IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Arthur Allen, of Cresswell, Stoke-on-Trent, in
the County of Stafford, Station Master, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS."
Sealed the 29th February 1876, and dated the 7th September 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Arthur Allen at the
"Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
7th September 1875.
I, ARTHUR ALLEN, of Cresswell, Stoke-on-Trent, in the County of
Stafford, Station Master, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BREAKS," to be as follows:-
:-
The object of this Invention is to simplify the means of applying
railway breaks, and to cause them to act automatically in certain
cases of accident, and which object is attained by the following
means:
A pipe or tube having a cock at each end is fixed to each carriage
extending from end to end thereof; these tubes are connected between

page_text: each carriage by suitable hose couplings, so that when the cocks are
open the pipes form a continuous or main tube from the engine to the
rear of the train.
When a train is made up the cock at the rear end of the hind-
most carriage is closed; the opposite or front end of the said main tube
is connected to a reservoir of compressed air on the engine or tender,
and can thus be charged with such compressed air at pleasure. From
the-said. main tube the compressed air is conveyed through a branch
-tube-to-a-cylinder fixed to and under the carriage framing, and between
the carriage wheels, which forces the piston thereof forward,-the-said-1
piston being connected by rods to a framing, so attached or pivotted to
the carriage frame as to be free to swing, and carrying a friction wheel
and drum, holds the latter clear of a friction wheel fixed to the carriage
axle or wheel.
In applying the breaks it is simply necessary for the driver or guard ]
to release the compressed air from the tubes by opening a cock on the
engine or van, when a spiral spring placéd within the said cylinder
forces the piston thereof back, which brings the said two friction wheels
in contact; at the same time by means of a chain passing round the
drum raises a weighted lever, which communicates motion to a ‹
rocking shaft connected by rods or levers to the ordinary break blocks,
and thus brings the said blocks to press against the carriage wheels in
the usual way.
To release the break blocks the compressed air is admitted into the
air tubes which forces the said piston forward, and thus throws the
friction wheels clear of each other, which allows the said weighted lever
to return to its normal position, and thereby release the break blocks
from contact with the carriage-wheels.
In the event of a carriage wheel leaving the rail, or of a wheel tire
breaking, the-break becomes self-acting by the end of a branch tube-so-
fixed and arranged as to be broken off in such cases by coming suddenly
_and_violently. in contact with the rail or ballast,, which would allow
the compressed air-to-escape-through the broken -end of the_said.
branch tube, when the breaks would be instantly applied by the spiral
spring in the cylinder, as herein-before described. This branch tube
is held in the path of the carriage wheel a short distance above the rail
by a bracket attached to the axle box of the carriage, and is inopera-

page_text: tive so long as the tire remains intact, and the wheels keep upon the
rails.
Some of the advantages of my improved break are that it acts
automatically in the event of a coupling breaking in any part of a
train, or the carriages leaving the rails, or the tire of a wheel breaking.
It has no valves or complicated parts susceptible of easy derangement,
and it can be applied by either the driver or guard of a train. Further,
if the break apparatus of one carriage becomes inoperative it will not
interfere with the working of the remainder, and when necessary it can
be worked separately as a hand break, and it will cost but little in
maintenance.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Arthur Allen in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 2nd March 1876.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ARTHUR
ALLEN, of Cresswell, Stoke-on-Trent, in the County of Stafford, Station
Master, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Seventh day of September, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-ninth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said Arthur Allen, Her special
licence, that I, the said Arthur Allen, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said Arthur Allen, 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 " IMPROVEMENTS IN
RAILWAY BREAKS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Arthur Allen, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
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

page_text: In applying the breaks it is simply necessary for the driver or guard
of the train to release the compressed air from the tubes a, a¹, by opening
a cock on the engine or van, when a spiral spring h, acting on the
swing frame e, brings the friction wheels f, g, in close contact, and at
the same time by means of the chain which passes round the drum f,
raises the weighted lever j, which lever communicates motion to the
rocking shaft k, and the said motion of the shaft . through the con-
necting rods 7, 1, applies the break blocks m, and thus presses or forces
the said blocks against the carriage wheels in the usual way.
To release the said break blocks m the compressed air is admitted into
the air tubes a, a', which forces the piston of the cylinder c forward,
and thus throws the friction wheels f¹, g, clear of each other, which
allows the said weighted lever j to return to its normal position, and
thereby releases the break blocks m from contact with the carriage
wheels.
In the event of a carriage wheel leaving the rail, or of a wheel tire
breaking, my improved apparatus becomes self-acting by so arranging
a branch air tube or tubes a² that the lower end thereof shall be broken
or ruptured by coming suddenly and violently in contact with the rail
or ballast, which would allow the compressed air to escape through such
broken part, when the breaks would be instantly applied by the spiral
spring 7, as herein-before described. The said branch tube a³ is held in
the path of the carriage wheel a little above the rail by a bracket n
attached to the axle box of the carriage, and is inoperative so long as
the tire remains intact, and the wheels keep upon the rails. The
spiral spring may be fitted inside the cylinder c or in any other
suitable place.
Some of the advantages of my improved break arc that it acts auto-
matically in the event of a coupling breaking in any part of a train, or
the carriages leaving the rails, or the tire of a wheel breaking. It has
no valves or complicated parts susceptible of easy derangement and it
can be applied by either the driver or guard of a train. Further, if the
break apparatus of one carriage of a train becomes inoperative it will
not interfere with the remainder; and when necessary it can be worked
separately as a hand break. It will cost but little for maintenance.
Having thus fully described, and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and the method of performing the same, without confining

page_text: myself to the precise details and dimensions now illustrated, I claim
as my Invention, and desire to secure by the before-mentioned in part
recited Letters Patent, the method of operating or applying and releasing
railway carriage breaks, substantially as herein described and shewn in
the Drawing.
In witness whereof, I, the said Arthur Allen, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-sixth day of February, in the
_ year of our Lord One-thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.