Improvements in Brake Blocks for Railway Rolling Stock and the like.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Oct., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 26th Sept., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Blocks for Railway Rolling Stock and
the like.
J, FREDERICK GANDY, of 57 Hartwood Road, Southport, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in brake blocks particularly applicable for
railway rolling stock and also to tramcars and the like and the chief object of my
improvements is to maintain the tread of the wheels to which the brake blocks are
applied in their normal condition as long as possible and also to brake the wheels
more effectually.
To accomplish this object I make the brake block act chiefly upon that portion of
the tread of the wheel which does not normally lie or run upon the rail and I prefer
to make the brake block act also upon the flange of the wheel. I cast the brake
block of a suitable iron which will chill readily and I form the mould partly of
metal in order to chill portions of the brake block and leave intermediate portions
comparatively soft so as to act efficiently upon that portion of the tread of the
wheel which does not run upon the rail and I prefer to do the same on that part of
the brake block which comes upon the wheel flange.
By this means a cheap and durable brake block is produced which by acting
chiefly on the portion of the tread of the wheel which does not run upon the rails
tends to prolong the life of the wheel tyres and maintain their original form.
Dated this 24th day of October 1895.
Improvements in Brake Blocks for Railway Rolling Stock and
the like.
I, FREDERICK GANDY, of 57 Hartwood Road, Southport, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, do bereby 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 :—
My invention relates to improvements in brake blocks particularly applicable for
railway rolling stock and also to tramcars and the like and the chief object of my
improvements is to maintain the tread of the wheels to which the brake blocks are
applied in their normal condition as long as possible and also to brake the wheels
more effectually.
To accomplish this object I make the brake block act chiefly upon that portion
of the tread of the wheel which does not normally lie or run upon the rail and
I prefer to make the brake block act also upon the flange of the wheel. I cast the
brake block of a suitable iron which will chill readily and I form the mould partly
of metal in order to chill portions of the brake block and leave intermediate portions
comparatively soft so as to act efficiently upon that portion of the tread of the wheel

page_text: which does not run upon the rail and I prefer to do the same on that part of the
brake block which comes upon the wheel flange.
In the accompanying three sheets of drawings-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the lower side of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line A A, Fig. 1, and
Fig. 4 is a section on the line B B, Fig.
railway carriage wheel, and
of my improved brake block for a
Fig. 5 represents the shape of a new wheel tyre to which the improved brake
block is applicable.
Fig. 6 is a diagram of a tyre worn by the rail and showing also how the chilled
surfaces act on the tyre to maintain its original shape and so prolong the life of the
tyre.
In the drawings,--a represents the brake block cast of a suitable metal which will
chill readily when it comes in contact with the metal portions of the mould in order
to produce chilled hard surfaces on those portions of the brake block which come
in contact with the tread and flange of the wheel. The dotted lines a¹ in the
drawings show the amount of chilled surface which gives good effect in practice.
It will be seen on examining Figs. 4 and 5 that the greatest surface of the chilled
brake block acts upon that portion of the tread of the wheel tyre which is farthest
from the flange and which is least worn by the friction on the rail and in order to
still further relieve that portion of the tyre which runs upon the rail from the
friction of the brake block I propose to cut away the metal of the block between
the chilled surfaces as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.
My improved brake block by acting chiefly upon that portion of the tyre which
does not normally run upon the rails as illustrated by Fig. 6, tends to prolong the
life of the tyre and also by wearing the tyre chiefly at the point where it does not
run upon the rails enables worn wheels to run over curves with materially less
friction and grinding and so to pass over points and crossings without the same
amount of damage to the permanent way as is caused by worn wheels which are acted
upon by brakes of the usual construction.
Although I have only shown a brake block adapted for flanged railway rolling.
stock it is obvious that my improved brake block could be applied to tramcars and
similar vehicles.
Having now particularly described 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 :-
The improved metal brake block having alternating surfaces of chilled and soft
metal as and for the purposes described and as illustrated in the accompanying
..drawings.
Cu this 24th day of August 190
H. B. BARLOW & GILLETT,
17 St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for Applicant.