A NEW AUTOMATON BREAK FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS
Year: 1864

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Boutet, of Bridge Field Hall, Old Station,
Wandsworth, Engineer, for the Invention of "A NEW AUTOMATON BREAK
FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Boutet at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
27th May 1864.
I, CHARLES BOUTET, of Bridge Field Hall, Old Station, Wandsworth,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW
AUTOMATON BREAK FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS," to be as
follows:-
It
This break is self-acting, that is, it is put in action by the train itself.
consists of an iron toothed collar divided into two sections, of which one is
fixed upon the axle of one of the pairs of wheels, and turns in consequence
with the said axle and the wheels; the other part is moveable, and also
placed upon the axle, which revolves freely on its centre. To the moveable
portion of the collar is attached a crank chain, prolonged by an iron bar,
whose opposite extremity is fixed to the centre of a wooden traverse bar bound
with iron hoops, supporting a pair of wooden shoes resembling those now
used; this traverse bar is suspended on two moveable iron hooks attached to
the body of the carriage on each side by a screw bolt, which permits of the

page_text: hooks shifting backwards and forwards, and thus holds the shoes suspended
before the wheels. In the centre of the wooden traverse bar is fixed a little
chain, communicating with the central collar of the preceding carriage by
means of a lever acting on a flat spring, to which is fitted a fork adapted to
the teeth of the moveable collar. The object of this spring is to give elasticity
to the break, and to avoid the breakages or shocks which might result from
too sudden stoppages, to set free the wheels by its own action when it is
desired that the train should proceed. To hinder the break from acting of its
own accord when the train is in motion, then there must be a perpendicular
lever working on its own axis at the back of the last carriage, so disposed that
the upper extremity is within reach of the conductor, and the lower adapted
to the fork of the collar, and permitting the locking together of the two
collars, thus acting on all the carriages in the train. To carriages with six
wheels the collar is fixed upon the middle axle.
The action of the break.-Twelve carriages with breaks attached will com-
mand perfectly a train of thirty. The chains pass from one carriage supplied
with breaks to another underneath the other carriages. One break guard in
the last carriage is sufficient; by lightly pressing on the handle of the lever he
applies the break left or right as desired, the teeth of the collar locking together
from two into one, which revolves with the axle, carrying round the crank
chain, and applying the shoes the more strongly as the speed or weight of the
train is greater. The four wheels are stopped at once, and can only slide along.
This sliding softens somewhat the stoppage, which would otherwise be too
sudden. On approaching the fore wheels the traverse forces the moveable
collar of the proceding carriage into the fixed part, thereby stopping it, and
the action is transmitted from one carriage to another through the train,
reaching the tender last; as the last carriage is the first acted on, and the
application is gradual up to the tender, no sudden shock or breakage can occur ;
as each break acts on one carriage only, very great. strength is not called for
To take off the break the break guard must move the lever in the opposite
direction, for which little exertion is requisite. The moveable collar separates
from the fixed, and takes its place, the crank chain unwinds the springs; then
by their natural action loosen the collars, and take off the break from the other
carriages. This break, which is very simple and very cheap, can be easily
Each piece is separate, and can be put in
place without disturbing the wheels. It is not only fitted to bring up a train
at a station, but to obviate many accidents now of daily occurance.
applied to carriages now in use.

page_text: SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
and of an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Charles Boutet in
the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th December 1864.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, CHARLES
BOUTET, of Bridge Field Hall, Old Station, Wandsworth, Engineer, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-seventh day of May, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four, in the twenty-seventh year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Charles Boutet, Her special licence that I, the said Charles
Boutet, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Charles Boutet, my executors, administrators, 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
"A NEW AUTOMATON BREAK FOR THE PREVENTION OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said Charles Boutet,
my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or
their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascer
tain 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 on or before the Twenty-fourth day of December, One thousand eight
hundred and sixty-four.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Charles Boutet, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the fol-
lowing statement thereof, reference being had to the Drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is to say :-
The Invention consists of the following combined apparatus:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figures 1 and 2 show a plan of the framing and of the break apparatus of
two railway carriages, and Figure 3 shows a side elevation of two carriages
baving the break apparatus applied thereto. The break apparatus is composed
of a clutch box or toothed collar A in two sections, one of which is fixed to
the axle of one pair of the wheels, and turns with it. The other is moveable ;

page_text: the collar or clutch is placed on the axle, which revolves freely within it. To
this last section is attached a strong flat chain B, prolonged by an iron bar b,
the extremity of which is fixed in a cross bar C, usually made of wood, but
which may be of any suitable material. This bar C is suspended by hooks I
or hinges attached to the body by screw bolts or otherwise on each side of the
framing of the carriage. To this cross bar are fixed two ordinary break
blocks D, D, placed so as to act on two of the wheels. When the train is in
motion the break blocks are kept in their position away from their wheels by
their own weight, and by the spring of the preceding carriage, which is here-
after mentioned. To the middle of the cross bar C is fixed a short chain J
communicating by an angular lever k the action to a flat spring L, which is
intended to act on the clutch box of the preceding carriage by means of a
fork fixed on the said spring. This carriage communicates in its turn, and
by the same means, the action to those which precede it, and so on to the head
of the train.
To stop the train a vertical lever at the hinder part of the last carriage
of the train is moved by the guard to the right or left according to the
direction of the train. This lever G turns on an axis H, and acts on the
extremity of another lever E, which moves horizontally on an axis at F under
the body of the carriage; this lever E is connected by means of a fork with
the moveable section of the clutch box A. On moving the handle of the
vertical lever to the right or left according to the direction of the train, the
moveable section of the clutch box is pressed against the fixed section, and
they are thrown into gear; this winds up the chain round the clutch box, and
draws the break blocks against the periphery of the fore wheels of the last
carriage of the train with a force proportioned to the velocity of the train;
the four wheels of this carriage are thus stopped. The cross bar C, which
supports the break blocks of this carriage in approaching the wheels com-
municates motion to the clutch box of the preceding carriage, and this to
those which precede it, and so on to the rest; the wheels can then only slide
along with a speed proportioned to the impetus of the train, which sliding has
the advantage of easing the stoppage of the train which would perhaps be
otherwise too sudden. To disengage the break, it is sufficient to press lightly
on the lever G in the opposite direction; the moveable section of the clutch-
box is then separated from the other section, the chain is unrolled, and the
break blocks assume their own position. The spring of the preceding carriage
being free, pushes back the moveable section of its clutch box, and keeps it in
its place whilst the train is in motion; this spring has the further advantage
of giving elasticity to the apparatus, and consequently prevents the shock

page_text: which might result from the sudden contact of the teeth of the clutch box
when it is put into gear. The apparatus, it will be seen, is so constructed
that in case of the breaking of the coupling irons and safety chains, there
would be no separation of the parts of the train without breaking the con-
necting chain attached to the break, which latter chain, in breaking, throws
the break of the detached carriage into gear.
A single guard is sufficient to stop the whole train; the driver and stoker
can, by means of a communicating rope stop and go on at pleasure. The
tender should be furnished with a lever similar to that of the last carriage,
so as to afford the means of commencing to stop the train when going back
when the tender is at the end of the train.
Five or six break apparatus such as above described will be sufficient to
stop a train of 15 or 16 carriages. It will not be necessary to put all the
carriages furnished with breaks in close succession; on the contrary, it will be
sufficient that the last or guard's carriage should be fitted as above explained,
and the other carriages having break apparatus may be placed indis-
criminately; the carriages without breaks are, however, to have underneath
each of them a chain capable of being connected with the other carriages when
the train is arranged. It will be evident to mechanics that one section of
the clutch box may be attached to the nave of the wheel in place of directly
to the axle, so as to surround without touching the axle by making the orifice
larger. The moveable section can also surround the axle without touching it
by making the orifice larger and suspending it under the carriage. The
combined apparatus may be also applied to ordinary carriages.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I make no claim to
any of the mechanical parts separately; but what I claim is the combined
apparatus herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Boutet, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twenty-fourth day of December, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-four.
CH. BOUTET. (L.S.)