IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Fairholme, of No. 9, Gracechurch Street, in the
City of London, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES."
A communication from abroad by Wilhelm Bandel, of Berlin, in the German
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Fairholme at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 12th April 1881.
CHARLES FAIRHOLME, of No. 9, Gracechurch Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES." [A communication from abroad by
Wilhelm Bandel, of Berlin, in the German Empire.]
This Invention relates to that kind of railway brake apparatus which is known
as the "Heberlein brake," in which the brakes are worked by the winding and
unwinding of a chain on a barrel driven by the frictional contact of a drum on a
running axle, with another drum that is mounted on a lever frame, and that can
be moved into or out of contact with the axle drum, according as it is desired to
put on or take off the brakes. It sometimes happens that a railway carriage
provided with the Heberlein brake is required to form part of a train the brakes of
the rest of which are worked pneumatically, either by air pressure or by vacuum.
Part of this Invention relates to means for rendering the Heberlein brakes of a
carriage capable of being worked in conjunction with pneumatic brakes on the
same train, and this is effected in the following manner:-Each Heberlein brake
carriage being provided with suitable pipe and couplings, so that it can be
connected into a train fitted with pneumatic brakes, is provided also with a
cylinder and piston, which is connected to the lever frame employed to throw the
Heberlein brake apparatus into action or out of action. This cylinder has at both
ends ports, which are connected by passages to a branch from the train pipe, and
by passages to the outer air, these passages being furnished with self acting valves
arranged to operate as follows:-When the train pipe is charged with compressed
air the valves are so moved that the compressed air can pass to the one end of the
cylinder, and air can escape from the other end, the piston being thus caused to
move so as to take the Heberlein brake gear out of action. When, on the other

page_text: hand, the air in the train pipe is rarefied the valves are moved so that the opposite
end of the cylinder communicates with the exhausted train pipe, and the atmo-
spheric pressure having then access to the other end of the cylinder the piston is
moved in the same direction as in the former case, also taking the Heberlein brake
gear out of action. Thus, whether the continuous automatic brakes of the train be
of the kind worked by compressed air or of the kind worked by rarefied air, the
Heberlein brake gear, as well as the pneumatic brake gear, is taken out of action
whenever the train pipe has the pressure in it increased beyond that of the
atmosphere in the one case or reduced below that of the atmosphere in the other
case. And when the train pipe is opened to the atmosphere, either purposely or
accidentally causing the pneumatic brakes to be applied, the Heberlein brakes are
also applied, these brakes being thus caused to act in concert with the pneumatic
brakes.
In the Heberlein brake apparatus, as stated above, the brake levers are pulled
by a chain, which is wound on a barrel, worked either directly or by intermediate
gear from the friction drum, which is driven by frictional contact with the drum
on one of the running axles. In order to prevent the successive convolutions of
the chain from overriding each other on the barrel, and to avoid the loss of tensile
force resulting from such overriding, the chain, which is of the pitch chain kind, is
made, according to the present Invention, with its successive links arranged not
symmetrically on each side of a central line, but step by step towards one hand.
Thus, assuming each link of the chain to consist of three sets of plates, side by
side, each three being jointed by pins to the next three, then the second link will
be, say, to the left of the first by the thickness of one plate; the third will in like
manner be to the left of the second by the thickness of a plate, and so on. By
making the thickness of the plates such that in the length of chain passing once
round the barrel the number of these thicknesses or successive steps of the chain
towards the one hand makes up a little more than the width of the chain, each
successive convolution of the chain is wound on the barrel at the side of the
preceding convolution, and clear of it.
When the Heberlein brake apparatus is rendered continuous throughout the
train it is usually so arranged that all the friction drums throughout the train are
normally in contact with the axle drums, causing the brakes to be applied, unless
they are taken out of contact for the purpose of taking off the brakes. The taking
of these drums out of contact is effected by straining a continuous cord extending
along the train, this cord as it is carried through each brake carriage being made
to pass over two pullies mounted on the carriage, and under one pulley mounted
on a rod connected to the lever frame of the brake gear. When the number of
brake carriages is considerable the friction of all the necessary pullies offers
considerable resistance to the movement of the cord. In order to diminish this
resistance two pullies are, according to the present Invention, substituted for the
three hitherto required on each brake carriage. One of the two pullies is mounted
on the carriage, and the other is mounted on a lever to which the lever frame of
the brake gear is linked, and the cord is passed over the one pulley and under the
other, or both pullies may be mounted on the lever. On straining the cord the
lever carrying the one pulley or both pullies is moved so as to lift the frame of
the brake gear, taking the brake apparatus out of action. In this, as in the former
arrangement when three pullies are used, the accidental breaking of the cord by
releasing all the brake gear frames throughout the train causes all the brakes to be
applied.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Charles Fairholme in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
12th October 1881.
CHARLES FAIRHOLME, of No. 9, Gracechurch Street, in the City of London.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN RAILWAY BRAKES." A communication from abroad by
Wilhelm Bandel, of Berlin, in the German Empire.
This Invention relates to brakes for railway trains of the kind known as the
Heberlein brake, and has for its object improved means of rendering such a brake
continuous throughout a train and automatic in its action, and of facilitating its
application in cases where portions of the train are fitted with pneumatic brake
apparatus.
In order that the nature of this Invention may be more clearly understood, I
will in the first place briefly describe the construction and action of the Heberlein
brake apparatus to which the Invention applies.
In this apparatus a drum is fixed on one of the running axles of a brake carriage,
and near it is suspended a swing frame carrying another or friction drum, on the
axis of which there is a barrel having a chain extending from it to the brake levers.
While the train is running the friction drum is held away from the axle drum, but
when the brakes are to be put on, the swing frame carrying the friction drum is
moved so that the friction drum is brought against the axle drum, and is caused to
revolve by its frictional contact therewith. The chain is thus wound up pulling
the brake levers and putting on the brakes.
For taking off the brakes the swing frame is drawn back, and the friction drum
being thus removed from contact with the axle drum is free to revolve, unwinding
the chain as the brakes are taken off by their counterweights or springs. There
being several sets of this apparatus throughout a train, the swing frames carrying
their friction drums are all connected to one cord which extends throughout the
train from a winch on the locomotive. In order to start the train the engine driver
winds up the cord, thereby withdrawing all the friction drums from contact with
their respective axle drums, and so taking off the brakes. When he slacks out the
cord he allows all the friction drums to come in contact with the axle drums, so
causing the brakes to be put on. A guard in one of the brake carriages may
however put on his own brake and slack out the cord so as to cause all the other
brakes to be put on. Moreover, if the cord should be broken by separation of the
train or other accident the brakes are automatically put on. Such being the
general character of the Heberlein brake apparatus as now used, I will describe the
improved construction of its parts, which is the object of the present Invention.
Fig. 1 is a side view, and Fig. 2 is a plan shewing an improved arrangement of
the friction drum gear. a is the axle drum, and b is the friction drum which is
mounted on an axle between the two side levers e, e, that constitute the swing
frame suspended from the underframe of the carriage by brackets h, h. Both the
axle drum a and the friction drum b are made with two bearing flanges, one on
each side of the middle which is of smaller diameter. The middle part of the
friction drum b constitutes the barrel on which is wound the chain f. This chain
passes over a guide roller c, and is attached to the brake rod g³, which may extend
horizontally to an arm on the brake shaft, or which may be linked to such an
arm g² below, according to the arrangement of the brake shaft and levers. The
chain f, as shewn in Fig. 2, winds on the barrel in two branches, and in order that
the successive convolutions may clear each other, the links of each branch are set
step by step towards one side, so that each convolution takes a helical form on the
barrel. In order to produce this effect the thickness of each link is so proportioned

page_text: to its length, that the departure by steps from the straight line due to the number
of link lengths in a convolution amounts to somewhat more than the width of the
chain. The swing frame e is connected by the adjustable rod i to the cord or
other gear which will be presently described for taking off the brakes by with-
drawing b from contact with a, or for putting on the brakes by allowing 6 to come
in contact with a, and to be driven by a in either direction, so as to wind the
chain on the barrel. When considerable braking power is required, the apparatus
may be modified as shewn in side view at Fig. 3, in end view at Fig. 4, and in
plan at Fig. 5. In this case the levers e, e, constituting the swing frame are bent,
and carry at their bend an axle for a pulley c, and a barrel of smaller diameter
attached thereto. The chain f which is single but has its successive links sideways
stepped, as already described, is wound on the barrel of the friction drum b and off
the pulley c, on whose barrel is wound the chain g connected to the brake rod k.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the locomotive provided with brake apparatus of the
kind described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, which is thrown into or out of
action by a handle p connected by a rod to a bent lever o, having its short arm
linked to the rod i. Fig. 6 shews also the tender, and Fig. 7 shews one carriage
and part of another of the train which is supposed to be coupled up to the
locomotive and tender shewn in Fig. 6. The tender and the carriage have brake
apparatus of the kind described with reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, all these being
taken out of action by winding up by a winch n, the continuous cord r extending
along the train, or thrown into action by slacking the cord. The construction of
the winch n is shewn to an enlarged scale in longitudinal section at Fig. 8, in front
view at Fig. 9, and in back view at Fig. 10. A framing A which is bolted against
the face of the boiler has bearings for the spindle B, which can be turned by the
winch handle C. On the spindle B is cut a screw thread fitting an internal thread
in the boss of a ratchet wheel D provided with a spring pawl E. The ratchet wheel D
has a conical flange fitting a coned seat in the side of the barrel F, which has part F¹
of smaller diameter separated from the larger part by a flange F2 through which
there are notches for passing the cord r. A helical spring B₁ surrounding
the spindle B and enclosed within the boss of the ratchet wheel D butts against
that boss and against a washer secured by lock nuts on the end of the spindle B.
The barrel F, F, is free to revolve on B, and is retained longitudinally between a
coned collar B2 and a ring B³ held by a setting screw. When the spindle B is
turned by the handle C in the one direction to wind on the cord r, then by the
action of the screw thread the barrel F is forced on to the cone of the ratchet
wheel, and the conical surfaces form a friction clutch, the barrel being thus caused
to turn along with the spindle and ratchet wheel which the pawl E prevents from
turning back. The slack of the cord r being wound on the larger part F of the
barrel, the operator can by drawing a bight of the cord through one of the
notches F2 cause the farther winding of the cord (when the greater strain comes on
it) to be taken on the smaller part FI of the barrel until all the brakes are taken
off, in which condition the apparatus remains while the train is running. Should
the operator desire to put on the brakes he has only to turn the handle C a little
backwards, and the conical surfaces of D and F being thus separated the barrel is
left free and the cord unwinds, putting on the brakes. The connection of the
cord to the brake apparatus may be as shewn in Fig. 6 as applied to the
tender brake, and in Fig. 7 as applied to the left hand carriage, or it may be as
shewn in Fig. 7 applied to the right hand carriage, and partly shewn to an
enlarged scale in Fig. 11. In the former case there are two pullies 1, ', the cord
passing over the one and under the other. The pulley 7 over which the cord passes
is mounted on a bracket attached to the vehicle, the other pulley is mounted on
the end of a lever s, which is pivotted at the centre of l. From an intermediate
point of the lever s a rod k extending downwards is linked to a bent lever o, the
short arm of which is linked by the rod i to the swing frame e. When the cord r
is drawn in the moveable pulley is drawn upwards, raising the lever s and the
rod k, and thus withdrawing the friction drum b from contact with a.
When, on

page_text: the other hand, the cord is slacked, the pulley ', lever s, and rod k descend,
permitting b to bear against a. For the purpose of keeping the brakes released
when the carriages are disconnected, the rod k being pulled up by a handle k¹ can
be held up by hooking k¹ to a ring k². When the train is made up and the
cord connected throughout, the tightening of the cord by slightly raising the
rods allows the rings to disengage themselves and drop away from the
hooks. In the arrangement shown at Fig. 11, the cord ? passes over one of two
pullies p, under a pulley q, and over the other pulley p. The pulley 9 is mounted
in a fork, the lower part of which is a socket in which the rod is free to slide.
The rod k has its handle and book to engage with the ring k², and it has at its
upper end a slot to receive a hook m which is binged to the fork. This connection
being arranged in the guard's van, the guard can work the brakes in the following
manner When the van is detached from the train, he can, by means of the
handle, raise the rod k, taking off the brakes, and hook it to the ring ². When
the train is coupled up and the cord r connected throughout, then the hook m
being inserted, the tightening of the cord releases the ring k², which falls back
leaving the rod k suspended by the cord r. By sufficient slackening of the cord
operated from any part of the train, the rod k can be permitted to descend so as
to put on the brake. The guard can however effect this locally by withdrawing
the hook m, allowing k to descend, at the same time slackening the cord r, which
slackening leaves the other rods throughout the train free to descend, thus
causing the other brakes to be applied.
In order to provide for cases in which vehicles provided with Heberlein brakes
may form parts of trains provided with pneumatic brakes, apparatus is employed
arranged as shewn diagrammatically at Fig. 12, where a is the axle drum, and 6 is
the friction drum mounted on the swing frame e. The carriage is provided with
an air pipe which is coupled up with and forms part of the continuous pipe
extending throughout the train to work the pneumatic brakes. This pipe com-
municates with one end of a cylinder u, the piston u¹ of which is linked to an
arm of a three armed lever fulcrumed at V. The other two arms of this lever
have pins v¹, v, working in downwardly slotted holes in two rods w¹, w², which
are both jointed to the lower arm e' of the brake frame e. Pneumatic brakes work
either by plenum or by vacuum. In the one case, that of plenum, the brakes are
kept off as long as the train pipe is charged with air above atmospheric pressure,
but when the pressure in the pipe is reduced to nearly that of the atmosphere the
brakes are put on. In the case of the vacuum working, the brakes are kept off as
long as the air in the train pipe is at a pressure below that of the atmosphere, and
are put on when the pressure in the pipe is raised to nearly that of the atmosphere.
The arrangement shewn in Fig. 12 applies in either case. In the case of plenum,
the pressure in t forcing the piston u¹ outwards, moves the lever so as to raise vi
and w¹ and to lower v², but as v² works in a slot it does not prevent w² from rising.
The arm e¹ being thus raised, the friction drum b is withdrawn from a, and the
brakes are off. On reducing the pressure in t sufficiently to put on the pneumatic
brakes, the piston u¹ moving inwards lowers v¹ and w¹, and v² being free in the
slot does not prevent w² from descending. The friction drum b is thus allowed to
come in contact with a, and the Heberlein brake is put on. When the vacuum
brake is employed, then the excess of atmospheric pressure over that in the pipe t
causes u¹ to move inwards, raising ² and w², while v¹ is free in the slot, and so
withdrawing 6 from a, taking off the brakes. Upon sufficient increase of pressure
int the piston u' moves outwards, lowering v² and w³, while v¹ is free in the slot,
and so causing the brakes to be put on. The arms v1, v2, of the three armed lever
are preferably made, as shewn, of different lengths, because when the plenum action
is employed the pressure acting on u¹ is generally considerable, and therefore it
does not require leverage so favourable as in the case of vacuum action where the
operative power is more limited. Instead of a cylinder u and piston u¹, a collapsible
vessel or a flexible diaphragm might obviously be employed in connection with the

page_text: pipe t, the moveable end of the collapsible vessel or the flexible diaphragm being
linked to the lever which works the rods w¹, w².
In order to provide for rapidly taking off the brakes, a small steam cylinder may
be combined with the winch n, as shewn in longitudinal section at Fig. 13. The
spindle B of the winch has fixed on it a pinion G, with which a rack H is kept in
gear by a guide roller K. The rack H is on the rod of a piston L, which is fitted
to work in a long cylinder M. When the engine driver desires to draw rapidly in
the continuous cord r he can do so by admitting steam into the cylinder M. The
piston L is thereby propelled, and by means of the rack and pinion it rapidly turns
the winch barrel, winding up the cord and so releasing the brakes; N is a buffer
spring to take the blow of the piston at the end of its stroke. By means of a
lever O the driver can expand a brake ring P within a recess of the winch wheel,
and thus retard or stop the slacking out of the cord r when putting on the brakes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Fairholme, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and eighty one.
CHARLES FAIRHOLME. (L.S.)