IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING TRAINS ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by James Matthews at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 24th August
1864.
J, JAMES MATTHEWS, of Domo Place, Victoria Road; Kensington, in the
County of Middlesex, Builder, do hereby declare the nature of the said
Invention for "IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING TRAINS ON
RAILWAYS," to be as follows:-
This Invention relates to certain peculiar constructions, arrangements, and
combinations of apparatus for retarding or stopping trains on railways, and
consists according to one arrangement, in the employment of two metal cylinders
fitted to the framing of' the engine, or of one or more of the carriages or
waggons of the train, such cylinders being provided with pistons or plungers,
which are severally connected to cranks on the axle or axles, the rotation of
which it is intended to retard or arrest. These cylinders may either be situate
one on opposite sides of the axle, or both on the same side, in the former case
the cranks will both be made in the same direction, whilst in the latter case
the cranks should be made in opposite directions, the object being to cause one
of the two pistons to move outwards whilst the other is moving inwards.
Each of these cylinders is provided at one end with a large clack or other
self-acting valve opening inwards, and communicating with a water tank which
may either be the ordinary engine or tender tank, or a special tank for the
purpose carried in the train. A second valve is also fitted to each cylinder,
which valve is capable of being more or less opened at the will of the guard

page_text: or driver, and also communicates with the tank or tanks above referred to. A
stop-cock or valve is fitted to the apparatus whereby the inlet of water into the
cylinders can be prevented so long as the train is not required to be retarded.
When the train is to he retarded or stopped, the stop-cocks are opened, and
the cylinders are instantly filled with water, and when the pistons in such cylinders
make their return stroke, the clack valve will close and prevent all egress of
water excepting through the more or less contracted aperture of the adjustable
valves, and consequently a powerful obstruction to the rotation of the axle is
obtained, the water being locked or nearly locked inside the cylinder, according
as the adjustable valve is closed, or more or less open. A safety valve may
be fitted to each cylinder to prevent rupture in case the adjustable valve
should be entirely closed, by allowing a portion of the confined fluid to
escape.
According to another arrangement, each cylinder may communicate at
both ends with a closed tank by means of adjustable slide valves made to work
together by any well-known mechanical contrivance, so as to open or close
more or less the passages leading from the closed tank to the cylinder. The
closed tank is supplied with water from the engine or' tender tank, or from a
special supply tank for that purpose by a pipe and valve, the latter opening
inwards to the-closed tank. A stop valve and pipe connects each end of the
cylinder with the main supply tank for the purpose of allowing the water to
pass from the cylinder back into the main supply tank when the apparatus is
not required to be in action. Self-acting clack valves are also fitted to these
pipes to prevent the inlet of air or water into the cylinder after having been
once expelled by the piston. When the apparatus is to be put in action the
adjustable slide valves are fully opened, and the water then enters and fills
each end of the cylinder. These valves are now-partially or entirely closed, so
as to confine or lock the water inside the cylinder, and thereby offer a con-
siderable resistance to the motion of the piston in both directions.
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