IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR BRAKES, WHICH IM- PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE POWER ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Anthon Bouton, of New York, in the United
States of America, but at present of King William Street, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR BRAKES, WHICH IM-
PROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE POWER ENGINES.”
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Anthon Bouton at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 14th October 1876.
CHARLES ANTHON BOUTON, of New York, in the United States of America, but
at present of King William Street, in the City of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AIR BRAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE POWER
ENGINES."
My Invention relates more particularly to breaks operated by atmospheric air
acting against one side of a piston, from the opposite side of which the atmospheric
resistance is removed by producing a vacuum by means of an ejector or other
suitable air exhausting apparatus, and it consists chiefly in the employment of a
closed cylinder having two pistons fitted therein and communicating both at its
heads and at its central portion between the pistons (by preference by means of
two ports opposite to each other) with the ejector or air exhausting apparatus in
such a manner that by the act of moving a single lever atmospheric air shall be
admitted to the heads of the cylinders and drawn from the central portion, and
vice versa, according as it is required to put on or take off the brakes. The ejector
or air exhausting apparatus is provided with a double elbow pipe, the two arms or
pipes of which communicate respectively with the two cylinder ports before-
mentioned, and at the point of junction of the two pipes forming the double elbow
there is formed a segmental cavity or recess divided by two radial partitions into
three compartments, the two outer ones of which are capable of being placed
alternately in communication with the atmosphere whilst the central compartment
is permanently in communication with the nozzle or nozzles of the ejector. "Over the
cavity or recess there is pivotted a rotary segmental cup-shaped valve having
attached thereto the lever before-inentioned, which valve is made of such a size
that in either of two positions in which it can be placed it will always cover the
central compartment and one or other of the two outer compartments. By this

page_text: means when the valve is in one position the air is drawn, say from the heads of
the cylinder and air is admitted to the central portion, whereas in the other position
the converse action takes place, the air being admitted to the heads and drawn
from the central portion. The air pressure is thus utilized for taking off as well as
for putting on the brakes whereby the weights and springs ordinarily required are
dispensed with. By reason also of the cylinder being air-tight dust and other
extraneous matters are excluded.
If desired a single piston may be employed, the air being alternately exhausted
from the two sides, and simultaneously admitted to the side opposite to that from
which the air is being exhausted.
I prefer to pack the pistons in the following manner, viz.: around the edge of the
piston I place a ring of leather, cut slanting and made wider than the piston, so
that its thickest part will project beyond the face of the piston, and within the cup
formed by the thickest projecting part of the leather I place an expansion spring or
ring which serves to hold the said leather close against the inner walls of the
cylinder, thereby preventing leakage and compensating for wear of the parts, whilst
at the same time by reason of the packing projecting the liability is prevented of
the piston being forced with a concussion against the cylinder heads so as to
damage or displace the same.
Another part of my Invention relates to the longitudinal pipes communicating
between the vacuum cylinders and the ejectors, and which extend throughout the
train, being made in sections coupled together, and it has for its object facilitating
the coupling of the sections and the provision of efficient means for ensuring the
automatic closing of their ends in the event of the train becoming separated. In
order to effect this object in lieu of employing male and female couplings I make
both parts of the coupling with a space and a projection, by preference of a semi-
cylindrical shape, so that by turning one part round through an angle of 180° the two
parts of the coupling may be brought together. In the interior of each part of the
coupling I provide a valve, which is fitted with a spring having a tendency to close
the same, but which is however maintained open by the pressure of the semi-
cylindrical or other shaped projection before mentioned. By means of this arrange-
ment in the event of the train being separated and the two parts of the coupling
thus becoming disconnected the pressure of the projections is removed and the
valves are closed automatically under the action of the springs.
The arrangements herein-before described for operating a piston or pistons are
applicable to the purposes of obtaining motive power generally as well as for
actuating brakes.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Charles Anthon Bouton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
14th April 1877.
CHARLES ANTHON BOUTON, of New York, in the United States of America, but
at present of King William Street, in the City of London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
AIR BRAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE POWER
ENGINES."
My said Invention relates to brakes operated by atmospheric air acting against
one side of a piston, from the opposite side of which the atmospheric resistance is
removed by producing a vacuum by means of an ejector, and it consists partly of
improvements in the ejector employed for that purpose described in the Specification
to former Letters Patent granted to me bearing date the Thirty-first August, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-six, No. 3430, also of a peculiar arrangement
of coupling for the sections of the longitudinal pipe or pipes communicating between
the cylinders and the ejector, this part of my Invention having for its object
facilitating the coupling of the different sections and providing efficient means for

page_text: ensuring the automatic closing of their extremities in the event of the train becoming
separated.
The improved ejector may also be applied in connection with a piston or pistons
to the purposes of obtaining motive power generally, as well as in actuating brakes.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawings represents a sectional elevation of the
improved ejector; Figure 2 is a vertical section, the view being taken at right
angles to Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a sectional plan of the saine.
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a detail elevation and horizontal section of an
air-regulating valve employed in carrying out my Invention; Figure 6 is an
elevation of a portion of an ejector shewing a modified arrangement of valve and
port face.
The remaining Figures illustrate the arrangements of the couplings, and will be
herein-after described.
In carrying out my said Invention I employ a closed cylinder with rigid pistons
constructed substantially in the manner described in my said former Specification,
and arranged in connection with the ejector in such a manner that when the latter
is brought into action air at the normal atmospheric pressure shall be admitted to
one side of the piston, and the air shall be drawn from the opposite side in taking
off as well as in putting on the brakes. This action of the ejector may be produced
by the notion of a single lever, as in the apparatus described in my said former
Specification, but in lieu of using multiple valves for controlling the passage of the
air and reversing its direction, in order to put on and take off the brakes, as therein
described, I employ according to my present Invention a single valve only with
suitable ports, whereby I am enabled to greatly simplify the construction of the
ejector, and at the same time increase its efficiency.
The ejector is provided with a double elbow pipe C, E, the two arms or pipes C, E, of
which correspond and form a continuous passage with pipes communicating
respectively with the central portion and the end portions of the cylinder, as
described in my said former Specification. At the point of junction D¹ (Figure 1) of
the two pipes C, E, producing the double elbow there is formed a segmental chamber
which is divided by two radial partitions 1, 1, into three compartments G, G¹, G²,
the whole of which are provided with ports or openings on one side or face, as
shewn at m, m, m2. Over this face there is pivotted at n a rotary segmental cup-
shaped valve H, slewn detached in Figures 4 and 5 and applied in Figures 2 and 3,
which valve is made of such a size that in either of two positions in which it can
be placed by the act of turning it by the aid of a lever handle o, or otherwise, it
will always cover the central compartment G¹, and one or other of the two outer
compartments G, G2, the latter being placed alternately in communication with the
atmosphere through the ports m, m2, whilst the central compartment G¹ is permanently
in communication with the nozzles F¹, F₁, of the ejector; for example, if it is
required to put on the brakes by producing a vacuum in the central portion of the
cylinder and by the simultaneous admission of air at the normal atmospheric
pressure to the end portions of such cylinder the valve H is placed in the position
shewn by the dotted lines in Figure 3, and steam being admitted through the inlet g¹
by opening the valve g² the air will be exhausted from the central portion through
the pipe C, port m, compartment G over the partition l, and through the com-
partment G¹, as shown by the dotted arrows, and thence lifting the valve i through
the air passages h, h, and nozzles F¹, F, whilst at the same time air from the
external atmosphere passes through the open port m² down the pipe E into the end
portions of the cylinder, as before mentioned. When however it is desired to
take off the brakes the valve H is moved into the position shewn by the full
lines in Figure 3, whereby the air is exhausted from the end portions of the cylinder
through the pipe E, port m², compartment G, over the partition and through the

page_text: compartment G1, as shewn by the full arrows, and thence lifting the valve i through
the air passages h, h, and nozzles F1, F', as before, whilst simultaneously air from the
external atmosphere passes through the then open port m down the pipe C into the
central portion of the cylinder, as before mentioned.
In the modification illustrated by Figure 6 the valve H is made of sufficient size
to cover the three ports m, m¹, m³, when placed in the central position shewn by
full lines in that Figure, whereby facility is afforded for maintaining a vacuum on
both sides of the piston or pistons when desired. The port face is continued on
each side, as shewn at p, q, to a sufficient distance to form a bearing for the valve H
when the latter is moved into either of the positions indicated by dotted lines in
order to place one or other of the pipes C, E, as the case may be, in communication
with the atmosphere, as herein-before described with reference to the arrangement
illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate one modification of couplings for the sections of the
longitudinal air and vacuum pipes extending throughout the train, Figure 7 being
a longitudinal section of the two parts of a coupling brought opposite each other,
and Figure 8 a similar view of such two parts connected or engaged. I, I', are the
two parts of the coupling, each of which I form with a spacer and a projection s
of a semi-cylindrical shape, as shewn, or of any other suitable form, so that in the act
of coupling when the two parts I, II, are brought opposite each other, as shown in
Figure 7, by turning one part, say, for example, the part I, half round, that is to say,
through an angle of 180°, the respective spaces will be brought in a line with the
respective projections 8, which may then be inserted in the former, and the two
parts thus connected or engaged, as shewn in Figure 8. By thus making both
parts of the coupling similar to each other I obviate the inconvenience which
frequently takes place in coupling when male and female couplings are employed
by reason of the counterparts being situate at opposite sides of the vehicles to be
coupled by the reversion of one or the other of such vehicles in making up the train.
In the interior of each part of the coupling I provide a valve t, which is hinged
at t¹, and is fitted with a spring u, which maintains the valve closed when the two
parts I, I, are detached, as shewn in Figure 7. When however the two parts I, I¹,
are turned half round, as herein-before described, and the opposite projections s are
inserted into the corresponding spaces provided for their reception each of the
valvest is forced open by the pressure of the projections of the opposite part, and
retained in that position so long as the parts I, I', of the coupling remain engaged
together. By means of this arrangement in the event of the train being separated,
and the two parts of the coupling thus becoming disconnected, the pressure of the
projections s is removed, and the valves t are closed automatically under the action
of the springs u, and the requisite closure of the cylinders is maintained. The
catches are provided for the purpose of retaining the two parts I, I', of the
coupling together when engaged or connected, but they are so arranged as to yield
to the strain which would take place in the event of the train separating in order to
obviate all liability of injury to the pipes C, E.
Figures 9 and 10 represent in longitudinal section another modification of
coupling constructed and arranged in accordance with my Invention, Figure 9
shewing the two parts I, I¹, of the coupling engaged or connected, and Figure 10
one of the parts separated or detached.
It will be seen that the two parts I, II, are similar to each other, as in the
arrangement shewn in Figures 7 and 8, and that they are each provided as before
with spaces or recesses r and projections 8 (which however in this modification are
of smaller dimensions), and with valvest hinged at t¹, and acted upon by springs u
so as to cause the valves to close automatically on the two parts I, I¹, becoming
separated from any cause whatever. In this modification the valves t are arranged
at the exterior in lieu of being placed in the interior of the coupling, and are opened
by hand in the act of coupling, instead of automatically, as in the arrangement
Figures 7 and 8. The springs moreover also perform the function of the catches y
shown in these Figures.

page_text: When the modification of valves and port face illustrated in Figure 6 is adopted,
or in other cases when desirable, the couplings for the sections of the pipe C leading
from the central part of the cylinder may alone be fitted with valves t, as shewn in
the diagram Figure 11, the pipe E being unprovided with valves, so that when a
vacuum exists in the central portion of the cylinder, or in both the central portion
and the end portions of such cylinder, in the event of the train becoming separated
the vacuum shall by the closing of the valves t of the sections of the pipe C be
maintained in the central portion, whilst air shall be admitted or continue to be
admitted through the pipe E to the end portions of the cylinder, and the brakes be
automatically applied, or be maintained applied, as the case may be. The valves t
may be either arranged externally, as shewn in the diagram, Figure 11, or
internally, as herein-before described with reference to the arrangement shewn in
Figures 7 and 8.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is,-
First. An ejector having 2 pipes or passages communicating with opposite sides
of a piston or pistons in a vacuum cylinder, and each capable of being placed as
required in communication with the atmosphere and with the exhaust passages of
the ejector by means of a single valve and suitable ports, the whole being arranged
substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein-before described and as
illustrated by my Drawings.
Second. The peculiar arrangement of couplings having similar projections and
spaces or recesses for engaging the one with the other, and provided with valves
closed automatically under the action of springs on the separation of the couplings,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Anthon Bouton, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, this Twenty-third day of March, One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven
Witness,
E. ANIGER.
CHARLES A. BOUTON. (L.S.)