IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Ellis Harris, of Finsbury Pavement, and of
Mile End Road, both in the County of Middlesex, Surgeon Dentist, for an
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Ellis Harris at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 6th June 1882.
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ALFRED ELLIS HARRIS, of Finsbury Pavement and of Mile End Road both in
the County of Middlesex, Surgeon Dentist "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."
My invention relates to a continuous automatic railway brake wherein I dispense
with the use of the ordinary brake blocks and in some cases also in the compressed
air or vacuum as now ordinarily used for operating continuous automatic brakes.
According to my invention I provide in lieu of the ordinary brake blocks friction
clutches operated as described below. These friction clutches are arranged with
one part on the axle of the vehicle whilst the other part of the clutch is carried in
an attachment or attachments to the frame of the vehicle. The friction clutches
according to one arrangement are in the form of male and female frustums of
cones, but in some cases friction plates may be employed. To operate these friction
clutches I provide an arrangement of levers working on pins or pivots and
connected to springs that tend to move apart the free ends of such levers so as
to put the friction clutches into operation. To release or take off the brakes I
employ a sliding device that acts on inclined portions of or attachments to the said
levers and is operated by an arrangement of rods and levers which can be brought
into action by means of a worm and worm wheel on a spindle carrying a pulley
which operates a chain connected to the arrangement of rods and levers whereby
the sliding device (which is suitably guided) is worked. In the event of a train
becoming accidentally divided, or of the brake connections being interrupted by
fracture, the brakes will be automatically applied by the springs.
In some cases in lieu of the friction clutch arrangement above described I employ
bands operated by spring levers and a sliding device as described and acting on
suitable wheels or drums that rotate with the carrying wheels of the vehicle.
My invention as above set forth may be carried out in various forms; and in
some cases brakes constructed as described may be operated by compressed air or
by the application of a vacuum in lieu of mechanical means such as above
referred to.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alfred Ellis Harris in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
6th December 1882.
ALFRED ELLIS HARRIS, of Finsbury Pavement, and of Mile End Road both in
the County of Middlesex, Surgeon Dentist IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES.'
"
"
My invention relates to a continuous automatic railway brake, wherein I
dispense with the use of the ordinary brake blocks, and, in some cases also with
compressed air or vacuum as now ordinarily used for operating continuous automatic
brakes.
According to my invention, I provide in lieu of the ordinary brake blocks,
friction clutches operated as described below.
These friction clutches are arranged with one part on the axle of the vehicle,
whilst the other part of the clutch is carried in an attachınent, or attachments, to
the frame of the vehicle.
The friction clutches according to one arrangement are in the form of male and
female frustums of cones, but in some cases, friction plates or discs may be employed,
instead of male and female cones.
To operate these friction clutches (or plates) I provide an arrangement of levers
working on pins or pivots, and connected to springs that tend to move apart the
free ends of such levers so as to put the friction clutches into operation. To release
or take off the brakes I employ a sliding device or frame that acts on inclined
portions of (or attachments to) the said levers; this device or frame is operated by.
an arrangement of rods and levers which can be brought into action by means of
a worm and worm wheel arranged on a spindle carrying a pulley which operates a
chain connected to the arrangement of rods and levers whereby the sliding device
or frame (which is suitably guided) is worked.
In the event of a train becoming accidentally divided, or of the brake connexions
being interrupted by fracture, the brakes will be automatically applied by the
springs.
In some cases, in lieu of the friction clutch arrangement above described I
may employ bands operated by springs, levers and a sliding device or frame as
described and acting on suitable wheels or drums that rotate with the carrying
wheels of the vehicle.
My invention as above set forth, may be carried out in various forms; and in
some cases brakes constructed as described may be operated by compressed air or
by the application of a vacuum in lieu of mechanical means such as above
referred to.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the lower part of a
carriage with apparatus according to my invention applied thereto, Fig. 2 is an
inverted plan to a larger scale shewing a portion of the carriage with my apparatus
applied to it, as seen when looking from below and Fig. 3 is a similar plan, shewing
the ends and middle of the carriage framing with the rods and levers for operating
the brakes.
Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal section showing a portion of a carriage with my
apparatus applied thereto and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section in the line A B of
Fig. 4 Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the worm and worm wheel arrangement. for
operating the brakes, Fig. 7 is a plan of the same. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of
apparatus for taking off the brakes by hand when required and Fig. 9 is a side
view of the same.
The
a, a, are friction clutches, formed as male and female frustums of cones.
male cones are fitted on to the axles of the vehicle so as (by the use of a feather or

page_text: equivalent means to be compelled to revolve therewith, but they are able to slide
along the axles as illustrated in section in Fig. 2. The female cones are held
between horn plates a' a¹ fixed to the framing of the vehicle so that these cones.
cannot turn but they will permit of the play of the springs by which the body of
the vehicle is supported. 6, b, are levers pivotted to the framing at b' b¹.
The pins or studs forming the fulcra of these levers are fixed to a cross frame,
and are sufficiently long to allow of the movement of that frame in a vertical sense
in relation to the axles, so as to allow for the play of the springs supporting
the carriage body without straining the levers.
These levers bare for operating the male cones, and at their free ends the two
levers b at each side of the vehicle are connected by a pin on one taking into
a slot in the other so that these ends of the two levers move together or
approximately so.
cc are springs fitted to the free ends of the levers 6 and tending to force these.
ends apart and thus to put the friction brakes into operation. d is a sliding device
or frame the office of which is to release or take off the brakes.
It is provided with anti-friction rollers e e bearing upon the levers b, so that
when this sliding device or frame d is moved longitudinally into such a position
that its anti-friction rollers bear against the inclined portions or extensions of the.
levers b then their free ends are caused to approach one another thus moving the
male cones out of contact with the female cones by acting upon the sliding.
sleeves a a² which are formed with or attached to the said male cones and with
them are carried on the axles of the vehicle.
The sliding device or frame d is operated by levers rods and links connected by
means of a chain f¹ to a pulley f
This pulley is operated by means of a worm g, worm wheel g¹ and handle g*.
which may conveniently be placed in a brake van at the end of a train.
When the pulley f is operated for the purpose of releasing the brakes it causes
the chain to pull the rod h and through the lever h¹ (Fig. 3) rod h² and lever h³
turns the upright shaft h' which is connected by means of the arm h³ and link ho
to the sliding device or frame d. i is a guide for guiding the sliding device or
frame d by means of pins or studs j j.
k is a sliding stop piece fitted in the slotted curved bracket which carries the
spindle of the worm g, so as to bear against the said spindle to keep the worm in
gear with the worm wheel. The stop k is kept up in the position shewn in the
drawing (Fig. 6) by the spring i¹ and at its lower end (where there is a guiding
part or tail ) is fixed a cord or other similar connection 2
Upon the train becoming accidentally divided, or upon the brake connections
being interrupted by fracture, the said cord will be automatically pulled, thus
pulling down the stop k, whereupon the worm g pivotted at g³, will by the action
of the springs c c on the levers b be caused to fly out of gear with the worm
wheel g, thus allowing it to run round, and so permitting the brakes to be
automatically applied.
If the chain connected to the rod h of one carriage be connected to the lever h¹
of another carriage, instead of being connected to a pulley of then if from any
cause the two carriages become separated, the brakes of both carriages will be
automatically applied. In this way the brakes of all the carriages in a train may
be so connected, that in the event of the train dividing at any part, all the brakes
will at once be automatically put in operation.
In Figs. 8 and 9 is shewn an apparatus fixed to the end of a carriage for taking
off and putting on the brakes by hand when the carriage is slipped or is disconnected
from the rest of a train for shunting or other purposes
The handle m upon being turned, winds the chain n on to the barrel m² which
chain is connected by a rod o to the lever h³ whereby the sliding device or
frame d is operated.
Instead of operating the brakes by means of the springs c c as above described,
I may use for that purpose apparatus worked by vacuum compressed air, steam or

page_text: hydraulic pressure. Also apparatus worked by vacuum compressed air, steam or
hydraulic pressure, may be used in lieu of the worm wheel arrangement as described
for taking off the brakes.
It will be evident that other variations may be made in the mode of carrying my
invention into practical effect, without departure from its distinctive character-
istics, for example, the male cones may be carried by the horn plates a' a', and
the female cones may be arranged to turn with the axles but so as to be movable
lengthwise thereof for putting on and taking off the brakes. Also instead of
making bb levers of the second order they may be levers of the first order, the
inclines being reversed so that d will force out the inclined ends to take off the
conical or other brakes.
If apparatus worked by compressed air or vacuum as well understood be
connected to the free ends of the levers b, so as to simultaneously draw inward the
ends of the four levers, or to simultaneously move them outwards for putting on or
taking off the brakes, it will be evident the springs c and sliding device or frame d
may be dispensed with.
Having thus described the nature of my said invention and explained the
manner of performing it, I would have it understood that what I claim is as
follows:-
1. In a railway brake the use of male and female cones, so arranged as when in
contact to form a frictional coupling or clutch whereby rotation of the wheels of a
vehicle may be retarded or stopped substantially as described.
2. In a railway brake the use for actuating the friction devices of an arrange-
ment of levers such as b bin conjunction with means for moving the same in one
direction and a sliding device or frame such as d for moving the said levers in the
contrary direction substantially as described.
3, The improved brake constructed arranged and operating substantially as
described and illustrated.
4. In a railway brake the use in combination of male and female cones in
conjunction with apparatus worked by compressed air or vacuum for bringing the
said cones into contact when desired to retard or stop rotation of the wheels of the
vehicle substantially as described.
In Witness whereof I the said Alfred Ellis Harris have hereunto set my
hand and seal this sixth day of December in the year of our Lord, one
thousand eight hundred and eighty two.