IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING. RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Swinburne, of Wenlock Street, City Road, in.
the County of Middlesex, and James Laming, of Lauderdale Buildings,
Aldersgate Street, in the City of London, Engineers, for the Invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING.
RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 23rd January 1866, and dated the 29th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left. by the said John Swinburne and:
James Laming at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 29th July 1865.
We, JOHN SWINBURNE, of Wenlock Street,. City Road, in the County of
Middlesex, and JAMES LAMING, of Lauderdale Buildings, Aldersgate Street,
in the City of London, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR.
RETARDING RAILWAY CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
To each carriage is fitted an air or other fluid pump, and piston, and
reservoir. The plunger or piston of such pump is worked by an eccentric-
cam or tappet motion from the axle or wheels of the carriage to force the air
into the reservoir, where the pressure is regulated by a safety valve. From
the reservoir to a cylinder, the air or other fluid escapes (at the discretion of
the guard, driver, stoker, or others in charge of the train) by a valve or cock,
and so causes the piston or plunger to move from one end of the cylinder..to

page_text: the other, the piston rod of which is connected by levers or chains to the band
or other breaks to act upon several wheels of the carriage at once. The
communication between guard, driver, or stoker being simply a line or rod
actuated by levers or a lever at places required, and by the movement of these
levers an instantaneous resistance is placed on every separate carriage, or can
be so applied as to act on brakes now in use. The rod has on each separate
carriage a small lever to open the valves or cocks to let the air escape from
the reservoirs to the pistons of the cylinders, and thus cause the traverse of
the pistons with the rods thereof connected to the chain or levers acting on the
brakes, or otherwise. From each valve or cock is passed a rod up to the top
of the carriage, and to a lever or pulley on the top of each carriage, and
through the end of such lever a line is passed, when the driver, guard, or
others in charge may each in their undivided capacity apply the brake power
when required. If the rod or bar is used sliding or other suitable and readily
connected or detached joints are applied between the carriages. If the line is
applied simple spring hooks may be used between each carriage.
When the train is required to be divided, or any additional carriages
applied, the brake action is at all times complete, and as instantaneously
relieves the brakeing powers when required after having had the brake on.
The extent of movement of the lever operated by the guard or other attendant
may by index indicate the extent of power applied, and the movement of such
lever may act on connections to a gong or other signal at another part of the
train, so as to attract the attention of others in charge of such train.
By our improvements each carriage is independent of another carriage in
the train, with the exception of the line or rod passing along the train to open
the valve or cock, so that the train can be taken in parts, and each separate
part be perfect for brakeing purposes. The piston of each carriage simply
acts on the leverage or connecting means to the brakes. One piston is capable
of acting on all the brakes and wheels of a carriage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed 3
by the said John Swinburne and James Laming in the Great Seal
Patent Office on the 29th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, JOHN
"SWINBURNE, of Wenlock Street, City Road, in the County of Middlesex, and
JAMES 'LAMING, of Lauderdale Buildings, Aldersgate Street, in the City of $
London, Engineers, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-ninth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto
us, the said John Swinburne and James Laming, Her special licence that
we, the said John Swinburne and James Laming, our executors, admi-
nistrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said John Swinburne
and James Laming, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times.
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention.
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN MEANS OR APPARATUS FOR STOPPING OR RETARDING RAILWAY
CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said John
Swinburne and James Laming. our executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under our or their hands and seals, or under the
hand and seal of one of us or them, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said John Swinburne and James Laming,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by
the following stateinent thereof, that is to say:-
To each carriage is fitted an air or other fluid pump, and piston, and
reservoir. The plunger or piston of such pump is worked by an eccentric
cam or tappet motion from the axle or wheels of the carriage to force the air
or other fluid into the reservoir, where the pressure is regulated by a safety
valve from the reservoir to a cylinder. The air or other fluid escapes (at the
discretion of the guard, driver, stoker, or others in charge of the train) by a
valve or cock, and so causes the piston or plunger to move from one end of
the cylinder to the other, the piston rod of which is connected by levers on
chains to band or other brakes in order to act upon several wheels of the
carriage at once. The communication between guard, driver, or stoker being
simply a line or rod actuated by levers or a lever at places required, and by
the movement of these levers an instantaneous resistance is placed on every
separate carriage. The rod has on each separate carriage a small lever to
open the valves or cocks to let the air or other fluid escape from the reservoirs

page_text: to the pistons of the cylinders, and thus cause the traverse of the pistons with
the rods thereof connected to the chain or levers acting on the brakes or
otherwise. From each valve or cock is passed a rod to the top or other part
of the carriage, and to a lever or pulley of each carriage, and through the end
of such lever a line is passed, when the driver, guard, or others in charge may
each in their undivided capacity apply the brake power when required. If
the rod or bar is used sliding or other suitable and readily connected or
detached joints are applied between the carriages. If the line is applied
simple spring hooks may be used between each carriage.
When the train is required to be divided, or any additional carriages
applied, the brake action is at all times complete, and as instantaneously
relieves the breaking powers, when required, after having had the brake on.
But that the Invention may be fully understood we will by the aid of the
accompanying Drawings proceed to describe means pursued by us.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 shows a sectional side view, Figure 2 a sectional end view, and
Figure 3 a sectional plan view of parts of a railway carriage with improve-
ments according to our Invention applied to it. Figures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, aud
10 show some of the parts separately to a larger scale. In each of the views
the same letters are used to indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur;
-a, a, represents the bearing wheels which run upon the bearing rails, and
supposing air to be the fluid used, is an air pump, the piston 61 of which is
by the connecting rod c connected to the crank pin d' of the crank.d², which
is formed on the axis d. This axis d is supported so as to be capable of
freely revolving in the bearings e affixed to the framing of the carriage, and
there is affixed to it the drum or pulley f, partly around which passes. a band,
chain, or strap g, which also passes partly round the pulley h, on one of the
axles of the bearing wheels, so that as those wheels revolve motion will be
communicated from the pulley h by the strap g to the pulley f, and thence by
the crank d to the piston of the cylinder b, and air will thereby be drawn in
through a passage formed for it through that piston or plunger, as more clearly
indicated in Figure 8 into the cylinder b, and thence by that piston or plunger
being provided at its inner end with a suitable valve, the air so drawn in will
be forced by a suitable passage from that cylinder 6 into the chamber or
reservoir : surrounding the cylinder j. The air forced into the chamber or
reservoir i, and there compressed, may, when permitted, pass by the passage j
into the cylinder.j, to act therein beneath the piston j³ and thereby raise it.
"This, passage is capable of being closed by a moving plate k applied to or

page_text: formed on the hollow spindle k¹, which is held so as to be capable of. turning
partly in its bearing, so as at one time to uncover the passage j¹ and admit
compressed air from the chamber or reservoir i to pass into the cylinder j, and
act on the piston therein and at another time of closing the passage j¹ from
communication with the chamber or reservoir i, when the passage j' and the
interior of the cylinder j will be in communication with the passage k³ formed
through the valve k and its axis ¹ to the atmosphere. When air is:
admitted to the under side of the piston j³ from the reservoir i, it will lift the
piston rod 3, the lower end of which is by pin joint connected to the links j*, j',
and these links are at their lower ends by pin joints ³ connected to the outer.
ends of arms,, affixed on axes, each of which has also other arms 1³, 13,
which by connecting rods or links are connected to and operate brakes l, l,:
to cause them to bear on the surfaces of their driving wheels. When the
passage of air from the reservoir i is closed as stated, the compressed air
which may have been acting on the under side of the piston. to support it will
be allowed to escape, and the piston will fall and thereby act to remove the
pressure of the brakes from the surfaces of the bearing wheels. In place of
these brakes band brakes may be employed, as indicated by dotted lines, or
other brakes may be used. m is a safety valve to the chamber or reservoir i
to regulate the amount of pressure exerted by the compression of the air in
that chamber. The valve k is operated in the following manner :-Upon the
hollow axis is affixed an arm k³ with a projection k', the end of which rests
at one time on the flat part of the tappet n, or is raised by that tappet being
turned partly round so as to bring its enlarged curved surface under the end
of the rod. The tappet is affixed on a shaft o extending along the carriage,
and the respective shafts o of a series of carriages are connected together by
couplings p, each of which is connected by pin joint p¹ at one end to one of
the rods o, whilst at its other end it embraces the end of a rod o of an
adjoining carriage so as to admit of one freely sliding endways within the
other, and yet the partial turning of one will cause a corresponding partial
turning of any number of a series of rods so connected, and the simultaneous
corresponding operation upon the break apparatus of all of a series of carriages
so fitted. In place of air, water or other fluid may be used in connection
with a suitable supply. The extent of movement of the lever operated by
the guard or other attendant may by index indicate the extent of power
app.ied, and the movement of such lever may act on connections to a gong or
other signal at another part of the train so as to attract the attention of others
in charge of such train. In place of all the brakes of a series of carriages
being simultaneously brought into operation, they may be brought into

page_text: operation in succession, or only one or more of them at a time, by the
respective tappets on the shafts o, of a series of carriages being formed to
operate upon the levers for opening the valves and bringing the respective
brake apparatus into operation in succession. Thus the turning of the shafts
o but a short distance might open the valve of the apparatus and bring into
operation the brake power of one carriage, the turning of those rods a further
distance might open another valve and bring into operation the break power
of another carriage, and so on. In this case the pointer or index would indicate
to the person in charge of or for the time operating such apparatus the extent
of action obtained. By our improvements each carriage is independent of
another carriage in the train, with the exception of the line or rod passing
along the train to open the valve or cock, so that the train can be taken in
parts, and each separate part be perfect; for brakeing purposes the piston of
each carriage simply acts on the leverage or connecting means to the
brakes, one piston. is capable of acting on all the brakes and wheels of a
carriage.
Having thus described our Invention, and means which we adopt in carrying
the same into effect, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise details shown and described, as these may be varied,
but what wo claim is, the means or apparatus for stopping or retarding railway
carriages by the application thereto of pumps for acting upon air or other
fluid to cause it to move a piston, which by suitable gear is connected to the
brakes of such carriages to bring them into action, and the acting simulta-
neously or in succession upon all or as may be desired upon any of such
pumping apparatus of a series of carriages forming a train in manner
substantially as explained.
In witness whereof, we, the said John Swinburne and James Laming
have hereunto set our hands and seals, this Twenty-ninth day of
January, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
sixty-six.
JOHN SWINBURNE. (L.s.)
JAMES LAMING.
(L.B.)