Improvements in Hand Brakes for Railway Wagons and other like Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Oct., 1899-Accepted, 4th Nov., 1899
Improvements in Hand Brakes for Railway Wagons and other
like Vehicles.
I, JOHN RICHARD HOWARD, of St. Mary Cottage, Church Road, Willesborough,
near Ashford, in the County of Kent, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to the arrangement of mechanism whereby the
brake may be applied from either side of the vehicle, and released either from
the same side, or from the opposite side to which it has been applied.
"
A vehicle being fitted with the usual brake blocks and gearing for the applica-
tion of the brake by lever power, and a hand lever being arranged at each side
of the vehicle, my invention consists in connecting the said 'levers 'by means of
& screw and nut" mechanism, screwed preferably with 'right and 'left hand
threads, in combination with a rod or shaft, which may be in one piece screwed
directly to the levers, or may be composed of a number of parts comprising among
its connecting parts a screw and nut mechanism so arranged that when the rod
or shaft, or part thereof is revolved in 'one direction from either side of the
vehicle, the hand 'lever's 'on both sides are free to move for the application or
release of the brake; and by revolving the same in opposite direction 'the levers
are tightly pressed to the brake 'racks, which are provided for holding 'the levers
in the required position, whether ".
on "or off."
66
Brake racks, for holding the brake levers tight when 'the brake is applied as
heretofore usually made, have somewhat large teeth or notches, and by reason of
the size of the teeth or notches, the levers cannot always be fixed in such a position
as to transmit to the 'brake blocks 'the full effect of the force applied.
Now according to my invention the brake racks may have comparatively small
teeth or notches or serrations on 'their surface, and by the screw 'mechanism before
described the levers can be firmly fixed at the full extent of their range.
Dated this Second day of December 1898.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Hand Brakes for Railway Wagons and other
like Vehicles.
I, JOHN RICHARD HOWARD, of St. Mary Cottage, Church Road, Willesborough,
hear Ashford, in the County of Kent, Draughtsman, do hereby declare the nature
DQ77

page_text: of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particu-
larly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention has reference to the arrangement of mechanism whereby the
brake may be applied from either side of the vehicle, and released either from
the same side of from the opposite side to which it has been applied.
A vehicle being fitted with the usual brake blocks and gearing for the applica-
tion of the brake by lever power and a hand lever being arranged at each side of
the vehicle, my invention consists in connecting the said hand levers by means of
a screw and nut" mechanism, including either a single screw or with a screw
to each lever, in combination with a rod or shaft which may be in one piece
screwed directly to the levers, or may be composed of a number of parts com-
prising among its connecting parts a screw and nut mechanism so arranged that
when the rod or shaft or part thereof, is revolved in one direction from either
side of the vehicle the said hand levers are free to move for the application or
release of the brake; and by revolving the same in the opposite direction the levers
are pressed to the brake racks which are provided for holding the levers in the
required position.
Referring to the accompanying sheets of illustrative drawings Sheet 1 Fig. 1
represents the side elevation of part of a railway wagon and Sheet 2 Fig. 2 repre-
sents a horizontal section of the same shewing the brake gearing, and the screw
.and nut mechanism for the connection of the side levers as arranged according
to my invention with a screw to each lever.
The following is a description of the parts represented in Figs. 1 and 2. A is
a spindle on which is a double arm lever B B and a single arm lever C. The
brake blocks D D are connected to the levers B B by rods E E; F is a cross shaft
extending across the sides of the vehicle and carried by brackets G G; to each
end of the shaft F is firmly fixed a side lever H H, to be operated by manual
power, and an intermediate lever J, the latter being connected to the lever C by
links as shewn. The side levers H H are each made, with a boss K K formed
as a nut or to which a nut of brass or other suitable metal may be fixed for the
purpose of receiving the screw part of the connecting mechanism. The inside
face of the bosses K K are formed with ribs corresponding to the shape of the
teeth in the brake racks L L.
A transverse connecting rod M. Fig. 2 is arranged with a screw N N towards
each end made to suit and free to revolve within the nuts in the bosses K K. of
the side levers H H, and thus connect the said levers. At each extreme end of
the rod M is firmly fixed a lever handle 0 0 having a hook P P attached thereto :
the lever handles 00 are used in the operation of placing on or releasing the
hooks P P from the studs Q Q at either side of the vehicle, and also serve to
operate the screwed connecting rod M so that when the lever handle OO at either
side of the vehicle is turned in the direction to release the hooks P P, the ends
of both the side levers H H are drawn outwards by the action of the screws
revolving within the bosses K K, and the levers are free to be lowered for the
application of the brake; and on the lever handle O O being turned in the opposite
direction the side levers H H are drawn inwards and the bosses K K are pressed
to the outside face of the brake racks L L, the ribs formed on the inside face of
the bosses engaging in the teeth of the brake racks. RR are pads of india rubber
or other resilient material placed between metal plates on the screw connecting
rod M close to the inside face of the brake racks L L; the pads serve to prevent
jar when the screw rod is operated suddenly in securing the brake levers to the
brake racks.
i
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
T

page_text: vehicles, the connecting of side hand levers at each side of the vehicle by a screw
and nut mechanism combining a revolving rod or shaft as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
Dated this 20th do of Contamhan 1000