Improvements in Railway Wagon Brakes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Sept., 1890
Complete Specification Left. 2nd June. 1891-Accepted. 4th July. 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Wagon Brakes.
I, JAMES CONNER, 8 Hill Street, Kilmarnock, in the County of Ayr, Engineer,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention which relates to railway wagon brakes has for its object the
provision of means whereby a single pair of brake blocks may be worked from
either side of a wagon by ordinary right hand levers, thus obviating the risk
involved in crossing from one side to the other, and avoiding of the inconvenience
due to the use of right handed and left handed levers or of push and pull levers
as in existing arrangements of brakes.
In carrying out the invention I fit on each side of the wagon a right hand lever
upon a cross shaft to which is keyed a return lever or arm the ends of both
return levers or arms crossing each other or meeting within loop links to which
are toggle jointed or otherwise attached the ends of the thrust rods of the brake
blocks. There is thus provided a hand lever cross shaft and return lever for each
side of the wagon.
When the hand lever is pressed down in the ordinary way
the return lever pushes down the loop links which are connected to the thrust
rods and causes the brake blocks to press against the wheels.
For the purpose of releasing the brakes the upper ends of the loop links are
connected to a small lever carried on a stud fixed to the wagon frame and having
a counter weight, or a spiral spring on the other end of lever.
Should the wheel base of the vehicle be short or the diameter of the wheels
large the toggle joint may be arranged to act upwards instead of downwards in
which case the weight of the rods and links would serve to release the brakes.
Dated this First day of September 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Railway Wagon Brakes.
I, JAMES CONNER of 10, Hill Street, Kilmarnock in the County of Ayr, N.B.
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement-
This invention which relates to brake apparatus for railway vehicles or wagons
hereinafter called wagons, has for its.object the provision of means whereby a
single pair of brake blocks can be put on from either side of the wagon by ordinary
right hand lever arms thus obviating the risk involved in crossing from one side
to the other and avoiding the inconvenience due to the use of right handed and
left handed lever arms or of push and pull lever arms as in existing arrangements
of brakes.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figs. 1 and 2 shew respectively in longitudinal sectional elevation and plan, part
of a railway wagon fitted with brake apparatus according to this invention.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section of part of the wagon and apparatus.
Figs. 4 and 5 shew respectively in longitudinal and transverse section a modified
arrangement of brake apparatus according to this invention suitable for a hopper
wagon.
hi in side view nextle in elevation and partly in section:

page_text: Pan IVT
Fig. 8 is a transverse part section on the line a Fig. 7 showing another
arrangement.
Fig. 9 shews partly in section and partly in side elevation a further modified
arrangement.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12, illustrate slight modifications hereinafter described.
Certain parts are omitted in the several figures for clearness.
a second or return lever arm
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the wagon A is provided on each side with a right
hand lever arm B mounted upon a transverse rocking shaft B to which is keyed
The adjacent ends of both rotaurn lever arms C
act upon a pin 1' carried by a loop link D to which are connected the adjacent
ends of the thrust rods D2 of the brake blocks D which are suspended in the
usual manner. There is thus provided a hand lever arm, rocking shaft, an 1 return
lever arm for each side of the wagon. When one of the lever arms B is pressed
down in the ordinary way, the corresponding lever arm (moves downward the
link D connected to the thrust rods D, and presses the brakes D³ against the
wheels.
To facilitate the taking off or releasing of the brakes, the upper end of the
link D is connerted to one arm of a three-ärm lever E carried on a stui fixed to
the wagon frame. One of the other arms of the lever carri · a counterweight Ex
whilst the third arm is connected to a spiral spring E'.
On the liberation of the lever arins which are kept in their downward
position by a suitable catch or the like in a manner well understood, the
weight Examd spring E' act to raise the lid D and thereby take off the brakes,
In Figs. 4 and 5, the upper end of the link D is connected to one arm of a
bell crank lover E, the other arm of which is connected to the spring El. That
one of the lever arms B which is pivoted near the latch or closing device for the
door or bottom of the wagon is carried by a tail bracket which supports the
same in such a position that it is not fouled by the said latch. A hood is also
provided over the upper part of the ink D to protect the same and the adjacent
parts from the entrance of dirt when the wagon bottom is opened. In other
respects the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is similar to that shown
in Figs. 1 2 and 3.
In Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the link D acts upon a lever arm I fixed upon a rocking
shaft, the thrust rods (1) of the brake blocks (_being a cured respectively to
the upper and lower extremity of the lever or arm 17, also fixed upon the shaft 1'.
The motion of the link D thus rotates the shaft and effects, necording to its
direction, the putting on or the releasing of the brakes. In this case the return
lever arms are connected to the link D by a pin and slot connection D* the
arrangement of which is such as to permit free movement of the lever arms B.
BB are the usual guides or racks which serve also to retain the lever arms
and connected parts in the on and off position. In these Figures 6, 7 and 8 it will
be seen that there is a pair of brake blocks at each side of the vehicle.
In the modified arrangement shown in Fig. 9 the lever arms B serve to operate
the link D by means of the levers or arms (jointed to the link by a loosely
fitting pin D passing through the said link and lovers C. The arm on the
shaft is in this case connected with the said link by a pin and slot connection 1ª,
and the link is, as before, connected to a bell crank E and spring E'.
The
In Fig. 10 is shown a modification by which the bell crank lever E, shown in
some of the previous constructions, may be dispensed with. In this case the link D
is connected to a rod or stem provided with a piston l'adapted to move up and
down in a casing or cylinder in which is provided a spiral spring 1³.
upward motion of the link D, which effects the putting on of the brakes, also
compresses the spring and stores energy therein to effect the taking off or
removal of the brakes on the relense of the lever arms B.
In some instances a spring is provided which is subjected to torsion in the
putting on of the brakes and by its reaction effects the removal of the same. An

page_text: arrangement of this kind is shown in Figs. 11 and 12 in which the shaft I is
surrounded by a spiral spring K secured at one end to the shaft, and at the other
end to a rotary annular disc or washer I, shown separately in Fig. 12. The force
of the torsion of the said spring K can be regulated by the said washer L which
can be rotated and fixed in any desired position by bolts passing through
apertures L' in the same, so as to give the spring K a certain amount of initial
torsion.
The toggle joints formed between the links D and thrust rods may be arranged
to act upwards instead of downwards, in which case the weight of the rods and
links would serve to release or aid in releasing the brakes when the hand levers
were released.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that, assuming the right hand
lever arms B, to be unlocked, the brakes can be worked from either side of the
vehicle.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A railway wagon brake wherein there are arranged in connection with the
brake blocks two right hand lever arms B, arranged one at each side of the wagon
and each on a different shaft, the said lever arms extending towards opposite ends
of the wagon and serving to enable the brakes to be applied from either side of the
wagon as set forth.
2. In a railway wagon brake, a pair of right hand lever arms B arranged one at
each side of the wagon, lever arms C, a link or links D and a spring in which
energy is stored when applying the brakes substantially as hereinbefore described
for the purposes specified.
3. The hereinbefore described improved railway wagon brakes as respectively
set forth with reference to Figs. 12 and 3; Figs. 4 and 5; Figs. 6, 7 and 8,
Fig. 9; Fig. 10; and Figs. 11 and 12 for the purposes specified.
Dated this 2nd day of June 1891.
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.