Improved Means for Automatically Applying Brakes and Actuating Signals on Railway Trains.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 11th Oct., 1890
Improved Means for Automatically Applying Brakes and Actuating
Signals on Railway Trains.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD MAHER, of Johnson City, Washington County, State of
Tennessee, United States of America, Master Mechanic, do hereby declare the
nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :—
The object of my invention is to provide simple means for the automatic operation
of the brakes in case of derailment of the car, or one of its trucks, and for notifying
the engineer instantly of the accident. The invention consists broadly of a valve
located at a suitable point and controlling the discharge port of the system of brake
and signal pipes, said valve being combined with operating connections leading to the
trucks, so that movement of the trucks from a normal position will cause said con-
nections to be drawn upon, turning the valve to let the air escape, the effect being
that the brakes will be applied automatically in the customary manner and a signal be
caused to sound to notify the engineer of the accident.
In the drawing:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the frame work of the car showing the ordinary braking
system of pipes and cylinders with my invention applied.
Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the operating valve in normal position, and a
part of its operating connections in dotted lines.
Figure 3 is a section of the valve in its operated position with the truck
displaced.
In the drawings the letters C, C1, C2, C3, indicate respectively the main air pipe,
the auxiliary or signal air pipe, the reservoir and the brake cylinder, and as these
parts may be of any ordinary construction they need not be particularly described, as
the general arrangement thereof forms no part of my invention. The main air pipe C
and the signal pipe (₁ are connected by a short pipe a at a point preferably in
proximity to the line of the trucks, and this short pipe includes a valve casing b
provided with a valve A adapted to rotate therein. The casing is provided with
ports 1, 2, 3, and the valve has a port 4 passing through from one side to the other,
and a second port 5 extending through at right angles to the port 4. When in normal
position there is no communication to the outside air, and the pressure is maintained
as usual in the pipes, but when the valve is turned in one direction or the other from
its normal position, as in Figure 3 the port 4 aligns with the passage in the two
sections of the pipe a and opens communication to the outside air through the port 5
in the valve and port 3 in the casing. This causes the automatic application of the
brakes in the ordinary manner, the escape of the air from the signal pipe operating
in like manner the signal.
This action of the valve takes place when the car or one of its trucks is derailed,
or when the relative position of the truck and car change. The valve is provided
with a crank arm of any suitable shape which is connected to the truck by a chain or
other connection as at 6. The valve lever or arm is connected to each side of the
truck so that the valve will be operated from either side. The valve is provided with
the ordinary stops to limit its movement in both directions.
While I have shown the invention as applied to a system of brake and signal pipes
operated by the escape of air it will be understood that I may apply the invention
with equally good effect to other well known systems.
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 combination with the brake and signal pipes of a brake system, a valve for

page_text: controlling pressure in both pipes and an operating connection from said valve to
the truck whereby the valve will be operated when the truck is displaced, the brake
applied and the signal given.
Dated this 26th day of August 1890.
HUGHES, ELI & HUGHES,
76, Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant..