A Supplementary and Emergency Brake for Tramway Cars.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Oct., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 20th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 20th Dec., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A Supplementary and Emergency Brake for Tramway Cars.
CHARLES CHALLENGER Traffic Manager of the Bristol Tramway & Carriage
Company, Limited, Somerset House, Fishponds Road, Eastville, Bristol, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The "Supplementary and Emergency Brake for Tramway Cars" consists of
blocks of iron, wood or other material which are brought to bear upon the wheels
on the opposite side of the wheels to that of the blocks which are used in connexion
with the ordinary car-brake.
The blocks are held in position by block-hangers and springs of steel and are
attached to the ends of brake-arms, which brake-arms work upon centre-hangers,
which centre-hangers are affixed securely to cross-stays underneath the bottom of
the car.
The blocks are brought to bear upon the car wheels by means of connecting rods
and chains, which are controlled by iron-spindles one of which is attached to each
end of the car, within easy reach of the driver and the conductor, and is worked
by hand-power. The "Supplementary and Emergency Brake" may be applied at
or from either end of the car, or both ends simultaneously.
The spindle is turned round by means of a specially constructed hand-wheel, or
wheel-like handle, which is specially affixed to the upper end of the spindle.
A ratchet wheel is affixed to the spindle.
The spindle is held in any desired position by means of a self working spring-
catch acting upon the ratchet wheel.
The catch is provided with a dress protector for preventing accidents to passengers.
The spindle is held in proper position, as also the catch, by means of a combined
spindle socket and plate.
Dated this 13th day of October 1890.
CHARLES CHALLENGER
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Supplementary and Emergency Brake for Tramway Cars.
1 CHARLES CHALLENGER Traffic Manager of the Bristol Tramways and
Carriage Company Limited, Somerset House, Fishponds Road, Eastville, Bristol,
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 improvements in parts of the brake mechanism of
tramway cars and in the application of a supplementary and emergency brake
which may be readily operated by the attendant in charge of the ordinary
brake.
The supplementary and emergency brake consists of blocks of iron, wood or other
suitable material which are brought to bear upon or against the flange and tires of
the wheels of the car on the side of the wheels opposite to that at which the

page_text: blocks of the ordinary car brake are applied.
If for instance the brake blocks
of the ordinary brake are brought to bear upon or against the outer side of the
wheels, namely that part nearest to the ends of the car, the blocks of my supple-
mentary and emergency brake are brought to bear upon or against the inner side of
the wheels, namely that part nearest to the centre of the car, or vice versa. In
other respects the mode of affixing the supplementary and emergency brake to the
underneath parts of the bed of the car is much the same as for the ordinary brake,
the differences arising principally in consequence of providing for two sets of brake
mechanism instead of one.
In the accompanying drawings, in all the figures of which the same part is
indicated by like letters of reference.
Figure 1 is a sectional view upon the line - Figure 2:
Figure 2 is a sectional olovation of a front, or rear, end or platform of a car..
Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 2 the brake handle and brake hand wheel and some
of the floor boards being removed.
Figure 4 is an end elevation of the lower part of a car the wheels and axles
being omitted.
Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the under part of a car showing the double
brake mechanism.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section of part of the lower part of a car similar to
Figure 2 but showing a modified arrangement of automatic catch for the ratchet
wheel of the supplementary and emergency brake.
Figure 7 is a plan of a bed of a car on wheels showing the ordinary brake
mechanism alone."
Figure 8 is a plan similar to Figure 7 but showing the supplementary and
emergency brake alone.
Figure 9 is a longitudinal section of the lower part of a car on wheels showing
the adaptation of both the ordinary brake and the supplementary and emergency
brake.
Figure 10 is a plan of a combined socket and plate hereinafter described of which
Figures 11 and 12 are respectively a side view and an end view.
A are the brake blocks held in position by block hangers B secured to the
transverse floor timbers C. Springs D also secured to the transverse floor timbers C
keep the blocks A off the wheels when the brake is not applied. The blocks A
are carried upon brake-heams or arms E which are connected by means of
secondary brake-rods F with the centre-brake-lever H capable of turning upon a
central pin which connects the centre-brake-lever H with the centre-brake-lever-
spider J depending from the transverse floor timbers C.
Both sets of brake mechanism being similar in construction either may occupy
the higher position but throughout the accompanying drawings particularly in
Figures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 9 I have shown the supplementary and emergency brake
as occupying the higher position as I find that to be the most advantageous
arrangement.
The brake-shaft connecting-rods K of the uppermost brake pass above the wheel
axles and those of the undermost brake pass below these axles.
The blocks A of the supplementary and emergency brake are brought to bear
upon or against the car wheels by means of brake-shaft connecting rods K and
chains M which are brought into action by rotating the brake-shafts N one of
which is attached to each end of the car on the outside of the dash-guard Pa little
to one side of the brake-shaft of the ordinary brake and within easy reach of the
car driver and the conductor or other person in an emergency who may apply the
supplementary and emergency brake from either end of the car one end at a
time or both ends simultaneously.
For the supplementary and emergency brake I provide a hand wheel or wheel-
like handle Qwhich is secured at the upper end of the brake shaft N by means of
a square eyelet in the wheel fitting down on to a square part of the upper end of
the brake-shaft, or an ordinary brake shaft crank handle R may be employed

page_text: instead of the wheel-like handle but taking into consideration the position of the
handle the wheel is better adapted than the crank.
For both the brake-shaft of the ordinary brake and that of the supplementary
and emergency brake I employ to form the lower socket or bearing Y a combined
socket and plate represented on an enlarged scale in Figures 10, 11, and 12 one
part of which is secured against the platform hoop Z in front and the other part,
the plate extends back, rests upon, and is secured to the platform.
The combined socket and plate not only forms a rigid socket or bearing for the
lower end of the brake-shaft but it provides a definite position X for the fulcrum
pin of the catch or pawl T which engages with the ratchet wheel S avoiding the
inconvenience felt at present by drivers when changing from car to car in not
finding readily the position of the catch or pawl T which they have to operate by
the toe of the foot, sometimes under circumstances of danger which call for prompt
action on their part.
For the supplementary and emergency brake I provide means for constantly
urging the catch or pawl T towards the ratchet wheel S so as to relieve the driver
or other person from the charge of two catches or pawls to be moved by the foot
for securing or applying the brakes and requiring only to be withheld from the
ratchet to remove or release the supplementary and emergency brake whenever the
same has been applied. The catch or pawl T thus automatically operated has a
depending piece G which passes through a slot L in the combined socket and plate
to engage with a chain and suspended balance weight U as shown in Figures 1, 2,
3 and 4 or preferably with a chain connected with a weighted bell crank lever V
as shown in Figures 6 and 9.
The fulcrum pin of the catch or pawl T I make in the form of a stay iron W,
extending up through the platform, through the combined socket and plate at X to
the platform rail where it is secured to the upper brake-shaft bearing.
The short stud or bolt which is usually employed terminating immediately above
the catch or pawl gives rise to damage and accidents through the dresses of
passengers bitching thereon. The long stay iron W effectually prevents accidents
of that nature.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed declare that I am
aware that auxiliary brakes applied to tramway cars are not new and what I
claim is;
1. The arrangement and combination of parts whereby auxiliary brake mechanism
is made to operate upon the wheels of tramway cars substantially as herein before
described.
2. In brake mechanism for tramway cars the employment of a catch or pawl
automatically urged in contact with a ratchet wheel by means of a balance weight
suspended at the end of a chain or a weighted bell crank lever substantially as and
for the purpose described.
3. In brake mechanism for tramway cars, the combined socket and plate sub-
stantially as described by reference to Figures 10, 11 and 12 of the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this 20th day of November 1890.
AYRTON & THOMAS,
Agents for the Applicant.