Improvements in Brakes for Tramcars and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 15th Feb. 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Tramcars and similar Vehicles.
I, REGINALD HADDAN of the Firm of Herbert Haddan and Co. of
18, Buckingham Street, Strand London W.C. Patent Agent, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by Luther
Stockton Fish of Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America, Insurance Agent,
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to improvements in brakes, more especially designed for
use on street-cars, and the invention pertains particularly to the mechanism
employed for applying brakes, the object being to provide actuating mechanism
whereby the brakes are capable of being more quickly applied than heretofore,
and require comparatively little exertion on the part of the operator.
With this object in view, my invention consists in certain features of construction,
and combination of parts, hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.
In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of one end of a street car, provided
with my improved brake mechanism.
Fig. 2 is a top plan in section on line 2-2, Fig. 1, and shows a metallic plate
seated in the platform and bearing the foot operated brake-pawl. The brake-shaft
is shown in this figure in its normal or inoperative position, and engages the inner
end of the slot provided in said plate and arranged in a direction parallel to the
direction in which the brake beam moves.
Fig. 3 corresponds with Fig. 2, except that it shows the brake-shaft in an
operative position.
Fig. 4 shows a transverse section of the brake shaft and shows chains E and G
wound upon the shaft.
Referring to the drawings, A designates the platform of the street-car; A', the
dash guard of said platforin; a' a bracket secured to the inuer side of the dash
guard a suitable distance above the platform, and a a bracket secured to the under
side of the platform below the dash guard. B designates the upright brake shaft
that extends through the platform and is located a suitable distance from the inner
side of the dash guard A and bracket a.
Shaft B extends through a vertical hole a² in the bracket a' and through a
slot A2 in the platform A, and said slot A' is arranged longitudinally of the car,
or parallel to the direction in which the brake beam C is actuated. Bracket a' it
will, therefore, be observed, affords lateral bearing for the upper end of the brake-
shaft. Two collars b, b, rigidly secured to, or formed upon, shaft B at the upper
side and lower side respectively, of bracket a', prevent vertical displacement of the
brake shaft. The brake-shaft extends a suitable distance above bracket a' and at
its upper end is provided with a hand wheel B' that has a bandle for turning
the same.
C designates one of the brake heads with which beam C is provided, which
head, upon the application of the brakes, is adapted to frictionally engage the
periphery of the car-wheel D. The brake shaft extends a suitable distance below
platform A, and E designates a chain or cable that is suitably attached at one end
to the brake shaft, and at its opposite end, is suitably attached to bracket a.
G designates a chain or cable that at one end is operatively connected with the
brake-beam, and at its opposite end is operatively connected with the brake-shaft,

page_text: and the connection of chain G with the brake-shaft consists, preferably, of two
shorter chain sections G1, G2 attached to the brake shaft equal distances above and
below chain E, respectively. That is, chain G is attached to the brake shaft a
suitable distance above chain E, and chain G2 is attached to said shaft a
corresponding distance below chain E. Chain sections G G constitute a part of
the brake beam and brake shaft connecting chain or cable and when I refer to the
brake shaft and brake beam connecting chain or cable in this Specification I mean
the cable sectious G, G', G². Chain E and the brake bean and brake shaft
connecting chain or cable are adapted to wind upon the brake shaft from opposite
sides, respectively, of said shaft, in such a manner that both of said chains or
cables shall be wound upon the shaft when the latter is turned in the direction
required to apply the brakes, as shown in Fig. 4. Of course the brake shaft in the
application of the brakes will be tilted somewhat laterally and longitudinally of
the car, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, and the provision of slot A in the
platform and a somewhat oblique arrangement or enlargement of hole a in
bracket a' allows of the tilting of the brake shaft in the application of the brakes.
It will be observed that in turning the brake shaft in the direction required to
apply the brakes, chain or cable G is wound upon said shaft and thereby renders
the connected brake head or heads operative, and chain or cable E is simultaneously
wound upon the shaft and exerts a pull upon chain or cable G in the direction
required to apply the brakes.
It will therefore, he observed that by my improved brake actuating mechanism
the brakes are very rapidly applied and their application requires little exertion on
the part of the operator. The provision of chain sections G' G suitably above
and below chain E respectively enables the location of the chain E in the same
horizontal plane with the chain section G so that in the application of the brakes
the pull upon said chain section G shall be at a point centrally between the points
at which chain sections G G2 are attached to the brake shaft and hence
mutilation or injury to the brake shaft during the application of the brakes, is
positively avoided.
The means employed for securing the brake shaft in its operative position
consists preferably of a ratchet wheel fl operatively mounted or formed upon
said shaft above platform A and adapted to be engaged by a dog or pawl I,
vertically pivotted to the upper side of a plate K that is secured in any
approved manner to the platform and is preferably seated within a recess A³
formed in said platform. Plate K is of course provided with a slot K that
registers with slot A2 through the platform so as not to interfere with the tilting
movement of the brake shaft in the application of the brakes. The brake shaft
in its inoperative position engages the inner end of slot A2 and the location of dog
or pawl is such that it shall be adapted to be brought into engagement with the
ratchet wheel upou tilting the brake shaft from its normal or inoperative position,
(shown in Fig. 2) into its operative position (shown in Fig. 3) and said pawl or
dog is of course provided with an arm or foot lever 1' to render it capable of
being actuated by the foot of the operator.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In a brake, the combination with a brake head; a brake shaft; chain or
cable operatively connected at one end with the brake shaft and extending laterally
of one side of said shaft and operatively connected at its opposite end with the
brake head; of a relatively stationary member located a suitable distance from and
at the opposite side of said shaft, and a chain or cable connected at one end to said
stationary member, and operatively connected at its opposite end with the brake
shaft, substantially as shown for the purpose specified.
2. In a brake, the combination with the brake shaft B capable of tilting
laterally substantially as indicated; brake-head; chain G operatively connected

page_text: at one end with said head and chain sections G1 G2 connecting the opposite end of
said chain G with the brake shaft at two different points located a suitable
distance apart, of the relatively stationary member a and the chain or cable E
all arranged and operating substantially as shown for the purpose specified.
3. In a brake for street cars the combination with a platform of said car which
platform is provided with the slot A arranged longitudinally of the car; a suitably
supported upright brake shaft B extending through said slot and a suitable
distance below the platform; a brake-head; a chain or cable operatively
connected at one end with said head and operatively connected at its opposite end
with a brake shaft below the platform; of a bracket or member a depending from
and rigid with the platform and the chain or cable E attached at one end to said
depending member and operatively connected at its opposite end to said depending
member and operatively connected at its opposite end with the brake shaft all
arranged and operating substantially as shown for the purpose specified.
4. In a brake for street cars the combination of the car platform provided with
a slot A2 arranged longitudinally of the car; plate K provided with the vertical
slot K; the dog or pawl I pivoted vertically to said plate; the upright brake
shaft B; the ratchet wheel H; the brake head; the chain or cable G operatively
connected at one end with said head and operatively connected at its opposite
end with the brake shaft; the bracket or depending member a and the chain or
cable E, all arranged and operating substantially as shown for the purpose
specified.
Dated this 7th day of January 1896.
R. HADDAN,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.