IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR ACTUATING AND APPLYING THE BREAKS OF CARRIAGES USED ON RAILWAYS, AND FOR COUPLING SUCH CARRIAGES
Year: 1857

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Hardstaff, of Skegby Colliery, near Mans-
field, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
ACTUATING AND APPLYING THE BREAKS OF CARRIAGES USED ON RAILWAYS, AND
FOR COUPLING SUCH CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 28th July 1857, and dated the 13th February 1857.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Hardstaff at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
13th February 1857.
I, GEORGE HARDSTAFF, of Skegby Colliery, near Mansfield, Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR ACTUATING AND APPLYING THE BREAKS OF CARRIAGES USED ON RAILWAYS, AND
FOR COUPLING SUCH CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for actuating
and applying the breaks of carriages used on railways, and for coupling such
carriages.
For these purposes the apparatus is combined in such manner that the
carriages of a train are at all times kept at an equal distance apart from each
other, and all the breaks are simultaneously put into action by the piston rod
or rods of a steam cylinder or cylinders, applied for the purpose to the loco-
motive engine. Each carriage is provided with its parts of the several couplings
of a train, which couplings are arranged as follows:-Each coupling consists
of two main parts, one of which is fitted to one end of a carriage and the

page_text: other part to the other end of the carriage. One part consists of a female
screw or socket, moving at one of it's ends on a vertical axis. The other
portion of a coupling consists of a male screw, part of the stem of which is
fixed in, but is capable of turning in a socket which turns or moves on a hori-
zontal axis, where it is fixed to the carriage. On the stem of the male screw
is a weighted projection or arm, so that when the male and female screws of
two carriages have been screwed up into position, and the weighted arm or
projection is hanging- downwards, there will be .no liability of the coupling
coming unscrewed.
By this arrangement of coupling the carriages are kept constantly at a
proper distance apart. These couplings are applied in a central position, as is
the case in respect to the screw couplings now in use, and the ordinary coupling
chains and buffers may be used therewith, as heretofore. It is preferred that
each of the wheels of each carriage should be provided with a break to act
on its upper surface, and that such breaks should each consist of a. curved
surface, corresponding with the radius or curvature of the wheels, and that each
break should at one end be attached by an axis to the framing of the carriage,
and that the other end should be attached to a crank or cranks on an axis across
the framing of the carriage. The form of breaks may however be varied. The
several crank axes to which the breaks are attached are connected to a sliding
bar, which slides in suitable supports or bearings affixed to the under framing
of the carriage. The sliding. bars of the several carriages of a train are coupled
or connected together in the following manner :-At one end of each sliding bar
is a coupling bar, which is connected to the sliding bar by a horizontal pin
joint or axis. The other end of this coupling bar has a fixed coupling pin,
projecting downwards at right angles to the coupling bar, and such:coupling pin
enters and is capable of turning freely in a hole in the end of the sliding .bar
of the next carriage, and the parts are retained by a key. or cotter....By.these
means the several sliding bars of a train are coupled or connected together.in
such manner as to admit of the train going round curves; and the sliding..bar
of the carriage which is attached to the locomotive engine is. either attached
to a cross head carried by two piston rods of two steam cylinders, or it may
be to a single piston rod. The steam cylinders to actuate the several breaks
of a train simultaneously are worked by the engineer admitting steam behind
the pistons in the steam cylinders, by which the sliding bars will be.all.drawn
towards the locomotive engine, which will cause all the breaks.to.be put on,
whilst by admitting steam to the other side of the pistons the breaks will.be
removed.
1.
'

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said George Hardstaff in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
13th August 1857.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, GEORGE
HARDSTAFF, of Skegby Colliery, near Mansfield, Engineer, send greeting.
1
WHEREAS, Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Thirteenth day of February, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven, in the twentieth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said George. Hardstaff, Her special licence that I, the said George Hardstall,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said George
Hardstaff, 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, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARAatus for
ACTUATING AND APPLYING THE BREAKS OF CARRIAGES USED ON RAILWAYS, AND FOR
COUPLING SUCH CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said George Hardstaff; my executors or administrators, by an instrument in.
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
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 George Hardstaff, do hereby declare the
nature of the 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 thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in apparatus for actuating
and applying the breaks of carriages used on railways, and for coupling such
carriages. For these purposes the apparatus is combined in such manner that
the carriages of a train are at all times kept at an equal distance apart from
each other, and all the breaks are simultaneously put into action by the piston
rod or rods of a steam cylinder or cylinders. applied for the purpose to the
locomotive engine. Each carriage is provided with its parts of the several
couplings of a train, which couplings are arranged as follows:-Each coupling
consists of two main parts a and b, one of which, marked'a, is fitted to one end
of a carriage, and the other part, marked b, is fitted to the other end of thu
:

page_text: carriage. The one part (a) consists of a female screw or socket moving at onc
of its ends on a vertical axis a'. The other portion of a coupling (b) consists
of a male screw, part of the stem of which is fixed in, but is capable of turning
in a socket b', which turns or moves on a horizontal axis b², where it is fixed
to the carriage at B. On the stem of the male screw b is a weighted pro-
jection (3) or arm, so that when the male and female screws a and b of two
carriages A and B have been screwed up into position, and the weighted arm
or projection 3 is hanging downwards, there will be no liability of the coupling
coming unscrewed. By this arrangement of coupling the carriages are kept
constantly at a proper distance apart. These couplings are applied in a central
position, as is the case in respect to the screw couplings now in use, and the
ordinary coupling chains and buffers may be used therewith, as heretofore. It
is preferred that each of the wheels of each carriage should be provided with a
break to act on its upper surface, and that such breaks should each consist of
a curved surface, corresponding with the radius or curvature of the wheels, and
that cach break should at one end be attached by an axis to the framing of the
carriage, and that the other end should be attached to a crank or cranks on an
axis across the framing of the carriage. The form of breaks may, however, be
varied. The several crank axes c, c, c, c, to which the breaks d, d, d, d, are
attached, are connected to a sliding bar f, which slides in suitable supports or
bearings e, e, e, e, affixed to the under framing of the carriage. The sliding bars
ff of the several carriages of a train are coupled or connected together in the
following manner :-At one end of each sliding bar f is a coupling bar which
is connected to the sliding bar f by a horizontal pin joint or axis g'. The other
end of this coupling bar g has a fixed coupling pin g projecting downwards at
right angles to the coupling bar g, and such coupling pin g enters and is
capable of turning freely in a hole f¹ in the end of the sliding bar f of the next
carriage, and the parts are retained by a key or cotter f³. By these means
the several sliding bars f, f, of a train are coupled or connected together in such
manner as to admit of the train going round curves, and the sliding bar f of
the carriage, which is attached to the locomotive engine, is either attached to a
cross head h carried by two piston rods i, i, of two steam cylinders j, j, or it
may be to a single piston rod. The steam cylinders i, j, to actuate the several
breaks d, d, of a train simultaneously are worked by the engineer admitting
steam behind the pistons in the steam cylinders j, j, by which the sliding bars
ff will be all drawn towards the locomotive engine, and thereby cause all the
breaks to be put on, whilst by admitting steam to the other side of the pistons
of the cylinders j, j, the breaks d, d, will all be simultaneously removed from
the surfaces of the wheels.
9,

page_text: Having thus shown and described my Invention, and the manner of putting
the same into operation, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details given, as they may be varied without departing from the
principle of my Invention; but what I claim is,―
First, the application of apparatus for actuating and applying the breaks of
carriages used on railways, as herein described.
And, secondly, I claim the couplings for such carriages, as described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Hardstaff, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of August, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-seven.
Witness,
FRED HARRIS.
GEORGE HARDSTAFF. (L.B.)