Apparatus for Automatically Locking the Doors of Railway Carriages and the like whilst in Motion.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Apr., 1899-Accepted, 17th June, 1899
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatically Locking the Doors of Railway
Carriages and the like whilst in Motion.
I, ANTON BEINISCH, of Soest, in the Province of Westphalia, in the German
Empire, Proprietor of the Firm of Behnisch & Claas, Engineers, 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 present invention relates to an apparatus which enables all the doors of
the carriages to be locked or bolted from one place on the train on starting,
keeps them locked during the journey, and on stopping of the train unlocks
them again.
By means of this apparatus the numerous accidents which occur through
passengers opening the carriage doors whilst the train is in motion are wholly
obviated.
The apparatus consists essentially in the bolt and operating parts of the doors
of each carriage being connected with the piston or pistons of one or more
compressed air cylinders on the carriage. On the train starting compressed air
is let into the cylinder (or cylinders) from a compressed air pipe running the
whole length of the train; and on the train stopping, the air is allowed to escape
again, whereby the piston is pushed first in one and then in the opposite direction,
thus effecting locking and unlocking of the doors.
The arrangement may be conveniently used in connection with the usual
Westinghouse, Carpenter or other compressed air brake, and thus be operated
automatically when the latter is applied. The new arrangement can, however,
be used alone, independently of such brake.
The accompanying drawing shows one form of carrying the invention into
effect, and is adapted for use in connection with a Westinghouse or Carpenter
brake.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus on the line y-y Fig. 3.
Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line - Fig. 3.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line -, Fig. 1
Fig. 4 is an underside view, drawn to a smaller scale, showing the arrange-
ment applied to a railway carriage.
The main body of the new device consists of three combined cylinders, com-
prising a main cylinder A and two secondary cylinders B and C (Fig. 3). The
main cylinder A contains a piston a the rod a¹ of which rests upon the periphery
of an eccentric or the like E, mounted on the carriage axle L, and is raised by
the said eccentric, or equivalent part, when the train starts. ² is a pipe leading
to the main cylinder A and provided with a relief valve f. This pipe connects
with the secondary cylinder B, and is continued in a straight line on the opposite
side of said cylinder as a short flanged connecting pipe a The latter connects
to the pipe of the Westinghouse or other brake which conducts from the small
reservoir to the brake cylinder. At the bottom of the main cylinder A is the
short flanged connecting pipe aº, which connects to the main compressed air pipe
of the said Westinghouse or other brake. This pipe aº also leads into the

page_text: annular channel a³ which runs round the main cylinder A and secondary
cylinder B, (Fig. 3). An opening a' conducts from this annular channel a³ to the
secondary cylinder B, and another passage as, opposite the passage a', conducts
from the cylinder B into the main cylinder A. In the secondary cylinder B
there are three piston heads 123, all mounted on the same rod, so that they
together form a single piston. The third cylinder C is provided at the top
and bottom with passages 64 65 leading into the main cylinder A. In this cylinder
works the piston C¹, the rod 2 of which by an arrangement of levers operates
the parts which effect the locking of the carriage doors. On the drawing the
piston rod is shewn connected by a bent lever d to the rod e running the length
of the carriages, and operating the locking devices of the doors. These devices
consist of a bent lever e¹ e2 mounted on an axis carried in bearings below
the carriage. One arm of the lever is formed as a locking bolt having a nose e²
taking into a slot in the bottom of the carriage door; the other arm e¹ is connected
to the rod e by a pin and slot joint or the like.
The manner of operation is as follows;-
a¹
-
Supposing the apparatus to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, which is that
when the train is standing still, the compressed air from the small reservoir
of the Westinghouse brake passes to the brake cylinder and also through the
pipe a, passage of the piston head and pipe a², to over the piston h. If,
now, the train starts, the axle L rotates and turns the eccentric E, which thus
raises the piston rod with piston head a. The air above the
piston ab is consequently compressed, the valve closes and the
compressed air passes through the opening as into the cylinder B, below
the piston 62, and raises the treble piston 61 62 63, whereby the connection
between a and a² is cut off. Simultaneously the passage of the piston head b¹
comes opposite the pipe a, and the passage opposite the opening a of the
cylinder B conducting to the outside. The compressed air still entering at a¹
thus escapes again through the opening, through the left hand portion of the
passage, and through the exit a to the outside air. In consequence of the ascent
of the treble piston 61 62 63, the piston head 63, which before closed the
passages a as, now allows the compressed air from the main pipe to pass through
the pipe a, annular channel a³ and passages a as to under the piston a, raising
this still further. Simultaneously the compressed air rushes through the passage b
into the cylinder C, below the piston c', raising it also. This operates the bent
lever d, rod e and bent lever e¹ e², which accordingly take up the position shown
by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the nose e² passing into the slot in the door and
locking it.
If now the brakes are applied and the train thus stopped, the air escapes from
the main pipe, and the pressure under the piston a diminishes, allowing the
latter to descend. Similarly the piston c¹ descends in the cylinder C. The air
under the piston escapes through the valve into the main pipe. The treble
piston 61 62 63, under which, in consequence of the piston a sinking the pressure
has been removed, also sinks under the action of the spring h, so that the
passage of the piston head b¹ again connects the pipe at with the pipe a². The
compressed air now rushes again from the small reservoir to the brake cylinder,
through a ato above the piston a, and drives the latter to the bottom of
its cylinder, so that its rod a¹ rests again on the eccentric E. The compressed air
at the same time rushes through the passage 64 into the adjacent cylinder C, above
the piston and likewise drives this to the bottom of its cylinder, so that the
locking parts e el e² again take up the full line position shown in Fig. 1, the door
being thus again in a position to be opened.
Even though on stopping of the train, the ecentric E should not come to rest
in such position as to allow the piston a to sink to its lowest position, this will
nevertheless occur when the train starts; in consequence of the pressure of air
above it. It will then again be raised by the eccentric into the position to
compress the air above it, as already described.

page_text: I do not limit myself to the particular form of locking mechanism shown on
the drawing, as this, as well as other practical details of construction may be
modified, without departing from the essential features of my invention. It will
be found convenient to use a spring action bolt to engage in the door, so that
the doors may be locked on starting, but any door which may by chance be left
open, may be shut and locked with the rest.
The piston heads 61 and 62 can, if desired, be formed as a single piston head.
The short pipe aº can also be arranged nearer to the cylinder B, and the annular
channel can then be dispensed with.
Also in other respects modifications may be made in the construction of the
apparatus, whilst the general principle is still adhered to. Thus, there may be
only one ordinary air cylinder arranged on each carriage, the piston rod which
either directly or through the agency of a rod passing along the
length of the carriage, acts upon the locking devices of all the
doors. Or each door, or any number of such doors, may have a particular
air cylinder communicating with the main compression pipe by means of which
the in and out rushing air locks and unlocks the door or doors.
Instead of the outrushing air itself effecting the return motion of the pistons,
this can be effected by means of a spring or weight or the like.
Having now particularly discribed and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;-
1. Apparatus for locking the doors of carriages of railway trains and the like
whilst in motion, comprising one or more air cylinders arranged on each carriage
and fed by a continuous air-pipe, whereby the pistons of the said cylinder or
cylinders operate the locking devices of the carriage doors, accordingly as the
compressed air is let into or out of the air pipe, all substantially as hereinbefore
set forth.
2. Apparatus for locking the doors of carriages of railway trains and the like
whilst in motion, comprising one or more treble cylinders or sets of cylinders
arranged on each carriage, and consisting of a main cylinder (A) containing
a piston (), the rod of which is operated by an eccentric or its equivalent mounted
on the axle of the carriage, said cylinder being connected above by a pipe a²,
having an inlet valve (f), to a smaller cylinder (B) connected to the small reservoir
of a Westinghouse Carpenter or other brake, and below through the said
cylinder (B) to the main air pipe of the brake, and having an outlet valve (g)
for the air, and two passages communicating with the top and bottom of a cylinder (C)
containing a piston (c): whereby the said cylinder (1) contains a double or
treble headed piston (61 62 63) drawn vertically downwards by the action of a
spiral spring (1), the lower head (63) of which piston closes the passage to the main
cylinder (A), and the upper head or heads of which piston contain passages which
in the upward position of the piston conduct the compressed air from the small
reservoir of the brake to the open air, and in the downward position of said
piston conduct said compressed air to the main cylinder (A); whereby the piston
rod (2) of the said piston (c¹) is connected by a system of levers (d e) or its
equivalent to the locking device such as (el e²) of the carriage door; all arranged
in such manner that on the said brake being applied the locking device is auto-
matically set in motion, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.
1
1000
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.