IMPROVED MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF AIR OR OTHER FLUID IN ATMOSPHERIC OR OTHER RAILWAY BRAKE APPARATUS
Year: 1884

page_text: I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake, and Co., Patent Agents
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my Invention for "IMPROVED MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF AIR
OR OTHER FLUID IN ATMOSPHERIC OR OTHER RAILWAY BRAKE APPARATUS " und
in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This Invention relates to improvements in devices for the more effectual
operation of any of the known air or steam brake systems employed upon railway
trains for arresting the motion of the vehicles, by means of which devices the act
of coupling or uncoupling the vehicles controls the air passages of the hose
connections.
The said Invention consists chiefly in providing a stop cock or plug valve in the
said hose connections and so connecting such valve with the lever or levers that
are employed to actuate the coupling, that the same levers will simultaneously
actuate the valve, as hereinafter described.
My improvements are designed to render the employment of air or steam brakes
upon freight or goods trains available, an advantage not easily obtained by the
brake systems now in common use upon passenger trains for reasons well known
to railway engineers and master mechanics.
In the accompanying Drawing
Figure 1 is a perspective view of one end of the bed or platform of a vehicle,
with my improvements applied thereto.
Figure 2 is an inverted plan of the adjacent ends of two vehicles shewing the
arrangement of the brake pipes and stop-cock.
Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of one of the vehicles through the
centre of a self-acting coupling.
Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the stop-valve, and inlet and outlet
pipes.
Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section of the same, on the line, Figure 4.
A represents the front end of a vehicle, to which are suitably secured the boxes D,
in which the bale or gate J swings; this gate is in the form of a parallellogram

page_text: .
preferably as shewn, three of the sides thereof being formed of one piece of iron,
leaving two free ends, in which eyes are formed to receive a bolt or bar E; this
bar forms the fourth sides of the gate and supports as in a swinging stirrup the
front end of the buffer, as shewn, B is a hooked coupling bar the hook end thereof
is adapted to engage with a coupling link by means of the hook a on the bar;
after the link has entered the flaring or bell mouth d of the metallic box or
buffer C, it encloses the hooked end of the draw-bar and guides the entering link
into the chamber c through the mouth d. The draw-bar and its enclosing box are
pivotally connected by means of the bolt . A cam K is excentrically secured upon
the shaft t, which is suitably journalled below the bottom of the coupling and
buffer box so as to operate against the under face of the draw-bar B, through the
slot cut or formed in the bottom of the box or buffer C. The cam shaft is
connected at each end, by means of the universal joint connections v with the
connecting rods L, which are arranged diagonally to the plane of the cam shaft,
and extend upwards, where they are connected by means of similar joints v', with
the inner ends of the crank shafts M, which are suitably secured to the bottom of
the vehicle, and project beyond its sides, to allow the said cam to be operated from
the outside of the track, instead of requiring the operator to enter between the
adjacent vehicles to guide the link or uncouple the same from its adjoining support.
Upon each side of the vehicle there projects a stop N, which stop may be an
elongated head of one of the bolts which secure the corner iron to the vehicle, if
desired. In practice, when the hook a of the draw-bar B is engaged with the link
tlie peculiar form of the hook, partially turning back upon itself at the point, and
the peculiar form of the chamber c, and contracted throat extending from the
flaring or bell mouth of the box C to the said chamber, have a tendency to keep
the projecting end of the link on a level plane; at this time the cam is turned out
of contact with the draw-bar. Now, if it is desired to release the hook from its
engagement with the link it is necessary to turn the said cam into contact with
the draw-bar, thereby lifting the same until the hook a is withdrawn from its
engagement with the link, and uncoupling the two adjoining vehicles.
Upon one of the crank shafts M, or forming an integral part of the same if
preferred, is the plug b¹, so arranged as to revolve with the rotation or partial
rotation of the shaft to which it is attached; parallel with the axis of this plug, but
not extending its whole length, (as shewn in Figure 4) there is formed a recess cl
of sufficient leugth to communicate with the ports d' and e¹, and at one end with
the annular recess f¹, formed around said plug near one of its ends; this plug
is surrounded by the shell h¹ which has the two ports above named, and an exhaust
port to the atmosphere, the whole being so constructed as to form a cock with
the three ports named, the plug forming the valve, which, in the position shewn in
Figure 5, allows the air or steam from the connecting air or steam pipe extending
from the locomotive to enter the port e¹, pass through the channel or recess c', in
the plug, and, thence, through the port to the brake pipe of the system, and
brake cylinder, as shewn in Figure 2; when the plug is turned so that it closes the
port d, the air entering the port e¹ will escape through the port ; these parts are
so arranged with relation to the coupling that when the lever M is turned, in either
direction, to disengage the said coupling, or in other words, to couple or uncouple
the vehicles, the passage of the air may be controlled by the same movement, as
desired.
Thus it will be seen that whenever the vehicles are coupled the air passages are
all connected, and the air brake system is ready for use, the paris being arranged
as above described to enable this to be done.
Although I have herein described my improvements in connection with a
particular form of coupling I wish it understood that I do not confine myself to
this particular form, as I can apply my said improvements to any automatic or
other coupling that is actuated in uncoupling by any system of levers or their
equivalents.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :-
First. In combination with the operating lever of a car-coupling, a stop cock or
valve in an air-brake system, whereby the actuation of the lever for coupling the
vehicles will at the same time open the valve for the passage of the air, substantially
as described.
Second. In combination with the operating lever of a car-coupling, a stop cock
or valve, whereby the actuation of the lever for uncoupling the vehicles will,
simultaneously therewith, close the said valve, thereby preventing the escape of
air from the system of air brakes employed on the disconnecting vehicle, substantially
as specified.
a
Third. In combination with each section of brake pipe of an air-brake system,
two-way cock placed at either end of a vehicle, one way of the said cock establishing
an air connection through the brake pipes, and the other way thereof forming an
exhaust port for the brake pipe, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. In combination with a rock-shaft which forms the actuating lever of a
car coupling, a valve having its actuating plug secured upon the said rock-shaft,
substantially as described.
Fifth. In combination with a rock-shaft which forms the actuating lever of a
coupling, and with the brake pipe of an air-brake, a two-way stop-valve in the end
of a section of the said pipe, having its operating plug secured upon the said rock-
shaft so that by the actuation of the said rock-shaft for the purpose of coupling
and uncoupling, the valve will be simultaneously operated in the desired manner,
substantially as specified.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1884
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.