IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY BRAKES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Stephen Preston Tallman, of Dunellen, in the County of
Middlesex, State of New Jersey, and United States of America, Fruit
Merchant, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPLICABLE TO
RAILWAY BRAKES."
Sealed the 19th December 1879, and dated the 26th June 1879.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Stephen Preston Tallman
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 26th June 1879.
STEPHEN PRESTON TALLMAN, of Dunellen, in the County of Middlesex, State of
"IMPROVEMENTS
New Jersey, and United States of America, Fruit Merchant.
IN OR APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY BRAKES."
My Invention relates to that class of automatic brakes for railway cars or
carriages in which the checking up of the engine or locomotive, and the consequent
closing of the cars upon each other by their momentum, serves to automatically
close the brakes upon the wheels, and the Invention consists in certain novel
elements of mechanism and combinations thereof, arranged and adapted to effect
the purpose, and also to permit the train of cars to be backed without danger of
the brakes being put on by the closing together of the cars.
It also relates to an arrangement of the mechanism whereby the same may be
set so as to properly actuate the brakes whichever end of the car is foremost, or set
so as to be entirely inoperative, all as I will now more fully describe.
A truck frame of a railway car or carriage is provided in the usual way, or in
any way, with axles, wheels, brake-bars, brake shoes, and brake chains. To connect
both brake-bars together I pivot a lever to one of them and connect one end of
this lever with the other bar by means of a rod or chain. A chain from the other
end of the lever extends to and connects with the braking mechanisın; this however
is a common arrangement in car-brakes. The free end of the brake-chain leads to
a windlass-barrel which has journal bearings in the truck frame and bears a toothed
gear wheel. This gear wheel meshes with another wheel below it which is fixed
on a shaft which bears a friction-pulley of a reversible character. The last named
shaft has one swivelled bearing in the truck frame, and at the other end has a
bearing in the pendent extremity of a lever pivotted to the truck frame. This

page_text: method of hanging the reversible friction pulley allows it some movement, and as it
rests normally in close proximity to a fixed friction pulley on the axle of the car
truck a slight movement of the lever by which it is suspended is sufficient to bring
the peripheries of the friction wheels in contact. When this is done with sufficient
force, the chain is wound upon the windlass barrel, and the brake shoes are closed
upon the treads of the wheels."
To press back the upper end of the lever by the closing of the cars upon each
other in stopping, I provide a sliding push-bar arranged to play in suitable bearings
in the base frame of the car-body near the draw head. The inner end of this push
bar is elastically connected with the upper end of the lever before mentioned, and
the outer end is connected either with the draw head or allowed to project far
enough to engage another push-bar on the next car when they come together. In
the latter case the bar must be provided with a retracting spring.
The operation is as follows:-When the engineer checks the speed of his engine
the cars close upon each other by their momentum and press in the push bars and
draw heads. This brings the friction pulleys forcibly into contact; this rotates the
windlass-barrel and winds up the brake-chain, thus closing the brake shoes upon
the car wheels.
The reversible friction pulley is hung loosely on its shaft, but is provided with a
reversible spring pawl arranged to engage a square toothed ratchet wheel fixed on
the shaft. Thus when the pawl is engaged the pulley may turn freely in one
direction, the pawl turning freely on its spindle as it rides over the ratchet teeth,
But if turned in the other direction it must rotate the shaft with it by reason of the
pawl engaging the ratchet. Consequently when the train is backed the closing of
the cars together will cause the reversible friction pulley to rotate on the shaft and
not actuate the brakes.
If the car is to he run with its other end foremost the pawl may be thrown over
so as to operate on the ratchet inversely, or it may be turned up so as to be
inoperative, in which case the entire brake mechanism will be inoperative. 1 propose
generally to make the reversible friction pulley hollow, and arrange the pawl inside
of the same with a portion of its spindle arranged to project through a face plate.
By means of this projecting spindle I can shift the said pawl as may be desirable
or necessary, and to enable the train men to readily note in which position the
pawl stands, I provide the projecting spindle with an index or mark for their
guidance.
If the push-bar be connected with the draw-head, the connection may be made
by means of a pin, and when it is desired to render the brake-mechanism inoperative
it is only necessary to withdraw the said pin.
By the employment of an independent push-bar I am enabled to apply my brake
to cars which have no draw-heads. And to enable me to apply my mechanisin to
cars already in use I construct the fixed friction pulley in two or more parts, and
bolt or screw these together on the car axle.
In addition to this automatic brake mechanism or auxiliary thereto chains may
be carried to the usual brake rods to be operated by hand.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Stephen Preston Tallman in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 23rd
December 1879.
<E
STEPHEN PRESTON TALLMAN, of Dunellen, County of Middlesex, State of Now
Jersey, and United States of America, Fruit Merchant. IMPROVEMENTS IN OR
APPLICABLE TO RAILWAY BRAKES.”
This Invention relates to that class of automatic brakes for railway carriages in
which the checking of the speed of the engine and the consequent closing of the
cars upon each other by their momentum serves to set the brakes upon the wheels.
The first part of my Invention is illustrated in the first six Figures of the
Drawing, Figure 1 being a plan view of the underside of a car provided with my
improvements; Figure 2, a longitudinal vertical section of the same taken in the
plane of the line x, x, in Figure 1; Figure 3, a front elevation of the same; and
Figures 4 and 5, detached views enlarged, the first showing my improved ratchet
gear, and the last the push bar and draw head; Figure 6 is a modification which
will be more fully hereinafter described.
Let A represent the frame of the carriage body, and B, B, the truck or bogy
frames, one at each end of the car. In these are journalled the axles C, C, bearing
the track wheels D, D; E, E, are the ordinary brake bars, and a, a, the brake shoes.
These may all be arranged in the usual way, or in any good way.
As both trucks of the car are or may be provided with my improved braking
mechanism I will describe that on one truck, pointing out only wherein they are
differently arranged and how they are connected. F is a friction pulley fixed on
one of the axles C of the truck, and G is a friction pulley mounted on an axle or
shaft b, so as to be in close peripheral proximity to the pulley F. The shaft b has
a bearing at one end in a pendent lever c, and at the other a bearing at d on the
truck frame, the latter being constructed to permit some lateral play of the shaft.
On the shaft b is fixed a pinion or wheel e which meshes with a toothed wheel f
mounted loosely on a windlass ġ which revolves in bearings on the truck frame.
This wheel (see Figure 4) has a casing s to receive a ratchet wheel u fixed to tho
windlass, and bears a pawl q and pawl spring r, the former to engage the ratchet.
A pivoted lever h is hung to the end brake bar, and from one end of this lever a
rod extends to and takes hold of the other brake bar of the truck, and from the
other end of the lever a rod j extends to and takes hold of an evener H pivoted or
hung to the underside of the carriage. From the other end of this evener a bar
and chain k extends back to the windlass g upon which it is wound in braking.
The brake mechanism on the other. truck is constructed precisely like that just
described, except that the parts are reversed in position and the pawls and ratchets
are arranged inversely with respect to each other.
Both mechanisms connect through the rods j and k with the evener H, and all of
the brakes on both trucks may be set from either end of the car.
To operate the brake mechanism I provide the following described mechanism :-
I is a push bar, the rear end of which passes through an eye in the upper
extremity of the lever c. This bar is provided with a cushion spring a¹, a set nut
or collar b', whereby the strength of the spring is regulated, and a retracting
spring c. It is also provided with a beveled head n arranged to be adjusted on
the bar. This head is arranged to rest normally behind a beveled lug m on the
draw head J. The push bar is hung in a lover which plays in a slot in the main
frame A, and by which the brake mechanism may be rendered inoperative from
that end of the car by throwing the head of the push bar out from behind the lug
or projection on the draw bar.
In operating the brake mechanism when the train is made up the push bars are
disengaged from the draw heads at the rear ends of all the cars by throwing over
the levers . These levers may then be kept in place by means of a wedge or
key p, as shown, or by some other suitable stop mechanism,
:

page_text: When the engine is checked up in stopping the train the cars close upon each
other, the drawhead Jon the forward end of each car on being driven in by the
collision presses in the push bar I. This presses back the upper end of the lever c
and throws forward the lower end, so as to bring the friction wheel G into close
frictional contact with the revolving wheel F. Motion is thus imparted to the
wheel G which acts through the wheel e to rotate the wheel f. The ratchet and
pawl in this wheel being properly set, that is, with the free end of the pawl toward
the front end of the car, the said pawl through the ratchet u rotates the windlass g
and winds up the brake chain thereon, thus setting all the brakes on the car
through the intervention of the evener H.
. The primary adjustment of the push bar at the rear end of the car renders the
mechanism at that end temporarily inoperative, but the mechanism at the other end
serves to operate all the brakes.
In backing, the rotation of all the wheels being in the opposite direction, the.
pawl q rides over the ratchet teeth, and the brakes are not set.
'
When the cars are to be run with their other ends foremost, a common practice
on all roads, the levers are shifted so as to set the push bars in operative position
on the opposite ends, which are now in front, while those before operative are
rendered inoperative.
:
In Figure 6 I have shown a modified construction and arrangement of the push
bar I and lever l, in which the bar is bent into a crank form, and is connected with
the short arm of the lever by a link w. Any device which will throw the head of
the push bar clear of the lug or projection on the draw head J may be employed.
I prefer to operate the brakes only from the forward end of the car for the reason
that when the cars stop the brakes remain set, and, as arranged herein, when the
engine starts it releases the brakes on the first car, and this, in starting, those on
the second car, and so on to the last car of the train. If the brakes were set from
the rear of the car the engine would have to start each car in succession with the
brakes set.
The second part of my Invention is illustrated in the remaining Figures of the
Drawing, Figure 7 being a plan view of the bottom of a truck provided with my
improved mechanism; Figure 8, a transverse section on the line y, y, in Figure 7;
Figure 9, an end view of my improved friction pulloy; and Figure 10, an interior
view of the same; Figure 11 is a modification, which will be more fully hereinafter
described.
In this part of my Invention I have shown the mechanism as applied to one
truck, and unconnected with the other truck by an evener and rods; but it may
be so connected if desired.
.
The letters of reference correspond in these views with those in the first six
Figures. The mechanism differs as follows:-The push bar I is in no way
connected with the draw head, but is arranged independently of the same, being
driven in by the push bar on the opposite car when they come together in stopping
or checking up. This push bar may serve in place of an ordinary buffer, if found
desirable or necessary; or it may be connected with the buffer. I fix the toothed
wheelf to the windlass and mount the friction wheel G loosely on the shaft b. This
pulley (see Figures 9 and 10) is recessed or hollowed to receive a square-notched
ratchet-wheel u, which is fixed to the shaft b. On a spindle o which projects through
the cap of the pulley is mounted a reversible pawl 9 provided with a suitable pawl
spring r. This pawl may be thrown over so as to operate inversely with respect
to its action on the ratchet wheel, or it may be turned up so as to be entirely
inoperative, and leave the pulley to rotate freely in either direction. The pawl
may be reversed by means of a wrench adapted to fit a square on the projecting
end of the spindle o, and an index or pointer d' may be provided as shown, to
designate in which way the pawl is turned.
In operating mechanism constructed according to this part of my Invention, when
"the train is made up I turn the pawls in the pulleys G so that their free ends are
turned toward the rear. of the car. When the cars come together in checking up

page_text: the brakes are set precisely as hereinbefore described; and in backing, the pawl
plays freely over the notches in the ratchet, and the brakes are not set. If the
mechanism on both trucks are connected by an evener, I then set the pawls on the
front truck mechanism as last described, but turn them up on the rear truck
mechanism, so that they will be inoperative for the time being.
If but one truck is provided with brakes and shoes, as is sometimes the case, I
prefer still to provide two sets of mechanism, one for each truck, and connect both
with the evener, so that the single set of brakes may be operated from either end of
the car.
.
Thó gear wheels e and serve only to multiply the power effect of the brake
mechanism, and in some cases may be dispensed with. In such cases I make the
shaft b the windlass, and wind the brake chain directly upon it, as shown in
Figure 11. To obviate the tendency toward the separation of the friction pulleys
F, G, by the direct pull on the chain, I pass the same over a sheave arranged above
the pulley G, whereby such tendency is obviated.
The ratchet may be placed either in the pulley G or in one of the wheels e or ƒ,
as desired, and an intermediate wheel may be arranged between e and f when
necessary.
The head of the push bar and the lug or projection on the draw head are beveled
as shown, so as to permit them to engage more readily than they would if left blunt
or square.
Having thus described and ascertained the nature of my Invention, I claim,―
First. In an automatic mechanism for operating railway carriage brakes from
either end of the car the arrangement of a shifting brake mechanism at each end of
the car, and connected through an evener, and the pawl and ratchet device arranged
to operate inversely at opposite ends of the car, substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
་
Second. In an automatic mechanism for operating railway carriage brakes the
push bar provided with a retracting spring, and arranged to be shifted, in combina-
tion with the draw head provided with a projecting lug or part, substantially as
and for the purposes set forth.
Third. The push bar provided with an adjustable head and a suitable retracting
spring, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The head of the push bar and the lug on the drawhead beveled, substan-
tially as and for the purposes set forth...
•
Fifth. The push bar and the draw head provided with a lug or projection to
engage the head of the bar, in combination with the shifting lever, all arranged to
operate substantially as set forth.
Sixth. The push bar, arranged independent of the draw-head and provided with
suitable cushion and retracting springs, in combination with the suspended lever
and the two friction pulleys, all arranged substantially as set forth.
Seventh. The push bar provided with an adjustable set collar or nut and a
cushion spring, substantially as set forth.
Eighth. The friction pulley or gear wheel arranged to turn freely on its shaft,
and provided with a reversible pawl, substantially as described.
Ninth. The reversible spring pawl provided with a spindle whereby it may be
reversed, and with an index or pointer, as and for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Stephen Preston Tallman, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Fifteenth day of November, One thousand eight
hundred and seventy nine.