Year: 1888

page_text: I, ALFRED R BOLUSS, residing at Norwood, in the County of Hamilton and State
of Ohio, one of the United States of America, Gentleman, 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
This invention relates to certain improvements in air-brakes for cars; and it has for
its objects to provide for applying and releasing the brakes by the variable pressure of
air in the pipes which supply the air to the brake-cylinder, so as to operate the brakes
and thus reduce the liability to accident, as more fully hereinafter explained.
The above mentioned objects I attain by the means illustrated in the accompanying
drawings, in which
Figure 1, represents a plan view of a bottom of a car-truck, showing my improved
brake applied thereto; and
Figure 2, represents a top view, enlarged, of the valve for admitting and exhausting
the air from the brake-cylinder and the mechanism for operating said valve.
Figure 3, is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line, x, x, figure 5
Figure 4, represents a side elevation of the brake-cylinder, pneumatic valve-
chamber, and pipe-connections of the brake, and
Figure 5, represents an end view looking at the rear of the brake-cylinder, and
showing the two-way valve, its valve-rod, and operative mechanism.
Referring to the drawings, the letter, A, indicates the brake-operating cylinder,
which has arranged within it a series of expanding and contracting pistons, B, arranged
to reciprocate in said cylinder to operate the brake-rod, C, which is connected with
said pistons at one end. The said pistons consist of a series of plungers arranged to
reciprocate in said cylinder and having heads, K, at each end annularly grooved in
opposite directions. In connection with said annularly-grooved heads and the
annularly-grooved central section extends a pipe, D, connecting with the air-pressure
mechanism on the engine. The respective plungers of the piston are joined by flexible
connections, E, and intermediate ribbed rings, F, by means of which the brake-rods
are operated, as more fully hereinafter specified
The letter, G, indicates a valve-chamber, which is bolted to a seat on the brake-
cylinder, or otherwise conveniently secured in connection with the same Within the
said valve-chamber is located a reciprocating plunger, H, which is provided with an
annular groove, I, corresponding with the annularly-grooved head, K, of the plunger-
casing, so that when the plunger meets the head an annular chamber will be left
between the two, for the purpose hereinafter described.
The letter, L, indicates a valve-stem, which passes backward through a tubular

page_text: extension, M, of the plunger-chamber, and which is surrounded by a spiral spring, N,
which keeps the plunger pressed normally toward the head of the cylinder before
mentioned The rear end of said rod connects with a wrist-pin, P, on the face of a
disk, R, which is secured to a shaft, S. one end of which passes into a valve-chamber, T,
and is provided with a valve, U, for the purpose hereinafter explained.
The letter, V, indicates a pipe leading from the compressed-air reservoir on the
engine, and connecting by means of a branch-pipe, B', with the valve-chamber, T,
above mentioned, and also by means of the pipe, D, with the annulai chamber of the
head, K, of the cylinder, B. The plunger-chamber communicates with the supply-
pipe, V, by means of a branch-pipe, A¹.
The valve-chamber, T, connects with the pipe leading to the expanding plungers in
the brake-chamber before mentioned, and to the open air through a suitable branch
pipe the valve therein being a two-way valve arranged so as to admit the compressed
air to the brake-cylinder to set the brakes and exhaust the same to release said brakes,
as will more fully hereinafter appear. After the pressure is removed from the interior
of the plungers in cylinder, B, the air which was compressed in this cylinder at one
end thereof will react to collapse the diaphragms of the said plungers.
The operation of my invention will be readily understood in connection with the
above description and is as follows.
The pipe, V, is provided with a valve under control of the engineer, so that he can
instantaneously change the pressure of air in said pipe To apply the brake, the said
valve is operated to turn the full pressure of air on. This entering, the plunger, H,
in its chamber, expands the said plunger, forcing the valve-rod, L, backward and
turning the two-way valve before mentioned into position to admit the air into the
brake-cylinder, so as to operate the pistons or plunger therein to set the brakes
To release the brakes, it is only necessary to relieve the pressure in the pipes by
means of the controlling-valve, when the spiral spring, N, will throw the valve to its
normal position, so as to open the exhaust and permit the air confined in the brake-
cylinder to escape and the pistons therein to fall back
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 an atmospheric rail-road car brake, the combination, with the cylinder, A,
provided with hollow expansible plungers and a brake-rod, of the air-supply pipe, D,
connected to the head of an end plunger, a two-way oscillating valve at the junction
of pipes, B¹, and, D. and a supplemental expansible plunger applied in a cylinder
communicating with the main supply-pipe, V, and provided with a recoil-spring and a
rod adapted to oscillate said valve, all substantially as described.
2. The combination, in an atmospheric brake, of expansible plungers communicating
by means of a branch pipe with a main supply-pipe, a cut-off valve in said branch
pipe, said plungers arranged in a closed cylinder, and a supplemental expansible
plunger actuated by the pressure of air and a recoil-spring, and suitably connected to
the stem of the said cut-off valve, substantially as described.
3. The combination of the closed cylinder, expansible plungers therein, a brake-rod,
a supply branch pipe, D, the main supply-pipe, V, the branches, A, B1, the cut-off
valve at the junction of pipes, D, B¹, an expansible plunger, and a recoil-spring for
oscillating said valve, substantially as described.
Dated this 11th day of June 1888.
Dated this 11th day of June 1888
ALFRED R. BOLUSS.
By Jensen & Son,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C.,
Patent Agents.