Improvements in Air Brakes for Railway Cars.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 20th July, 1897-Accepted, 21st Aug., 1897
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Air Brakes for Railway Cars.
I, JOSEPHI FRANK COFFIN, Gentleman, of Mobile, 456 S. Conception St., in the
County of Mobile, and State of Alabama, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:-
My invention relates to air brakes for railway cars, and the object of the
invention is to provide means whereby, should the air-brake mechanism of one
car of the train become damaged or get out of order, it may be disconnected, and
the air-brake mechanism for the remaining car so connected that the engineer
will have complete control of the train.
With this object in view, the invention consists of certain features of con-
struction and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully set forth and
claimed.
The figure in the drawing is a conventional representation of the lower portions
or framework of two coaches and the locomotive tender, illustrating the application
of my invention thereto.
A denotes the tender of a locomotive, B the forward coach, and C the coach
immediately behind the coach B.
1 denotes the train pipe provided with flexible coupling tubes 2. 3 denotes the
signal pipe, likewise provided with flexible coupling tubes 4. The parts above
described are of the well known construction, and further description of the same
is not deemed necessary.
Should the air-brake mechanism of any of the coaches of a train get out of
order, heretofore it has been impossible to operate the air-brake mechanism of
the coaches at the rear of the disabled brake mechanism of the preceding coach,
thus requiring the services of the trainmen at each coach to apply the hand brake.
My invention is intended to overcome this objection, and to this end I provide
a coupling 1 having at one end a train pipe coupling head E, and at the other
end a signal pipe coupling head F, so that, should the air-brake mechanism of
one of the intermediate cars become damaged or get out of working order, by
disconnecting the signal pipe couplings 4 and the train pipe couplings 2, and
connecting one of the signal pipe couplings 4 with one of the train pipe
couplings 2, the air will be conducted through the signal pipe of the car whose
air-brake mechanism is out of order, to the train pipe of the car immediately at
the rear, thus permitting the engineer to have complete control of the train without
employing the services of the trainmen at the hand brakes.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
The combination with the train pipes and signal pipes of a railway train, said
pipes being provided with flexible couplings, of an auxiliary or supplemental
coupling having a train Dine coupling head and a signal pine coupling head.

page_text: whereby should the air-brake mechanism of one coach get out of order, the
couplings of the signal pipe and of the train pipe may be disconnected, and one
coupling of each coupled by the auxiliary or supplemental coupling, substantially
as set forth..
Dated this 20th day of July 1807
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.