IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STOPPING & STARTING GEAR OF TRAMWAY AND OTHER LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES"
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Hughes, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester,
for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STOPPING & STARTING GEAR
OF TRAMWAY AND OTHER LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Hughes at the Office
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th January 1877
HENRY HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester
THE STOPPING & STARTING GEAR OF TRAMWAY AND OTHER LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES."
My Invention relates to the stopping and starting gear of tiamway and other
locomotive engines, and consists of improved arrangements of apparatus whereby
a break is applied to the wheels of the engine and the steam simultaneously cut
off from the engine cylinders, such apparatus being operated either by hand or by
means of an automatic governor when any requied maximum speed is attained
The apparatus consists of three parts,―
1st A brake cylinder with its piston and gear for operating the brake blocks
2nd. A regulator or stop valve for controlling the supply of steam to the engine
cylinders
3rd Gear operated by hand or automatically for actuating the brake and the
regulator or stop valve in order to remove the brake blocks from the wheels and
simultaneously start the engine or apply the brake to the wheels, and at the same
time cut off the steam from the engine cylinders as required
The brake cylinder and gear are arranged in the following manner -The
cylinder is fitted with a piston, the rod of which is connected by a connecting rod
and suitable levers and links to the brake blocks, which are arranged by preference
so that the brakes shall be applied to two pairs of wheels simultaneously Pipes
are provided for admitting steam to opposite sides of the brake piston, the area of
which latter is so arranged that when the steam is on both sides of the piston the
brakes are off by reason of the difference in the areas of the two sides, but that
when the steam is exhausted from one side of the piston by the action of the
CD 611

page_text: apparatus, herein-after described, the biakes shall be applied by the pressure of the
steam acting upon the opposite side
The regulator or stop valve consists of a box or cylinder having pipes and ports
for the adinission of steam from the boiler and the supply of the same to the engine
cylinders, in which valve box or cylinder is fitted a valve or piston, by preference
composed of two heads connected together and having a rod extending from one of
them, which may be operated by hand directly on aranged in connection with the
apparatus heiein-after described for controlling the brake gear, so that the brake
When the 1od is so operated
gear, and the regulator or stop valve work in unison
the valve o piston is caused to either uncover and open or cover and close the
ports communicating with the steam pipe and the pipe leading to the cylinders in
order to admit of or intercept the passage of the steam according to the position in
which the valve or piston is placed
The regulator valve o piston may also be operated in order to establish or cut
off the supply of steam to the engine cylinders by admitting steam to or exhausting
steam from the opposite side of the valve o piston by means of the apparatus
herein-atter described, the valve or piston being equi-balanced and the ports main-
tained open when the steam is on both sides and closed by the exhaustion of steam
from the side opposite to that at which the said ports are situate, and the steam
accordingly cut off from the engine cylinders.
The apparatus for controlling the brake cylinder and the regulator or stop valve
simultaneously consists of a double sliding valve or piston fitted in a box 01
cylinder, and which may be operated either by the hand of the diver through the
intervention of a 1od or cord, or automatically by the action of a governor driven
through the intermedium of gearing from the axle of the engine
Poits are pio-
vided for the admission of steam from the boiler into the space between the two licads
of which the valve or piston is composed, and for supply of such steam to the brake
cylinder and to the iegulator or stop valve herein-before described, or for the
exhaust of the steam from one side of the bake piston and from one side of the
regulator or stop valve, and according to the position in which this stopping and
stai ting valve is placed, either by the hand of the driver or under the automatic
action of the governor, the steam port is open to one side of the regulator valve
herein-before described, and to one side of the brake piston, and the exhaust valve
is closed, and vice versa, whereby the conjoint action of the regulator or stop valve
and the biake gear is insured A sping is provided for restoring the starting oi
stopping valve to its former position when requned after the brake has been put on
and the steam cut off either by operating the apparatus by hand or by the auto-
matic action of the governor
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Henry Ilughes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st July
1877
HENRY HUGHES, of Leicester, in the County of Leicester "IMPROVEMENTS IN
THE STOPPING AND STARTING GEAR OF TRAMWAY AND OTHER LOCOMOTIVE
ENGINLS"
My said Invention relates to the stopping and starting gear of tramway and
other locomotive engines, and consists of an improved arrangement and combination
of apparatus whereby a biako may be applied to the wheels of the engine and the
stean be simultaneously cut off from the engine cylinders, such apparatus being
operated either by hand or by ineans of an automatic governor when any required
maximum speed is attained
The apparatus consists of three parts, vi
1st A brake cylinder or cylinders with piston or pistons and gear for operating

page_text: 2nd A regulator or stop valve for controlling the supply of steam to the
distributing valves of the engine cylinders
3rd Gear operated by hand or automatically for actuating the biake and the
regulator or stop valve in order to remove the brake blocks from the wheels and
simultaneously start tho engine or apply the brake blocks to the wheels, and at
the same cut off the steam from the engine cylinders as required
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 Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
midicating corresponding parts in all the Figures
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a diagram elevation of the wheels and under
frame of an engine with a brake cylinder piston and geni applied thereto, the biake
cylinder being shown in section and the piston and its geai in elevation, Figure 2
is a longitudinal sectional view of the regulator or stop valve, and Figure 3 is a
sectional plan illustrating the consti uction and arrangement of the apparatus for
controlling the biake cylinder and the regulator or stop valve simultaneously
Refening to Figure 1 of iny Diawings, A represents a portion of the under frame
of an engine, B, B, the wheels, and C, C, the brake blocks; D is the brake
cylinder, and E, its piston, the rod a of which latter is connected by a rod b and
any suitable arrangement of levers and links c, d, e, to the brake blocks C, C The
cylinder D is fitted with pipes F, G, for admitting steam to the opposite sides f, g,
respectively of the piston E, the area of which piston is so arranged that when the
stean is on both sides the biake blocks C, C, are off as shown in the Drawings
(by reason of the less area of the side f), but that when the steam is exhausted
from the side the brake blocks C, C, shall be applied by the pressure of the steam
acting upon the opposite side f For this purpose the pipe F is connected with
the boilci, so that a pressure of steam is constantly maintained on the side ƒ of the
piston whilst the pipe G is in communication with the tube G¹ of the apparatus
shewn in Figure 3, and herein-after described, by means of which steam is
admitted to oi exhausted from the side g according as it is necessary that the brake
blocks C, C, shall be removed from or applied to the wheels B, B.
The regulator or stop valve, which is illustrated in Figure 2, for controlling the
sapply of steam to the distributing valves of the engine cylinders consists of a box
oi cylinder H, having fitted therein a valve or piston, by preference composed, as
shewn, of two heads I, I¹, connected together at h, the head I having extending
therefiom a 1od i, which may be operated by hand directly on an emergency, or
alanged in connection with the apparatus shewn in Figure 3, and heiem-after
described, for controlling the brake gear, so that the brake gear and the regulator
01 stop valve work in unison The box or cylinder H is also provided with a
pipe K and port for the admission of steam from the boiler to the space L between
the heads I, I, and with a pipe M and port m for the supply of steam to the
engine cylinders, the space L' at the opposite side of the head I being also placed
in communication with the cential steam space L by means of a passage l, whilst
the space L² at the opposite side of the head I¹ is fitted with a pipe G connected
with the tube G¹ of the apparatus, Figure 3, whereby steam may be admitted to
the space L³ or exhausted therefrom as required Under normal cucumstances
steam is admitted through the pipe K and poit to the space L, and through the
passage to the space L, and also through the pipe G to the space L³, the valve
or pistonI, I, is then equi-balanced, and the ports h, m, are maintained open, as
shown, the steam passing freely to the distributing valves of the engine cylinders.
When however the valve or piston I, I', is moved in the direction indicated by the
arrow either by operating the rod 2 or by exhausting the steam from the space L³,
so as to remove the resistance to the action of the steam contained in the spaces
L, L', the head I will be caused to cover and close the ports k, m, and the steam
will be cut off from the distributing valves of the engine cylinders
The apparatus for controlling the brake cylinder D and the regulator or stop
valve I, 1', is illustrated in Figure 3 of my Drawings It consists of a double

page_text: sliding valve or piston N,N', fitted in a box or cylinder O, and which may be operated
either by the hand of the diver by the act of pulling a 10d or cord at n, or auto-
matically by the action of a governor O' pressing through the intervention of a
rod P upon an extension 1od P¹ from the valve or piston, this governor is driven
through the medium of gearing (a portion of which is shewn at Q) from the axle of
the engine.
The box or cylinder ☐ is provided with three tubular offsets marked respec-
tively G, R, and S, for the attachment of pipes, and also with porta g³, r, s, norre-
sponding thereto The tube Q¹ is in connection with the pipes G, Figure 1, and G³,
Figure 2, as before mentioned, and the tube R is in communication with the
steam space of the boiler, whilst the tube S is connected with an exhaust pipe
leading either into the atmosphere or into a condensei.
In the position in which the valve or piston N, N1, is represented in the Drawing
steam from the boiler is being admitted through the pipe R into the chamber T
between the two heads N, N', whence it passes through the tube G₁ to the pipe G,
Figure 1, and the pipe C³, Figure 2, the brake blocks C, C, are then held out of
contact with the wheels B, B, and the steam passes freely to the distributing
valves of the engine cylinders When however the valve or piston N, N¹, is moved
in the duection of the arrow, Figure 3, either by hand or automatically under the
action of the governo 0¹, as before mentioned, the head N¹ will be caused to
cover and close the port, and the head N to simultaneously uncover and open the
poit 8, the steam supply from the boiler through the pipe R will then be inter-
cepted, and the pipe G will be placed in communication with the exhaust The
steam will thus be exhausted from the side g of the piston E in the brake
cylinder D, Figure 1, and from the space L of the cylinder H, Figure 2, whereby
the brake blocks C, C, will be applied to the wheels B, B, and the steam will be
Bimultaneously cut off from the engine cylinders
A sping U is provided for restoring the piston or valve N, N¹, to its former
position when the speed is sufficiently reduced after the brakes have been applied
and the steam has been cut off by the operation of the apparatus, either by hand
or under the automatic action of the governor
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into effect,
I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and
therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the heicin-before in part recited
Letters Patent, is, the combination of a brake cylinder or cylinders, piston o
pistons, and gear for operating the brake blocks of a regulator or stop valve for
iegulating the supply of steam to the distributing valves of the engine cylinders,
and of gear operated either by hand or automatically under the action of a
governor for controlling the brake piston or pistons and the regulator or stop valve
simultaneously by the admission of steam to and the exhaustion of steam from one
side of such piston or pistons and valve, the opposite side of which is normally
acted upon by steam pressure, all substantially as and for the purposes herein-before
described
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Hughes, have to this my Specification
set my hand and seal, this Tbntieth day of June, One thousand eight
L
HY HUGHES (LS)