Improvements in and relating to Brake Mechanism for Railroad Cars.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 13th Dec., 1338
Complete Specification Left, 19th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 4th May, 1889
Improvements in and relating to Brake Mechanism for
Railroad Cars.
1 WOLFGANG SCHMID of Munich in the Empire of Germany, Railway Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to railroad car brakes and consists in certain improvements in
and relating to the mechanism for operating the brakes.
The main principle of the improvel mechanism consists in deriving the power for
applying the brakes from the revolving axle of the car that is to say in causing the
brakes to be applied by the force of inertia of the revolving axle, the application of
the brakes however being continued even after the said initial operating force has
ceased until released by hand.
The mechanism principally comprises in addition to the usual brake shoe or shoes a
chain or the like for bringing it or them into contact, with the wheel or wheels, a
worm and pinion gear for winding said chain through a friction clutch, an adjustable
weight acting on said clutch, a chain and chain wheels for driving said worm a
friction wheel on the axle for driving one of the chain wheels aforesaid and hand
devices for bringing the said friction wheel and chain driving gear in contact
and operating indirectly the other parts in the manner more especially described
hereinafter.
Thus there may be journalled in a cylinder or case fixed suitably to the frame of
the car or otherwise a rotary shaft carrying fixed near one end a spur wheel or pinion
and part of a friction coupling loosely on the centre, another part of said friction
coupling in the form of a drum or reel on which a chain may be wound and feathered
to the other end a third part of said coupling, the latter being driven inward by a
suitable device of levers operated by a weight so that by adjusting the latter the
friction of the coupling and therefore the brake power of the mechanism may be
regulated.
In the case is journalled a worm or endless screw, gearing with said pinion, and on
the shaft of the worm is a chain wheel geared by chain with another chain wheel on a

page_text: movable or swinging frame. On the axle of the vehicle is a wheel having in its
periphery a V shaped groove and the chain wheel on the movable-frame aforesaid is
provided with lateral flanges so that when the frame is moved as hereinafter stated,
the said flanges may enter in the V shaped groove aforesaid and the chain wheel be
revolved by friction against or with the said groovel wheel. A suitable weight tends
to move the frame so that the chain wheel and grooved wheel are brought into
engagement and the frame is usually held out of action by suitable means released
or loosened by hand. For instance in a train of cars all the frames may be
operated by a continuous cord passing along under or over the cars being passed
over pulleys and under pulley blocks on the frames or on levers connected to the
frames after the manner of purchases and finally to a windlass on the locomotive or in
the guard's van.
By revolving the windlass, the cord will be tightened and all the frames be drawn
out of action, on loosening the cord the frames will fall into action by reason of their
weights.
The levers carrying the brake shoes are connected in suitable manner to a strong
chain fastened to the loose central portion of the friction clutch before mentioned to
be wound thereon and this chain is passed around a roller or is otherwise so contrived
that when excessive or great strain arrives thereon for instance when the force on
the break shoe is sufficient, the said excessive or great strain acts by its leverage to
move the frame so that the grooved and chain wheels are held out of gear, nevertheless
the brake continues to act until the frame is fully drawn back by the hand device
before mentioned, when in its backward movement the frame will come in contact
with the lever mechanism bearing on the clutch and move said mechanism so as to
remove the influence of the weight on the clutch and open the latter whereby the
chain of the brake shoe is released and the latter fall away from the wheel or wheels.
Dated this 13th day of December 1888.

page_text: Railroad Cars.
I WOLFGANG SOHNID of Munich in the Empire of Germany Railway Engineer do
hereby 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 :-
This invention relates to railroad car brakes and consists in certain improvements in
and relating to the mechanism for operating the brakes.
The main principle of the improved mechanism consists in deriving the power for
applying the brakes from the revolving axle of the car that is to say in causing the
brakes to be applied by the force of inertia of the revolving axle, the application of
the brakes however being continued even after the said initial operating force has
ceased until released by hand.
The mechanism principally comprises in addition to the usual brake shoe or shoes,
a chain or the liko for bringing it or them into contact with the wheel or wheels,
a worm and pinion gear for winding said chain through a friction clutch, and
adjustable weight acting on said clutch, a chain and chain wheels for driving said
worm, a friction wheel on the axle for driving one of the chain wheels aforesaid, when
brought in contact therewith, and hand devices for bringing said friction wheel and
chain driving gear in contact and operating indirectly the other parts in the manner
more especially described hereinafter.
Thus there may be journalled in a cylinder or other suitably shaped case fixed to
the frame of the car or otherwise a rotary shaft carrying, fixed, near one end a spur
wheel or pinion and part of a friction coupling; loosely on the centre, another part of
said friction coupling in the form of a drum or reel on which a chain may be wound,
and feathered to the other end a third part of said coupling, the latter being driven
inward by suitable device of levers, operated by a weight so that by adjusting the latter,
the friction of the coupling and therefore the brake power of the mechanism may be
regulated. In the case is journalled a worm or endless screw, gearing with said pinion and
on the shaft of the worin is a chain wheel geared by chain with another chain wheel
on a movable or swinging frame. On the axle of the vehicle is a wheel having in its
periphery a V shaped groove and the chain wheel on the movable frame aforesaid is
provided with lateral flanges so that when the frame is moved as hereinafter stated,
the said flanges may enter in the V shaped groove aforesaid and the chain wheel be
revolved by friction against or with the said grooved wheel. A suitable weight tends
to move the frame so that the chain wheel and grooved wheel are brought into
engagement, and the frame is usually held out of action by devices released or loosened
by hand. For instance in a train of cars all the frames may be operated by a
continuous cord passing along under or over the cars, being passed over pulleys
and under pulley blocks on the frames, or on levers connected to the frames after
the manner of purchases and finally to a windlass on the locomotive or in the
guard's van.
By revolving the windlass the cord will be tightened and all the frames be drawn
out of action; on loosening the cord the frames will fall into action by reason of their
weights.

page_text: The lever system carrying the brake shoes is connected in suitable manner to a
strong chain fastened to the loose central portion of the friction clutch before
mentioned, to be wound thereon, and this chain is passed around a roller or is other-
wise so contrived that when excessive or great strain arrives thereon, for instance
when the force on the brake shoe is sufficient, the said excessive or great strain acts
by its leverage, to move thic frame, so that the grooved and chain wheels are held out
of gear, nevertheless the brake continues to act until the frame is fully drawn back by
the band device before mentioned; when, in its backward movement the frame will
come in contact with the lever mechanism bearing on the clutch and move said
mechanism so as to remove the influence of the weight on the clutch and open the latter,
whereby the chain of the brake shoes is released and the latter fall away from the
wheels.
The construction of this brake is represented in the accompanying drawings sheets 1.
and 2, Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.
The friction wheel a is keyed on the axle of the car to which the brake is to be
applied and revolves with said axle. The wheel which is not only a wedge friction
wheel, but at the same time the chain wheel is freely journalled in the frame c,
pivoted or hinged to the frame of the car.
n
Over the wheel d gearing in the chain link recesses d therein passes an endless
chain e which extends to the improved brake apparatus and encircles a second smaller
chain wheel which is the driving wheel for the said apparatus. The case containing
the brake apparatus is bolted to the frame of the car and consists of the cylinder h
with bottom and lid and k. Within this cylinder is journalled the worm gearing
i
with the worm wheel m on the shaft n journalled in the said cylinder and carrying
the friction coupling o o' and o². The part o is loose on the shaft and formïs the
drum or reel to which the chain E is attached and wound. The part o' is keyed to
the shaft and the part o² is movable along a feather inserted in the shaft. The three
parts of the coupling are shaped preferably as shown to gear into one another with
their ribs and thus form a large frictional surface. The three parts are firmly pressed
against each other by the lever system and and the weight p. The frictional
strength of the clutch depends upon the moment of the weight p, the power with
which the brake is to be applied may therefore be exactly determined by suitable
adjustment of the weight. For heavy cars the weight p should be larger than
for light ones or it can be shifted on the lover arm 7 that it may suit the car
and that the wheels shall not be suddenly stopped upon application of the brake.
The means for operating and connecting the brakes is as follows:-
Over the carriage roofs of the train or underneath the cars as shown in the drawing
sheets 1 and 2 figures 1, 2 3 and 4, runs a rope which counects all the brake apparatus
of a train and reaches as far as the windlass, fixed on the locomotive or elsewhere as
aforesaid. The rope is looped round the sheaves s, on each car and holds in the
loop the pulley s¹, on the bell crank lover t the short arm of which is connected to a rod
to the frame c.
When the train is in motion the brake rope is slightly tensioned and all brake
apparatus kept out of action thereby. When the brake should be applied, the catch
on the windlass is lifted, and the tensioned rope rolls off quickly, the wedge friction
wheels gear; the chain wheel bis driven by the axle friction wheel a, the endless
chain drives the chain wheel and worm L.
The brake chain E is wound up thereby and the brakes applied. According to the
speed of the train all brakes are locked in this manner in 4 to 6 seconds and the
friction wheels can be brought out of contact whilst the brake remains locked as
the power brought back on the worms within the brake cylinder is not of a
nature to cause them to revolve backwards by themselvos.
If the brake is now to be released, the brake rope is tightened, the weight p is
lifted thereby through the levert revolving the shaft carrying the lever g. In
the one case (Figs. 1 and 2) by a slotted extension of said levert moving the
crank on said shaft ; in the other case (Figs. 3 and 4) by the part 1 of
said lover t arriving against and lifting the bevel faced arm 7 on said shaft.

page_text: The friction couplings are thus drawn asunder within the brake cylinder, the
brake chain E is therefore free to roll off and the brake is released. If but little
brake power is to be applied, the friction wheels are held in contact for less time than
above described.
The automatic disengaging of the friction rollers is effected in the following
manner.
With the horizontal apparatus illustrated in sheet 1. Figs. 1 and 2, the strong
brake chain E is deflected at right angles over a roller before extending to the brake
rods. This small roller lies on the hub of the fork lever z which turns on gudgeon zl.
The lower end of the lever x is connected by rod y with the beforementioned frame c.
With the brake apparatus with a vertical cylinder illustrated in sheet 2 Figs. 3 and 4
the disconnecting lever is constructed differently. The brake chain E goes in this
case from the cylinder straight to a lever z which is connected to its short arm to the
main lever of the brake and with its long arm to the rod y. In this latter case the
rody is connected to a crank arm y' on the shaft r¹, the arm y² on the latter being
connected to the swing frame c by the rods or forked frame y³. The novel automatic
disconnection of the friction wheels is of great importance and especially important
for a lengthy application of a brake in case of steep gradients on the line.
The disconnection of the friction wheels is effected by the tension of the strong
brake chain E. As soon as this chain is tensioned to such an extent that the wheels
are nearly at rest, the excessive power of this chain is transmitted through the lever *
to disengage the friction wheels a and b.
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
1. In brakes for railway vehicles the combination of a friction wheel, which may be
moved so that it is caused to revolve by the rotation of the car axle, a worm adapted
to be revolved thereby, a worm wheel connected with a portion of a friction clutch, a
reel connected with the counter part of said clutch, and a chain adapted to be wound
on said reel, and to move the brake levers to cause the brake shoes to be applied to the
wheels of said car axle for the purposes set forth.
2. The construction of clutch consisting of parts o o¹ o in combination with
weight p worm and worm wheel 1 m adapted to be operated by power from the car
axle and chain E substantially as set forth.
3. The combination with a swinging frame c carrying wheel to be brought
into frictional contact with a wheel on the car axle or levert with pulley s¹,
pulleys and cord or the like connecting all such brake mechanisms on the train
substantially in the manner described.
4. The combination with a swinging frame c adapted for the purpose set forth,
of a lever system whereby excess of tension on the brake operating chain E or
its equivalent causes the said frame c to be withdrawn substantially in the manner
described.
5. In a brake mechanism having a friction clutch held in engagement by a
weight, the construction whereby the release of the clutch from motive power
may be followed upon further action of the releasing mechanism by release of the
clutch from the action of the said weight and consequent release of the brake.
Dated this 10th day of March 1990
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.,
Agents to Applicant.