IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS
Year: 1874

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Edwards, of No. 6, Cassland Crescent,
Cassía
South Hackney, in the County of Middlesex, for the Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Edwards at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
21st October 1874.
I, JOHN EDWARDS, of No. 6, Cassland Crescent, South Hackney, in the
County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of the said Inven-
tion for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BREAKS FOR THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS,” to
be as follows: →
In friction breaks as usually applied to the rolling stock of railways
the break blocks are either suspended or mounted on slides so as to
be moved to and from the treads of the wheels in a horizontal
direction.

page_text: According to my Invention the break blocks are applied at the upper
part of the wheels, being moved to and from the tread in a vertical
direction, whereby the hanging and working of the breaks are rendered
more simple and effective.
I prefer to fix each of the break blocks for one pair of wheels on a
lever mounted at each side of the carriage frame, and I work these
levers cither by connecting them by a forked picce to the point at which
the breaking power is applied, or I fix these levers or arms on a rocking
shaft mounted across the carriage, and apply the breaking power to
another arm fixed on any convenient part of the same rocking
shaft.
•
In fixing the break blocks to the levers I prefer to introduce between
them and the carriers of the blocks a spring, which permits the blocks
to give a little when the pressure is applied, or the levers working the
blocks may themselves be made to a certain extent clastic. Breaks
mounted in this manner may be worked either separately or con-
tinuously throughout a train by any known mechanism for working
breaks.
Also for more effectually breaking trains and preventing them from
running down inclines I fix between the rails on inclines a bar, on the
upper edge of which are formed ratchet teeth, and I hang from the
break vans triggers in such a manner that when the train is moving up
the incline the triggers bearing on the ratchet bar freely pass the teeth
thereof, but should the train tend to move backwards the triggers
engaging with the ratchet teeth prevent such movement.
In order to provide for backward movement when such is required I
attach to the triggers hand pulls, by which the guard or official can
hold them out of gear with the ratchet bar as long as may be
necessary.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twenty-first day of October, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said John Edwards, Her special
license, that I, the said John Edwards, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said John Edwards, my 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 Ircland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BREAKS FOR THE ROLLING STOCK OF RAILWAYS," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said John Edwards, my executors or administrators,
by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands
and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the
said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed,
and cause the samo 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 I, the said John Edwards, 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 statement thereof, reference being had to the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings, and to the figures and letters marked thereon, that
is to say :-
In friction breaks as usually applied to the rolling stock of railways.
the break blocks are either suspended or mounted on slides so as to
be moved to and from the treads of the wheels in a horizontal
direction.
According to my Invention the break blocks are applied at the upper
part of the wheels, being moved to and from the tread in a vertical
direction, whereby the hanging and working of the breaks are rendered
more simple and effective.
I prefer to fix each of the break blocks for one pair of wheels on a
lever mounted at each side of the carriage frame, and I work these
levers either by connecting them by a forked picce to the point at which

page_text: the breaking power is applied, or I fix these levers or arms on a rocking
shaft mounted across the carriage, and apply the breaking power to
another arm fixed on any convenient part of the same rocking
shaft.
In fixing the break blocks to the levers I prefer to introduce between
them and the carriers of the blocks a spring, which permits the blocks
to give a little when the pressuro is applied, or the levers working the
blocks may themselves be made to a certain extent elastic. Breaks
mounted in this manner may be worked either separately or con-
tinuously throughout a train by any known mechanism for working
breaks.
Also for more effectually breaking trains and preventing them from
running down inclines I fix between the rails on inclines a bar, on the
upper edge of which are formed ratchet teeth, and I hang from the
breuk vans triggers in such a manner that when the train is moving up
the incline the triggers bearing on the ratchet bar freely pass the teeth
thereof, but should the train tend to move backwards the triggers
engaging with the ratchet teeth prevent such movement.
In order to provide for backward movement when such is required I
attach to the triggers hand pulls, by which the guard or official can hold :

page_text: are simultaneously pressed down upon the upper parts of the wheels,
thereby causing the retarding friction, and at the same time pressing
the wheels down upon the rails.
Springs or clastic bedding may be inserted between the break blocks
and the levers to which they are attached or under the bearings of the
guide pullies, as shown in Fig. 2, or, the levers themselves may be made
partly elastic, as shown in Fig. 3, where a portion D of the lever is
made of steel bars so as to give a little when the breaking power is
applied.
Fig. 4 represents a side view and Fig. 5 an end view of a vehicle
or truck with ratchet break apparatus according to my Invention for
preventing it from running down steep inclines.
Fig. 6 represents a plan of part of the rails with the ratchet rack E,
which is a ratchet toothed line of metal laid down and firmly fixed
between the rails; F, F, are hanging pawls, of which the vehicle has
two for acting whichever way it may be turned. These pawls can at
will be lifted up out of gear with the rack so that the vehicle can be
allowed to run-down the incline, but when the vehicle is being drawn
up the incline in the direction of the arrow the front pawl is let down,
as shewn in Fig. 4, so that if the vehicle should become detached, or
the train to which it belongs should tend to run backwards down the
linc, the pawl by catching in one or other of the ratchet teeth stops the
vehicle or train before it can acquire any velocity greater than that duc
to its movement over the distance of one of the ratchet teeth from the
next. The ratchet bar is fixed only on inclines, and is made of such a
height above the rail heads that the pawls while they can engage with
it can pass clear over crossings or other portions of the road.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, I claim,—
First. The use for railway vehicles of breaks mounted by levers on the
carriage frame in such a manner that when they are applied they are
made to bear on the upper parts of the wheels, substantially as herein
described.
Second. Constructing the levers employed for breaks such as are
referred to in the preceding claim, in part clastic, substantially in the
manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

page_text: Third. The use for inclines on railways of a ratchet bar and pawls on
railway vehicles for the purpose of preventing them from running down
the said inclines, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Edwards, have hereunto set
my
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.
hand and seal, this Twentieth day of April, in the year of our