IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Henry Johnson, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY BRAKES." A communication from abroad by Thomas Welton
Stanford, Importer, and Samuel Milligan, Engineer, both of Melbourne, in the
Colony of Victoria, Australia.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Henry Johnson at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th April 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES." A communication from
abroad by Thomas Welton Stanford, Importer, and Samuel Milligan, Engincer,
both of Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Australia.
This Invention consists in the application of electricity to the wheels of railway
rolling stock as a brake power. This power is applied in the form of electro
magnets fixed in close proximity to all the wheels of all the vehicles in a train, or to
so many of them as may be thought desirable. The electric current can be supplied
of any force within the compass of the battery or electrical machine used, so as to
give the most perfect and accurate control of the brake power brought into play,
thereby ensuring an absolute prevention of the waste now caused by using a
greater power than is necessary for accomplishing the required retardation or
stoppage.
The Invention has also the additional advantage of being exceedingly cheap in
construction and working.
These electro-magnets may be of any useful form, but it is preferred to make
them with their faces of a corresponding shape to that of the periphery of the
wheel which they are to grip, and in order to their practical working they should
be so set as to retire or fall back from the wheel when the brake is not in uso.
is preferred that they should be made to so fall back by their own weight.
It
In carrying out this Invention an electric wire proceeding from a battery or
machine is connected to electro magnets contained in a case and shod with iron
shoes made to fit the periphery of the wheel. A regulating screw is employed, and

page_text: studs are provided on each side for supporting the case on an arm which is supported
at one end by a pendant lever and at the other by a stud on a bracket descending
from the framing of the carriage. The connections for joining the wires between
the several carriages may be of any ordinary description, and curls may be made
in the wire so as to allow of any stretching that may be found necessary or
convenient.
As a modification of the preceding arrangement an extra electric wire may be
used, the same proceeding from the guard's van and being connected by cross wires
underneath each carriage, so as to enable the brakes to be put on either from the
engine or from the brake van,' and also to provide against the contingency of
the breakage of any part of the main wiro or of the refusal of the electric current to
pass along it.
The brake operates in the following manner:-Whenever it is required to be
applied, a current of electricity of the requisite power is communicated to the electro
magnets through the wires, when the shoes instantly fly on to the wheels, holding
them with all their force until the speed of the train is sufficiently lessened or it is
stopped altogether, as may be required. When the object of applying the brakes
has been accomplished the electric current is cut off from the wires, the brake blocks
will then instantly release themselves from the wheels and slide backward on the
arms by reason of their own weight.
It is not necessary to withdraw or apply the whole power of the electro magnetic
brake at once, but on the contrary it can be governed with the greatest nicety
giving the most perfect control over it at all times.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said John Henry Johnson in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 14th
October 1880.
JOHN HENRY JOHNSON, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman. "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES." A communication from
abroad by Thomas Welton Stanford, Importer, and Samuel Milligan, Engineer, both
of Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria, Australia.
The said Invention consists in the application of electricity to the wheels of
railway rolling stock as a brake power. This power is applied in the form of
electro-magnets fixed in close proximity to all the wheels of all the vehicles in a
train, or to so many of them as may be thought desirable. The electric current may
be supplied of any force within the compass of the battery or electrical machine
used so as to give the most perfect and accurate control of the brake power brought
into play, thereby ensuring an absoluto prevention of the waste now caused by
using a greater power than is necessary for accomplishing the required retardation
or stoppage.
The Invention has also the additional advantage of being exceedingly cheap in
construction and working.
The clectro-magnets may be of any useful form, but it is preferred to make them
with their faces of a corresponding shape to that of the periphery of the wheel
which they are to grip, and in order to their practical working they must be so set
as to retire or fall back from the wheel when the brake is not in use. It is
preferred that they should be made to so fall back by their own weight.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in both the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side elevation of the lower
framing of a railway carriage with the said Invention applied thereto, and Figure 2
is a plan of the same corresponding to Figure 1. In each of these Figures one of
the cases containing the brake blocks is shown in section in order to render the
interior visible, and a portion of one of the arms hereinafter referred to is represented
in Figure 1 as broken away for a like purpose.
A is an electric wire proceeding from a battery or machine and connected to
electro-magnets B contained in a case B' and shod with iron shoes B2 made to fit
the periphery of the wheel; B³ is a regulating screw, and B' are studs on each side
for supporting the case B on an arm C which is supported at one end by a pendent
lever D, and at the other end by a stud on a bracket E descending from the framing
of the carriage; F, F, are connections of the ordinary description for joining the
wires between each carriage, and G, G, are curls in the wire so as to allow of any
stretching that may be found necessary or convenient.
In Figure 2 an extra electric wire A' is shewn. This proceeds from the guard
van, and is connected by cross wires A² underneath each carriage so as to enable
the brakes to be put on either from the engine or from the brake van, and also to
provide against the contingency of the breakage of any part of the wire A or of the
failure of the electric current to pass along it.
The brake operates in the following manner, videlicil:- -Whenever it is required
to be applied, a current of electricity of the requisite power is communicated to the
electro-magnets B through the wires A, when the shoes B2 instantly fly on to the
wheels, holding them with all their force until the speed of the train is sufficiently
lessened or it is stopped altogether as may be required. When the object of applying
the brakes has been accomplished the electric current is cut off from the wires A,

page_text: the brake blocks will then instantly release themselves from the wheels, and slide
backward on the arms C by reason of their own weight.
It is obvious that there is.no necessity for withdrawing or applying the whole
power of the electro-magnetic brake at once, but on the contrary it can be
governed with the greatest nicety, giving the most perfect control over it at all
times.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the hereinbofore in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. The application of electricity in the shape of electro-magnots to tho
wheels of railway rolling stock as a brake power, substantially as hereinbefore
described.
Second. In railway brakes constructed as set forth in the preceding claim, making
the cases which contain the electro magnetic brake blocks automatically release
themselves by their own weight, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Henry Johnson, have to this my Speci-
fication set my hand and seal, this Thirteenth day of October, One thousand
eight hundred and eighty.