Improvements in and in connection with Brakes, specially applicable for use on Railway Waggons.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1892-Accepted, 28th May, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Brakes, specially
applicable for use on Railway Waggons.
I, EDWARD STEVENSON of 24 Freeman Road Nechells Birmingham Foreman
of Works, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of this invention is to construct a brake for railway waggons that
can be worked from either side of the vehicle. For this purpose I affix, in any
suitable position on each side of the waggon, a rack somewhat of the usual form,
but having teeth cut on both its sides and of opposite pitch. Inside each rack, a
lever works the same being bolted or otherwise affixed to the opposite extremities
of a crosshaft pivotted to the under part of the waggon where required. On the
levers, weighted pawls are pivotted in such positions that they shall engage in the
before mentioned racks, the pawls on the outer racks being for the purpose of
locking the brake in position when applied to the wheel by lowering the lever and
the pawls engaging in the teeth of the inner rack holding the levers in position
when the brake is off. The brake blocks, which may be made of iron, wood, or
other suitable material may be applied to any or all the several wheels of the
vehicle by means of suitable cranks and rods or levers in connection with the
crosshaft to which the ends of the levers are affixed.
By the use of my invention, the brake can be applied from either side of the
vehicle, the levers acting together. The pawls are weighted so that by slight
pressure on the lever handle of one side, they become disengaged on both sides,
and the brake can be applied or released at will, being locked in any position
either on or off by placing the pawl in action on the rack where required by
raising its weighted end.
Dated this 6th day of June 1891.
GRAHAM & GRAHAM,
Agents for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and in connection with Brakes, specially
applicable for use on Railway Waggons.
I, EDWARD STEVENSON of 24 Freeman Road Nichells Birmingham Foreman
of Works 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 :-
My invention relates to brakes for railway vehicles waggons and the like.
The object of my invention is to construct a brake for railway waggons and the
like that can be operated from either side and may be applied to either one or more
pairs of the wheels of said vehicle as most desirable.
For this purpose I affix in any suitable position on each side of the waggon a
curved rack, having teeth cut on one or both its edges. Inside each rack a hand
lever works freely the same being bolted, keyed or otherwise affixed to the
extremities of a transverse cross shaft journalled to any convenient framing on
the under part of the waggon. On each of said hand levers a weighted pawl
or pawls is or are pivotted in such position or positions as to engage on the before
mentioned racks.
The weighted pawl or pawls is or are for the purpose of locking the brake in
any position when applied to the wheels. When one pawl only is used on each

page_text: lever, a swinging hook or other device is used for locking the lever when the brake
is in its inoperative position.
The brake blocks may be constructed in any of the usual patterns and of any
suitable wear-resisting materials, and are applied to any or all the wheels of the
vehicle, by means of a series of cranks, rods and levers in connection with the
before mentioned cross shaft to which the hand levers are affixed.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations; and Figure 3 a plan view respectively, of
one form of my brake.
Figures 4 and 5 show side elevations; and Figure 6 a plan of a modification of
my brake as applied to two pair of wheels.
Referring to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the numeral 1, represents the under
framing and 2 the wheels of a railway waggon or like vehicle. 3 is the curved
rack, 4 the hand levers working freely in the said rack and firmly keyed or bolted
to the transverse shaft. Rigidly affixed to this shaft are the cross pieces or
levers 6, to the extremities of which one end of the connecting rods 7 is pivotted,
the other end of said connecting rods 7 being pivottally attached to the brake
blocks 8.
The transverse shaft 5 is journalled to any firm convenient framing as 9 bolted
to the sides of the waggon where required.
On each of the hand levers 4, a weighted pawl 10 is pivotted, to engage with
the rack 3 when required, to lock said lever in any desired position. To retain
the hand levers 4 in their highest position, as shown in Figure 1 hooks 11 are
affixed to the sides of the waggon where required, said retaining hooks being
weighted or hung in such a manner, that they will automatically swing out of
engagement with the said levers 4 immediately they are raised sufficiently to free
them, thus enabling the brake to be speedily applied in any time of emergency.
When the hand levers 4 are lowered sufficiently to apply the brake blocks 8, to
the wheels 2, (as seen in Figure 2) the weighted pawl 10 is lifted into engagement
with the rack 3, thus holding the brake blocks firmly against the wheels until
released. Should the said pawls be in engagement with their respective racks on
both sides of the vehicle at the same time, a sudden downward pressure on either
of the hand levers 4 will always free them from the rack by the automatic action
of the weighted ends.
With reference now to Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, illustrating a
modification of my invention ;-
12 is the under frame of the waggon, 13 the curved
rack, 14 the hand levers 15 the transverse shaft to the centre of which a short arm
or lever 16 is keyed. The brake blocks 17 are hung to the underframing of the
vehicle by means of short arms or levers 18 and are attached to lugs 19 to
transverse shafts 20, said shafts being affixed to levers 21 fulcrummed at 22, to the
rigid iron framing or supports 23, which may be of any suitable design.
The upper ends of the levers 21 and the arm 16 are pivottally connected by
rigid rods or bars 26 as shown.
In this modification of my brake, in lieu of the weighted hooks shown in
Figures 1, 2 and 3, the hand levers 14 are weighted at 24 for the purpose of
keeping the brake in an inoperative position, except when the pawls 25 are in
engagement with the racks 13.
In a still further modification of my invention I form the curved rack with
teeth on both its sides, but of opposite pitches and pivot two weighted pawls on
each hand lever, in such positions, that they shall engage, one on each side of the
rack thus holding the brake either on or off according to which of the pawls is put
into engagement with the rack.
The advantages of my invention are, that the brake can be applied evenly to any
number of wheels from either side of the vehicle, the hand levers, acting in unison
the one with the other. The brake can be fixed or released from either side of
the vehicle at a moment's notice, and applied with equal force to each of the
wheels.

page_text: 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 :-
1st. The double hand lever brake for railway waggons and like vehicles applied
to one or more pairs of wheels in the manner herein set forth and constructed
substantially as described in the above Specification and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
2nd. In the hand lever brake for railway vehicles as characterized in the first
claim, the use of weighted pawls in engagement with suitable racks, and
weighted hooks for the purpose of locking said brake in its operative and
inoperative positions respectively, as herein substantially set forth and illustrated.
3rd. In a hand lever brake as characterized in the first claim, the use of a rack
or racks having two sets of teeth of opposite pitches and weighted pawls
engaging therewith to lock the said brake in its operative and inoperative.
positions, substantially as herein specified.
Dated this 7th dow of March 1905
GRAHAM & GRAHAM,
Agents for Applicant.