Improvements in or relating to the Removal of Water from the Pipes of Pneumatic Brakes.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 3rd Jan., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Removal of Water from the
Pipes of Pneumatic Brakes.
We, JOHN BENNETT PROSSER, of 81 Nether Hall Road, and SAMUEL KENYON
of 61 Nether Hall Road, both of 'Doncaster in the County of York, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
As is well known failures of vacuum brakes not infrequently occur in the winter
time through the stoppage of the pipes due to the collection therein of water which
becomes frozen. This fault is chiefly if not solely found in vacuum brakes and we
therefore will describe the invention as applied to such brakes though its application
is not necessarily confined to these. The object of the present invention is to over-
come this drawback. The details of the invention may be modified but its principle
of operation will be understood from the following description.
In carrying out this invention then we prefer to employ what we may term a double
or divided vessel forming two chambers connected by a suitable cock or valve the
lower chamber having the usual ball or other drip valve or cock and the upper chamber
communicating with the air pipe from the large and small ejectors. The main pipe
proceeds from the upper of these two chambers.
The cock or valve connecting the two chambers may be formed of a simple two-way
cock, the through-way connecting the two chambers and the side branch giving access
to the atmosphere through a suitable opening in the body of the cock which opening
may be protected in any convenient manner to prevent the ingress of dust or dirt.
The passages in the plug are so shaped and adapted in connection with the passages
or openings in the cock body that when the cock is opened for the through-way the
atmospheric branch is closed and when the atmospheric branch is open access to the
upper chamber is cut off and communication between the atmosphere and the lower
chamber is established. The cock plug is by any suitable means in communication
with the brake shaft piston or other suitable part of the gear. The operation of this
mechanism is as follows:-
Condensed water from the leaky valves of the ejectors falls down the air pipe into
the upper chamber and through the cock which is normally open for the through-way
into the lower chamber the drip valve of which is closed by reason of the vacuum
existing in the chamber, the atmospheric branch being as previously explained cut off
while the through-way is open. Upon the application of the brake as soon as the
piston or other part to which the cock is connected moves the cock cuts off com-.
mmunication between the two chambers and establishes connection between the
atmosphere and the lower chamber thus admitting air into that chamber destroying
the vacuum and allowing the drip valve to open with the result that the water
contained in the lower chamber escapes. This condition continues and the drip valve
remains open until such time as the vacuum has been restored in the train pipe and
the brakes released when the brake piston or other moving part returning to its
normal position turns the cock plug again cuts off the connection with the atmosphere
and re-establishes the through-way between the upper and lower chambers, the vacuum
which is then formed in the lower chamber closing the drip valve when the water can
continue to collect in the lower chamber to be again discharged at the next operation
of the brake.
Instead of the automatic drip valve mentioned at the bottom of the chamber a cock
or valve may be employed and which may be positively operated as in the case of the
main cock previously described.
Some of the advantages of this invention are:-
That all the water is collected in the lower chamber instead of getting into the pipes.

page_text: That instead of the opening of the drip valve being merely for a moment of time as is
now the case and then only if all the vacuum is destroyed in the train pipe which is
hardly ever done in ordinary working, by this arrangement, the opening of the drip
valve is secured from the time the brake is applied until it is released air being
admitted into the lower chamber to take the place of the water. That if only a slight
reduction of the vacuum in the train pipe be made sufficient to cause the brake piston
to rise an opening of the drip valve is secured which cannot take place in the valve
as at present in use; the atmosphere being promptly admitted to the chamber thus
destroying the vacuum and allowing the water to escape.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1800
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to the Removal of Water from the
Pipes of Pneumatic Brakes.
We, JOHN BENNETT PROSSER, of 81 Nether Hall Road, and SAMUEL KENYON
of 61 Nether Hall Road, both of Doncaster in the County of York, 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:-
As is well known failures of vacuum brakes not infrequently occur in the winter
time through the stoppage of the pipes due to the collection therein of water which
becomes frozen. This fault is chiefly if not solely found in vacuum brakes and we
therefore will describe the invention as applied to such brakes though its application
is not necessarily confined to these. The object of the present invention is to over-
cone this drawback. The details of the invention may be modified but its principle
of operation will be understood from the following description.
.. This invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings
in which
Fig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus from the foot-plate of a locomotive.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the double or divided vessel, and
Fig. 4 an outside elevation of the same showing the valves in a different position to
that of Figure 3.
Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.
A represents the pipe from the ejector and B the train pipe, C being the upper
chamber of the divided vessel, which as a whole we will designate as D. E is the
lower chamber of the same vessel, and F is a cock or valve which may be either
formed separately from the two chambers C and E and screwed or otherwise con-
nected to them as shown in Fig. 3 or it may if desired be part of the same casting or
body as the chambers. The cock body F is provided with an opening F to the
atmosphere and the plug G besides having the through passage G adapted to coincide
with the fair-way F2 of the cock has a branch G2 the purpose of which will presently
appear. H is a valve chamber preferably separate from the chamber E to which it is
screwed, containing a valve, preferably a ball valve I, whose seating in the case of a
vacuum brake is at the upper part of the chamber H as shown in Figure 3. The
chamber His closed by a cap J'perforated at J¹ to allow of the passage of water from
the chamber E.
Figures 1 and 2 show the application of this vessel D to a locomotive. K is the
large or small or combined large and small ejector communicating by the pipe A with
the upper chamber C of the vessel D; B is the train pipe also connecting with the
upper chamber C of the vessel D and it will be seen from Fig. 3 that while the pipe A
may extend to near the bottom of the chamber C the pipe B extends only to the top
of the chamber. As shown in the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, the plug G of the
cock F is connected by the arm L with the rod M whose lower end is jointed to the
lever arm N carried upon the shaft O which by the lever arm P and rod Qis

page_text: connected and moves with the moving part of the vacuum cylinder or bellows R..
This shaft O may or may not be the brake shaft of the engine. This constitutes the
apparatus and the action is as follows:-
When
Leakage of water from the ejector K passes by the pipe A into the chamber C,
Fig. 3, and by gravity through the cock into the chamber E where it is detained
by the valve 1 which owing to the vacuum remains closed. This is the position of
the parts with the vacuum existing in the train pipe and the brakes off.
the vacuum in the train pipe is destroyed or partially destroyed and the vacuum
cylinder R operates the arin L through the action of the parts M, N, O, P and Q
turns the cock plug G from the position shown in Figure 3, to the position shown
in Figure 4 with the result that communication between the chambers C and E is
cut off and communication between the chamber E and the atmosphere is established
through the passages F2, G3, and F', as clearly shown in Figure 4. The effect of
this is that the valve I opens and any water contained in the chamber E is free
to escape past the valve and through the orifices as indicated by the arrows in
Fig. 4.
When the vacuum cylinder R returns to its normal condition the arm L is returned
to its normal position and the cock plug G again assumes the position shown in
Figure 3, cutting off the communication between chamber E and the atmosphere and
re-establishing the communication between chambers and E. The vacuum again
closes the valve I and water which may have collected in the chamber Cduring this
operation or which may subsequently collect there passes into chamber E as already
explained.
This cycle of operations takes place automatically every time the brake is applied
or the vacuum is so far destroyed as to cause the requisite movement in the vacuum
cylinder.
The arrangement of the connections shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is a satisfactory
one, but it would be readily seen that it can be easily modified; for example, the
arm L may be connected with the operating handle K of the ejector in which case
the vessel D would be caused to perform its function every time the ejector was
worked. Or the arm L may itself be provided with an operating handle and be
operated independently by hand by the driver this however is not nearly so
satisfactory an arrangement as either of those previously described which are
automatic and especially as the first one which ensures the operation of the vessel D
at every application of the brakes whether applied by the driver or not.
It will be seen that instead of the valvo I a cock connected so as to operate in
conjunction with the cock F may be employed; or both I and may be valves or
either of them a valve and the other a cock so long as their necessary relative functions
are performed.
This invention as above described has particular reference to vacuum brakes and as
it is in those brakes where the water chiefly collects and which are rendered inoperative
through freezing it is especially for vacuum brakes that such an invention is required;
it will however be understood that the application of this double chamber vessel and
its attachments to pressure brakes can also be made, the requisite adaptation of the
valves to pressure instead of vacuum being made.
This apparatus would also be applicable for removing the water from the pipes of
steam brakes.
Some of the advantages of this invention are:-
That all the water is collected in the lower chamber instead of getting into the
pipes. That instead of the opening of the drip valve being merely for a moment
of time as is now the case, and then only if all the vacuum is destroyed in the
train pipe, which is hardly ever done in ordinary working, by this arrangement
the opening of the drip valve is secured from the time the brake is applied until
it is released, air being admitted into the lower chamber to take the place of the.
water. That if only a slight reduction of the vacuum in the train pipe be made
sufficient to cause the brake piston to rise, an opening of the drip valve is secured
which cannot take place in the valve as at present in use; the atmosphere being

page_text: promptly admitted to the chamber thus destroying the vacuum and allowing the
water to escape.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. In brake apparatus the employment of a double chamber vessel such as D
substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. In a brake apparatus a vessel such as D consisting of two chambers such as C
and E and cocks or valves F and I the whole constructed and operating substantially
as described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
3. In a vacuum brake apparatus the combination with the ejector pipe and the train
pipe of a vessel such as D substantially as described and illustrated in the accompanying
drawings.
4. In a vacuum brake apparatus the employment of a device for preventing the
accumulation of water in the train pipe the operation of which is automatically
obtained upon every application of the brakes substantially as described.
Dated this Twenty-second day of November 1890.
JOHN BENNETT PROSSER.
SAMUEL KENYON.
W. P. Thompson & Boult,
Agents for the Applicants.