Improvements in Brakes for Trolleys or Hand-trucks.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 1st Aug., 1899-Accepted, 23rd Sept., 1899
Improvements in Brakes for Trolleys or Hand-trucks.
I, JAMES EDWARD CREE, of 8, Atholl Crescent, in the City of Edinburgh,
Ranchman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention which relates to trolleys or hand trucks such as are used on
platforms of railway stations has for its object to provide such a vehicle with
an efficient brake which shall be practically automatic in its application and
which will prevent unauthorised use of the vehicle and risk of accident due to
its displacement from the platform.
The improved brake is by preference applied to the steering wheel of the
trolley and may be adapted to act upon the outer tread surface of the wheel or
on the inner periphery of the wheel rim, and it is in the latter case composed
of a forked gripping part or brake shoe the acting surface of which may be
toothed or serrated to engage with corresponding teeth or serrations on the inner
wheel rim. The forked brake grip is fitted within the fork or bracket carrying
the wheel and it is fitted, so as to be free to turn or swivel with the wheel, on
the lower end of a vertical rod passing down through the steering tube to which
the wheel fork is attached.
The brake shoe or grip is normally held up in acting contact with the wheel
by means of a helical or other spring fitted around the upper end of the vertical
rod and it is released from engagement with the wheel by depressing the rod
against the power of the spring. For this latter purpose the vertical rod in
part of its length is fitted with a rack or formed with rack teeth with which
gear the teeth of a pinion carried in a lock secured to the framework of the
vehicle. This pinion is formed with a square central orifice so that by inserting
the stem of an ordinary carriage door lock key the wheel may be turned to
depress the brake rod and take the brake out of engagement. The toothed pinion
is centred in the lock frame and may turn freely, but to prevent re-application
of the brake whilst the key is in the lock a small ratchet wheel is fitted in the
lock to turn on the same centre as the pinion and is engaged by a spring pawl
to retain it so that whilst free to turn in one direction it cannot turn back.
square central orifice is also formed in the ratchet wheel and when the key is
inserted therein and passed through the orifice in the loose pinion and turned
both wheels are locked together and held by the pawl engaging the ratchet so
that the brake will not be freed until the key is withdrawn. When the key is
drawn out the pinion is free to turn and the brake is raised into action by the
spring.
A
When the brake is applied to the outer tread surface of the wheel the turning

page_text: of the key and pinion is made to raise the brake rod and relieve the brake
pressure which is applied by the spring acting downwards on the brake rod.
Dated this 10th day of November 1898.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
int Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant
Improvements in Brakes for Trolleys or Hand-trucks.
I, JAMES EDWARD CREE, of 8, Atholl Crescent, in the City of Edinburgh,
Ranchman, 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 which relates to trolleys or hand trucks such as are used on
platforms of railway stations has for its object to provide such a vehicle with
an efficient brake which shall be practically automatic in its application and
which will prevent unauthorised use of the vehicle and risk of accident due to
its displacement from the platform.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 being a
perspective view of a trolley having the improved brake applied thereto. Fig. 2
1S a vertical section to a larger scale of part of a trolley at the line at which the
brake is situated and showing the brake in its locking position and the mechanism
for applying and releasing it. Fig. 3 is a like view of the brake portion showing
the brake in its released position. Fig. 4 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2
of the lock mechanism, and Fig. 5 shows an alternative method of applying the
brake, which provides for its automatically locking should the spiral spring
break, which ordinarily effects the locking of the brake. Fig. 6 shows a shoe
brake actuated by the same arrangement of mechanism as shown at Figs. 1, 2
and 3, but adapted to act upon the outer periphery of the wheel.
The improved brake is by preference applied to the steering wheel A of the
trolley B, but may be applied to the rear wheel or wheels, and may be adapted
to act upon the outer tread surface of the wheel or wheels or on the inner peri-
phery of the wheel rim or rims, and it is in the latter case composed of a forked
gripping part or brake shoe, the acting surface of which may be toothed or
serrated to engage with corresponding teeth or serrations A¹ on the inner peri-
phery of the wheel rim A. The forked brake grip consists of two levers C
pivoted at D within the fork or bracket F carrying the wheel A when the device
is applied to the steering wheel A of the trolley and the brake is thus free to
turn or swivel with said wheel. The levers C are connected at their upper ends
to links E in turn connected to the lower end of a vertical rod G passing down
through the steering tube H to which the wheel fork F is attached.
The brake shoe or grip is normally held up in acting contact with the wheel A
by means of a helical or other spring I fitted around the upper end of the vertical
rod G; and it is released from engagement with the wheel A by depressing
the rod G against the power of the spring I. For this latter purpose the vertical
rod G in part of its length is fitted with a rack or formed with rack teeth G¹
with which gear the teeth of a pinion J carried in a lock frame K secured to the
framework of the vehicle B. This pinion J is formed with square or polygonal
central orifice J¹ so that by inserting the stem of an ordinary carriage door lock

page_text: key L the pinion J may be turned to depress the brake rod and take the brake
out of engagement, as in the modification shown at Figs. 2 and 3 or to raise it
as in the modification shown at Fig. 5 for a like purpose. The toothed pinion J
is centred in the lock frame K and may turn freely, but to prevent re-application
of the brake whilst the key L, shown at Fig. 4, is in the lock a small ratchet
wheel M is fitted in the lock frame K to turn on the same centre as the pinion J,
see Fig. 4, and is engaged by a spring pawl N to retain it so that whilst free to
turn in one direction it cannot turn back. A square, octagonal or other sided
central orifice is also formed in the ratchet wheel and when the key is passed
through the orifice in the loose pinion and inserted in the orifice in the ratchet
wheel M and turned both wheels are locked together by means of the key L
and held by the pawl N engaging the ratchet M so that the spur pinion cannot
turn back and consequently the brake will not be freed to permit it to act upon
the wheel A until the key L is withdrawn. When the key is drawn out the
pinion J is free to turn and the brake levers C are raised into action by the
spring I.
i
When the brake is applied to the outer tread surface of the wheel the turning
of the key and pinion is either made to raise the brake rod and relieve the brake
pressure which is applied by the spring acting downwards on the brake rod,
or it may be arranged to lower the brake rod when the latter acts through a
lever on the brake.
In the modification shown at Fig. 6 the brake consists of a shoe O formed on
or attached to a lever P, the other end of which is acted upon by the brake
rod G.
In the modification illustrated by Fig. 5, the brake levers C are shown in
the locked position to which they would be carried by the weight of the rod G
should the helical spring break, and at the same time in the position these levers
normally assume under the action of said spring; the unlocking being effected
by raising the rod G instead of depressing it as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
1. A brake for trolleys or hand trucks which is adapted to be released and
held out of engagement by means of a carriage door key used to operate a lock-
ing device on the trolley, and to be automatically applied by withdrawing the
said key.
2. A brake for trolleys or hand trucks, the parts of which are constructed,
combined and arranged to operate automatically, substantially as described.
Dated thi8141
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Of the Firm of Cruikshank & Fairweather,
Chartered Patent Agents,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicant.