IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1854

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Cruise, of Manchester, in the County of
Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY
OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 5th April 1855, and dated the 11th October 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Cruise at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
11th October 1854.
I, ROBERT CRUISE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MACHINERY OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES" to be as follows :—
These improvements consist, firstly, in the adaptation to each carriage, or
as many as may be desired, of a rod or rods, which carry the friction blocks
or other such apparatus; such rods of separate carriages being connected
together by means of a screw coupling or similar yielding apparatus; upon
giving motion to one therefore, the whole series will be drawn forward, and the
several wheels locked. The friction blocks I mount upon the said rods with an
elastic abutment, which keeps them clear of the wheels when not in action.
The brake van is provided with two sliding rods furnished with toothed racks,
situate one on each side of a toothed pinion, by which power is applied; the
said rods therefore are caused to move in opposite directions, an arrangement
which enables the van to be placed at any situation in the train, and yet, admit

page_text: of the friction blocks being applied by tractive force, so as to operate upon
each carriage through the intervention of an ordinary screw coupling..
Another part of my Invention consists in a method of applying the friction
blocks to the wheels, applicable also to other descriptions of brake machinery.
Upon the pulley handle by which the power is applied is mounted a pinion
taking into a wheel, which through suitable apparatus moves the friction
blocks at a quick speed; within the boss of the said pinion is a second shaft
provided with a pulley handle, carrying at its lower end another pinion taking
into the teeth of a wheel smaller than that first mentioned, but upon the same
shaft, and through which the power may be applied with greater force, in order
to complete the check.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Robert Cruise in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
11th April 1855.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
CRUISE, of Manchester, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Robert Cruise, Her especial license that I, the said Robert Cruise, my
executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Robert
Cruise, 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 MACHINERY OR
APPARATUS FOR STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Robert Cruise, by an instrument in writing under my
hand and seal, 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 I, the said Robert Cruise, do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-

page_text: formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement and accompanying Drawing (that is to say) :-
My Invention relates, firstly, to a method of mounting and applying friction
blocks to act as brakes to railway trains; and, secondly, to an apparatus by
which power
is applied to such blocks, or to other similar apparatus. These
improvements are shewn in the several Figures of a Sheet of Drawings
accompanying this my Specification, and in which Fig. 1 is a view, in side
elevation, of parts of a break van and two carriages; Fig. 2 is a plan view of
the van only. To the framework of the van are affixed guide pieces a, within
which are situate longitudinal bars b, c, connected by cross bars c*, and provided
with hooks for the adaptation of ordinary screw couplings d, by which they
are connected to other bars e, mounted upon the carriages C, D, in guides,
after the manner of those shewn at b, c, but in this instance the bars are not
divided in the centre, but are formed in one on each side of the carriage.
Upon the bars b, c, are mounted loosely, so as to be capable of sliding thereon,
four friction blocks f, situate in lines with the wheels g, but drawn from the
peripheries thereof when not required to act, by means of springs h; the other
ends of which are attached to brackets i, extending from the bars b, c. These
springs, however, do not effect the entire withdrawal of the blocks, that opera-
tion being completed by other springs h* attached to the bars, so as to keep
them when not drawn in a definite position. Upon the. bars e are mounted
friction blocks j, j*, sliding thereon, and acted upon by springs, as above
described, in reference to the blocks f, but in this instance there is one on
either side of each wheel. The van bars b, c, are formed with toothed racks
k, l, situate on either side of a pinion in, the axis of which carries a wheel n.
in gear with a worm o, mounted upon a shaft p, carried by the framework.
This shaft is provided with a bevil wheel q, in gear with a pinion r, affixed to
a hollow axis s, capable of turning in bearings t; through this hollow axis s
extends a shaft, upon which is mounted a pinion v, taking into another w,
formed upon the face of the wheel'q; by turning either of these, therefore.
through the pulley handles s* or *, the shaft may be caused to revolve at
different speeds, and communicate proportionate power to the pinion m.
When it is desired to arrest the progress of a train, the attendant by turning
the pulley u*, will communicate rotatory motion to the pinion m, (say, in the
direction of the arrow,) by which means the bars b, c, will be caused to move
in contrary directions, and the blocks f, through the medium of the brackets i
and springs h, will be drawn on to the wheels 9; this will have been done by
the agency of the pinions v, w; but in order to complete the locking, the hand
is transferred to the pulleys, whereby the power will be applied through the

page_text: pinion and wheel g at a diminished rate, but with increased force; the
operations above described will have drawn forward the carriage bars e, so as
to cause the block j to advance upon its wheel, the same operation taking place
upon the other wheel, not shown in the Drawing. The like operation will also
be effected in reference to the bar e of the carriage D, and to as many others
as may be adapted to the train. Upon power being taken from the pulley
handle the blocks will be caused to slide upon their bars by the elasticity
of the springs h, and finally kept clear of their respective wheels by the
springs h*.
By the foreging description it will be observed that the brakes are brought
into action by tractive force exerted through the couplings, and that the train
may therefore be connected according to any desired arrangement. Suppose,
for instance, that the van be placed to the left of the carriage c; the bar e
will then be connected to the bar c, and will consequently be drawn forward,
so as to bring the block j* into, contact with the wheel. Fig. 3 shews a
modification of my Invention, the friction blocks in this instance not being
adapted direct upon the sliding bars, but being connected thereto by an
intermediate apparatus. The blocks are shewn as a, a, mounted, so as to
slide upon a stationary bar y; they are provided with centre pins upon which
sockets,,,, are capable of turning; within these sockets are situate
loosely rods 1, 1, 1, 1*, their other ends being screwed fast into bosses 2, 2,
capable of turning upon centres affixed to levers 3, 3, extending from a shaft 4.
This shaft is provided with another lever 5, furnished with a slot for the recep-
tion of a pin extending from a boss 6, which is mounted between two springs 7,,
upon a sliding bar 8, answering to those of Figs. 1 and 2, and formed in like
manner at either end with hooks, by means of which it may be connected to
other sliding bars upon carriages. The springs 7, 7, abut at their outward
ends against stops 9, 9, and being of equal elastic force, maintain a vertical
position of the levers 3, 3, when the bars 8 have been brought to their posi-
tion, by springs similar to those shewn at in Figs. 1 and 2. When it is
desired to bring the brake into action, a sliding motion is to be communicated
from the van to the bar 8, say, in the direction of the arrow, by the means
above described, or by other suitable apparatus; the effect of which will be a
turning of the shaft 4, through the medium of the boss 6, and springs 7,
whereby the sockets z, z, will be carried forward and caused to thrust the
blocks against the wheels, during which operation the rods 1°, 1*, will be
drawn outward from the sockets *, *; the sliding motion of the bar 8 will,
through the medium of the couplings, bring into action a similar apparatus
upon as many carriages of the train as may be desired. Upon the power

page_text: being removed, the elasticity of the springs m, m, will restore the blocks to
the position shown in the Drawings. If the position of the van in reference
to the Fig. described, cause the bar 8 to be drawn in the reverse direction,
then the same effect will take place, but the blocks will be thrust upon the
wheels by the action of the rods 1°, 1*, upon the sockets **, *. I have in
the foregoing description mentioned a certain method by which power may be
communicated to the sliding bars, but it will be obvious that others may
be substituted, and as the said method forms a distinct part of my Invention,
in like manner, be combined with other breaks.
it may,
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my said Invention, and
the manner in which the same is to be performed, I desire it to be under-
stood that I claim, as secured to me under the above in part recited Letters
Patent,
Firstly, for the purpose above explained, the adaptation to a carriage or.
carriages of a sliding rod or rods, carrying or connected with the friction
brakes, such rod or rods being connected together by a yielding apparatus.
Secondly, the application to the friction breaks of elastic abutments.
Thirdly, the application to the break van of two sliding rods through
which power is communicated, such rods being capable of moving in opposite
directions.
Fourthly, the method above described of gaining the two rates of speed for
applying the brake.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Cruise, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Tenth day of April, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and fifty-five.
ROBERT CRUISE. (L.S.)