Improved Brake Apparatus for Vehicles to be Worked Automatically ' or by Hand.
Year: 1888

page_text: Improved Brake Apparatus for Vehicles to be Worked Automatically
'
or by Hand.
A communication to me from abroad by ADOLF FEENEL, of Breslau, in the Empire
of Germany, Manufacturer.
I EDMUND EDWARDS, of the firm of Edwards and Co. Patent Agents and
Engineers, of 35 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex 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 an improved brake apparatus for vehicles, the said
brake apparatus being made to work automatically or by hand as desired.
In the accompanying drawings figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved brake
apparatus. Figure 2 is an end view of the same, figure 3 is a plan of the same,
figure 4 is an end view of the stopping device, figure 5 is a side elevation of those
parts of the apparatus which are located inside the frame of the vehicle, figure 6 is a
plan corresponding to figure 5, figure 7 is a cross section of the box which serves
to connect the fore-carriage with the other parts of the vehicle, figure 8 is an end
elevation of a brake lover rod, figure 9 is a side elevation corresponding to figure 8,
figure 10 is a plan corresponding to figure 8, figure 11 is a side elevation of those
parts of the brake apparatus connected to the fore carriage, and figure 12 is an end
elevation corresponding to figure 11.
In describing the improved brake apparatus of the invention, I will first explain
the automatic brake.
The said brake is applied and released by means of the stopping and driving force
by which the notion of the vehicle is checked and started again, the action of the
brake is accordingly automatic; it being made to work by means of a device
connected to the horse or other draught cattle and by a sliding pole controlled by
the said device.

page_text: The pole a of the carriage or vehicle is connected to the parts A, B, C, of the
carriage-frame, which are rigidly secured to each other and supported by the springs
at D. The pole is loosely held within its guides b provided in the cross bars A and B
and it is arranged to receive a forward sliding motion in the direction of the draught,
such forward motion being limited by the cross pin c bearing against the cross
bar A. To the rear end of the pole a a rod is detachably secured terminating in
a dise and having a spiral spring surrounding it. On this rod, between the end
of the pole and the said spiral spring, a cross bar e is arranged to slide, the ends of
which bar are provided each with a lug within which an anti-friction roller e¹ is
supported, as shown in figures 9 and 10.
Within the said lugs the lever rods f figure 9 are guided in such a manner as to
allow the cross bar e, when the fore-carriage is swinging up and down upon its
springs, to follow up the rocking motion and to slide along the lever-rods with the
rollers e bearing against the said rods.
The outward end of the lever rods f terminates in a knob or disc, the fulcrum of
the said rods is provided in the link g, which link is arranged to turn upon its pivot
supported by a bracket g' secured to the wheel axle E figure 10. To the said lever
rods are hinged, above and below the axle, the two drawing rods h, figure 9, each of
which consists of two lengths with right and left hand screw threads on their adjoining
ends, the said ends being united by a sleeve h' tapped to fit the said screws, for the
purpose of adjusting the length of the rods h. By turning the sleeve one way, the
rod will be lengthened its two lengths moving apart, whilst by turning the sleevo
the other way, it will be shortened, the two lengths being drawn towards each other.
By the ends of the carriage springs, arms i are carried, extending downwards and
supporting the brake blocks & rigidly connected to each other by a cross bar, figures 1,
2, 3, and 9. The cross bar is loosely fitted within the said arms & and rigidly connected
to the drawing bar h.
The drawing bars h are hinged to the lever rod f in a manner to force the brake
blocks towards each other and against the wheel, by acting on the cross bar of the
arms i, when motion is imparted to the said rods f.
The automatic brake apparatus is provided with a stopping device to prevent its
working if desired.
This stop motion consists of the two small wheels figures 5 and 6, rigidly mounted
on a common shaft which rests within the two brackets m provided at the forward
crossbar A of the fore carriage. The stop catch n is also rigidly secured to the
shaft 1. The wheels are provided each with a circumferential groove to receive a
strap or cord o, secured thereto. The said straps or cords are laid in opposite directions
around the two wheels figure 4, by which means one of the wheels or sheaves & will
pay out the strap coiled around it, whilst the other wheel or sheave will simultaneously
wind up the strap. Accordingly the stop catch n on the same shaft with the sheaves 1,
will be swung forward or backward, as one or the other strap o is tightened to turn
its sheave.
In the centre of the cross bar B supported by the carriage springs, a box or nave p
of circular cross section is provided or formed.
In the centre of the cross bar Ffigure 2 of the upper part of the carriage frame,
on which the coach box rests is provided a circular opening of the same diameter
as the box or nave p of the bar B, thus allowing the cross bars F and B to unite by
the box p of the lower bar projecting through the opening of the upper bar. By this
means the fore carriage is connected to the rear carriage and the fore carriage may
readily turn to either side when the carriage is being turned. The guide circle
attached to the upper cross bar F rests upon a guide circle of similar shape secured
to the lower cross bar B, figure 2, by which means the fore carriage is strongly
supported.
The box, nave, or hollow trunnion p projects beyond the bore of the cross bar F and
is locked above said bar F to a collar p by means of pins entering through bayonet slots
of the said collar and box. These pins prevent the collar from being lifted, the box
and collar may also be secured to each other by screw bolts. By this means the upper

page_text: part of the carriage frame and the coach box are strongly secured to the fore
carriage.
The straps or cords o secured to the wheels or sheaves pass through the box p
which is rounded off at the lower edges, and lead to the coach box, where they enter
through suitable apertures in the foot board, Figures 1 and 2, and terminate in
handles. Close behind the sheaves the straps or cords o pass through guide lugs,
figures 4, 5, and 6 provided in extensions of the bracket m.
Un the pole a sleeve is mounted to which the splinter bar is secured, figures 1, 3,
5 and 6.
The automatic brake apparatus works as follows:-
When the carriage is checked or stopped in its motion by the horse or other animal
drawing it, it will move forward and slide on the pole a. The said pole accordingly,
will bear with its cross bar e against the lever rods figure 3 the said lever rods fact
upon the drawing bars and the brake blocks k are applied to the wheels as described,
whereby the wheels are braked. In starting the carriage again, the pole will be
drawn forward, till the pin c bears against the cross bar A, the bar e will release the
lever rods and the brake blocks are lifted from the wheels.
When the stop motion is applied to the automatic brake the catch n moves forward
and rests upon the pole, while the latter is drawn forward as far as the pin c will
permit. The carriage being checked or stopped, the pole cannot recede, as the
sleeve on the pole will bear against the catch n.
Accordingly, the brake is out of action. For releasing the stop motion the catch n
is swung to the other side and the brake will again be free to act.
The said stop
motion may be applied or released from the coach seat by drawing one or the other of
the handles of the two straps or cords o, to turn either of the pullies or sheaves I on
the shaft on which the catch n is mounted.
In order to work this brake apparatus by hand, the following arrangements are
provided.
A pulley and worm wheels are fixed upon a common shaft, figures 1, 2, 11
and 12, the said shaft being supported in bearings provided in brackets n below the
coach seat, figure 2. The worm gearing with the worm wheels is formed upon or
fixed to the shaft, which projects from the front and near side of the coach seat and
has its bearings provided therein; crank handles are secured to both ends of the
said shaft.
P
To the pulley ta strap or cord w is secured, which passes down through the box
figure 5 the strap being then divided into two parts kept apart by a cross bar it, the
two cords then run over pulleys y fast upon their shaft, and the free ends of the
cords are secured to lugs of the cross bar e, figure 6.
こ
The shaft of the two pulleys y is supported in bearings provided in brackets
secured to the cross bar B, figures 3 and 6.
The pulleys and y have circumferential grooves to receive the strap or cord w.
In using this braking device, the worm shaft is turned by either of the winch
handles figures 1 and 11, the shaft may be turned to either side, as the cord wis
suspended to the lower side of the pulley t. The worm in gear with the wheel s
imparts motion to the said wheel and to the pulley t mounted upon the same shaft.
The strap or cord to is wound up on the pulley t and drawn up, the outer ends of the
said strap or cord being connected to the cross bar e, the latter is drawn back,
figure 6, and the same effect is thereby obtained, as if the bare had been pushed back
by the pole a as described with reference to the automatic braking apparatus.
The bar while drawn back will act upon the spiral spring round the rod d and the
spring will be compressed. On turning the worm shaft in the opposite direction the
spring on the rod d will force the cross bar e towards the pole and the brake blocks
are again removed from the wheels.
The winch handles may at any time be released without lifting the brake. The
screw threads of the worn being at nearly right angles to the cogs of the wheel s
the said wheel will keep its position until the worm shaft is turned in the opposite
direction.

page_text: The automatic braking device is located within the moveable part of the fore
carriage figure 1 and accordingly it is independent of the position which this part of
the carriage occupies with reference to the other parts, if while going, the carriage
turns from the straight line of motion.
The box p which unites the supporting crossbars B and F contains the straps or
cords o of the stop motion, as also the strap or cord w of the pulley t to be worked by
hand. The hand braking apparatus accordingly is equally independent of the
positions of the fore carriage, the centre of motions of which is formed by the said
box p. The opening through this box pis subdivided by partitions figuros 5 and 6 to
keep the two straps o and strap w out of contact.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. An automatic brake apparatus consisting of a sliding pole, which, when the
motion of the vehicle is checked or stopped, slides towards the rear of the carriage
frame, whereby the cross bar e pushes the lever rods f back and applies the brake
blocks to the wheels through the drawing rods h, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
2. A stop motion for the automatic brake, consisting of the two small wheels or
sheaves each having a strap or cord o wound upon them in opposite directions the
said straps or cords o passing through the hollow trunnion or box p and, when pulled
turning either of the sheaves 1, upon the axle of which a catch n is mounted and
swung forward or backward as the sheaves turn, the said catch when swung forward,
bearing against a stop upon the pole to prevent the same from sliding back and
actuating the brake, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The combination with an automatic braking apparatus, as described, of a device
to enable the said brake to bo worked by hand, the said device consisting of a pulley
or sheave turned by a worm and worm wheel so as to wind up a strap or cord w
which passing down through the box or trunnion p and being secured to the cross
bar e, serves to draw the said cross bar e back so as to bear against the lever rods f
and actuate the brake, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 5th day of November 1888.