IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS, AND IN WORKING THE BRAKES OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Arthur Steward, of Wolverhampton, in the County
of Stafford, Foreman of Works, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS, AND IN WORKING THE
BRAKES OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS"
.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Arthur Steward at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th January 1881.
JAMES ARTHUR STEWARD, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Foreman of Works. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND
TRAINS, AND IN WORKING THE BRAKES OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS."
My improvements in brakes for railway carriages and trains have reference to
the brake blocks of the said brakes, and in order to compensate for the wear of
the said blocks, and to keep them accurately to their bearings on the wheels, I
connect them with the weighted levers by which they are carried by means of
screws, by tightening or relaxing which the adjustment of the brake blocks can be
effected with nicety, and wear or irregularity in the size of the said blocks
compensated.
My improvements in working the brakes of railway carriages and trains consist
in constructing and arranging or combining the parts of mechanism for that purpose
in the manner hereinafter described.
I connect the brakes with weighted levers, which weighted levers when at
liberty to act withdraw the brake blocks from the carriage wheels. When the
said weighted levers are raised they cause the brake blocks to press upon the
wheels, and thereby bring the carriage to rest. The raising of the said levers is
effected by a chain or cord fastened at one end to the end of the lever. The said
chain ascending passes over a pulley, and takes a horizontal position, its other end
being connected to a drum or winding pulley under the middle of the bottom of
the carriage. The axis on which the said drum turns is vertical, and the said
drum consequently rotates horizontally. The winding of the chain on the drum,
and the bringing of the carriage to rest by the rotation of the carriage wheels is
effected as follows:-The winding drum has a bevil wheel, with which a bevil
wheel on a horizontal shaft running under the middle of the carriage engages.

page_text: The rotating axle of the end pair of carriage wheels carries a bevil pinion, which
may either be geared with or ungeared from a bevil pinion on the horizontal shaft
described, the last named pinion being connected to the horizontal shaft by a
sliding key or other like arrangement, so that it can slide on the said horizontal
shaft, and be thrown into or out of gear with the bevil pinion on the axle of the
carriage wheels. A spring forces the sliding pinion on the horizontal shaft into
gear with the pinion on the axle when the said sliding pinion is at liberty to
move. When the sliding bevil pinion on the horizontal shaft is in gear with the
bevil pinion on the axle of the carriage wheels, and the carriage is in motion, the
winding drum winds up the chain connected with the weighted levers, and raising
the said levers presses the brake blocks upon the wheels, and brings the carriage to
rest.
The sliding bevil pinion and appliances described for gearing the horizontal
shaft with the winding drum are provided at each end of the horizontal shaft, so
as to cause the axles of the carriage wheels at each end of the carriage to operate
the winding drum.
On each side of the horizontal shaft and on the same level is a rod extending
the whole length of the carriage. These rods are so connected respectively with
the spring sliding bevil pinions on the horizontal shaft that when one of the said
rods is pulled by a person at the front of the carriage it ungears the axle of one
pair of carriage wheels from the winding drum, and when the other rod is pulled
by a person at the rear of the carriage it ungears the axle of the other pair of
wheels, and the motion of the carriage is without action on the brake mechanism,
the brake blocks being drawn from the wheels by the weighted levers. By fixing
the said rods in their drawn out position there is no impediment to the motion
of the train, but by loosing either of the said rods the brake mechanism is
immediately brought into operation, and this may be effected by a person at either
end of the carriage or by both.
When a series of carriages provided with my Invention are made up into a train
the rods of the several carriages are connected together, so as to virtually constitute
two continuous rods, one under the control of the driver, and the other under the
control of the guard, by either or both of whom the brake power of the whole
train can be brought into operation in a moment; or in case of the rupture of the
train the rods holding the brake mechanism out of gear, being no longer fixed in
their withdrawn position, the brakes come into immediate operation.
In slip carriages I employ a vertical shaft passing through the floor of the
carriage, carrying at its bottom a cross arm jointed to the horizontal rods. By
means of a lever or handle at the top of the said vertical shaft the guard in the slip
carriage can control the brake mechanism.
In order to hold the brake mechanism out of gear when the carriage is not in
use, and thereby to permit the carriage to be readily moved, I employ a shaft
crossing the carriage and carrying small winding drums connected respectively by
means of chains to the horizontal rods. By means of levers on the ends of this
shaft the horizontal rods may be fixed in their withdrawn positions.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said James Arthur Steward in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
15th July 1881.
JAMES ARTHUR STEWARD, of Wolverhampton, in the County of Stafford,
Foreman of Works. "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES FOR RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND
TRAINS, AND IN WORKING THE BRAKES OF RAILWAY CARRIAGES AND TRAINS."
My improvements in brakes for railway carriages and trains have reference to
the brake blocks of the said brakes, and in order to compensate for the wear of the
said blocks, and to keep them accurately to their bearings on the wheels, I connect
them with the weighted or spring levers by which they are carried by means of
screws, by tightening or relaxing which the adjustment of the brake blocks can
be effected with nicety and wear or irregularity in the size of the said blocks
compensated.
My improvements in working the brakes of railway carriages and trains consist
in constructing and arranging or combining the parts of mechanism for that purpose
in the manner herein after described.
I connect the brakes with weighted or spring levers, which levers, when at
liberty to act, withdraw the brake blocks from the carriage wheels. When the
said levers are raised they cause the brake blocks to press upon the wheels and
thereby bring the carriage to rest. The raising of the said levers is effected by a
chain or cord wound upon a drum, as herein after described. The winding of the
chain on the drum and the bringing of the carriage to rest by the rotation of the
carriage wheel is effected as follows:-
The rotating axle of the end pair of carriage wheels carries a bevil pinion, which
may either be geared with or ungeared from a bevil pinion on the horizontal drum
shaft described, the last named pinion being connected to the horizontal shaft by a
sliding key or other like arrangement, so that it can slide on the said horizontal
shaft and be thrown into or out of gear with the bevil pinion on the axle of the
carriage wheels. A spring forces the sliding pinion on the shaft when the said
sliding pinion is at liberty to move. When the sliding bevil pinion on the
horizontal shaft is in gear with the bevil pinion on the axle of the carriage wheels
and the carriage is in motion the winding drum winds up the chain connected with
the weighted or spring levers and raising the said levers presses the brake blocks
upon the wheels and brings the carriage to rest.
A sliding bevil pinion and appliances described for gearing the horizontal drum
shaft with the carriage axle are used on each side of the middle of the carriage so
as to cause the axles of the carriage wheels at each end of the carriage to operate
the winding drums.
On each side of the horizontal drum shafts and on the same level is a rod
extending the whole length of the carriage. These rods are so connected respectively
with the spring sliding bevil pinions on the horizontal shafts that when one of the
said rods is pulled by a person at the front of the carriage it ungears the axle of
one pair of carriage wheels from the winding drum, and when the other rod is
pulled by a person at the rear of the carriage it ungears the axle of the other pair
of wheels and the motion of the carriage is without action on the brake mechanism,
the brake blocks being drawn from the wheels by the weighted or spring levers.
By fixing the said rods in their drawn out position there is no impediment to the
motion of the train, but by loosing either of the said rods the brake mechanism is
immediately brought into operation, and this may be effected by a person at either
end of the carriage or by both.
When a series of carriages provided with my Invention is made up into a train
the rods of the several carriages are connected together, so as to virtually constitute

page_text: two continuous rods, one under the control of the driver and the other under the
control of the guard, by either or both of whom the brake power of the whole
train can be brought into operation in a moment; or in case of the rupture of the
train the rods holding the brake mechanism out of gear, being no longer fixed in
their withdrawn position, the brakes come into immediate operation.
In order to hold the brake mechanism out of gear when the carriage is not in
use, and thereby to permit the carriage to be readily moved and to control the
brake mechanism in slip carriages, I employ a shaft crossing the carriage and
carrying small winding drums or arms connected respectively by means of chains to
the horizontal rods. By means of levers on the ends of this shaft the horizontal
- rods may be fixed in their withdrawn positions.
I will now proceed to describe, with reference to the accompanying Drawings, the
manner in which my Invention is to be performed.
Figure 1 represents in side elevation partly in vertical section, and Figure 2 in
plan partly in horizontal section, a portion of a railway carriage provided with
brake mechanism constructed and worked according to my Invention; Figure 3 is
another side elevation of the said brake mechanism; Figure 4 represents a cross
section of the brake mechanism taken through one of the winding drums;
Figure 5 represents a plan of a portion of the mechanism, the bevil wheels being
in gear:
The side elevation, Figure 1, is taken on the line A, A, Figure 2, looking towards
the middle of the carriage, and the side elevation, Figure 3, is taken on the line B, B,
Figure 2, looking towards the side of the carriage. In Figures 1, 2, and 3, the brake
blocks are represented drawn out of action.
The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of
the Drawings.
a, a, are the brake blocks on opposite sides of the peripheries of the wheels c, c,
the said blocks being carried by the levers b, b. The levers b, b, of the series of
brake blocks a are jointed to the bar d and the levers 62 of the series of brake
blocks a² are jointed to the parallel bar d². The bar d is connected to the hollow
or tubular rod e at one end of the carriage, and the bar d³ is connected to the
hollow or tubular rod e² at the opposite end of the carriage. These rods e, e²,
slide in openings in the frame work of the carriage. By this arrangement the
motion in opposite directions of the bars d, d², effected as herein after described,
causes the several pairs of brake blocks a, a², to be simultaneously pressed against
opposite sides of the carriage wheels or to be removed from the said wheels.
The ends of the bars d, d³, are not connected rigidly to the hollow or tubular
sliding rods e, e², but are connected to the adjustable piston like rods e³, e, which
work in the said hollow or tubular rods e, e² (see Figure 3). The outer ends of the
piston like rods e³, es, are screwed, and on the screwed ends screw nuts e³, e³, work,
the said nuts working in the open boxes or chambers represented on the parts e, e².
By tightening or relaxing the piston like rods es, e, by turning the screw nuts
es, es, in one or other direction, the adjustment of the brake blocks a, a², can be
effected with nicety and wear or irregularity in the size of the said blocks
compensated for.
The brake rods d, d³, are coupled together so as to be moved in opposite
directions by the cranked levers f, f, and connecting rods f2, f2, the outer ends of
the said connecting rods being jointed to the bearings at g on the sliding rods e, e².
The mechanism I have described is used at opposite sides of the carriage, and
similar letters indicate the same parts, and the parts of the duplicated mechanism
are coupled together in the following way-The inner ends of the coupling levers
ff, of the brake rods d, d², at each side of the carriage cross one another and are
slotted. In their slotted ends the ends of a cross coupling piece h above the axle
of the middle wheels work (see the cross section, Figure 4). The said cross piece
h is pressed down by the springs i, i, and is raised by the mechanism herein after
described. It is by the rising of the cross coupling bar or piece h that the brake
blocks are put into action, and by its descent that the said blocks are drawn out

page_text: .
of action. The raising of the cross piece h is effected in the following manner:-
k, k, are winding drums carried by the independent horizontal shafts 1, 1, under the
bottom of the middle of the carriage and on either side of the axle of the middle
pair of wheels. Above the said drums is a pulley m, over which the chains n, n,
fixed to the winding drums k, k, pass, and descending are connected to the opposite
sides of the cross coupling piece h, as best seen in Figures 1 and 4. As the shafts
1, 1, are rotated in one direction the chains n, n, are coiled upon the drums k, k, and
the cross piece h is raised, and when the shafts 1, 1, are ungeared from the axles of
the railway carriage, as hereinafter described, the cross piece h is pressed down by
its springs and the drums 1, 1, are returned to their normal positions. The outer
end of each horizontal shaft is furnished with a bevil wheel p which is capable of
rotating and sliding on its shaft. The bevil wheel p is connected to the shaft / by
the cross pin and slot at q, the said cross pin being passed through a block r
sliding in the hollow horizontal shaft 7 (see Figure 2). By means of a coiled
spring & pressing on the said block r the bevil wheel p may be pressed into gear
with the bevil wheel t on the axle of each of the end pairs of carriage wheels, as
illustrated in Figure 5. When so geared together the motion of the carriage
axle is transmitted to the drum shaft , and the chain n is wound upon the drum k
and the brakes put into operation.
The gearing of the bevil wheels p, p, on the horizontal shafts 1, l, with the
rotating axles of the end pairs of carriage wheels, and the ungearing of the said
wheels from the rotating axles are effected by the following arrangement of parts:-
On each side of the horizontal shafts 1, 1, is a rod extending nearly the whole
length of the carriage. These rods are marked respectively u and v.
The rod u
is connected with the spring sliding bevil wheel p at the right hand end of the
carriage, Figures 1 and 2, by the lever u² and arms u³, the said arms being connected
to the cross strap u fixed to the sliding bevil wheel p. The rod vis connected in a
similar manner with the spring sliding bevil wheel p at the left hand side of the
carriage, Figures 1 and 2, by the lever v2, arins v³, and strap v
When the sliding rod is pulled by a person at the front of the carriage, it
slides by means of the gearing described, the bevil wheel p from out of gear
with the bevil wheel t on the axle of the left hand pair of wheels, and the
said axle is ungeared from the drum shaft l, and when the other sliding rod u is
pulled at the other end of the carriage, it in a similar way ungears the axle of the
right hand pair of wheels from the other drum shaft l, and the motion of the
carriage is without action on the brake mechanism, that is to say, the depression
of the cross piece by the action of its springs i, i, causes its ends to operate upon
the coupling levers f, f, and rods f2, 2, and the latter acting upon the brake bars
d, d², cause the brake levers b, 62, to withdraw the brake blocks from the wheels,
as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3. By fixing the said rods u, v, in their drawn
out positions by any convenient mechanism there is no impediment to the motion
of the train, but by loosing or releasing either of the rods u or the brake
mechanism at both sides of the carriage is immediately brought into operation by
the gearing of the bevil wheels p, p, on the drum shafts with the bevil wheels t, t,
on the rotating axles of the end pairs of wheels, as seen in Figure 5, and as herein
before described. Thus the throwing into action of the brake mechanism may be
effected by a person at either end of the carriage, or by both persons.
When a series of carriages provided with my Invention is made up into a train,
the rods u, v, of the several carriages are connected together so as to virtually
constitute two continuous rods, one under the control of the driver, and the other
under the control of the guard, by either or both of whom the brake power of the
whole train can be brought into operation in a moment. Or in case of the rupture
of the train, the rods u, v, holding the brake mechanism out of gear, being no
longer fixed in their withdrawn position, the brakes come into immediate operation
in the manner before described.
The mechanism for holding the brake mechanism out of gear when the carriage
is not in use, and for controlling the brake mechanism in slip carriages, consists

page_text: of a cross shaft w (see Figures 1 and 2), having at its outer ends handles w³, w³,
for working it from the outside of the carriage, and a third handle w', which passes
through the floor of the carriage, for working the shaft from the inside of the
carriage. On the said cross shaft ware arms x, x, to which the chains y, y, are
connected by one of their ends. The other ends of these chains are connected with
the horizontal rods u, v. By moving one of the handles w², or w³, or w¹, in one or
other direction, the chains y, y, are made to operate upon and give a sliding motion
in opposite directions to the rods u, v, so as either to put the brakes into operation
or take them out of action.
The handles of the cross shaft ware fixed by cotters or other convenient
means.
The brake levers may be weighted to assist the springs i, i, of the cross piece h
in taking the brake blocks out of action when the drum shafts are ungeared from
the rotating axles of the end pair of wheels, or the springs i, i, may be dispensed
with and weights alone may be used.
Having now described the nature of my Invention, and the manner in which
the same is to be performed, I wish it to be understood that I claim as my
Invention,-
First. The improvements in brakes for railway carriages and trains herein before
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings, that is to say, the
arrangement or combination of the parts described and illustrated for tightening
or relaxing the brake rods d, d², so as to compensate for the wear of the brake
blocks, and to keep them accurately to their bearings on the wheels.
Secondly. The construction and combinations or arrangements of the parts herein
before described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings for working the
brakes of railway carriages and trains, that is to say, the combination of the brake
rods d, d², to which the brake levers are jointed with the coupling levers f, f, and
their rods f, f2, and the cross coupling piece h, for the purpose and substantially
as described and illustrated; also the construction of the winding drums k, k, and
their shafts, and their combination with the cross coupling piece h, for the purpose
and substantially as described and illustrated; also the construction of the spring
sliding bevil pinions or wheels on the drum shafts, and their combination with the
sliding rods u and v and parts connected with them for gearing the brake
mechanisin with the rotating axles of the end pairs of wheels, so as to put the
brakes into operation, and for taking the brakes out of action, the several parts
being constructed and operating substantially as described and illustrated; also the
arrangement or combination of parts described and illustrated for holding the
brake mechanism out of gear when the carriage is not in use, and for controlling
the brake mechanism.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Arthur Steward, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, this Twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
Witness,
FRANK WALTON,
Wolverhampton.
JAMES ARTHUR STEWARD. (L.S.)