IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND APPLYING THE BREAKS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1869

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Finley at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 14th May
1869..
I, WILLIAM FINLEY, of Stockport, in the County of Cheshire, Self-
actor Minder, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN WORKING AND APPLYING THE BREAKS OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES
AND APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH," to be as follows:-
The break power in railway trains is usually obtained by causing
blocks of wood to press against the surface or surfaces of the wheels,
and these breaks are generally applied or operated by means of a wheel
or wheels and a crank or cranks and screws worked by an attendant
or the guard or driver of the trains. Now according to my Invention
the pressure of the buffer rods of the carriages or waggons are mado
available to apply the break power, so that when the driver closes
the throttle valve, and consequently shuts off the steam, the breaks
of the tender become tightened up, and, as it were, a resistance is
thus produced "ahead" of the train, and provided my improved.
"breaks" are fitted to each carriage composing the train all the

page_text: carriages throughout the train may have the wheels skidded, if the driver
considers it necessary to do so. The break blocks are hinged at their
upper cuds to the frame of the carriage and are in shape to adapt
themselves to the "contour" of the wheels when brought against the
same; the blocks are by preference placed and operate upon two wheels
of each carriage ou each side thereof, the blocks being united by a bar
or support carrying a balance weight always having a tendency to cause
the blocks to press against the wheels, the horizontal rod supports a
lever free to oscillate about a fixed point thereon, and this lever is in
connection with rods united thereto, and to the break blocks by com-
municating motion in one direction to the oscillating lever, the hori-
zontal bar falls and the blocks skid the wheels, and by communicating
motion in the contrary direction the horizontal rod is raised and the
blocks are removed from the wheels. Motion is communicated to thic
oscillating lever through the action of the buffer rods, and a convenient
method of effecting the same is as follows:-The buffers are connected
to rods which are free to slide in the frames of the carriage or waggon,
the ends of these rods are united to a cross frame carrying a hinged
clamp or clip one end of which is weighted, the said clip being free
to oscillate on a fixed point, so that as the buffers are pressed the clip
seizes the oscillating lever on the break rods and causes the break
blocks to be applied to the wheels in the manner before described.
This action would take place at all times when the buffers come forcibly
together unless some means were provided for disconnecting the clip
on the weighted lever from the oscillating lever on the break blocks,
and this is effected by apparatus hereafter described under the immediate
control of the driver of the engine. For this purpose there is on the
engine or tender a lever which works about a fixed point and com-
municates motion to a rod carrying a chain at its other end united to
a rod carrying another chain attached to the weighted lever carrying
the aforesaid clip, thus by moving the lever under the control of the
driver of the engine the clip is lowered to allow it to come in
contact with the oscillating lever, and when the buffer rods slide in
the breaks are applied to the wheels; by moving the lever on the
engine or tender in the contrary direction the chains are slackened
and the balance weight causes the clip to rise out of the way of the
buffer rods and the buffers press together without the break power
being applied. The buffer rods are provided with springs one to receive
the first shock of the buffing action and another to relieve its forec, but

page_text: at the same time the buffer rods are in no way connected to the carriage
or springs but are independent of one another. The buffer rods are
provided with grooved pulleys to run on or in them, and the springs
nearest the buffers are the weaker to receive the first shock, the others
being the stronger.
The apparatus before described I have found a convenient arrange-
ment for carrying my Invention into effect, at the same time I do not
limit myself to the particular arrangement of all the parts described, as
the same may be varied without departing from the essential features
of my Invention, especially in the details of the mechanical arrangements
and wherein mechanical equivalents may be employed for some of the
parts described, the chief object of the Invention being to enable thic
driver or stoker of the engine or engines to work the breaks of railway
trains independently of the guard or guards or other attendant or
attendants of the train, and substantially in and by the means and
appliances hercin-before described.