Improvements in Brakes for Railway Engines, Passenger Carriages, Waggons, Tramcars and the like, also Applicable for Road Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left. 15th June, 1899-Accented 16th Sept. 1899
Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left 15th June, 1899-Accepted, 16th Sept., 1899
Improvements in Brakes for Railway Engines, Passenger Carriages,
Waggons, Tramcars and the like, also Applicable for Road
Vehicles.
I, JOHN KNOX EWART, 141, Byars Road, Glasgow, N.B., Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improvements in brakes for railway engines, pas-
senger carriages, waggons, tramcars and the like also applicable for road vehicles
and consists in the employment of one, two or three eccentric discs mounted on
a shaft situated beneath the engine, carriage or other vehicle for the purpose of
drawing the brake blocks simultaneously against the wheels. As an example of
carrying out my invention, I may employ say two eccentrics mounted reversely
to each other upon a vertical spindle or shaft to which may be attached the rods
or stays leading from the ordinary brake blocks. I prefer to attach the ends
of the said rods or stays to the eccentrics by means of a forked portion which is
provided with a slot through which the said upright spindle works, the end of the
said fork being formed solid to bear upon the periphery of the eccentric disc
so as to offer the least possible friction. Or any other convenient means may be
employed for effecting this connection.
The brake blocks may be of any ordinary pattern and connected from side to
side by the usual rod, or may be in the form of rollers the surface of which is
formed to correspond with that of the tyre or tread of the wheel.
In order to operate the said eccentrics I key upon the upright spindle a lever
the actuation of which causes the eccentrics to draw the rods and the brake blocks
in opposite directions against the wheels each eccentric thus acting independently.
Or I may arrange the eccentrics upon a horizontal shaft or spindle in which
case a third eccentric may be employed for operating another set of brake blocks
bearing against the other or inner side of the wheels, the said brake blocks being
connected to the said eccentric by an inverted V shaped strip or strap working in
a groove formed in the eccentric, or otherwise retained.
Or if desired, this third eccentric may be employed by itself in which case
the outer brake blocks may be dispensed with. The rotary motion may be given
to the eccentric or eccentrics by means of a lever or levers as stated which may
be operated by steam, air, electric, or hand power. Or a hand wheel may be
employed for the same purpose.
In order to enable the brake to be operated or released from either side of the
waggon when a hand lever having a lifting motion is used, I may employ a
ratchet secured to the side of the waggon or other vehicle with which engages
a counter weighted pawl so arranged as to engage with the ratchet teeth when
[Price d

page_text: held by the hand during the actuation of the brake but which when the lever
is moved at the other side becomes disengaged by its own weight.
Dated this 15th day of September 1898.
JOHNSONS,
Petitioner's Agents, 115, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow.
Improvements in Brakes for Railway Engines, Passenger Carriages,
Waggons, Tramcars and the like, also Applicable for Road
Vehicles.
I, JOHN KNOX EWART, 141, Byars Road, Glasgow, N.B., Gentleman, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
This invention relates to improvements in brakes for railway engines, pas-
senger carriages, waggons, tramcars and the like also applicable for road vehicles
and consists in the employment of one, two or three eccentric discs mounted on
a shaft situated beneath the engine, carriage or other vehicle for the purpose of
drawing or forcing the brake blocks simultaneously against the wheels.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a
longitudinal elevation of the framing of a railway waggon, and Fig. 2 a plan of
Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, and Fig 4 a view corres-
ponding to Fig. 2, of the improved brake as applied to a tranicar. Fig. 5 shows
the method of applying the invention to existing patterns of waggon brakes, and
Fig. 6 is a detail hereinafter particularly referred to. Fig. 7 is a modified
arrangement of the brake as applied to vehicles, such as locomotives, having
their wheels close together, and Figs. 8 and 9 show in part elevation and part
plan a method of applying the brake to lorries.
the same.
In carrying out my invention I preferably employ a double eccentric A or
two separate eccentrics mounted on opposite sides of the operating shaft B which
is carried in bearings C either horizontally, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, or verti-
cally, as shown at Figures 3 and 4. These eccentrics A bear upon push rods D
extending from them to the brake blocks E, as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, or extend-
ing to beams F carrying the brake blocks E, as at Figs. 3 and 4, the inner ends
of these rods 1) being in either case formed with extensions 11 which bear upon
the boss of the eccentric, thus forming a guide for the rods 1). The push rods D
are further made adjustable so that they can be lengthened in order to take up
wear upon the blocks E, and the adjustment is effected either in the manner
shown at Fig. 6, by fixing the beam near either end of the rod D by means of
the nuts D2, D3, or in the manner shown at Figs. 1 and 2, by turning a right
and left threaded nut D engaging separate rods. In order to operate these
eccentrics I key upon the shaft B, in the case of a tramcar (Figs. 3 and 4) a
double-ended lever G, the actuation of which, by means of the ordinary connee-
tions and operating cranks, causes the eccentrics A to push the rods D, and con-
sequently the beams I towards the wheels of the vehicle until the brake blocks E
bear thereon, the eccentrics permitting of a gradual but effective pressure being
exerted upon the wheels, and the arrangement of the connection being such that
the action takes place direct between the eccentries and the brake blocks instead
of as heretofore through the intervention of cranks. The arrangement of the
connections may, in the case of a railway waggon (Figs. 1 and 2) con-ist of

page_text: single ended lever H keyed upon the shaft B and acted upon at its free end by
another eccentric I, which is keyed upon a second horizontal shaft J operated by
a hand lever K locked in any desired position by a counter-weighted pawl K¹
pivoted on the lever K, and engaging a rack Q on the waggon framing. This
pawl K¹ is so weighted and pivoted that it automatically engages itself with the
rack when the brake lever K is brought into the position in which it is desired
to lock it, and releases itself by the action upon it of the pin L when the lever K
is slightly depressed to effect the release of the brake blocks E. The horizontal
shaft J extends across the entire breadth of the waggon and at its other end
has a crank M on it which is connected by means of a rod N with a bell crank
hand lever O on a stud P, said bell crank lever being provided with a pawl
similar to the hand lever K so that the brake blocks E may be applied from either
side of the waggon. The entire brake mechanism with the exception of the hand
lever, rack and pawl is situated inside the beams of the waggons. The brake
blocks E may be of any ordinary pattern connected from side to side by the
usual rod or beam or they may be in the form of rollers, the surface of which
is formed to correspond with that of the tyre or tread of the wheel and they may
be further fitted to act on both sides of the wheels diametrically opposite to each
other, the blocks in that case being connected alternately by rods that is to say,
the block situated on the forward side of the wheel is connected to the block situ-
ated on the forward side of the next wheel, and that block situated on the rear side
of one wheel connected by a rod to the block situated on the rear side of the next
wheel, so that when the eccentrics act to force one brake block against one side
of the wheel of the vehicle, the corresponding side of the next wheel has the
brake drawn against it by means of the connecting rod before referred to.
In the modification illustrated by Fig. 5, in which the present form of brake
and brake connections are shown, I place the eccentric shaft B with its eccen-
tric A in the position shown so that by actuating a hand lever R the eccentric A
may through the intervention of the usual lever S, apply the brake on the prin-
ciple already described. On the end of the ordinary lever S an inclined block T
is strung, the position of which upon the lever S can be adjusted and fixed in
order to compensate for wear upon the brake blocks, thus dispensing with the
usual adjustment by means of the holes on the connecting rods, and a slot U is
formed in the eccentric A, wherein a looped picce V is carried which embraces
the lever S to raise it when the brake is released.
In addition to the modifications already described I may arrange the eccen-
tries upon a horizontal shaft or spindle V, as shown at Fig. 7, at both sides of
the vehicle, to operate a set of brake blocks E bearing against the other or inner
side of the wheels, the said brake blocks E being connected to the said eccen-
trics by an inverted V-shaped strip or strap W working in a groove formed
in the eccentric or otherwise retained, or as shewn, being placed over the eccen-
trics, this method being especially applicable in cases where the wheels are close
together, as in railway engines. A third eccentric X is employed on the hori-
zontal shaft and is situated about the centre of the same, the operating rods Y
being connected thereto, as shown. Or, if desired, this third eccentric may be
employed by itself in which case the outer brake block may be dispensed with,
the rotary motion being given to the eccentric or eccentrics by means of a lever
or levers as stated, which may be operated by steam, air, electric, or hand power,
or a hand wheel may be employed for the same purpose.
In the present old pattern style of brakes or old waggons, a right handed lever
may be used on both sides by placing the shaft on the outer side of the wheels
and connecting the rod to shorter levers on the same principle, as shown.
In the case of road vehicles, the brake blocks E, which may be of the usual or
of roller form, are actuated by means of a beam lever pivoted on a bracket 12
carried from the axle V, the other end of the beam lever U¹ being actuated by
an eccentric dise X having lever handles X attached to it and operated eith
from the side of the lorry or from the front of the vehicle.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
1. A brake for railway engines, passenger carriages, waggons, tramcars and the
like, the parts of which are constructed, arranged and combined under the several
modifications to operate, substantially as described.
2. A brake for railway engines, passenger carriages, waggons, tramcars and
the like, consisting essentially of an eccentric or eccentrics carried on a shaft
operated by a lever, the eccentrics being adapted to act upon push or pull rods
connected direct to the brake blocks or to a cross beam carrying said blocks, the
push rods being adjustable as to length in order to compensate for the wear upon
the brake blocks, substantially as described.
3. A brake for railway engines, passenger carriages, waggons, tramcars and the
like, consisting essentially of an eccentric or eccentrics carried on a shaft fur-
nished with a lever arm acted upon by another eccentric keyed on a shaft pro-
vided with a hand lever for operating the brake block, the latter shaft having
a crank upon it connected to a bell-crank lever upon a stud at the opposite side
of the waggon, so that the brake may be applied or released from either side
thereof, substantially as described.