IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1855

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Gay Newton Alleyne, of Butterley Iron Works,
Alfreton, in the County of Derby, and Henry Strafford, of Codnor Park.
Iron Works, Alfreton, in the County of Derby, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Gay Newton Alleyne'
and Henry Strafford at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 22nd June 1855.
We, JOHN GAY NEWTON ALLEYNE and HENRY STRAFFORD, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES " to
be as follows:
The ordinary brakes employed for railway waggons consist of a lever turn-
ing upon a centre, and having a long horizontal arm and a short vertical arm
carrying a block of wood, which is pressed against the wheel by applying pressure
to the end of the long arm of the lever. A hook is provided to support the end
of the long arm. of the lever when the brake is not in action. The brake is thus
only kept in action by the attendant pressing upon the lever by hand, or in
some cases standing upon it. A plate with a series of holes has sometimes
been fixed to the waggon, and a pin inserted in one of the holes to keep the
break lever down; but these plates are much exposed and very liable to injury;
accidents also occur from the long arm of the brake lever falling to the ground.
We construct the brake lever with a rack or series of teeth near its extremity,
and. we place over it. a paul or bar, turning on a pin or joint on the frame of

page_text: the waggon. When the brake lever is depressed, this paul falls into the teeth or
rack on the lever, and keeps it down until it is released by the attendant. The
lower end of the bar is formed with a loop to embrace the lever, so that it
cannot fall to the ground. The lower part of this loop is made to catch in a
tooth or notch in the under side of the brake lever, to keep it up when the
brake is not in action. Instead of the teeth or rack a row of holes may be
made in the brake lever, and a pin or pins may be inserted, in these holes to
keep the brake lever in the required position.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Gay Newton Alleyne and Henry Strafford in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 17th December 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
GAY NEWTON ALLEYNE, of Butterley Iron Works, Alfreton, in the County of
Derby, and HENRY STRAFFORD, of Codnor Park Iron Works, Alfreton, in the
County of Derby, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by. Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-second day of June, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, in the nineteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us, the
said John Gay Newton Alleyne and Henry Strafford, Her special licence that
we, the said John Gay Newton Alleyne and Henry Strafford, cur executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others, as we, the said John Gay Newton
Alleyne and Henry Strafford, our-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 "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the
said John Gay Newton Alleyne and Henry Strafford, our executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under our or their hands and
seals, or under the hand and seal of one of us or them, 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 months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Gay Newton Alleyne and Henry
Strafford, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what

page_text: manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement thereof, reference being had to the
accompanying Drawing, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that is
to say:-
The ordinary brakes employed for railway waggons consist of a lever turn-
ing upon a centre, and having a long horizontal arm and a short vertical arm
carrying a block of wood, which is pressed against the wheel by applying
pressure to the end of the long arm of the lever. A hook is provided to
support the end of the long arm of the lever when the brake is not in action.
The brake is thus only kept in action by the attendant pressing upon the
lever by hand, or in some cases standing upon it. A plate with a series of
holes has sometimes been fixed to the waggon, and a pin inserted in one of
the holes to keep the brake lever down; but these plates are much exposed and
very liable to injury; accidents also occur from the long arm of the brake
lever falling to the ground. We construct the brake lever with a rack or
series of teeth near its extremity, and we place over it a paul or bar, turning
on a pin or joint on the frame of the waggon. When the brake lever is
depressed, this paul falls into the teeth or rack on the lever, and keeps it down
until it is released by the attendant. The lower end of the bar is formed
with a loop to embrace the lever, so that it cannot fall to the ground. The
lower part of this loop is made to catch in a tooth or notch in the under side
of the brake lever, to keep it up when the brake is not in action. Instead of
the teeth or rack a row of holes may be made in the brake lever, and a pin
or pins may be inserted in these holes to keep the brake lever in the required
position.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing is a side view of one of our
improved brakes attached to a railway waggon. A is the frame of the
waggon; B and C are the wheels; D is a block of wood attached to the lever
E, which turns on a pin attached to the frame A; F is the long arm of the
brake lever, which turns upon a pin at G, and carries the short arm H, which
is connected to the lever E by a connecting rod I; K is a bar or paul turning
on a pin or centre on the frame A at L.
Figure 2 is a plan of the paul K, which is formed with a loop or eye a at
its lower end. The upper end of the loop has an angular edge, which enters
a series of notches or teeth on the upper side of the brake lever F, as shewn
in Figure 1. The lower end of the loop a is rounded, and catches in a notch
or against a projection on the lower side of the brake lever when the brake is
not in action, as shewn in Figure 1. When the brake is to be put in action,
the end of the brake lever F is raised a little, so as to disengage it from the

page_text: lower end of the loop a, and it is then pressed down, as indicated by the dotted
lines in Figure 1, and the block D is thus pressed against the wheel B. As
the lever Fis pressed down; the paul K follows it, and, by entering the teeth
or notches on its upper surface, prevents it from rising. When the brake is
to be put out of action, the lever F is sprung down a little to release the paul
K from the teeth, and the paul K is theni raised with the lever F, until the
lower end of the loop a catches in the notch or against the projection on the
under side of the lever F. The paul K is but little exposed to injury when
the brake is not in action, and the lever F cannot fall to the ground when the
block D is worn away, because it cannot escape from the loop a.
Figure 3 is a side view of a portion of a brake lever F, with a row of holes
instead of the teeth, shewn in Figure 1. This lever passes through a loop in
the end of the bar K, as before, and the lever F is held down by means of a
pin inserted into one of its holes. This pin is attached by a short chain, to
the bar K to prevent its being lost. 200
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what
manner the same is to be performed, we wish it to be understood that what
we claim is,
Firstly, the constructing railway brakes in such manner that the brake lever
is secured by means of a bar or paul placed above it, and turning upon a pin
or centre, as herein-before described.
Secondly, the constructing railway brakes with a bar or paul, turning upon
a pin or centre, and placed above the brake lever, which passes through an
eye or loop in the bar or paul, and is secured by the aforesaid bar or paul
entering notches or teeth on the brake lever, or by means of a pin entering
holes in the brake lever, as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Gay Newton Alleyne and Henry
Strafford, have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Fifteenth day
of December, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
Witness,
EDWD REYNOLDS,
Butterley Iron Works, Alfreton.
J. G. N. ALLEYNE. (L.S.)
H. STRAFFORD.
(L.S.)