IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR BRAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Charles Anthon Bouton, of New York, in the United
States of America, but at present of King William Street, in the City of
London, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AIR BRAKES, WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE-POWER ENGINES."
Sealed the 29th December 1876, and dated the 31st August 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Charles Anthon Bouton nt
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 31st August 1876.
CHARLES ANTHON BOUTON, of New York, in the United States of America, but
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
at present of King William Strect, in the City of London.
APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE-POWER
AIR BRAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO
ENGINES."
My Invention relates more particularly to brakes operated by atmospheric air
acting against one side of a piston, from the opposite side of which the atmospheric
resistance is removed by producing a vacuum by means of an ejector or other
suitable air exhausting apparatus, and it consists chiefly in the employment of a
closed cylinder having two pistons fitted therein, and communicating both at its
heads and at its central portion between the pistons with the ejector or air
exhausting apparatus in such a manner that by the act of moving a single lever
atmospheric air shall be admitted to the heads of the cylinders and diawn from the
central portion, and vice versa, according as it is required to put on or take off the
brakes. The lever is pivotted between two pipes, each of which is fitted with two
valves (say, for example, with a slide valve and a lift or seat valve) so arranged
that when under the action of the lever one valve (communicating between tho
ejector and one part of the cylinder) of one set is opened, the corresponding valvo
(communicating between the ejector and the other part of the cylinder) of the
other set shall be closed, and that the other valves of the two sets communicating
with the atmosphere shall be respectively closed and opened simultaneously. The
air pressure is thus utilized for taking off as well as for putting on the brakes
whereby the weights and springs ordinarily required are dispensed with. By
reason also of the cylinder being air-tight, dust and other extraneous matters are
effectually excluded.
My Invention is also applicable to the purposes of obtaining motive power

page_text: generally, in which case a single piston to each cylinder may be employed if desired,
the air being alternately exhausted from one sido and simultaneously admitted
to the other side by means of the four way valvular apparatus herein-before
described. This modification may also be employed as a brake in lieu of the
double piston in the arrangement first described.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Charles Anthon Bouton in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 28th
February 1877.
CHARLES ANTHON BOUTON, of New York, in the United States of America, but
"IMPROVEMENTS IN
nt present of King William Street, in the City of London.
AIR BRAKES, WHICH IMPROVEMENTS ARE ALSO APPLICABLE TO MOTIVE-POWER
ENGINES."
My said Invention relates to brakes operated by atmospheric air acting against
one side of a piston, from the opposite side of which the atmospheric resistance is
removed by producing a vacuum by means of an ejector or other suitable air.
exhausting apparatus, and it consists in the employment of a closed cylinder
arranged in connection with the ejector or other air exhausting apparatus in such a
manner that by the act of moving a single lever air at the. normal atmospheric
pressure shall be admitted to one side of the piston, and the air shall be drawn
from the opposite side in taking off as well as in putting on the brakes; also of a
peculiar arrangement of ejector, with valves and ports for controlling the passage
of the air and reversing its direction in order to put on and take off the brakes as
required The arrangements for operating the pistons are applicable to the
purposes of obtaining motive power generally, as well as for actuating brakes.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, similar letters indicating
corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Diawings represents a longitudinal section of a
cylinder constructed and arranged in accordance with my Invention, and Figure 2
is a vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 represents a vertical section of the improved ejector.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation, the view being taken at right angles to Figure 3,
and Figure 5 is a sectional plan of the same corresponding to Figure 3.
In carrying out that part of my Invention which relates to the cylinders the
details of construction thereof may be greatly varied, as may also the mode of
arranging the pistons, but I have shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of my Drawings an
arrangement which is found convenient in practice as an example of the method of
carrying out this part of my Invention. In these Figures two pistons are repre-
sented as employed for each cylinder, the respective rods of which operate separate
sets of brake blocks, but a single piston only may be used in each cylinder, its rod
acting upon either one or two sets of brake blocks, as is well understood. A is the
cylinder fitted with closed beads a, a. B, B, are the pistons with their rods b, b,
which latter respectively pass through stuffing boxes in the heads a, a, and are
attached by links, levers, or other suitable connections to the brake blocks (not
shewn in my Drawings.
The cylinder A is provided at or about the centre of its length with a port or
opening c to which is fitted a pipe C for conducting air into and from the central
portion A of the cylinder between the two pistons B, B, as required, and it is
further formed with a longitudinal passage D which communicates by means of
ports d, d, with opposite ends of the cylinder, and also through an opening e with a
pipe E the function of which pipe and of the said passage and ports is to conduct

page_text: air into and from the end portions A2, A3, of the cylinder behind the pistons B, B,
as required. The pipes C and E communicate with an air exhausting apparatus
(by preference an ejector as herein-after described) constructed and arranged in such
a manner that when the air is being withdrawn from the central portion A¹ of the
5 cylinder A in order to produce a vacuum air shall be admitted to the end portions
A², A2, of such cylinder and vice versa, so that the air pressure acting against a
vacuum is utilized for taking off as well as for putting on the brakes. For example,
if it is required to put on the brakes a vacuum is produced in the central portion A¹
of the cylinder A by the exhaustion of the air through the port c and the pipe C,
O and air at the normal atmospheric pressure is admitted through the pipe E, opening
e, passage D, and ports d, d, to the end portions A2, A3, of such cylinder, whereby the
pistons B, B, are caused to approach each other and move into a position
approximating to that shewn in the Drawing and the brakes are applied. When
however it is desired to take off the brakes the action is reversed, that is to say, a
3 vacuum is produced in the end portions A2, A3, of the cylinder A by the exhaustion
of the air through the ports d, d, passage D, opening e, and pipe E, and air at the
normal atmospheric pressure is admitted through the pipe C and port c into the
central portion A¹ of the cylinder A, whereby the pistons are caused to recede from
each other and approach the heads a, a, of the cylinder, and the brakes are removed
from the wheels.
In order to prevent the liability of the pistons being forced with a concussion
against the cylinder heads, and thereby damaging or displacing the same, I pack the
pistons by placing around the periphery of oach (which is made of a sufficiently
reduced diameter for the purpose) a ring of leather or similar material made of
greater width than the piston so as to project beyond its face, and I strengthen the
ring at that part by an additional ring f of similar material placed inside the same
or otherwise so as to increase the thickness of the projecting packing.
By means of this arrangement when the pistons are approaching the heads
a, a, of the cylinder and are on the point of concluding their stroke, the shock
which would otherwise be transmitted to the heads a, a, is deadened by the inter-
position of the projecting packing f. f, which thus acts as a cushion between the
heads and the pistons
An expansion spring or ring g is placed within the projecting portion of the pack-
ing ff, which spring or ring serves to hold the packing close against the inner
walls of the cylinder, thereby preventing leakage and compensating for wear of the
parts.
The ejector herein-before referred to, whereby the passage of the air is controlled,
is constructed and arranged in the following manner, reference being bad to Figures
3, 4, and 5 of the accompanying Drawings:-F is the body of the ejector; F1, FL, are
its nozzles (two of which are employed in the example shewn in the Drawings
although the number may be varied as desired); g¹is the steam inlet controlled
by the valve g² operated by the lever g³, h, h, are the air exhaust passages; i is the
check or stop valve, and j the drip valve for the discharge of any water of
condensation; all of which details may be of any usual or suitable construction
and modified according to circumstances. The improved ejector however differs
from other apparatus employed for a like purpose in the following essential
features:-
The ejector proper is fitted with a system of valves all operated simulta-
neously by one and the same movement of a single lever, in order to regulate
the passage and control the direction of the currents of atmospheric air, so as
to apply and remove the brakes as required. For this purpose I employ a
compound valve chamber consisting of a central chamber G connected with tho
ejector proper by a bent pipe G¹ and of two vertical pipes C, E, connected to the
central chamber G by horizontal branches at C, E, respectively, the lower portions
C, E, of the pipes C, E, leading to and forming a continuous passage with the pipes
C, E, shewn in Figures 1 and 2, which communicate respectively with the central
portion A¹ and the end portions A², A², of the cylinder A.

page_text: In the central chamber G are formed ports at 1, 7, the opening and closing of
which are regulated by valves H, H, respectively, in order to placo one or the other
of the pipes C, E, in communication with the chamber G, and thence with the
ejector. In the pipes C, E, there are also formed ports or orifices, m, m², respectively
opening into the external atmosphere, in connection with which work valves I, I,
whereby the communication between the external atinosphere and the pipes C, E,
may be established and interrupted as required, the pipe C being in communication
when the pipe E is cut off, and vice versa, in order to admit air to one pipe, whilst
the air is being exhausted from the other pipe according as it is required to put on
or take off the brakes. The valves are coupled together in pairs or sets of two, so
as to work in unison, the valves H, I, having their spindles o, p, connected by a
bar or rod q, whilst the spindles o¹, p³, of the valves H, I, are connected by a similar
bar or rod q, the two bars or rods q, q', are attached by links ?, ?, respectively to a
lever K, mounted on a centre or fulcrum 8, which is supported in standards t, t,
resting upon the cover of the chamber G, the arrangement being such that by one
and the same movement of the lever K, through an arc limited by two stops u, v, on
a stationary quadrant w, one set of valves shall be raised and opened, and the other
set shall be depressed and closed. For example, if it is required to put on the
brakes by producing a vacuum in the central portion A¹ of the cylinder A, and by the
simultaneous admission of air at the normal atmospheric pressure to the end por-
tions A2, A3, of such cylinder the valves are placed in the position shown in Figure
3, the valves H¹, I, being closed and the valves H, I, opened on steam then being
admitted through the inlet g¹; by opening the valve g the air will be exhausted
'from the central portion A¹ through the pipe C, branch pipe C, port 1, chamber G,
bent pipe G¹, as shewn by the arrows, and thence lifting the valve i through the air
passages h, h, and nozzles F, F, whilst at the same time air from the external
atmosphere passes through the open ports m' down the pipe E, into the end portions
A², A, of the cylinder A as before mentioned. When, however, it is desired to take
off the brakes, the lever K is moved into the position shewn by the dotted lines
in Figure 3, whereby the valves H, I, will be closed, and the valves H', I, opened,
the air being then exhausted from the end portions A, A, of the cylinder A through
the pipe E, branch pipe E², port 1, chamber G, bent pipe G¹, and thence lifting the
valve through the air passages h, h, and nozzles F¹, F¹, as before, whilst
'simultaneously, air from the external atmosphere passes through the then open
ports m, down the pipe C, into the central portion A¹, of the cylinder A, as before
mentioned.
The normal atmospheric air pressure is thus utilized for taking off as well as for
putting on the brakos whereby the weights and springs ordinally required are
dispensed with, whilst by reason of the cylinder being air tight dust and other
extraneous matters are effectually excluded.
It is obvious that the converse of the arrangement herein-before described may be
adopted, that is to say, the brakes may be put on by exhausting the air from the
end portions A³, A³, of the cylinder A, and admitting air to the central portion A¹,
and may be taken off by the reverse action.
A single piston may also be employed as before mentioned, the air being alter-
nately exhausted from the two sides, and air simultaneously admitted to the side
opposite to that from which the air is being exhausted.
I have not thought it necessary to illustrate in my Drawings the manner in
which that part of my Invention which relates to the mode of operating a piston or
pistons for actuating brakes is applied to the purposes of obtaining motive power
generally, as the arrangements will necessarily be varied according to the particular
circumstances of each case, and the special object to be attained, and the mode of
adapting the Invention thereto will be perfectly understood by competent persons
from the description herein-before given of the application of my Invention to brakes
.without further explanation.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said Inven-
tion, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or callied into effect,

page_text: I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original, and there-
fore claim as my Invention is,-
First. The employment of a closed cylinder containing a rigid piston or pistons,
and arranged in connection with an ejector or air exhausting apparatus, in such a
manner that air at the atmospheric pressure may be admitted to one side of the
piston or pistons, and that a vacuum may be formed at the opposite side of such
piston or pistons by the exhaustion of the air therefrom both in "taking off" and
in putting on" the brakes substantially, as herein-before described.
Secondly. An ejector having two pipes or passages communicating with opposito
sides of a piston or pistons in a vacuum cylinder, and each capable of being placed
as required in cominunication with the atmosphere, and with the exhaust passages
of the ejector by means of valves arranged so as to be operated simultaneously,
substantially in the manner herein-before described and illustrated by my
Drawings.
Thirdly. The system or mode of applying or operating an air brake, and obtain-
ing and applying motive power generally by producing a vacuum alternately on
opposite sides of a piston or pistons through the action of one and the same ejector,
substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Anthon Bouton, have to this my
Specification set my hand and seal, the Twenty-ninth day of January,
One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
CHARLES A. BOUTON. (L.S