IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1861

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Leopard, of Hurstpierpoint, in the County
of Sussex, Corn Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY BRAKES."
Sealed the 3rd December 1861, and dated the 7th June 1861.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Leopard at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th June 1861.
I, WILLIAM LEOPARD, of Hurstpierpoint, in the County of Sussex, Corn
Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES," to be as follows:-
My Invention of improvements in railway brakes relates to the application
of the brakes or friction surfaces to the wheels of railway carriages by the
rotary motion of the wheels & axles themselves, which I effect by means of
frictional contact surfaces or toothed gearing fixed or formed on the axles.
I fix a frictional drum or surface or toothed pinion on the axles of the
carriages, and place a flat surface or rack across them, which is free to slide
longitudinally, as also to rise up and down by the motion of the apparatus
which puts it in gear. In sliding longitudinally, this rack or piece takes effect
on a system of cross bars, whose ends are wedged by it so as to act on the
brake levers, and apply them with greater or less force to the wheels, & this
in whichever direction it may be moved. I communicate the up-and-down

page_text: motion to the rack or sliding piece which puts it in & out of gear with the
wheel axle by a toothed quadrant fixed above it, having on its axis cams,
which take immediate effect on the sliding rack or piece, & force it into or
out of gear with the axle. The toothed quadrant gears with an endless screw
fixed on a shaft terminating at each end of the carriage. The several shafts
of the different carriages are connected by socket couplings with each other,
so that the carriages may be turned end for end at pleasure, & the shaft
rotated in either direction to give effect to the brakes, which are applied by
the guard or other attendant, the brake van or guard's box being placed in
communication with the longitudinal shaft by suitable gearing, to impart the
necessary force to put & keep the brake apparatus in gear with the axles of
the wheels to which the brakes are applied. All or any of the carriage wheels
of a train may be so fitted & furnished. Instead of moving the rack or
longitudinal friction surface out of gear by the motion of the quadrant axis
and cams, it may be effected by springs when the guard relieves the brake-
applying apparatus; by this means the momentum of each pair of wheels
and carriage effect their own retardation. Instead of the friction surfaces or
toothed rack and pinion to communicate motion from the wheel axles, as
described, an endless screw gearing into a screw wheel may be substituted,
or it may be other mechanical equivalents.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Leopard' in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
7th December 1861.
--TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LEOPARD, of Hurstpierpoint, in the County of Sussex, Corn Merchant,-send-
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, in the twenty-fourth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said William Leopard, Her special licence that I, the said William Leopard,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said
William Leopard, 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

page_text: the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY BRAKES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
William Leopard, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should par-
ticularly 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 William Leopard, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, reference being had to the two Sheets of Drawings, hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say):-
My Invention of improvements in railway brakes relates to the application
of the brakes or friction surfaces to the wheels of railway carriages by the
rotary motion of the wheels and axles themselves, which I effect by means of
frictional contact surfaces or toothed gearing fixed or formed on the axles. I
fix a frictional drum or surface or toothed pinion on the axles of the carriages,
and a flat surface or rack across it, which is free to slide longitudinally, as also
to rise up and down by the motion of the apparatus which puts it in gear. In
sliding longitudinally this rack piece takes effect on a system of cross bars,
whose ends are wedged by it so as to act on the brakes and apply them with
greater or less force to the wheels, and this in the whichever direction it may
be moved. I communicate the up and down motion to the rack or sliding
piece, which puts it in and out of gear with the wheel axle, by a toothed
quadrant fixed above it, having on its axis cams which take immediate effect
on the sliding rack or piece, and force it into or out of gear with the axle ;
the toothed quadrant gears with an endless screw fixed on a shaft terminating
at each end of the carriage, the several shafts of the different carriages are
connected with each other, so that the carriages may be turned end for end at
pleasure, and the shaft turned in either direction to give effect to the brakes.
The brakes are applied by the guard or other attendant, the brake van or
guard's box being placed in communication with the longitudinal shaft by
suitable gearing to impart the necessary force to put and keep the brake
apparatus in gear with the axles of the wheels to which the brakes are
applied. All or any of the carriage wheels of a train may be so fitted &
furnished. Instead of constructing the apparatus so that the rack or longi-
tudinal friction surface is moved out of gear by the motion of the quadrant
axis and cams, it may be effected by springs when the guard releases the

page_text: brake applying apparatus. By this means the momentum of each pair of
wheels and carriages produce the power to effect their own retardation.
Instead of the friction surfaces or toothed rack and pinion to communicate
motion from the wheel axles as described, an endless screw gearing into a
screw wheel may be substituted, or it may be other mechanical equivalents.
The pinions, friction surfaces, or screws may be fixed on the wheels instead of
on the axles as described.
In applying the endless screw and gearing to communicate the power from
the axle, I fit or form the screw on the axle and oppose to it a screw wheel
on a short shaft disposed in a longitudinal direction, and extending to about the
middle of the area of the carriage (in four-wheel carriages); this shaft is fitted
at the screw wheel end in a bearing, which rises & falls by the motion of the
cam fixed on the longitudinal shaft of communication; the wheel is thus put
in or out of gear with the endless screw according to the position of the shaft
of communication. The other end of short screw wheel shaft has a bevil
wheel, which gears with a segment of teeth fixed on an axis of a double cam,
the extreme points of which are diametrically opposite to each other, these
cams take effect on curved bars which communicate with the brake blocks
and force them up to the wheels. These blocks are fitted on cross bars sliding
in the side framing, and furnished with springs to carry them back when the
brake power is relieved. Instead of being mounted on a cross bar the brake
blocks may be suspended on fulcra somewhat in the usual manner. In order
to keep on the brake power after the screw wheel has been withdrawn from
contact with the endless screw, I apply a ratchet wheel on the short shaft
before mentioned, in such position and so arranged that a partial rise of the
short shaft withdraws the screw wheel from the screw, but is insufficient
to disconnect the ratchet from its pawl, which prevents the shaft running back
and therefore keeps the brakes on. A further rise of the short shaft-relieves
the ratchet and permits the brakes and brake cams to recede. For this
purpose I use two ratchet wheels and one detent pawl, the teeth of the wheels
being set in opposite directions; I form a ridge between the wheels and cut a
channel therein at the point of rest (the normal position) opposite the pawl,
which channel traverses the pawl to one ratchet or the other, according to the
direction in which the shaft may be turned, and so that it acts and holds it as
before described in whichever direction the shaft may be rotated.

page_text: apparatus is represented at each end in the side view, the position of the parts
being reversed, while in the plan some of the parts are removed at one end to
"show the others more clearly. A, A, are the brake blocks or friction surfaces;
these are suspended on pins B from the side frames C, so as to have a tendency
to fall away from the wheels D, or they may be held back by springs. The
brakes A are actuated by the cross levers E, E, mounted on a fixed fulcrum F,
supported by fixed plate G; the ends II of the cross bars are adapted to exert
a pressure on brakes A (when forced to separate, as will be herein-after
explained), to force them against the wheels. The cross levers E, E, are con-
stantly drawn together and so kept off the brakes (except when impelled by
force) by springs I, I. The force is applied to the levers E, E, by the longi-
tudinal movement of a bar K, the ends of which enter between the ends H of
the levers, and force them apart and so against the brakes.
The bar K is mounted beneath plate G, & is supported by two studs L, L,
on which it is free to slide longitudinally by reason of slots N; these studs
have a constant tendency to raise the bar K by the action of springs M, M,
which support and carry its weight; plate G may be of one piece with or or
supported on a longitudinal bar X, suitably stayed, but may be otherwise
monuted and fixed.
On the under side of the bar K are rack teeth, disposed transversely to its
length, while on the axles of the carriage I fix or form a pinion, the teeth of
which, when bar K is depressed, gear with and carry the rack teeth and bar K
along, thereby operating on the ends H of cross levers, and so applying the
brakes.
Instead of rack teeth and a pinion, rough friction surfaces may be used, but
in that case it requires greater exertion on the part of the guard to keep them
up to each other.
It was before mentioned that the bar K is lifted by springs, to counteract
which & to throw the brake apparatus into operation a double cam P is em-
ployed; this is mounted on an axis fitted in plate G, and is in connection with
a screw quadrant R, which is constantly in gear with an endless screw fixed
on the shaft S, so that whenever this shaft is rotated and in whichever direction
(the quadrant arm in its normal position being vertical) the bar K is forced
downwards by one side or other of the cam P, effecting contact with bar K and
depressing it, when the motion of the shaft is reversed and the K rises and
returns to its former position and so relieves the brakes.
The longitudinal shaft S is disposed centrally, squared at the ends, and fur-
nished with suitable sockets for connecting it to shafts of adjoining carriages,
one of which is in communication with hand gear, whereby the guard or other

page_text: attendant can communicate rotary motion, so as to apply the brakes as
described.
It will be unnecessary to further describe this hand gear, as it may be similar
to that used on applying ordinary brakes and well understood. It will be
observed that according to my arrangements of brake apparatus the carriages
may be changed end for end and coupled indiscriminately without interfering
with the operation of the brakes.
Fig. 3 represents a sectional elevation, Fig. 4 a plan, & Fig: 5 a trans-
verse section of another arrangement of apparatus, showing the application of
my Invention, in which the motion and power is communicated to the brakes
from the carriage axle by means of an endless screw, or other suitable
gearing. On the longitudinal shaft of communication S, fitted to each carriage,
and applied with these brakes, I fix an eccentric or cam b, which supports &
controls the position of the bearing c, carrying one end of a shaft d placed a
little above the carriage axles, & extending from one of the axles e to about
the centre of the carriage. On this shaft d I fix a screw wheel or pinion f,
which takes into an endless screw g fixed on the axle of the carriage above
mentioned, and close to which is the bearing c of the short shaft sustained by
the cam b on the shaft S. By the partial rotation of the shaft S of commu-
nication the screw wheel is lifted out of or dropped into gear with the endless
Screw ; a double ratchet wheel t on shaft d is also released, or left in gear
with its pawl u by the same motion, according to its greater or lesser extent,
for the purpose herein-before explained. The shaft d transmits the power to
the brakes, to effect which it is furnished with a bevil pinion at the stationary
end near the middle of the area of the carriage; this pinion gears with a bevil
wheel or segment of teeth i, fixed on a double elliptical cam 1, 1; the two
extreme points of the cams are diametrically opposite to each other, and act
directly-on-the-brakes-A, A,_to_force them against the wheels. The break
framework I employ consists of tie rods m, m, stretched between the axle
guards and a cross stretcher n supporting the double-break cam last herein
mentioned. The brakes A are fitted & sustained between the tie bars m,
being mounted on sliding bars p disposed across the breasts of each pair of
wheels, which bars advance or recede bodily therefrom; the brake blocks are
mounted on these cross bars p, p, & have strong springs 9, 9, interposed
between them and the cross sliding bars p to cause the brake blocks A to offer
a resilient resistance to the pressure exerted on the wheels in the first instance
& up to a certain extent. The cross sliding bars are in connection with
semicircular pieces 7, the ends of which abut on the brake blocks, while the
mid parts, which are disposed back to back, receive simultaneously the force of

page_text: the double cam before mentioned, & transmit it to the brake blocks. To allow
for the wear of the blocks, screws & nuts s, s, are disposed on these curved
arms, which have the effect of lengthening and adjusting them, & so making
up for wear of blocks A, if required. The springs q, q, before mentioned, as
affording a capability of resiliency, also by their ends taking into the support-
ing tie bars, serve to withdraw the brake blocks from the wheels; the ends
of the springs enter the slots traversed by cross bars p, & in their tendency to
curve themselves force the bars p & blocks A to recede. The framework
and parts of the brake may of course be varied according to circum-
stances. The action of the brake apparatus is this:-Supposing the guard or
other attendant desires to apply the brakes he rotates the longitudinal con-
necting shaft S, so as to lower all the screw wheels f into their endless screws
g, g, on the axles, thus immediately causing the short shafts & to rotate, thereby
communicating rotary motion to the double brake cam 1, which forces the
brakes on the wheels. To prevent anything breaking, but which I think
unlikely, a segment only of teeth i is used to transmit the power; this limits
the extent of motion transmitted by it to the double cam 1, as the pinion h
having arrived at the limit of the toothed segment would simply slip over the
last of the teeth if further rotated, without, however, allowing the segment &
cam to run back. It was before mentioned that a ratchet wheel is also fixed
on the short shaft d; this wheel is fixed towards the stationary end, & is in
fact a double ratchet wheel t, having two sets of teeth set in opposite direc-
tions. A spring pawl u takes into one or other of these ratchets, according
to the direction in which the shaft is rotated (this, for the purposes of the
brake is immaterial); supposing the brakes have been pressed slightly up to
the wheels, the guard, although raising the screw wheel f out of gear with
screw g, may, by a limited motion, still leave on the brakes by reason of the
ratchet & pawl, before mentioned, preventing the shaft d running back. A
greater extent of upward motion of the screw wheel f, and its shaft d, with-
draws the ratchet t from its pawl u, which ratchet being released the shaft
runs back, and the brakes recede from the wheels.
Fig. 6 represents in plan an arrangement of parts somewhat modified from
that exhibited in Figs. 3, 4, & 5; in this case, instead of the semicircular bars
bearing at once on the brake blocks I transmit the thrust from the cams
through straight rods U, having screw coupling sockets V, whereby to adjust
their length; these rods each take on to a strong spring W, whereby the
power is transmitted to the cross bars and brake blocks A. In this way there
is always great elasticity in the pressure applied, notwithstanding that the
power may be thrown on rapidly, which will ease the apparatus.

page_text: Having described the nature of my Invention, & the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the herein-
before in part recited Letters Patent is, combining & arranging brake appa-
ratus with teeth, screws, friction surfaces, or other mechanical equivalents
fixed or formed on the axles or running wheels of railway carriages, as herein-
before described, whereby & in such manner that the rotation of the wheel &
axle supplies the force acting on the brakes when they are applied to
the wheels so as to retard the progress of the carriages, as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Leopard, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Sixth day of December, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred & sixty-one.
Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
WILLIAM LEOPARD. (L.S.)