IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CAR- RIAGES AND WAGGONS
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Lloyd Wise, of Chandos Chambers,
Buckingham Street, Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CAR-
RIAGES AND WAGGONS."-A communication from abroad by Théodore
Masui, Engineer, of No. 2, Chaussée de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Lloyd Wise
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 3rd March 1875.
I, WILLIAM. LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Buckingham Street,
Adelphi, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CAR-
RIAGES AND WAGGONS," (a communication to me from abroad by Théodore
Masui, Engineer, of No. 2, Chaussée de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium),
to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in electric brakes for
railway carriages and waggons.

page_text: c
The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Along each of the carriages composing the train, the brakes of which
are to be controlled by means of clectricity, there are fixed two con-
ducting or circuit wires f and f, perfectly insulated from each other
(Fig. 1.)
The different wires f, f, f, and f¹, f', f', are connected together end
to end between each pair of carriages by means of a coupling piece A of
any suitable form, but disposed so as to avoid any metallic contact
between the wires f and the wires f
5
Fig. 3 represents a coupling picce according to this Invention, which 1
unites the extremitics of the wires f and those of the wires f', avoiding
all metallic communication between the former and the latter.
On each vehicle provided with a brake these wires are put in com-
munication with each other by means of a long third wiro g, which is
coiled round an electro-magnet E, with 4 poles; about to be described, 1
and which constitutes the principal organ of the brake properly so called,"
causing it to act at all times, so that a sufficiently powerful current
circulates in the circuit wire and traverses it. This current effects the
application and release of the brake by means of the following arrange-
ments: In the middle of one of the axles of the vehicle under which
the brake is applied is fixed a coupling M, made of two cast-iron piecès
united by bolts (Fig. 2.). This coupling is traversed by two pins of iron
or steel B, which support two-soft iron discs D. These discs, mounted ·
with free action on the two pins, are able to glide upon them and
consequently approacli or recede from within certain limits the lateral.
faces of an electro-magnet with 4 poles E, E, E', E. This electro-
magnet, invented by Monsieur Achard (Patented in Belgium 26th
November, 1864) and consisting of two concentric cylinders of soft iron
E, E, and E', E, kept at a distance by two copper or cast-iron rings-
O, O, and enclosing between them the wire intended to magnetize them,
is held between the discs D by two .collars with large flanges J, J, to
which it is solidly fixed by means of a drum of wood T and bolts t
and vi

page_text: copper bands K, K, to each of which one of the extremities of the wire
of the magnet is soldered.
Two metal springs q, q, in communication with the circuit wires
support and bring to them the current which circulates in the con-
ductors.
The collars fit on the axle, which is coated with white metal (m) to
form suitable bearings. They are provided with lubricators G, arranged
so as to prevent the oil they contain from being spilt, and with a small
branch L, to which is fixed the end of the chain intended by its tension
to produce, by means of a certain combination of lovers, the bringing of
the blocks against the wheels, and their consequent retardation or
braking.
The collars being able to turn freely on the axle, or in other words
the axlo being able to rotate independently of the apparatus J, G, t, v,
Q, Q, v, t, G, J, the drum and its attachments do not under ordinary
conditions participate in the rotation of the axle, but at the moment
when the clectricity acts the iron discs by adhering to the magnet
carry the drum and collars round with them and consequently cause the
chain actuating the brake blocks to roll up.
The current is produced by a magneto-electric machine N of any
suitable type, or it may be by means of a voltaic pile. One of these
machines is placed in each carriage or van, from which it is desired to be
able to work the brakes; its power must necessarily be proportionate to
the number of brakes it has to actuate.
An interrupter I (Fig. 1) made in the form of a pedal places its
contact points (réophores) in communication with the circuit wires when
operated. A second interrupter V, by turning the handle from the
normal position in which it is held by a spring, allows of the establish-
ment of communication only between the contact points (réophores) and
the wires of the electro-magnet of the van in which the machine is,
consequently making it act only on a single brake.
The object of the pedal interrupter is to prevent the current
engendered by one of the machines from partly losing itself in the
wires of the machines which are not in action, which would necessarily
happen without this organ.

page_text: Three or four turns given to the handle or crank of one of the
induction machines, if the foot is at the same time placed on the pedal
of the interrupter, are sufficient to produce the adherence of the plates.
against the poles of the electro-magnets and the consequent scotching
of the wheels.
If the iron of the magnets were perfectly pure they would resume
their movement at the same time as one ceased to cause the crank to
move; it would therefore be necessary to continue to turn it as long as
one wished to keep the wheels scotched, but in practice it is never
necessary to do so. A certain quantity of magnetism remains in effect
always in the apparatus after one has ceased to produce the current, and
the plates only detach themselves slowly, and do not obey the action of
the counterpoise intended to cause the shoes to recede from the bands
until after a certain time, according to the quality of the iron. .
As soon as the wheels resume their motion two or three fresh turns of
the crank will scotch them again until the plates detach themselves,
when it is necessary to send another current, and so on, cither until the
train stops or until the end of the incline is reached, which makes the
application of the brakes necessary.
It has been found that the slackening of the wheels is produced in
time by the natural demagnetisation of the electro-magnets. Their
depolarisation can be instantly produced by sending in their circuit an
inverse current to that which has formerly traversed them.
...
The counter current is obtained by giving to the handle or crank a
turn in the contrary way to that which has been given to apply the
brakes. Its effect being not only to quickly but also to completely
-demagnetise. My foreign correspondent is of opinion that it is advisablo
always to make it pass through the circuits at the moment of stoppage
in order more slowly to facilitate the unscotching which might bo
difficult in case of an incomplete demagnetisation. The application of
a single brake of the carriage in which it is placed is accomplished in
the manner which has been indicated, but care must be taken to rest on
the handle of the interrupter V, whilst the handle or crank of the
magnetic machine is turned and the pedal actuated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Lloyd Wise in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 31st August 1875.,
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
LLOYD WISE, of Chandos Chambers, Buckingham Street, Adelphi, in
the County of Middlesex, send greeting..
'
•
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of March, in the year
of our Lord One thousand cight hundred and seventy-five, in the
thirty-eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and suc-
cessors, give and grant unto me, the said William Lloyd Wise, Her
special license that I, the said William Lloyd Wise, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William
Lloyd Wise, 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 law.
fully 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRIC BRAKES FOR RAILWAY, CARRIAGES
AND WAGGONS," (a communication to me from abroad by Théodore Masui,
Engineer, of No. 2, Chaussée do Louvain, Brussels, Belgium), upon
the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William Lloyd Wise,
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 Scal Patent Office within six calendar months next and imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
:
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Lloyd. Wise, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement thereof, and the Sheet of Drawings therein
referred to (that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object improvements in electric brakes for

page_text: The Invention is illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Along each of the carriages composing the train, the brakes of which
are to be controlled by means of electricity, there are fixed two con-
ducting or circuit wires f and f¹, perfectly insulated from each other
(Fig. 1.)
The different wires f, f, f, and f¹, f¹, f¹, are connected together end
to end between each pair of carriages by means of a coupling piece A of
any suitable form, but disposed so as to avoid any metallic contact
between the wires f and the wires ƒ¹.
Fig. 2 represents a coupling piece, according to this Invention, which
unites the extremities of the wires f, f, and those of the wires f¹, ƒ¹,
avoiding all metallic communication between the former and the latter.
This coupling consists of two metal cylinders, C and C', fitting one into
the other to the extent of about one-third of their respective lengths, the
part m, m, of the male piece C entering that n, n, of the female piece :
C', and being there guided by means of a button B and a groove not
shown in the Drawing.
In cach of the two metal cylinders is a small cylinder (G,) (G'), of
wood or cbonite, and another and larger one (H,) (II³), of the same
material, which is there held in position by means of a small pin K.
A cord T, of four strands, around which two flexible conductors fand f¹
are twisted, traverses the bottom of the metal cylinders and the small
cylinders G, G', a knot at the end preventing the slipping out of the
cord. The conducting wires, perfectly isolated from contact with tho
metal cylinders by means of a cover of leather which covers the cord, a
meet either by springs R fixed on the cylinder E of the male picce or
by the metal plates L which traverse the cylinder II' of the female piece.
The joining of these two pieces, the one in the other, is in the form of a
button joint, forcing the metal springs to fix themselves between the
springs R and a piece E of wood or ebonite, and thereby establishing a
the desired communications.
On each vehicle provided with a brake these wires are put in com-
munication with each other by means of a long third wire g, which is
coiled round an electro-magnet E about to be described, and which
constitutes the principal organ of the brake properly so called, causing it a
to act at all times so that a sufficiently powerful current circulates in

page_text: drum and collars round with them, thus winding up the chain actuating
the brake blocks.
The current is produced by a magneto-electric machine N (Fig. 1) of
any suitable type, or it may be by means of a voltaic pile. One of
these machines is placed in cach carriage or van from which it is desired
to be able to work the brakes; its power must necessarily be proportionato
to the number of brakes it has to actuate.
An interrupter I (Fig. 1) made in the form of a pedal, places its
contact points (réophores) in communication with the circuit wires when
operated. A second interrupter V, by turning the handle from the
normal position in which it is held by a spring, allows of the establish-
ment of communication only between the contact points (réophores) and
the wires of the electro-magnet of the van in which the machine is
consequently making it act only on a single brake.
The object of the pedal interrupter is to prevent the current.
engendered by one of the machines from partly losing itself in the
wires of the machines which are not in action, which would necessarily
happen without this organ.
Three or four turns given to the handle or crank of one of the
induction machines, if the foot is at the same time placed on the pedal
of the interrupter, are sufficient to produce the adherence of the plates
against the poles of the electro-magnets and the consequent scotching of
the wheels.
If the iron of the magnets were perfectly pure they would resume
their movement at the same time as one ceased to cause the crank to
-move; it would therefore, be necessary to continue to turn it as long as
one wished to keep the wheels scotched, but in practice it is never
necessary to do so. A certain quantity of magnetism remains in effect
always in the apparatus after one has ceased to produce the current, and
the plates only detach themselves slowly, and do not obey the action of
the counterpoise intended to cause the shoes to recede from the bands
until after a certain time, according to the quality of the iron.
As soon as the wheels resume their motion two or three fresh turns of
the crank will scotch them again, until the plates detach themselves,
when it is necessary to send another current, and so on, either until the

page_text: train stops or until the end of the incline is reached, which makes the
application of the brakes necessary.
It has been found that the slackening of the wheels is produced in
time by the natural demagnetisation of the electro-magnets. Their
depolarisation can be instantly produced by sending in their circuit an
inverse current to that which has previously traversed them.
The counter current is obtained by giving to the handle or crank a
turn in the contrary way to that which has been given to apply the
brakes. The effect of the counter current being not only to quickly but
also to completely demagnetise. My foreign correspondent is of opinion
that it is advisable always to make it pass through the circuits at the
moment of stoppage in order more slowly to facilitate the unscotching
which might be difficult in case of an incomplete demagnetisation. The
application of a single brake to the wheels of the carriage in which it is
placed is accomplished in the manner which has been indicated, but care
must be taken to rest on the handles of the interrupter V whilst the
handle or crank of the magnetic machine is turned and the pedal
actuated.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention and the
manner of performing it, as communicated to me as aforesaid, I hereby
declare that I claim as the Invention secured to me by the hcrcin-before
in part recited Letters Patent,-
-
1. In electric brakes of railway carriages and waggons in which
clectro-magnets of the kind herein-before referred to, and known as
Achard's, are employed, the arranging such electro-magnets upon the
axles of the vehicles whose brako blocks are to be operated instead of
on an intermediate shaft, as heretofore.
2. The arrangement whereby the electric brakes of vehicles composing
a train may, by means of induction machines, be actuated from any part
of the train, as above set forth.
3. The apparatus whereby the coupling in pairs of four conducting
wires to establish communication between two railway carriages or
waggons is effected at a single operation, as above described.
4. The combination of parts constituting the improved electric brakes
5 for railway carriages and waggons, constructed, arranged, and operating

page_text: as shown in and described with reference to the accompanying
Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Lloyd Wise, have here-
unto set my hand and scal, this Thirtieth day of August, in |
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-
five.