IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRAM CARS, AND OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON RAILS
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Ernest de Pass, of Fleet Chambers, 68, Fleet Street, in the
City of London, Patent Agent, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS
ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRAM CARS, AND OTHER
VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON RAILS." A communication from abroad by Jean
Louis Justin Raoux, of 17, Boulevard Saint Martin, Paris, France.
Sealed the 5th June 1877, and dated the 30th December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Ernest de Pass at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 30th December 1876.
ERNEST DE PASS, of Fleet Chambers, 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, TRAM CARS, AND OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON RAILS." A com-
munication from abroad by Jean Louis Justin Raoux, of 17, Boulevard Saint
Martin, Paris, France.
This Invention has for object the application of a break to railway carriages,
tram cars, and other vehicles travelling on rails, and so constructed and arranged
that it can be worked by one breakman even if all the carriages composing a train
or only a portion thereof be provided with breaks. This break is composed of a
screw, the thread of which is turned in one direction on its upper half, and in the
contrary direction on its lower half. Each half of this screw is furnished with a
nut, to the sides of which are articulated the ends of four connecting rods. The
other extremities of these rods are jointed to two break blocks. The screw is held
in a bearing support or bracket fixed to the frame of the carriage. On this screw
above the upper nut is a horizontal toothed wheel which is in gear with an endless
screw or pinion mounted on a transverse shaft, such shaft carrying at its middle
another toothed wheel, so that on motion being imparted to said shaft the nuts arc
raised and lowered, thus causing the break blocks to approach and bite the wheels
or to recede therefrom.
A longitudinal shaft or rod (by preference inade hollow is fixed under the frame
of the carriage, and carries an endless screw which is in gear with the toothed wheel
on the transverse shaft, and the longitudinal shaft is brought into action by means

page_text: of a lever or other equivalent contrivance in connection therewith, and worked by
the breakman.
To permit one breakman to work the breaks of several carriages at the same
time the longitudinal shaft must be so articulated as to be able to turn in any
direction so as to follow the curves of the line and to allow of the depressions
occasioned by the shocks of the buffers, and for this purpose each end of the longi-
tudinal shaft is jointed to a bar or piece which is slotted horizontally, and in this
slotted piece are lateral grooves in which slides a bar provided with guides or pins.
These two bars are connected by an universal joint or other similar contrivance.
By means of this joint carriages without breaks can be placed between those pro-
vided with breaks, and by means of extra plummer blocks and shafts the breaks of
any two carriages may be connected notwithstanding the interval between them.
When the break is applied to tram cars the longitudinal rod may be toothed for a
portion of its length, and by its to-and-fro movement it will put in motion the
toothed wheel of the transverse shaft, and thus bring the break blocks into action.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Ernest de Pass in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 11th June
1877.
ERNEST DE PASS, of Fleet Chambers, 68, Fleet Street, in the City of London,
Patent Agent. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY
CARRIAGES, TRAM CARS, AND OTHER VEHICLES TRAVELLING ON RAILS." A commu-
nication from abroad by Jean Louis Justin Raoux, of 17, Boulevard Saint Martin,
Paris, France.
This Invention has for object the application of a break to railway carriages,
train cars, and other vehicles travelling on rails, and so constructed and arranged as
to be worked by one breakman even if all the carriages composing a train or only
some of them be provided with such breaks. This break is composed of a screw,
the thread of which is turned in one direction on its upper half, and in the contrary
direction on its lower half, each such half being furnished with a nut, to the sides of
which are articulated the ends of four connecting rods. The other extremities of
these rods are jointed to two break blocks. The screw is held in a support or
bracket fixed to the frame of the carriage. Above the upper nut on this screw is a
horizontal toothed wheel in gear with an endless screw or pinion mounted on a
transverse shaft carrying at its middle another toothed wheel, so that on motion
being imparted to said.shaft the nuts are raised and lowered, thus causing the break
blocks to approach and bite the wheels or to retire therefrom.
A longitudinal shaft or rod (by preference made hollow) is fixed under the frame
of the carriage, and carries an endless screw which is in gear with the toothed wheel
on the transverse shaft, and the longitudinal shaft is brought into action by means
of a lever or other equivalent contrivance in connection therewith and worked by
the breakman.
To permit one breakman to work the breaks of several carriages at the same time
the longitudinal shaft must be articulated in such manner as to turn in any direction
so as to follow the curves of the line, also to allow of the depressions occasioned by
the blows on the buffers, and for this purpose each end of the longitudinal shaft is
jointed to a bar or picce slotted horizontally, and in such slotted piece are lateral
grooves in which slides a bar provided with guides or pins. These two bars are
connected by an universal joint or other similar contrivance. By means of such
joint carriages without breaks can be placed between those provided with breaks,
and by means of extra plummer blocks and shafts the breaks of any two carriages
may be connected notwithstanding the distance between them.
When the break is applied to tram cars the longitudinal rod may be toothed for

page_text: a portion of its length, and by its to-and-fro movement it will put in motion the
toothed wheel of the transverse shaft and bring the break blocks into action.
The accompanying Drawings exemplify the manner in which the said Invention
may be carried into effect.
Figure 1 is a side elevation of a break constructed according to my Invention;
Figure 2 is an end view of the same.
Figures 3 and 4 show two different applications of breaks; and Figures 5 and 6
are two views of the jointing or articulation of the driving rod.
Figure 7 shows my break applied to a train of three carriages.
A is the screw, the upper half of which is right-hand screw threaded, and the
lower half left-hand screw threaded. Each of these screw threads is furnished with
a tapped nut B, B¹, to the sides of which are articulated the ends of four connecting
rods C, C, C¹, C. The other ends of these rods are jointed to metal break blocks
D, D¹, supported under the frame of the carriage by the bars E, E¹. The screw is
fixed in a step secured to the frame of the carriage in the same vertical plane as the
wheels, so that the axis of the broak blocks is at the same level as the axis of the
axle boxes. On the other sides of the wheels are two metal break blocks F, F',
jointed to the frame of the carriage by means of the pieces G, H, and drawn against
the wheels by the two connecting rods I, J, fixed to the joint of the parallel break
block, so that these two break blocks move together, viz., D and F¹ joined by the
connecting rod I and F, and D¹ joined by the connecting rod J.
At the middle of the screw A is a toothed horizontal wheel K worked by an
endless screw or pinion L mounted on a transverse shaft M. Or the toothed hori-
zontal wheel K may be placed above the upper nut B.
It will be readily understood that by reason of the rotation imparted to the
toothed wheel K the nuts B, B¹, are caused to ascend and descend, and the break
blocks D, D¹, F, F, which are fixed to the connecting bars C, C, I, J, approach or
retire from the wheels. The transverse shaft M is fixed under the frame of tho
carriage, and carries at its middle a toothed wheel N set in movement by the worm
or endless screw O fixed on the longitudinal shaft P shewn in Figures 1 and 2.
The longitudinal shaft P is also fixed under the frame of the carriage, and by means
of a stud or projection at each extremity it can only be actuated by a rotary move-
ment. It carries at its middle an endless screw O placed upon the toothed wheel N,
in such manner as to set it in movement. This shaft P is moved by the vertical
shaft Q by means of toothed wheels R, R¹, and it is to this shaft Q which the
breakman operates by turning a lever when the blocks are to be applied to the
wheels.
To enable the same breakman to work the breaks of several carriages at the same
time the longitudinal shaft P must be articulated in such manner as to be capablo
of turning in every direction so as to follow the curves of the line, and to allow for
the depressions occasioned by the blows on the buffer. For this purpose each of the
extremities of the shaft P is articulated, as shewn in Figure 5, to a piece S having a
longitudinal slit cut in it, and in which slides by means of two lateral slots another
bar T held by two pins at each extremity. These two bars S are connected together
by an articulation formed by two half circumferences closed by a moveable diameter
on its axis, of which one crosses the other perpendicularly (Figure 6). It will thus
be seen that the train can sustain any shock without risk of breaking the driving
bar of the break, also that the breaks may be worked in the curves of any radius,
and that the same breakman can also work the breakes of several carriages at the
same time. By this system of articulation carriages provided with breaks may be
coupled between those carriages which are not so provided, and by means of spare
shafts and plummer blocks which could be fixed in a few minutes the breaks of any
two carriages could be placed in communication notwithstanding the space between
them, as shewn in Figure 7.
In order that the weight of the longitudinal shaft P should not increase the
weight of the carriage it is made hollow as much for equal weight as that the hollow
iron better resists torsion.

page_text: •
As it might be feared that the shaft P, being in the same vertical plane as the
coupling screws, would be impeded in its movement of rotation by the screw which
remains free, such coupling screw can be fixed to the lateral wall of the carriage by
a hook.
For tram cars the longitudinal shaft P turning horizontally can be replaced by a
rack, which by its forward and backward movement will operate the toothed
wheel N on the transverse shaft M, and this rack will itself be set in movement by
the toothed wheel R on the vertical shaft Q.
When the longitudinal shaft P is used for tram cars it need not extend the whole
length of the car, but may be stopped and held under the framework directly
beyond the worm or endless screw O.
Figure 2 shows my break applied to vehicles travelling on rails, the front wheels
being so arranged as to turn in the curves of a very small radius round a vertical
axis.
It will be seen that in order to apply my system of break to a single wheel which
is to be bitten by the break blocks, I have placed a plate U well buttressed by a
counterfort W under the frame V to serve as a prop for the piece X when the broak
blocks D¹, F¹, are applied against the wheel.
Figure 3 also shows another application of my system with a single break
block.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the manner in which
the same may be performed, I declare that I claim,-
First. The system of break mechanism in which pressure is obtained by the
employment of a screw having a right and left hand thread cut on it, such screw
being operated by toothed pinions and endless screws or racks jointed from carriage
to carriage, as described, so that a single breakman can work the breaks to several
carriages at the same time.
Second. The general arrangements of parts described for applying my system of
break to railway carriages, train cars, and other vehicles travelling on rails.
Third. The means of uniting or connecting by articulation the driving rods or
bars of the breaks, as herein-before described, and shown in the Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Ernest de Pass, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of June, in the year One thousand eight hundred
and seventy-seven
Witness,
R. N. BASAN.
ERNEST DE PASS. (L.S.)