A SELF- ACTING FRICTION BREAK, TO BE APPLIED TO ENGINES, CARRIAGES, AND WAGGONS USED ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1853

page_text: of Chester, Cotton Manufacturer, for the Invention of A SELF-
ACTING FRICTION BREAK, TO BE APPLIED TO ENGINES, CARRIAGES, AND
WAGGONS USED ON RAILWAYS."
Sealed the 29th July 1853, and dated the 29th March 1858.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Samuel Newton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 29th March 1853.
I, SAMUEL NEWTON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Cotton
5 Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"A SELF-ACTING FRICTION BREAK, TO BE APPLIED TO ENGINES, CARRIAGES,
AND WAGGONS USED ON RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
My Invention consists in the application to the axles of engines.
carriages, and waggons of a friction wheel, to be acted on by means of
a common "clamp break," such as is ordinarily applied to cranes, such
"clamp break" being made to span the whole circumference of the
friction wheel, and being made to press against it by means of a weighted
lever.

page_text: The whole system of breaks in the train is rendered self-acting in the
following manner: all the breaks in the whole train will be pressing
or acting upon the said friction wheel when the train is at rest, and on
the engine being put in motion it will draw all the breaks out of action
upon their respective friction wheels, and the said breaks will continue
out of action so long as the engine continues to act upon the draw bars
of the carriages and waggons in the train.
for
In the case of the breaks on the engine, it will be necessary
the engine driver to raise them out of action upon the friction wheel,
tho weighted lever at all other times bringing them into action upon
the said friction wheel.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Samuel Newton, in the Great Seal Patent Office,
on the 29th September 1858.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
SAMUEL NEWTON, of Stockport, in the County of Chester, Cotton Manu-
facturer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the six-
teenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Samuel Newton, Her special license
that I, the said Samuel Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Samuel Newton, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "A SELF-ACTING
FRICTION BREAK, TO BE APPLIED TO ENGINES, CARRIAGES, AND WAGGONS USED
ON RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Samuel Newton, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal,
should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Inven-

page_text: tion, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause
the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar
monthis next and immediately after the dato of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Samuel Newton, do hereby de-
clare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following statement, reference being had to the drawings hereunto
annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that is to say):
My Invention of "a self-acting friction break, to be applied to
engines, carriages, and waggons used on railways," is intended to supply
to each carriage in a train a self-acting means of sledging or stopping
the revolution of each pair of wheels simultaneously, or nearly so,
throughout the train, the apparatus for producing such effect being
always ready to come into action on the pull of the draw bar becoming
slackened.
And this effect is accomplished by the adaptation and application to
cach axle of a friction wheel, over which is suspended or otherwise
applied a common "clamp break" (such as is ordinarily applied to
cranes) in such a manner as to cause the break to span or embrace
the whole, or nearly the whole, circumference of the friction wheel,
against which the break is made to press by the action of a weighted
lever. The tendency of this lever is to keep the break pressing against
the friction wheel at all times, except when the weighted end of it is
raised by the pull of the draw bar, so that the break is always ready to
come into immediate operation, and the same friction wheel and break
being applied to the axle of every carriage in the train, and the
carriages being all suitably connected together, all the breaks may be
drawn off their respective friction wheels by the draw bars, and all
brought into action by slackening the speed of the engine simul-
taneously, or nearly so, throughout the train.
The amount of force to be exerted by the weighted lever on each
break may be varied, but it should be so regulated that the pull of the
engine required to draw the carriage into motion may be more
than sufficient to raise the lever, and draw the break out of action.

page_text: In order, however, that my Invention may be fully understood, I
will proceed to describe, by the aid of the accompanying drawings, the
best mode with which I am acquainted by which it may be carried
into effect.
Fig. 1, is a longitudinal section of the frame of a carriage, shewing
the friction wheel and break applied to each of the axles, the breaks
being shewn as pressing upon the friction wheels; and Fig. 2, is a similar
view, shewing the breaks drawn out of contact with the friction wheels.
a, a, are the axles of the wheels; b, is the friction wheel keyed on to
the axle; c, is the "clamp break," suspended over the friction wheel
at d, which is the centre of motion for the two clamps of the break;
c, is the weighted lever, by which the break is pressed against the
friction wheel. This lever turns on a fulcrum f, fixed in the frame or
carrier g. The lower ends of the clamps c, c, pass through slots formed
obliquely in the lever c, so that when the weighted end of the lever is
raised, the ellect will be to force the ends of the clamps outwards, and
take off their pressure from the circumference of the friction wheel; i, i,
are two pulleys mounted in any convenient manner underneath the frame
of the carriage, over which pulleys chaius pass from the weighted ends
of the levers e, to the tail piece j, fixed to the draw bar k, so that when
the draw bar is pulled it may draw the chain over the pulley i, and
raise the weighted end of the lever; 1. is a link by which two draw
bars of the carriage are connected together, so that should the bar be
pulled from either end of the carriage, the effect may be to raise the
central ring, or uniting part of the chains, and with it the chains
carrying with them the weighted ends of both levers c. The draw
bark, is fitted so as to admit of its being pulled a short distance in
order to raise the levers e, and release the friction wheels d, from the
contact of the breaks before it draws the carriage forwards.
The action of the friction break is as follows:-Before the draw
bar k, is brought into tension, the break is pressing against the friction
wheel, but the pull of the draw bar raises the weighted end of the
lever c, and depresses the reverse end. By this motion tho lever is
made to act obliquely on the lower ends of the clamps c, and force

page_text: them outwards. As soon, however, as the pull on the draw bar
ceases, the weighted end of the lever falls, and brings the clamps c
again in contact with the circumference of the friction wheel b.
I would here remark, that the width of such circumference may be
varied according to the amount of friction required to be produced
thereon. I would also here remark, that in case it should be found
desirable, a strong spring might be substituted for the weighted lever,
in order to bring the break into action upon the friction wheel.
I have thus described the action of the self-acting friction break as
applied to one carriage, and it is here to be observed that the same
arrangement is to be repeated on every carriage, the several draw bars
being suitably connected together so as to cause an uniform extent of
motion of the same throughout the train. For this purpose I prefer
that the draw bars should be connected by means of a transverse pin
passed through cars on the ends of the bars, and forming a kind of
hinge joint between them; but this mode of connection may be varied,
provided it be always such as shall insure uniformity in the movement
of the several draw bars. The same friction wheel and break is also
to be applied to the axles on the engine and tender, but in this case
as well as in that of the guard's carriage, the parts should be so arranged
that the breaks may be worked by hand, instead of being self-acting as
described.
In some cases it is usual to push the train a short distance by the
buffer rods, instead of drawing it by the draw bars. In order, there-
fore, to meet such cases, one of the chains passing over one of the
pulleys, should be connected to one of the buffer rods, by means of
a lever, in such a manner as to provide an adequate leverage for
raising the weighted ends of the levers c, or overcoming the clastic
force of the spring (when such is used) within the range of action of
the buffer springs, before the carriage is set in motion.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I would have it understood that I
do not mean or intend to confine myself to the precise forms of the
parts shewn and described, neither do I claim as of my Invention

page_text: the form of the "clamp break," nor any of the other parts described
when taken separately. But what I claim as of my Invention is, the
adaptation and application of the "clamp break" combined with the
friction wheel to railway carriages, so as to constitute a self-acting
friction break for such carriage in the manner described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Newton, havo hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-eighth day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.
SAMUEL NEWTON. (L.S.)
Witnessed by B. NANCARROW.