AN IMPROVED RAILWAY BRAKE
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Jeanne Jara Nathalie Micas, of Chateau de By,
Commune de Thomery (Seine et Marne) in the Empire of France, for
the Invention of "AN IMPROVED RAILWAY BRAKE."
.Sealed the 17th March 1863, and dated the 23rd September 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Jeanne Jara Nathalie
Micas at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 23rd September 1862.
I, JEANNE JARA NATHALIE MICAS, of Chateau de By, Commune de
Thomery (Seine et Marne) in the Empire of France, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED RAILWAY BRAKE," to be as
follows:-
This Invention consists of certain new and improved mechanical arrange-
ments and combinations of parts, so disposed and arranged as to be self-
acting, and to, operate on the running wheels of a railway train, in such a
manner as to interpose wedge-shaped pieces of metal between the peripheries
of the wheels and the surface of the rails on which said wheels run, thus
locking the wheels, and causing friction on the rails, so that the train slides or
skids thereon.
The nature of this Invention will be better understood by the following
description of the mechanism above referred to, that is to say, to the under
framing of each railway carriage, and at the inner surface of the side timbers
thereof, I fix eight pieces of metal opposite to each other; the lower ends of

page_text: these pieces have a long slot formed therein, in eight of which slides are long
bolts or cross bars, to which are also connected diagonal brace bars, which are
bolted to a rod extending lengthwise along the centre of the under framing of
each carriage, each end of said rod being formed globular to receive a similarly
shaped coupling piece for connecting the rods of each carriage together; in
making up a train, the aforesaid slotted pieces of metal are so fixed to the
under framing of the railway carriage as to be equidistant from the centre of
the axle of each pair of running wheels, say, about three feet therefrom, and
to the bolts in said slotted pieces a bent lever is connected loosely, and to the
lower end of said bent lever a metal shoe or brake block is hinged; the upper
surface of this shoe is formed of the same curvature as the periphery of the
running wheels of the carriage, and the under surface of said shoe is formed
flat and with a side flange to embrace the surface and inner side of the rails
when the brake is in action. The aforesaid bent lever is supported in proper
position and out of contact with the wheel and rails by a rod, the upper end
whereof works in a slot in a casting fixed to the side framing of the carriage.
A curved bar of metal is also connected by its ends to the upper ends of
the rods employed to support each pair of bent levers and their shoes or brake
blocks; the aforesaid curved bar rests on the top of the axle box, and thus keeps
the brake blocks from following with the carriage framing when the weight
springs thereof are in action. I propose to employ eight brake blocks, two to
each wheel, at opposite parts, so that according to the direction in which the
train is going in like manner the brakes on that side will come into action,
and force the opposite brakes out of action, and vice versâ, the self-action of
the said brake blocks on the wheels arising from the varying action of the
carriages on the buffer springs thereof; I also propose by means of toothed
coupling links placed between the carriages, and a worm wheel fixed on a
divided rod, to impart motion to the brakes by means of a handle in the
guard's carriage, so that he shall be able at any time to check or entirely
arrest the progress or speed of a railway train.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Jeanne Jara Nathalie Micas in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd March 1863.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JEANNE
JARA NATHALIE MICAS, of Chateau de By, Commune de Thomery (Seine et 3
Marne), in the Empire of France, send greeting.

page_text: WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-sixth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the
said Jeanne Jara Nathalie Micas, Her special licence that I, the said Jeanne
Jara Nathalie Micas, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said Jeanne Jara Nathalie, Micas, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time
and at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and
lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "AN IMPROVED RAILWAY BRAKE," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Jeanne Jara Nathalie Micas, my executors or
administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their, or one
of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature, of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Jeanne Jara Nathalie Micas, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and, by the
following statement, that is to say :-
.
This Invention consists of certain new and improved mechanical arrange-
ments and combinations of parts, so disposed and arranged, as to be self-
acting, and to operate on the running wheels of a railway train in such a
manner as to interpose wedge-shaped pieces of metal between the peripheries
of the wheels and the surface of the rails on which said wheels run, thus
locking, the wheels and causing friction on the rails, so that the train slides.or
skids thereon.
The nature of this Invention will be better understood by the following
description of the mechanism above referred to, that is to say, to the under
framing of each railway carriage, and at the inner surface of the side timbers
thereof, I fix eight pieces of metal opposite to each other, the lower ends of
these pieces have a long slot formed therein, in eight of which slide long bolts
or cross bars, to which are also connected diagonal brace bars, which are
bolted to a rod extending lengthwise along the centre of the under framing. of
each carriage, each end of said rod being formed globular to receive a similarly
shaped coupling piece for connecting the rods of each carriage together. In

page_text: making up a train the aforesaid slotted pieces of metal are so fixed to the
under framing of the railway carriage as to be equidistant from the centre of
the axle of each pair of running wheels, say, about three feet therefrom, and
to the bolts in said slotted pieces a bent lever is connected loosely, and to the
lower end of said bent lever a metal shoe or brake block is hinged. The
upper surface of this shoe is formed of the same curvature as the periphery of
the running wheels of the carriage, and the under surface of said shoe is
formed flat and with a side flange to embrace the surface and inner side of the
rails when the brake is in action. The aforesaid bent lever is supported in
proper position and out of contact with the wheel and rails by a rod, the upper
end whereof works in a slot in a casting fixed to the side framing of the
carriage. A curved bar of metal is also connected by its ends to the upper
ends of the rods employed to support each pair of bent levers and their shoes
or brake blocks. The aforesaid curved bar rests on the top of the axle box,
and thus keeps the brake blocks from following with the carriage framing
when the weight springs thereof are in action. I propose to employ eight brake
blocks, two to each wheel, at opposite parts, so that according to the direction
in which the train is going, in like manner the brakes on that side will come
into action and force the opposite brakes out of action, and vice versâ, the
self-action of the said brake blocks on the wheels arising from the varying
action of the carriages on the buffer springs thereof. I also propose by means
of toothed coupling links placed between the carriages and a worm wheel
fixed on a divided rod, to impart motion to the brakes by means of a handle
in the guard's carriage, so that he shall be able at any time to check or
entirely arrest the progress or speed of a railway train.
And in order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheets of
Drawings accompanying these Presents, and to the numeral figures and
letters of reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:―
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of my improved railway brake,
adapted to the under framing of a railway carriage; Figure 2, a transverse
and vertical section through the line A, B, Figs. 1 and 3; Figure 8, Sheet 2,
a top plan view of Figure 1. At each of the foregoing Figures similar letters
of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts, in so far as such parts
appear or can be seen at each of such said Figures respectively.
A are iron blocks or wedges, placed before the running wheels A', the upper

page_text: part assuming the form of the tire, and the lower part that of the rail: A
side cheek 1 formed in the sole a thereof, acts as the flange of the wheels; the
sole a may be made moveable and of any suitable material to resist wear, yet
fulfilling the essential conditions of efficient friction; B, hangers, one end of
which is moveable, whilst the other end can describe an arc of a circle, so as
to regulate the position of the wedges A either by their being removed from.
the rail, and wheel, or by bringing them close thereto, so as to form a thorough
wedging. The arms of the blocks are connected with one another at their.
upper ends by a coupling frame D, F, sliding in guides C; E, E, are rods or
links for connecting the frames D, D, together. A longitudinal axis b, con-
nected at several joints with the said frame, and set in motion by a lever G,
operates upon the whole system of wedges. By the use of this combination the
car will slide instead of roll, the blocks or wedges A, acting like a sledge, will
raise slightly the wheels from the rails in proportion to the vertical line of the arc
described, the friction surfaces may be contrived so as to yield the maximum
of working power. The easy and ready working of the whole of this arrange-
ment produces an instantaneous action, which will obviate all the objections
attending the arrangement hitherto employed for a similar purpose. The
unwedging of the wheels is very readily effected, the wedges A being driven
forward by the weight of the carriages when the stoppage thereof has taken
place. The wedges on several carriages may be worked simultaneously by the
above arrangement. The longitudinal axis b, which is set in motion by the
lever G, has at one end a double toothed rack piece H, formed like arms,
terminating by a socket I, with a square or rectangular hole, in which is fixed
the end of the divided longitudinal axis b on the next and adjoining brake rod;
upon this axis is fitted a piece K, formed with a concentric groove; the piece
K is formed with teeth, which gear into the teeth of the racks H; by forming
the axis b as exhibited it allows the axis 6 to slide, by the action of the buffers
on the carriages, and also enables the longitudinal bar to be moved forward
for wedging the wheels. The wedging of the whole train can be effected by
the engineer or stoker from the tender of the locomotive, or by the brakesman
at the other end, who can likewise wedge the last carriage and the foremost
ones; L, L, are rods, secured each by one end to a pin 2, working in a slot 3,
in the castings M; the hangers B are also connected by their upper ends to
the pins 2; by these means the carriages are enabled to rise and descend on
the weight springs N, without altering the position of the brake mechanism.
O are bearings of the piece K; f is a groove in the axis 6; 4, pins taking
into said groove; by these means the brake blocks A may be acted upon by

page_text: moving the piece H partly round by any convenient means instead of pushing
the axis 6 forward, as before described.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my said
Invention of "An Improved Railway Brake," together with the best means I
am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical effect, I hereby
declare my Invention to consist in and I claim the general combination and
arrangement of the parts above described and represented by the accompanying
Sheets of Drawings for the purposes set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Jeanne Jara Nathalie Micas, have here-
unto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of March, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-three.
JEANNE JARA NATHALIE MICAS. (L.S.)