Improvements in Brake Mechanism of Railway and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Oct., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brake Mechanism of Railway and similar Vehicles.
EDWARD BROWN, Goosehill, Normanton, Yorks, Mechanical Engineer, WILLIAM
CLEGG, Altofts, Normanton, Yorks, Colliery Official, ARTHUR BROOK, Altofts,
Normanton, Yorks, Colliery Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
This invention refers to an improvement on a Patent granted to Edward
Brown No. 10,579 A.D. 1897-and also to a Patent granted to William Clegg and
Arthur Brook No. 23,923 A.D. 1897.
In the present invention the brake blocks, push rods and vee hangers as
prescribed by the British Railway Companies' Standard Specification of A.D. 1889
can be and are proposed to be retained; but it is also applicable to other forms
of the corresponding parts of the brake gear.
One of the double levers on the tumbler shaft is extended-at its upper end-
to receive a connecting rod, which rod at its opposite end is attached by a joint
pin to a lever on which lever is formed an arc containing several ratchet teeth,
and which is hereafter referred to as the ratchet lever. This ratchet lever is
securely fixed on or formed in one piece with a brake shaft extending across
the frame of the railway truck or vehicle, and is carried by suitable pedestal
brackets attached to the under-frame of the truck. Provision is made on one
of the brackets-(or both brackets if it is desired to apply the brake blocks to
the four wheels of the vehicle) to carry a number of pawls (preferably three)
of varying lengths, so that the pitch of the teeth in the ratchet lever divided by
the number of pawls, will determine the difference in the length of the respective.
pawls to the points at which they will bear against the ratchet teeth. One of
these pawls firmly holds the brake on when applied and the various lengths are
so adjusted that the elasticity of the gear always permits the firm engagement
of one of the said pawls.
On each end of the before mentioned brake shaft and on each side of the
truck or vehicle, are secured the levers by which the brake is applied, and both
of these levers are free as regards their vertical movement.
On the brake shaft is also secured a lever with a counter-balance weight to
draw off the brake blocks and raise the brake levers when the pawls are
released, but it is obvious that a coiled spring round the shaft, or a spring
acting on a lever, may be used in place of the weight.
The pawls are extended beyond the notches which engage in the teeth of the
ratchet lever in order that they may be raised, and consequently disengaged by
a cam or cranked shaft extending across the vehicle parallel with the brake
shaft and actuated by short releasing levers placed in any convenient position.
The two transverse shafts and the balance weight or springs are preferably
placed near one end of the vehicle so that the central portion of the truck may
be unobstructed for discharging its contents by bottom doors,

page_text: The action of the gear is as follows:
The brake is applied from either side of the vehicle by one of the levers
secured to the brake shaft (on which the ratchet lever is fixed) and the pressure
transmitted by the connecting rod applies the brake blocks in the usual manner
until one of the pawls falling into contact with a tooth of the ratchet lever,
retains the brake in position, where it can remain as long as required. To
disengage the ratchet and release the brake, one of the short releasing levers--
placed on either side of the vehicle, and actuating the cam or cranked shaft,
is moved so as to raise the projecting ends of the said pawls and the brake blocks
are withdrawn and the brake levers raised by the said weight or springs.
Dated this Seventh day of October 1899.
EDWARD BROWN,
WILLIAM CLEGG,
ARTHUR BROOK.
Improvements in Brake Mechanism of Railway and similar Vehicles.
We, EDWARD BROWN, Mechanical Engineer, Goosehill, Normanton, Yorks,
WILLIAM CLEGG, Colliery Official, Altofts, Normanton, Yorks, and ARTHUR BROOK,
Colliery Clerk, Altofts, Normanton, Yorks, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
This invention relates to certain improvements pertaining to brakes described
in Patent Specifications No. 10,579 in the name of Edward Brown, and 23.923 in
the names of William Clegg and Arthur Brook, both of 1897, and in carrying
out our improvements, the brake blocks, push rods, and vee hangers described
in the British Railway Companies' Standard Specification of 1889"
used, but as will be clearly understood, the invention is also applicable to other
be
forms of brake gear corresponding to the parts before mentioned.
may
In describing our invention in detail, reference is made to the accompanying
three sheets of drawings, in which Fig. 1, represents an elevation of a railway
waggon with our improvements applied to the brake gear.
Fig. 2, is a plan of a railway waggon with the waggon bottom removed for
more clearly showing the mechanism of the brake gear below same.
Fig. 3, is a detached detailed elevation of a ratchet lever and pawls herein-
after particularly described and,
Fig. 4 is an end view of the same.
In all the figures similar letters indicate similar parts where they appear.
The vee hangers A. may be of the ordinary construction and secured to the
waggon or the like in the usual marner, the rocking arm B, is secured on the
tumbler shaft C, supported by the vee hangers A, in a manner that the said
shaft may be moved in its bearings.
To the rocking arm B, are attached in the ordinary manner, the push
rods D, 1, the opposite end of the said rods being connected to the brake
blocks E, E, as usual. The rocking arm B, is extended at its upper end to
receive a connecting rod F, which is coupled at its opposite end by pin P, to a
lever G, the outer end of which is curved and cut with a series of ratchet teeth
shown more particularly by Fig. 3.
The ratchet lever G, is secured on or may form part of the brake shaft H,
which is of such a length as to extend across the waggon or the like, and is
supported by suitable pedestal brackets I, attached to the under frame of the
vehicle.
Provision is made on one, or if desired on both of the brackets I, to carry a

page_text: number of pawls J, say for example three, as shown by Figs. 1 and 3, these
pawls are supported by a pin J', and are of varying length, between the pin J',
and the projections J, the pitch of the ratchet teeth of lever G, determine the
length or distance of the respective projections J2, of the pawls J, from the
supporting pin J', the length varying somewhat as shown by Fig. 3, so that
one of the pawls will positively engage with one of the ratchet teeth and firmly
hold the brake blocks E, E, in contact with the wheels W, when applied in the
manner as hereinafter described. By arranging the pawl projections J³, at
different distances from the supporting pin J, the elasticity of the gear always
permits one of the pawl projections engaging with a ratchet tooth of the lever G.
On each end of the before mentioned brake shaft H, at each side of the
vehicle, is secured a lever K, on pressing the outer end of the lever at K',
downwards, the lever G, and rocking arm B, are operated in the direction for
applying the brake blocks E, E, to the wheels W, when one of the pawls J,. will
engage with one of the ratchet teeth on lever G, and retain the brake blocks E, E,
in tight contact with the tread of the wheels W.
On the before mentioned shaft H, is secured a lever L, provided with a counter
balance weight M, for the purpose of retaining the levers K, in the position
shown by Fig. 1, and the brake blocks E, E, clear of the wheels W, when the
pawl engaging with the ratchet teeth of lever G, is raised clear of the same.
It will be obvious that in place of the counter balance weight M, applied in
the manner described, a spring may be applied to the lever L, to act as an
equivalent to the weight M, or the same effect may be accomplished by placing
a coiled spring around shaft H, one end of the spring being secured to the shaft,
and the other end of the spring secured to some rigid part of the vehicle
so that on operating the lever K, in a downward direction a torsional strain is
put upon the spring in a well known manner.
The pawls J, are extended beyond the projections J2, which respectively
engage with the ratchet teeth of lever G, for the purpose as hereinbefore described,
and on liberating the brake blocks. E, E, clear of the wheels W, the said pawl
projections J2, are raised clear of the ratchet teeth; this is effected by a cam or
by a cranked shaft N, of a length to extend across the vehicle as shown, and
to each end of the said shaft is secured a short lever 0, on the operation of which
in the direction that the cam or cranked shaft N, moves in the direction shown
by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the pawls J, are raised clear of the ratchet teeth of
lever G. thus allowing the said lever to return to its normal position and the
brake blocks E, E., clear of the wheels W, by the action of the counterweight M.
The action of the mechanism is as follows:-The brake blocks E, E, may be
applied to the wheels W, on pressing one of the levers K, downwards, this action
operates shaft H, ratchet lever G, and rocking bar B, in the direction for pressing
the said brake blocks into contact with wheels W, the ratchet lever G, moving
in the direction of curved arrow in Fig. 3, a distance for one of the pawls J, to
engage with one of the ratchet teeth of lever G, and thereby retain the brake
blocks E, E, in contact with the tread of wheels W, as long as required.
In order to remove the pressure of the brake blocks E, E, from the wheels W,
the pawls J, are raised clear of the ratchet teeth of lever G, by the operation of
the levers 0, in the direction for bringing the cranked shaft N. into contact
with the pawls J, thus raising the pawls and thereby liberating the ratchet
lever G, that the shaft H, is moved or free to be moved in the direction for
eleasing the pressure of the brake blocks E, E, from the tread of the wheels W,
and the levers K, raised by the counterbalance weight M, to the position shown
y Fig. 1.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this in-
ention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim as our invention is:--
1. Bake gear suitable for railway and similar vehicles in which are combined

page_text: with the brake blocks E, E, and connections with shaft H, a ratchet lever G,
provided with pawls J, of varying length applied substantially in the manner as
shown and described and for the purpose as herein before set forth.
2. The brake shaft H, provided with a ratchet lever G, combined with a series
of pawls J, of varying length and a cranked shaft N, arranged and operated
substantially in the manner as shown and described and for the purpose as
hereinbefore set forth.
Dotad this 20th day of November 1800