AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY BRAKE
Year: 1877

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Adolfo Cozza, of Orvietto, in the Kingdom of Italy, but
now residing at Queen Street Place, in the City of London, for the Invention
of "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY BRAKE."
Sealed the 15th September 1877, and dated the 10th July 1877.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Adolfo Cozza at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 10th July 1877.
ADOLFO COZZA, of Orvietto, in the Kingdom of Italy, but now residing at Queen
Street Place, in the City of London. "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY
BRAKE."
This Invention relates to a novel construction of brake apparatus to be applied
to the wheels of railway carriages, whereby the motion of the brake blocks to bring
them into action is reduced to a minimum, and their pressure upon the wheels will
be in a vertical direction.
To the under side of the axle box of each wheel, which is to be fitted with the
brake, a hollow casting is bolted, the under side of which casting forms the upper
half of a pressure box or chamber. This chamber is fitted with a water-tight bag,
of leather or other suitable flexible material, in communication through suitable
coupling pipes with the boiler of the engine. The lower half of this box or chamber
is so connected with the upper half as to allow of its receiving a slight vertical
inotion as on a hinge, and it is held up to the fixed portion of the box or chamber
by means of a pressure spring. This movable portion of the chamber is extended
laterally at its front part, and the opposite ends of this extension terminate in lugs
that receive a pair of vertical rods. To the upper ends of these rods a bracket
casting is attached which slides in fixed guides on the carriage framing, and carries
a segment-shaped brake block that overlies the centre of the wheel.
When it is desired to put on the brake the pressure in the boiler is communicated
to the pipes which connect with the several brakes, and the flexible bags enclosed
in the pressure chambers below the axle boxes will be caused to expand and

page_text: thereby draw down the brake blocks upon their respective wheels. On removing
this pressure the brakes are thrown out of action.
By this arrangement, whatever pressure may be put upon the brakes, the running
wheels will have no tendency to escape from the brake blocks and produce the
well-known disagreeable tremor common to brake carriages, and the efficiency of 5
the brakes in action will be maintained.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Adolfo Cozza in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 10th January
1878.
ADOLFO Cozza, of Orvietto, in the Kingdom of Italy, but now residing at Queen
Street Place, in the City of London. "AN IMPROVED CONSTRUCTION OF RAILWAY
BRAKE."
This Invention relates to a novel construction of brake to be applied to the
wheels of railway carriages, whereby the motion of the brake blocks (to bring them
into action) is reduced to a minimum. This brake I propose to connect with the
arrangement of hydraulic apparatus for which I obtained Letters Patent, bearing
date the Twenty-sixth day of June.One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven,
and to work it in a similar way to the V grooved friction blocks described in the
Specification of the said Patent, my object being to meet the requirements of those
engineers who insist upon the brakes employed being made to act upon the
periphery of the running wheels.
In the accompanying Drawing I have shewn my Invention in several forms,
omitting all details of the hydraulic apparatus, the construction of which, as also
the mode of putting the same into action, is clearly set forth in the Specification
of my said Patent of Twenty-sixth June One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
seven.
Fig. 1 shews in side elevation the improved brake as applied to a railway
carriage wheel, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same. In these Figures A
is the wheel axle; B, the axle box; and C, the flanged wheel.
To the under side of the axle box B a casting D is bolted, which is made hollow
on its under side as shewn in the section, Fig. 2, to form the upper half of a
pressure box or chamber. This chamber is fitted with a water-tight bag, of leather
or other suitable flexible material E, in communication through suitable coupling
pipes F, F, with the boiler of the engine. G is a pan-shaped casting, corresponding
in form with the under side of the casting D, and constituting the lower half of
the box or chamber containing the water-tight bag E. This lower half G of the
chamber is so connected with the upper half D as to allow of its receiving a slight
vertical motion, as on a hinge, and it is held in place by means of a pressure spring.
This moveable portion of the chamber is extended laterally at its front part, and
the opposite ends of this extension terminates in lugs that receive a pair of vertical
rods H, H. To the upper ends of these rods a bracket casting I is attached which
slides in fixed guides K, K, on the carriage framing, and carries a segment-shaped
brake block L that overlies the centre of the wheel. This arrangement of brake,
it will be understood, may be fitted to any number of the carriage wheels in the

page_text: train, and the pipes F will be brought into connection with the hydraulic apparatus
which extends from the engine to the guard's van at the end of the train.
When it is desired to put on the brakes the pressure in the boiler is communi-
cated to the pipes which connect with the several brakes, and the flexible bags
enclosed in the pressure chambers below the axle boxes will be caused to expand,
and thereby draw down the brake blocks instantly upon their respective wheels.
By this arrangement, whatever pressure may be put upon the brakes, the running
wheels will have no tendency to escape from the brake blocks and produce the will-
known disagreeable tremor common to brake carriages, and the efficiency of the
brakes in action will be maintained.
Fig. 3 shews in side elevation a modification of the brake just described. In
this instance the rods H are inclined outwards, and connected together by a cross
bar H. Pendant from the joint pins which secure this connection are the brake.
blocks L, L, which are brought down on the periphery of the wheel by the
expansion of the flexible bag contained in the chamber below the axle box, as
explained with reference to the arrangement, Figures 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a further
modification of the brake, the rods H in this case having no vertical guides, but
being connected at their upper ends to radius rods H², pivotted to the fixed
bracket H³ on the carriage framing.
I would remark that, if desired, the pressure of the water in the expanding
chamber may be applied directly to the brake block. An arrangement of this kind
is shewn in side elevation at Fig. 5, and in partial section at Fig. 6, where the
brake block L constitutes the lower half of the expanding chamber. The upper or
fixed half D is secured by the rods H to the axle box B by the cross plate D¹,
which is bolted thereto. The brake block must in this case be connected by
springs with the casting D, and rise and fall with it when the brake is not in
action.
Having now set forth the nature of my Invention of "An Improved Construction
of Railway Brake," and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I
wish it to be understood, that under the above in part recited Letters Patent I claim,
the application to brakes, fitted with friction blocks which act upon the carriage
wheels, of expanding chambers, being part of a system of hydraulic apparatus for
putting such blocks into operation, in the manner and for the purpose above set
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Adolfo Cozza, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, the Ninth day of January, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ADOLFO COZZA. (L.S.)