IMPROVE- MENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1863

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Richard Archibald Brooman, of 166, Fleet Street.
in the City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS."-A communication from abroad by
Donald Bethune, of Port Hope, Canada.
Sealed the 31st May 1864, and dated the 4th December 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Richard Archibald Brooman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
4th December 1863.
I, RICHARD ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of
London, Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in making the breaks now in ordinary use self-
acting, or act without the aid of the guard or attendant as is now required, in
manner hereafter set forth.
I attach securely to the forward part of the bottom of the railway carriage
or platform (which I shall call carriage number one) near the centre of the
carriage, but not so near as to interfere with the apparatus and chains con-
necting the carriages with each other, a piece of iron or other suitable
material about six inches wide more or less, and about one inch thick more
or less, and of sufficient length to pass under the carriage immediately before
it (which I call carriage number two) about ten feet more or less, and to that

page_text: piece of iron or other suitable material I attach a chain, which chain is also
attached to the break against the after or back part of the wheels of carriage
number two, generally being the after wheels of the carriage, and I also
attach another chain to the said projecting piece of iron, which last-men-
tioned chain is also attached to the break against the front part of the wheels,
(being next to the after wheels of carriage number two,) and which last-
mentioned chain is made to pass from the break towards the after part of
carriage number two, and the said chain passes over a pulley fastened to the
after part of carriage number two, and when the engine by which the train is
driven or propelled stops suddenly by shutting off the steam from the engines
or otherwise the carriage number one is propelled forwards by its own impetus
or momentum, and causes the breaks to act upon the four after wheels of
carriage number two; and I prevent the said piece of iron first herein men-
tioned from sagging or bending by placing a staple or staples under it of
proper width and strength, and which staples are secured to carriage number
two; and I attach to carriage number two a moveable piece of wood or iron
properly secured by a chain at the forward end of it to carriage number two,
and enclosed in a box or shoe of iron or other suitable material, and which
box or shoe, open at both ends, is securely fastened to carriage number two,
so as to prevent the moveable frame of wood or iron from falling; and I also
attach to the after part of the said moveable piece of wood or iron a chain
which is connected with the end of the projecting piece of iron attached to
carriage number one, and first herein mentioned; and I also attach other
chains to the said moveable piece of wood or iron connected with carriage
number two, and which last-mentioned chains are attached to the breaks to the
four forward wheels of carriage number one, one chain being direct from the
break bearing upon the after part of the wheels of carriage number one, and
the other chain leading backwards from the break upon the forward wheels
of carriage number one, and over a pulley securely fastened to the bottom of
carriage number one; and when carriage number one is thrown forwards
upon or towards carriage number two on the stoppage of the engine, as herein
mentioned, the said projecting piece of iron first mentioned strikes the move-
able piece of wood or iron herein mentioned, and moves it forward so as to
make the breaks to the said wheels of carriage number one act directly upon
those wheels of carriage number one to which the said breaks are applicable;
and the same apparatus being applied in a similar manner to each carriage of
the train causes all the breaks to act almost simultaneously throughout the
whole train merely on the stoppage of the engine of the train, and brings the
whole train to an almost immediate stand or halt.

page_text: If it should be considered desirable the engine driver or his assistant on
shutting off the steam from the engines could use the common break in the
usual manner, and which could be attached to the engine, carriage, or tender
to assist in suddenly checking the engine on the approach of danger.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Richard Archibald Brooman in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 4th June 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, RICHARD
ARCHIBALD BROOMAN, of 166, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, in the twenty-seventh year
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
me, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, Her special licence that I, the said
Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, my executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time
to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed,
should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING RAILWAY BREAKS," (com-
municated to me from abroad by Donald Bethune, of Port Hope, Canada,)
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Richard Archibald
Brooman, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under
my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent
Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto
annexed, that is to say :-
This Invention consists in making the breaks now in ordinary use self-

page_text: acting, or acting without the aid of the guard or attendant as is now required,
in manner hereafter set forth.
I attach securely to the forward 'part of the bottom of the railway carriage
used on railways (which I shall call carriage No. 1) near the centre of the
carriage, but not so near as to interfere with the apparatus and chains con-
necting the carriages, a piece of iron or other suitable material a, a, (see the
accompanying Drawing) about six inches wide more or less, and about one
inch thick more or less, and of sufficient length to pass under the carriage or
platform immediately before or preceding it (which I shall call carriage
No. 2) about ten feet, more or less, and to that piece of iron or other suitable
material I attach a chain, which chain is also attached to the break d against
the after or back part of the wheels of the carriage No. 2, generally being the
after wheels of the carriage, and I also attach another chain to the said pro-
jecting piece of iron a, a, which last-mentioned chain is also attached to the
break c against the front part of the wheels, being next to the after wheels of
carriage No. 2, and which last-mentioned chain is made to pass from the
break towards the after part of carriage No. 2, and the said chain passes over
a pulley securely fastened to the after part of carriage No. 2, and about three
feet, more or less, back of the said last-mentioned break, and when the engine
by which the train is driven or propelled stops suddenly by shutting off the
steam or otherwise, the carriage No. 1 is propelled forwards by its own
impetus or momentum, and causes the breaks to act upon the four after
wheels of carriage No. 2, and I prevent the said piece of iron a from sagging or
bending by placing a staple or staples under it of proper width and strength,
and which staples are secured to carriage No. 2, and I attach to carriage No. 2
a moveable piece 6 of wood or iron properly secured by a chain at the forward
end thereof to carriage No. 2, and I enclose the moveable piece b in a box or
shoe of iron or other suitable material, and which box or shoe, open at both
ends, is securely fastened to carriage No. 2, so as to prevent the moveable piece
6 from falling; and I also attach to the after part of the piece b a chain, which
is connected with the end of the projecting piece of iron a attached to carriage
No. 1; and I also attach other chains to the moveable piece b connected with
carriage No. 2, and which last-mentioned chains are attached to the breaks
to the four forward wheels of carriage No. 1, one chain being direct from the
break e bearing upon the after part of the wheels of carriage No. 1, and the
other chain leading backwards from the break fupon the forward wheels of
carriage No. 1, and over a pulley securely fastened to the bottom of carriage
No. 1, and about three feet more or less back of such forward wheels of car-
riage No. 1; and when carriage No. 1 is thrown forwards upon or towards

page_text: carriage No. 2 on the stoppage of the engines, as before mentioned, the pro-
jecting piece of iron a strikes the moveable piece 6 or iron herein mentioned,
and attached to carriage No. 2, and moves it forward so as to make the
breaks 6 and f of the wheels of carriage No. 1 act directly upon those wheels
of carriage No. 1 to which the said breaks are applicable; and the same
apparatus being applied in a similar manner to each carriage of the train
causes all the breaks to act almost simultaneously throughout the whole train
merely on the sudden stoppage of the engines of the train, and brings the
whole train to an almost immediate stand or halt. When the carriages again
begin to move the separation of the carriages slackens the chains, and the
breaks are released.
If it should be considered desirable, the engine driver or his assistant on
shutting off the steam from the engines could use the common break by hand
in the usual way, and which could be attached to the engine, carriage, or
tender in the usual manner to assist in suddenly checking the engines on the
approach of danger.
And having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I declare that I claim, making railway
breaks self-acting or act without the aid of the guard or attendant, sub-
tantially by the means and in manner herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Richard Archibald Brooman, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Fourth day of June, One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-four.
K. A. BRUUMAN.
(LS.)