IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Astley Paston Price, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the
County of Middlesex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY
BRAKES." A communication from abroad by John Hardy and John George
Hardy, both of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria.
Sealed the 28th May 1878, and dated the 20th March 1878.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Astley Paston Price at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 20th March 1878.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex.
'IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES." A communication from abroad by John
Hardy and John George Hardy, both of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria.
This Invention relates to that description of railway brakes, in which the brake
is held out of contact with the wheels by the maintenance of a vacuum in suitable
apparatus, and is applied to the wheels automatically by the destruction of the
vacuum by the admission of air, either voluntarily or accidentally into the pipes
leading to the said apparatus as described in the Provisional Specification filed by
John Henry Johnson, with his application for Letters Patent, the 28th November
1877, No. 4490, and it consists,-
1st. In constructing the larger valve of the compound or double valve which is
arranged in connection with the vacuum reservoir as described in the said Pro-
visional Specification in the form of a flexible diaphragm or sack attached at its
edge or periphery to the sides of the valve box or cylinder in which the valve
works, the smaller valve being connected to the said diaphragm or sack by a rod or
stem.
"
2ndly. In the employment (more particularly for goods' wagons) of brakes held
out of action by the maintenance of a vacuum in a vacuum cylinder, and on the
destruction of the vacuum applied by the gravitation of a weighted lever mounted
on a centre or fulcrum connected with the brake rods or levers, the said lever being
normally suspended by the atmospheric pressure, while the vacuum is maintained
in the cylinder and allowed to descend, turning on its centre or fulcrum, and putting

page_text: on the brakes as soon as the atmospheric pressure is neutralized by the admission
of air to the pipes leading to the vacuum cylinder. Means are provided for working
the brakes by hand by the aid of a lever, when the piston or diaphragın of the
vacuum cylinder is in its neutral condition with the atmospheric pressure on both
Bides thereof.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Astley Paston Price in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th
August 1878.
.11
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE, of 47, Lincoln's Inn Fields, in the County of Middlesex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES." A communication from abroad by John
Hardy and John George Hardy, both of Vienna, in the Empire of Austria.
The said Invention has reference to that description of railway brakes in which
the brake is held out of contact with the wheels, by the maintenance of a vacuum
in suitable apparatus, and is applied to the wheels automatically by the destruction
of the vacuum, by the admission of air either voluntarily or accidentally into the
pipes leading to the said apparatus, as described in the Specification to Letters
Patent, granted to John Henry Johnson on behalf of tho said John Hardy and
John George Hardy, dated the 28th November 1877, No. 4490. It relates to the
employment (more particularly for goods' wagons) of brakes held out of action by
the maintenance of a vacuum in a vacuum cylinder, and on the destruction of the
vacuum directly applied by the gravitation of a weighted lever mounted on a centre
or fulcrum. connected with the brake rods or levers, the said lever being normally
suspended by the atmospheric pressure, while the vacuum is maintained in the
cylinder and allowed to descend, turning on its centre or fulcrum, and putting on
the brakes as soon as the atmospheric pressure is neutralized by the admission of
air to the pipes leading to the vacuum cylinder.
And in order that the said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now pro-
ceed 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 all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a side elevation with a
portion of the frame broken away or removed of a goods' wagon with the said
Învention applied thereto. Figure 2 is a plan of the same with the body of the wagon
removed, and Figure 3 is a transverse section corresponding to Figure 1.
A is the under frame of the wagon, B the wheels, and C the brake blocks, the
latter being suspended by links a from the frame A, and also connected by two
systems of rods and levers b, b, to double armed levers c, c, fast or formed on a
rocking shaft D. This shaft which is supported in bearings d, d, depending from
the frame A, carries a lever arın E, provided with a weight e of sufficient size when
the said lever arm is free to cause the blocks to be applied to the wheels B without
any desired degree of force.
Above the lever arm E is arranged a vacuum cylinder F, by preference of the
description which forms the subject matter of former Letters Patent, granted to

page_text: Mr. John Henry Johnson, on behalf of the said John Hardy and John George
Hardy, dated the 5th December, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six,
No. 4704, the said cylinder being in communication with a pipe G leading from
an ejector or other air exhausting apparatus situate on the engine or elsewhere.
In place of the said vacuum cylinder, that commonly known as Smith's vacuum
sack may be employed.
The rod H of the sack or piston of the cylinder F is connected to the lever arm
E, and the parts are arranged relatively the one to the other in such a manner that
when a vacuum is produced in the cylinder F by means of the said air-exhausting
apparatus, the weighted lever E shall be elevated by the atmospheric pressure
acting upon the under side of the sack or piston, and the blocks C removed from
the wheels, and shall continue to be held out of action so long as a vacuum is
maintained in the pipe G and cylinder F, but that as soon as the vacuum is
destroyed or sufficiently impaired either voluntarily by the act of an attendant
opening an air-cock in the pipe G, or accidentally by the rupture of the said pipe
or from any other cause, the atmospheric pressure acting on the under side of the
sack or piston being thus neutralized, the weighted lever E shall descend by gravi-
tation, and the brake be accordingly applied to the wheels.
In my Drawings the brake blocks are represented as out of contact with the
wheels, the sack or piston of the vacuum cylinder being in its elevated position in
which it is maintained by the atmospheric pressure acting on its under side against
the vacuum in the interior of the cylinder, and overcoming the weight of the
lever E.
On the end of the shaft D is fitted a lever H³, by the aid of which the brakes
may be operated by hand when necessary; as for example, in shunting the wagons.
For this purpose, assuming that a vacuum exists in the cylinder F, and that the
brakes are off, the lever H³ is sprung into a recess provided for its reception in the
strap g in which the lever works, or the lever is supported by a pin passed through
a hole in the strap, the vacuum may then be destroyed the strap g or pin main-
taining the lever H¹, and consequently the weighted lever E elevated, and the
brakes may be applied by the release of the lever H¹ in the ordinary manner.
When desired vacuum reservoirs are provided, situate on the engine or guards'
vans or both, and with which the exhaust pipe G may be placed in communication
so as to facilitate the maintenance of the vacuum, without the liability of the
position of the piston of the cylinder F being materially influenced by a slight
leakage in the cylinders or their connections.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
Invention, and the manner in which the said 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 herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, the combination of parts constituting my improved brake
apparatus, wherein the brakes are worked by means of a weight or weighted lever
in combination with a vacuum cylinder used for holding the brakes out of action by
the atmospheric pressure during the maintenance of a vacuum' in the said cylinder,
the brakes being, on the destruction or sensible deterioration of such vacuum,
directly applied by the descent by gravitation of the weight or weighted lever, such
parts being combined and arranged substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Astley Paston Price, have to this my Specifi-
cation set my hand and seal, the Fifteenth day of August, One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
ASTLEY PASTON PRICE. (L.S.)