IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Louis Paul Victor Véron and Emile Edeline, Merchants,
both of the City of Paris, in the Republic of France, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."
Sealed the 9th November 1877, and dated the 25th May 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Louis Paul Victor Véron
and Emile Edeline at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th
May 1877.
LOUIS PAUL VICTOR VÉRON and EMILE EDELINE, Merchants, both of the City
of Paris, in the Republic of France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."
The object of this Invention is to stop a train almost instantly without a violent
shock; this is effected in the following manner :-
.
Held in supports beneath the tender and carriages or wagons is a powerful box
or barrel spring, which, like that of a clock, has a toothed wheel fixed to its side;
the teeth of this wheel gear with a second wheel fixed on a shaft, bearing a drum
round which a cable is coiled, one end of which is fixed to the spring, and the other
to an anchor or grappling iron.
The line of rail is provided with a number of metal cross bars placed along the
line between the sleepers.
The anchor or grappling iron is held in a support at the rear of the tender, and is
moved by a lever at the side of the tender, or otherwise disposed, and is worked by
a handle near the driver, and when so acted on, the anchor falling grips one of these
bars, and the cable is slowly unwound, and the train gradually brought to a stand,
which is effected quickly and without a sudden shock.

page_text: :
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Louis Paul Victor Véron and Emile Edeline in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 21st November 1877.
LOUIS PAUL VICTOR VÉRON and EMILE EDELINE, Merchants, both of the City
of Paris, in the Republic of France. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."
The object of this Invention is to stop a train instantly without a violent shock ;
this is effected in the following manner :-
Held in support beneath the tender and carriages or wagons is a powerful box or
barrel spring, which, like that of a clock, has a toothed wheel fixed on a shaft bearing
a drum, round which a cable is coiled, one end of which is fixed to the spring, and
the other to an anchor or grappling iron.
The line of rail is provided with a number of metal cross bars placed in
succession between the sleepers.
The anchor or grappling iron is held in a support at the rear of the tender, and is
moved by a lever at the side of the tender, or otherwise disposed, and worked by a
handle near the driver, and so acted on, the anchor falling grips one of these bars,
and the cable is slowly unwound and the train gradually brought to a stand, which
is effected quickly and without sudden shock..
As shown by the accompanying Drawings, the mechanism consists,
1st. Of the employment of a powerful spiral spring R, placed in a box A,
arranged for the purpose, the dimensions and strength of which is regulated in
accordance with the strength of the spring, and is the same nature as the barrel
spring of a watch, bearing at its side a toothed wheel forming part of the box;
these teeth communicate the motion they receive from the spring to the toothed
wheel fixed to the drum B, which will be hereafter mentioned.
2nd. The drum and box spring are fixed, as shown, beneath the tender and
wagons. Both are supported in bearings, in which the axes are mounted, so that the
rotary motion of both may be effected without difficulty. The drum serves to
maintain the cable C, wound up when the spring is at rest, as is illustrated by
Figs. 2 and 3.
3rd. The cable C is a simple rope of a strength calculated to its use; one of its
ends is fixed to the barrel spring which keeps it wound on the drum B; the other
end bears an anchor or grappling iron E, which is maintained in position whilst the
train is in motion by means of the support D, which liberates the anchor in case of
danger, so that it may act on the line by working the lever L, the handle of
which, k, is placed near the driver or stoker of the engine. Along the line the metal
traverses or bars T are placed by preference between the rails at equal distances, so
that when the anchor is dropped it can kook itself with one or other without
difficulty.
The plan, Fig. 3, shows this anchor brought into play.
Figs. 1 and 2, an end and side view of a tender, show the support D of the anchor;
this support is movable, so that the apparatus in no way hinders the motion of the
train when the application of this brake is not in force.
Action of the apparatus.-In case of danger the driver or stoker moves the handle
of the lever L, which instantly dislodges the anchor by its simple weight alone, the
barbs or hooks with which it is furnished, grapple with one of the traverses or
bars T, the cable is forcibly unwound whilst the train still moves, which increases
the resistance of the spring, and this force, augmented by the number of the grappling
irons employed, is sufficient to stop a train in a few seconds after the application of the
brake. The Invention therefore consists of the employment of a spiral spring, acting
like a barrel spring of a drum, serving to wind the cable, and of a cable and anchor, the
latter acting by the displacement of a lever so as to cause the anchor to grip one of the
cross bars placed at equal distances along and between the line of rail. The number of
these apparatus employed is discretionary; but to be effectual, this number must be

page_text: regulated according to the weight and length of a train; still a few only are requisite
to produce a satisfactory result.
Fig. 1 is a side view of a tender supplied with this novel brake, the dotted lines
showing the brake in action. Fig. 2 is an end view of a tender, showing the brake
in repose; and Fig. 3 is a plan showing a line of rail and the mode of action of the
brake. It should be observed that the same lever would work a number of brakes
simultaneously.
We reserve the right of using any other spring producing a like result, and
of placing the brakes in any convenient position other than that described
herein.
In witness whereof, we, the said Louis Paul Victor Véron and Emile Edeline,
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Nineteenth day of November,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.