Improvements in Brakes for Railway Wagons.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 8th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 21st Feb., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Brakes for Railway Wagons.
I, JAMES ELIAS WARD of Newburn Cottage, Castle Foregate, Shrewsbury,
in the County of Shropshire, Wagon Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
-
My invention relates to improvements in brakes for railway wagons and has
for its object to enable the brake to be operated from either side of the wagon
thereby obviating the danger and inconvenience attending the use of ordinary
brakes, which can be operated from only one side of the wagon.
My invention consists in an arrangement of levers placed upon both sides of a
railway wagon constructed arranged and so connected together from one side of
the wagon to the other by means of a cross shaft so situated beneath the body of
the wagon, that the brake blocks can be applied to the wheels and fastened there
or unfastened and taken off the wheels again by a guard or brakesman whilst
he is on either side of the wagon, so that by this my improved arrangement the
brake lever is always available to the guard or shunter when he wants to apply or
take off the brake whichever side the wagon he may be on at the time. And my
improved arrangement obviates the necessity for his getting from one side of the
wagon to the other either to apply the brake to the wheels or to take it off again
and not only removes the danger from the man while getting across from one side
of the wagon to the other to get to the brake lever when it is only on one side of
the wagon as at present, but will be the means of preventing accidents and damages
which now occur through the present brake lever being only on one side which is
as often as not on the opposite side of the wagon to where the brakesman is when
he wishes to or is required to apply the brakes to the wheels.
I so arrange the brake levers and cross shaft in such a manner and in such a
position as to keep them clear of the bottom doers of the wagon so as to avoid any
obstruction to the opening or shutting of those doors or to the coal or other
mineral or other material falling freely out underneath and also free from
obstructing any part of the wagon from being taken down or removed during
the process of repairs..
In carrying out my invention I propose to provide a cross shaft beneath the
wagon capable of revolving within suitable bearings attached to the underframe.
Upon each end of this cross-shaft which projects beyond the sides of the wagon [
secure a hand lever for the purpose of operating the brake from either side through
the cross shaft. The hand lever upon the brake side may be extended beyond the
cross-shaft and connected to the brake lever for operating the push rods by means
of a link attached at its upper end to this extension or short arm of the lever, and
at its lower end to the brake lever.
Or may arrange to dispense with this extension or short arm, in which case
the link is attached to the hand lever, the motion being thereby reversed.
}
And according to one part of my improved arrangement when the brake lever is
liberated by the guard or shunter the brake blocks will fall off from the wheels
and remain off instead of as at present having to be lifted off and fastened off by
the guard or shunter, and further, according to this part of my improved
arrangement it will obviate a present existing source of evil namely that of the

page_text: brake lever falling off the rest or through some cause being left off the rest and
applying the brake blocks to the wheels when not wanted to or when the train may
be running.
•
My improved arrangement with connected brake levers is applicable to present
existing brakes upon railway wagons and can be connected to and combined
therewith with little trouble and with little expense either by attaching it with a
short connecting link to the present long lever or shortening the long lever and
connecting that by a long link to my improved arrangement of levers and
reversing the position of the push rods putting the 'top ones beneath the brake
shaft and the bottom-ones above-it. Further one part of my invention enables me
to dispense with the present 'V-hangers and brake shaft as by lifting one end of
this new form of lever it forces the, push rods of the brake end wise and the brake
blocks against the wheels.
Dated this Eighth day of June 1894.
GEDGE & FEENY,
Agents.
Improvements in Brakes for Railway Wagons.
I, JAMES ELIAS WARD, of Newburn Cottage, Castle Foregate, Shrewsbury
in the County of Shropshire, Wagon Maker, 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 :-
f
My invention relates to improvements in brakes for railway' wagons, and has for
its object to enable the brake' to be operated from either side of the wagon'thereby
obviating the danger and inconvenience attending the use of ordinary-brakes which
can be operated from only one side of the wagon.
.
My invention consists in an arrangement of levers placed upon both sides of a
railway wagon constructed arranged and so connected together from one side of
the wagon to the other by means of 'a 'cross-shaft so situate beneath the main
frame of the wagon, that the brake 'blocks can be applied to the wheels and
fastened there or unfastened, and 'taken off the wheels again by a guard or
brakesman whilst he is on either side of the wagon, so that by this my improved
arrangement the 'brake lever is always available to the guard or shunter when he
wants to apply or take off the brake whichever side of the wagon he may be on: at
the time. And my improved arrangement obviates the necessity for his getting
from one side of the wagon to the other, either to apply the brake to the wheels or
to take it off again, and not only removes the danger from the man while in the act
of getting across from one side of the wagon to the other to get to the brake
lever when it is only on one side of the wagon as at present, but will be the means
of preventing accidents and damages which now occur through the present brake
lever being only on one side, which is as often as not on the opposite side of the
wagon to where the brakesman is when "he wishes to, or is required to apply the
brake to the wheels.
I arrange the brake levers and particularly the cross-shaft in such a manner and
in that position that will keep the latter clear of the bottom doors of the wagon,
so as to avoid any obstruction' to the opening or shutting of those doors, or to coal
or other material whatsoever falling freely out underneath, and also free from
obstructing any part of the wagon from being taken down or removed during the
process of repairs.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, reference is bad to the
accompanying drawings illustrating the same, upon which
-
Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved brake apparatus applied to a
railway wagon having V-hangers.

page_text: F. P',.the brake lever.
In carrying out my invention I provide a cross-shaft B beneath the wagon
framing capable of revolving within suitable bearings C attached to the wagon
under frame.
Upon each end of this cross-shaft B which projects beyond the sides of the
main-framing I secure a hand-lever A for the purpose of operating the brake from
either side through the cross-shaft B. The hand lever A upon the brake side
of the wagon 1 extend beyond the cross-shaft B as shewn in Figures 1 and 2,
and connect it to the brake lever D for operating the push rods F by means
of a loop H attached at its upper end to this extension or short part of the
hand-lever A, and at its lower end to the brake lever D as shewn in Figure 1.
In the arrangement shewn in Figure 2 the hand lever A is connected to the
end P1 of the brake lever P by means of loop H. This lever P is attached
to a push-rod F by means of a pin at O, in such a manner that when the hand
lever A is pressed down it causes levers P and F to expand endwise and to
push the brake blocks G up against the wheels.
Or I may arrange to dispense with the extension or short part of the hand
lever A above referred to, in which case the loop H is attached to the hand
lever on the other side of the boss, as shewn in Figure 3, the motion being
thereby reversed, that is, the hand lever A having to be lifted instead of pressed
down to apply the brakes.
And according to one part of my improved arrangement, when the brake
lever D is liberated by the guard or shunter the brake blocks G will fall off
from the wheels and remain off, instead of as at present having to be lifted off
and fastened off by the guard or shunter.
To accomplish this I attach a balance weight J, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2,
or a suitable spring, to the short end of lever A which overbalances it and
thereby keeps the brake off when the brake lever is liberated. And further,
according to this part of my improved arrangement, it will obviate a present
existing source of evil, namely that of the brake lever falling off the rest, or
through some cause being left off the rest, and applying the brake blocks to the
wheels when not wanted to or when the train may be running.
To apply the brake to the wheels tightly the hand lever A (Figures 1 and 2)
must be forced down, and the pawl or catch K turned into the rack M when the
brake will remain on until released by hand; and to take the brake off again
pressure is put upon the handle of the lever A on either side of the wagon when
the pawl or catch K which is made heavier on one side than the other by the

page_text: counterweight L, will fall out of the rack M and liberate the lever A thereby
letting the brake fall off of itself.
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. In brakes for railway wagons, a hand lever A and weight J operating a
cross-shaft B and connected by loop H with brake lever D and push rods F
arranged in combination with a rack M and pawl. K for the purposes specified
and as shewn on Figure 1.
2. In brakes for railway wagons, the hand lever A and weight J operating
cross-shaft B and connected by loop H with the end P¹ of brake lever
jointed at O to push rod F, the whole arranged in combination with a rack
and pawl for the purposes and as described.
3. Brakes for railway wagons constructed, combined, and arranged substantially
as described and for the purposes specified.
Dated this Twenty-first day of February 1895.