IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Lazare Francois Vaudelin, of Upper Charlotte
Street, Fitzroy Square, in the County of Middlesex, for the
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND
STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 13th April 1853, and dated the 3rd January 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Lazare Francois
Vaudelin at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his
Petition, on the 3rd January 1853.
I, LAZARE FRANCOIS VAUDELIN, of Upper Charlotte St., Fitzroy
Square, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND
STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES" to be as follows:-
This apparatus consists of using a chain, strap, or cord to each.
carriage, with means of connecting them one to the other when making
up a train of carriages. The last carriage of a train has a barrel, which
being turned winds up the chains, cords, or straps which are in connec-
tion with apparatus to each carriage, such apparatus consisting of an
axis with an arm, the axis having a toothed wheel at one end (or both

page_text: ends) taking into racks in connection with breaks, by which the breaks
will be pressed against the two wheels (on one side or on both sides, as
the case may be), and such will simultaneously be the case with all the
carriages of a train; or the cord, chain, or strap may be connected with
a frame carrying teeth, which being slided out enter between ratchet
teeth formed on a boss on each axle, the teeth being withdrawn by
springs when-released. .
SPECIFICATION. in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Lazare Francois Vaudelin in the Great Seal
Patent Office, on the 2nd July 1853.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
LAZARE FRANCOIS VAUDELIN, of Upper Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Square,
in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Third day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
sixteenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said Lazare Francois Vaudelin, Her
special licence that I, the said Lazare Francois Vaudelin, my execu-
tors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Lazare
Francois Vaudelin, 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 "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND
STOPPING RAILWAY CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, the said Lazare Francois Vaudelin, by an instrument in
writing under my hand and seal, 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 imme-
diately after the date of the said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Lazare Francois Vaudelin, 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 (that is to say):
This apparatus consists of using a chain, strap, or cord to each
carriage, with means of connecting them one to the other when making
up a train of carriages. The last carriage of a train has a barrel, which
being turned winds up the chains, cords, or straps which are in
connection with apparatus to each carriage, such apparatus consisting
of an axis with an arm, the axis having a toothed wheel at one end (or
both ends) taking into racks in connection with breaks, by which the
breaks will be pressed against the two wheels on one side or on both
sides, as the case may be, and such will simultaneously be the case
with all the carriages of a train; or the cord, chain, or strap may be
connected with a frame carrying teeth, which being slided out enter
between ratchet teeth formed on a boss on each axle, the teeth being
withdrawn by springs when released; and in order that my Invention
may be more fully understood, and readily carried into effect, I will
proceed to describe the means pursued by me:
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1, shows two railway carriages partly in section; having my
improvements applied thereto; between the wheels b, c, of the carriage
a, there is a double break d, e, carried by the bars f, and g, which slide
in bearings attached to the carriage or axis as shown; on each of the
bars f, and g, there is a toothed rack, into which the teeth of the pinion
h, takes, and this arrangement of break apparatus may be applied to
each pair, or to all the wheels of each carriage composing a train; the
axis of the pinion h, turns in bearings on the under side of the carriage,
and there is a lever arm i, fixed on the middle of the axis h; to which a
rope or chain, is attached, which has a hook at one end and an eye at
the other to connect the cords or chains j, of each carriage together, and
when the cord or chain j, is drawn by the apparatus hereafter described
in the opposite direction to the arrow, the pinion h, will act on the
racks of the bars f, and g, to force them outwards, and place the breaks

page_text: in contact with the wheels b, and c, and such will be the case in respect
to all the breaks with which the cord or chain j, may be in connection;
the breaks d, e, may be removed from the wheels when out of action
by springs or counterbalance weights, as is well understood.
On the carriage a', another arrangement of apparatus is shown for
retarding and stopping railway carriages; m, and n, are two strong
toothed pinions or bosses with ratchet teeth formed thercon, fixed on
the axles of the carriage; k, is a frame carrying two strong teeth or
projections o, which with the frame k, are constantly pressed towards
the toothed pinions m, n, hy the spring 9, acting against the frame k,
and the fixed support p, the teeth or projections o, are prevented
entering into and interlocking with the teeth of the pinions or toothed
bosses m, n, by the filling picce 1, against which the end of the frame k,
is pressed by the spring 7, but when the filling piece 1, is raised by
pulling the cord or chain j, which passes through the filling picce 1,
and over the pullies, as shown, into a straight line, the teeth o, will
take into the teeth of the pinions or toothed bosses m, and n, and the
wheels and axles will be firmly locked and prevented from turning until
the frame k, is again withdrawn, and the filling piece r, is again pressed
down by its spring s, and the same effect may be produced simul-
taneously on all the axles of the carriages composing a train by the
cord or chain j, being in connection with corresponding filling pieces 1',
and apparatus, as above described, applied to the axles of each or any
number of the carriages. And I would here remark that the pinions
m, and n, and frame k, may be dispensed with, and lever or sliding
clutches substituted and brought into action by the rope or chain, so as
to lock the axles in a similar manner to the arrangement just described.
I will now proceed to describe the apparatus for winding up or tighten-
ing the rope or chain j, so as to act on the system of breaks or locking
apparatus simultaneously. Figure 2, is a side view; Figure 3, is a
vertical section, and Figure 4, is a frout view of the apparatus which is
fixed to the last carriage of a train in any convenient position; a, is a
screw or worm on the axis a', which gives motion to the screw wheel,
fixed on the axis 2'; on the other end of the axis, is fixed the toothed
wheely, which takes into and gives motion to the pinion w, fixed on the

page_text: axis of the drum or barrel t, on which the cord or chain j, is wound;
motion is given to the apparatus by turning a hand wheel fixed on the
axis of the screw a, which by means of the intermediate gearing gives
motion to the drum t, so as to wind up the cord or chain j, which acts
on the mechanism to put on the breaks or to lock the wheels, as pre-
viously described.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner
of performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not
intend to confine myself to the exact details herein shown and
described so long as the peculiar character of my improvements be
retained. But what I claim is, the means herein described for
retarding and stopping railway carriages.
In witness whereof, I, the said Lazare Francois Vaudelin, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this First day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
fifty-three.
LAZARE FRANCOIS VAUDELIN. (L.S.)
Witness,
H. W. CARPMAEL.