IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAK APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Merrick and William Henry
Halliwell at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th April
1877.
WILLIAM MERRICK, of 46, Argyle Road, Garston, in the County of Lancaster,
Carpenter, and WILLIAM HENRY HALLIWELL, of 21, Palmerston Road, Garston afore-
said, Carpenter. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAK APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY AND OTHER
VEHICLES."
This Invention relates to an improved method of applying the breaks of a railway
train, tramway car, or other vehicle whereby the wheels thereof may be skidded
simultaneously without undue strain or concussion by the guard or driver, and to
an improved mode of actuating the breaks of a railway train from a distant or
other signal, or from any other convenient place, without the intervention of guard
or driver in the event of fog or other emergency. It consists of a slide box of iron
or other material secured to the under side of the flooring or framework of each
carriage or truck. In this slide box is a reciprocating slide bar formed underneath
on one side with a spur toothed rack, and on the other side with a ratchet rack.
Hinged to the under side of the slide box is a frame or carriage in which are
mounted a spur wheel and ratchet wheel combined or secured to each other in such
a manner that when the frame or carriage is brought close up to the slide box the
spur wheel is in gear with the spur rack of the slide bar, whilst at the same time
the ratchet rack of the latter is in gear with a corresponding ratchet fixed inside
the frame or carriage.
The spur and ratchet wheels are caused to revolve by means of a ratchet lever
acting on the ratchet wheel, and worked to and fro by means of an eccentric
secured to one of the axles of the carriage or truck, and revolving against the face
or front edge of a pendant lever hinged to the under side of the slide box, and
connected with the ratchet lever by a connecting rod. When the apparatus is in
"gear" the pendant lever is retained against the eccentric by a spring attached
at one end to the pendant lever, and at its other end to a sliding bar on the under
side of the slide box; but when the apparatus is out of "gear" the sliding bar is
moved back a certain distance along the slide box, and the spring being brought
over to the other side of the pendant lever pulls it away from or out of contact
with the eccentric which revolves free.

page_text: The required motion is given to the sliding bar by a rod connecting it with a
horizontal break lever which vibrates on its centre across the under side of the slide
box, and carries with it a quadrant formed on its edge, with a spiral-shaped groove in
which gears a corresponding tooth or projection on the end of the frame or carriage
containing the spur and ratchet wheels, in such a manner that when the horizontal
break lever is in one position the frame or carriage is against the under side of the
slide box, and the spur wheel is in gear with the spur rack, whilst at the same timo
the fixed ratchet inside the frame or carriage is in gear with the ratchet rack.
When the horizontal break lever is in the opposite position the frame or carriage is
moved away from the slide box, and the spur wheel is out of gear with the spur
rack, and the fixed ratchet is out of gear with the ratchet rack.
At one end of the reciprocating slide bar is a connecting rod leading away to and
connected with the ordinary or other brake block levers of the carriage or truck.
The horizontal break lever of each apparatus, as above described, is connected
at its ends with the corresponding ends of the lever of each succeeding carriage or
truck throughout the train by cords, portions of which are flexible or furnished
with springs to counteract oscillation or inequality of action, the whole being
actuated by the guard or driver by means of levers or other suitable devices as
hereafter described.
The break lever on the engine or tender under the control of the driver is con-
nected with the horizontal brake lever of the first carriage or truck by a connecting
rod, and works in a slot formed in a horizontal or other suitably arranged bar
sliding in a guide fixed to the framework of the engine or tender; this slotted
sliding bar is acted upon by a spring in such a manner as to normally tend to bring
it and the break lever into that position in which the apparatus before described
will be in gear. In order to throw the apparatus out of gear, the break lever and
slotted sliding bar are brought over to the opposite position, where the latter is
retained by a notch or tooth formed on its under side, passing over and locked by
the short arm of a double lever, the long arm of which hangs down to within a few
inches of the rails or metals, and by its weight acting on the notch or tooth through
the shorter arm prevents the spring from pulling back the sliding bar and break
lever until it is required to throw the apparatus "in gear" from a signal on any other
convenient place as hereafter described. The break lever on the guard's van is
arranged in a similar manner to that on the engine or tender, with this difference,
that the slotted bar in which it works is fixed, and the notch, or tooth, and blocking
lever for throwing into gear from the signal are dispensed with.
The manner in which the apparatus herein-before described operates simul-
taneously on the breaks of a train (or other vehicle) is as follows:-The lever on
the engine or tender, or that on the guard's van, being first brought into such a
position in its slotted bar as to cause the several horizontal break levers and
their grooved quadrants to bring the frames or carriages and their appendages
close against the under sides of the several slide boxes throughout the train, or in
gear with the spur and ratchet racks, and at the same time causing the several
springs to pull the pendant levers against the eccentrics on the axles; then, by the
motion of the eccentrics the pendant and ratchet levers are constrained to move to
and fro, and cause the ratchet and spur wheels to revolve to the extent of one
ratchet for each revolution of the eccentrics; this causes the spur wheels to pull
back the spur and ratchet bars of the slide boxes to the extent likewise of one
tooth at a time, and draw upon the break levers to a corresponding extent until the
break blocks are brought by successive nips upon the wheels, the fixed ratchets
meanwhile locking the spur and ratchet bars after their advance through each tooth
or nip; when the wheels are thus finally skidded or stopped, the eccentrics will cease
to revolve, and the apparatus remains in that position until the train is stopped,
when the break lever on the engine or tender, and that on the guard's van, are
reversed, and the carriages or frames containing the spur and ratchet wheels are
moved away from the under sides of the slide boxes, or out of gear with their sliding

page_text: spur and ratchet bars, which, being released, fly back and the break blocks are
taken off the wheels.
In case of fog or sudden emergency, when it is desired to stop a train from a
distant or other signal without the intervention of the guard or driver, the
apparatus is thrown into gear and the breaks applied to an approaching train by an
upright double lever mounted in a case or box fixed in the permanent way at any
convenient distance from the metals, and operated from the signal. The upper or
shorter arm of this lever projects upwards a few inches above the rail, and its lower
or longer arm is furnished with a weight and hangs down inside the case or box, so
that as the train passes it its upper or shorter arm strikes the lower or longer arm
of the pendant lever on the engine or tender, the effect of which is to depress the
upper or shorter arm of the pendant lever free of or away from the notch or tooth
on the slotted sliding bar, which being thereby released and acted upon by the
spring on the engine or tender brings over the break lever and throws the break
apparatus into gear. When it is not required to interfere with an approaching train
the upright lever is drawn into the horizontal position from the signal and the train
passes it without contact.
This Invention has the advantage of being equally available to the guard or
driver independently of each other, also of being easily connected and effective
when running either way, therefore not necessitating the reversing of the carriages.
In case the train becomes separated by accident it is available to the guard for one
detached portion, and to the driver for the other detached portion of the train. Its
adaptation for being operated from the distant or other signal in cases of fog or
other emergency is an invaluable feature.