bolt E and is attached to the lever k. This lever is connected by cords to the
check-levers, which are, in this case, arranged in combination with the sliding
bars B. The brake-blocks are applied in a similar manner to those described with
reference to Figures 1 and 2.
In Figures 9, 10 and 11, I have shewn improved means for applying the brakes
by hand. A is the long arm and B' is the short arm of a hand lever which has its
fulcrum at C below the boot of the carriage. This lever is coupled to a connecting
rod or link D³ which passes through the tubular perch-bolt or centre swivel bolt E¹.
F is an arm fixed centrally on the shaft F which is carried in bearings in the
lower carriage. G', G' are two arms on the outer ends of the said shaft. These
.

page_text: arms are attached to the connecting rods E which are secured to the brake blocks
or shoes F. H'H' are arms on the shaft H carried in bearings G in the lower
carriage. These arins carry the brake blocks or shoes F and are formed to any
curve or angle best suited to the carriage to which they are fitted. The.brake
blocks F are so placed as not to interfere with the free locking or turning of the
wheels under the arch or other part of the body of the carriage. When the
connecting rod D³ is made of metal it is provided with one or more universal
joints to permit the free movement of the lever B', and at the same time allow
the lower carriage to turn freely, but if flexible material is used such as leather
or cord, no joint will be required. When a hollow perch-bolt is not desired,
I provide a wheel free to rotate upon a pin carried in a bracket suspended from
the lower bed, to guide a cord or chain (which is used instead of the rod D³) in
its movements. The said bracket is usually fixed by the nuts securing the socket
for the centre pole, and is curved so that one side of the periphery of the said
wheel, is in line with the axis of the perch-bolt.
The parts G and E can be placed at the centre of the shaft F" if desired, by
connecting the pieces H' to each other, and to the connecting rods E.
In the application to tram-cars, of my improved self-acting brake apparatus
I provide upon the end of the car a metal arm or support P which is inclined as
shown in Figure 12. I also provide a stay Q to support the pole in its proper
position. This stay is arranged to slide to and fro on the support P as the
lever M (to the upper end of which the pole J is connected) works backwards and
forwards according to the movements of the horses. The check-lever a can be
operated from one side of the car by small levers or screws connected thereto by
ucans of a cord passing over the pulleys 1, . The pin which connects the pole to
the lever M' is fixed to a spring R attached to the side of the said lever.
It may,
Lowever, be otherwise operated, if desired. I sometimes provide a levor S as
shewn in dotted lines in Figure 12 for operating the brakes by hand.
In the case of a heavy carriage whero great power is required, I arrange the
apparatus as shewn in Figures 13 and 14, that is to say, I provide a strap or
chain T which is adapted to partially encircle the nave U of the wheel; this strap
or chain is connected by rods V, V₁ to the brake-shoe F and to the lever M¹ so that
when the brake is applied the friction between the nave and the said strap or chain
will tend to draw the latter around with the nave and will thereby apply the
brake with additional force. A spring W of india-rubber or other suitable
material connects the strap or chain with the lower part of the carriage. This
spring will serve to hold the straps off the naves when the brakes are not applied.
The apparatus is, moreover, so arranged that when the blocks grip the wheels, the
straps or chains will descend on the naves causing a downward grip on the same
and thus affording a double grip on both wheels. To diminish the wear of the
said straps or chains they are sometimes faced with leather or other suitablo
material.
By my Invention I obtain the following advantages, viz: Firstly, the brake-
apparatus does not interfere with the free working of the rear springs, nor with
the free locking or turning of the front wheels. Secondly, the said apparatus
can be made considerably lighter than those at present in use for broughains,
landaus, or other vehicles, to the back wheels of which the brakes are applied.
Thirdly, the force with which the brakes are applied varies according to the incline
of the road and the weight of the carriage. Fourthly, the tyre and the top or
other portion of the nave can, if desired, be gripped at the same time, where great
power, as for heavy work, is required. Fifthly, when it is necessary to pull up on
a level road, the brakes will be applied at once and will, at the same time prevent
the carriage, in a great measure, from being moved back too far, for example, when
one carriage follows closely in the rear of another. Sixthly, 1 avoid the noise
created by the rack and handle employed in ordinary lever brake apparatus.
Seventhly, the under carriage, at the back of the principal or bottom swivelling
bed, is less strained when this brake apparatus is applied, as it holds the top and

page_text: Prece more army together Guus rendering the
carriage less likely to skew on slippery or uneven roads. Eighthly, if the horses
take fright the driver can himself apply the brake by a hand or foot lever, or by a
screw.
The plates, rods and fastenings are usually made of iron, but may be made of
other materials, and the sizes and strength of the parts respectively must
correspond with, and be adapted to, the kind and character of carriage to which
the brake is to be attached.
It is obvious that, although I have described my Invention as applied to vehicles
drawn by horses, it may also be advantageously applied to vehicles moved by
steam-or-other-power.
Having thus fully described my said invention and the manner of performing
the same I wish it understood that I claim :-
First. The above described improved carriage brake-apparatus wherein the
momentum of the carriage is utilized to automatically apply the brakes.
Second. The modification of my Invention wherein I provido for using a pole
and a splinter-bar in combination with the other parts of the apparatus
substantially as described with reference to Figures 3, 7 and 8 of the drawings
for the purpose specified.
Third. The improved hand-lever brake-apparatus wherein the connecting rod or
cord is arranged to pass through the tubular perch-bolt substantially as described
with reference to Figures 9, 10 and 11 of the drawings for the purpose specified.
Fourth. The modification of my Invention wherein I provide the support and
stay for sustaining the pole of a tram-car, substantially as described with reference
to Figure 12 of the drawings, for the purpose specified.
Fifth. The modification of my invention wherein I employ means for gripping
the nave and tyre of the wheel, substantially as described with reference to
Figures 13 and 14 of the drawings for the purpose-specified...
-
Sixth. The combination, with the other parts of the apparatus, of the check
lever or device for rendering the brakes in-operative when desired, substantially as
abovo described.
In witness whereof I the said William Corteen have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Sixteenth-day of November in the year of our Lord One thousand eight
hundred and eighty three.