An Improved Brake Slack Adjuster for Railway and like Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 27th Apr., 1895
VUMI UNIV
An Improved Brake Slack Adjuster for Railway and like Vehicles.
We. JAMES HALE SEWALL, of 291 Cumberland Street, Portland, Maine,
Manufacturer, and FRANK ROBINSON of 41 Summer Street, Bangor, Maine,
Mechanic, both in the United States of America, do hereby declare the nature of
this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
The invention consists in the peculiar construction of a slack "take up"
connecting bar for car brakes, and consists particularly in the construction,
arrangement and combination of the various parts of a two-part bar of this kind
whereby it is simplified and cheapened in manufacture, made more positive in its
operation and more nearly dust proof than such devices have heretofore been, all as
more fully hereinafter described.
In the drawings,
Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved device, showing it applied to the cylinder
levers of an air brake apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the take-up bars, shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a similar side elevation of the central portion thereof, partly in section
and showing the parts in a different position.
Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the meeting ends of the two sections of the bar
with the movable parts detached.
A is an air brake cylinder. B and C are the two cylinder levers. The lever B
is pivoted to the stationary arm or bracket C¹ and the lever C is pivoted to the
end of the piston rod D. Near the middle these levers are connected by the
fulcrum rod or bar E and near their ends with the take-up bar F. At the outer
ends these levers are connected to the usual brake apparatus on the car trucks.
The bars E and F are similar except in minor parts hereinafter set forth, and as
the take up connection in each is the same a description of the bar F will suffice
for a description of both.
b
This bar consists of two sections G and H, the section G at one end has the
bifurcation a embracing the lever B, and through which the pivot pin 6 passes, as
plainly shown in Fig. 1. At its opposite end it is provided with the squared
body c, upon the upper face of which is the notched portion or bar d preferably a
ratchet bar.
The section H comprises an upper plate e and lower plate f. These two plates
are connected near the ends by the connecting bar or web g. h is a pin, which
passes through apertures in the end of the plates ef, as shown, in Fig. 1, to form
between the pin and the web g a longitudinal slot or aperture i, through which
engages the lever C, and in which said lever may have a limited sliding
movement.
The upper and lower plates e and ƒ form two sides of a sleeve.
end of the section H, I form an open-ended sleeve I, in which the
section G is adapted to slidingly engage and to snugly fit so as to
possible angular motion therein.
At the other
end c of the
have the least
In the under face of the top of such sleeve is formed a series of recesses or
sockets J, in which engage the dogs or pawls K having at their upper ends the
pins L. These pins engage sockets in the fixed side L₁ of the sleeve and at the

page_text: other end engage in the vertical section j of ■ shaped recesses formed on the inner
face of the detachable plate M forming the other side of the sleeve.
N are pins at the lower end of the dogs K at one side engaging in the horizontal
portion of the recesses or slots in the inner face of the plate M.
This plate is supported upon the end of the section H by means of the screws O,
passing through vertical slots O' in the plate and entering suitable screw threaded
apertures O2 in the top wall of the sleeve.
P is a cam journaled in a bracket or lug P¹ on the under side of the sleeve and
adapted to engage the under side of the plate M.
Qis a handle therefor acting to hold the cam normally in the position shown in
Fig. 2, in which position the plate will be in its lowest position.
R is a flange on the cam P extending over the lower portion of the plate M and
acting to hold it snugly against the side of the sleeve, thereby dispensing with the
necessity of other securing means for the lower portion of that plate. It will be
evident that in the position of the parts shown in Fig. 2, the plate will act as a
coupling bar for all the dogs or pawls, compelling them to rise and fall simul-
taneously and uniformly by virtue of the pins N engaging in the recesses k of the
plate, and thereby preventing the catching or sticking of any one or more of them
in operation, and if it is desired to separate the sections of the take-up bar, the
pawls may be all disengaged from the notched bar by turning the cam into the
position shown in Fig. 3, which will raise the dogs into the sockets J, as shown
at S in that figure, permitting the removal or adjustment of the parts.
It will be seen that all the movable parts are entirely enclosed within the sleeve,
hence are free from clogging with dust or snow, which gives the advantage
previously set forth that the sleeve forms a closed guide for the end of the ratchet
bar to prevent any angular motion between the sections, that all of the parts are
simple, easily manufactured, easily understood and adjusted.
The coupling of the pawls together, prevents stripping of the teeth under undue
strain, as might occur if a portion or most of them were rendered inactive from any
reason.
The use of one of the side plates for the coupling bar simplifies the construction,
and aids in making it dust and snow proof, as well as easily accessible.
The operation of the device to take up slack due to wear of the shoes is well
known and therefore not described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is
1. The combination with two oppositely moving levers of a car brake apparatus
of a slack-take-up connecting bar therefor made in two sections, an open ended
sleeve on the end of one section, a notched bar on the end of the other section
slidingly engaging in the sleeve, a series of dogs or pawls in the sleeve engaging
the notched bar, and a coupler bar for connecting the dogs and insuring them
simultaneous and uniform engagement.
2. The combination with two oppositely moving levers of a car brake apparatus,
of a slack take up connecting bar therefor made in two sections, an open ended
sleeve on the end of one section, a notched bar on the end of the other section
slidingly engaging in the sleeve a series of dogs engaging the notched bar, a coupler
bar connecting the dogs and acting to cause them to move simultaneously and
devices for lifting the bar to disengage the dogs.
3. The combination with two oppositely moving levers of a car brake apparatus
of a slack take up connecting bar therefor made in two sections, an open ended
sleeve at the end of one bar, a ratchet bar at the end of the other section slidingly
engaging into the sleeve, a movable plate forming one side of the box or sleeve,
and pawls or dogs on the sleeve engaging the ratchet bar, actuated by the plate.
4. In a device of the kind described, the combination of the two part bar having
overlapping ends slidingly engaging together, one within the other, notched face

page_text: on the inner section a series of dogs on the other section engaging the notches, the
plate M vertically slidingly supported and forming one side of the enclosing
section, pins on the dogs engaging recesses in the plate, and flanged cam P for
lifting said plate, to disengage the dogs.
D
DELL
ni
1005
JAMES HALE SEWALL.
FRANK ROBINSON.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.