Improvements in or connected with Electrically Applying Railway Brakes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 4th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 15th Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Electrically Applying Railway
Brakes.
A communication by OTTO BERNDT, of 2, Eselföter Strasse, Rostock, in the
Empire of Germany, Electrical Engineer.
I. WILLIAM PHILLIPS THOMPSON, F.C.S., M.I.M.E. of the Agency for
Foreign Patent Solicitors, 6 Lord Street, Liverpool, and Bank Street,
Manchester, both in the County of Lancaster, and 323 High Holborn in the
County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, 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:—
The object of this invention is a means of automatically braking railway trains
when any danger is threatened to the travelling train, for instance, by the collision
of two trains or by wrong adjustment of the points.
In order to effect this object, an arrangement, consisting mainly of an electro-
magnet and a lever mechanism, is applied to the locomotive. At a suitable moment,
on a current passing through the magnet, the armature is attracted, the lever
mechanism is thereby released, and, by means of a weight or a spring, the braking
is effected. The apparatus is operated by means of a galvanic battery which is also
preferably placed on the locomotive. The installation of such battery may, how-
ever, be a stationary one. A third rail, which is placed between the ordinary
carrying rails, is further necessary for closing the circuit. It is necessary that these
rails, which may be of iron of any section, be laid wherever it is intended that the
brake should be applied. The carrying rails themselves remain unaltered.
The devices requisite for the above named purposes, and their mode of working,
will be clearly understood by the following description, reference being had to the
accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is an elevation and Figure 2 a plan of a portion of a railway track
arranged for the carrying out of the braking of trains.
Figure 3 is a plan of a portion of a railway track illustrating a case where two
locomotives, each provided with a braking apparatus, are approaching one
another.
Figure 4 is a plan showing a case in which none of the apparatus would come into
action because the batteries lie parallel in the current closing circuit.
Figure 5 is a plan showing a commutator or switching arrangement to, at one
time, connect the plus pole of any locomotive travelling, and, at another time the
minus pole with the rail.
Figures 6 and 7 represent the modifications of the contacts on the switch which
is necessary for inserting the resistance w w¹.
Figures 8 and 9 show a front and plan view respectively of the releasing
apparatus.
Figures 10 and 11 illustrate how the releasing apparatus is employed at points.
Figures 12 to 19 show separate devices, the object of which is, when the
separate carriages are shunted together to form a train to automatically release
this contact and to again automatically re-establish it when the locomotive is
separated from the carriages.
On the drawings, similar parts have the same lettering in the different figures.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 S S¹ are the carrying rails: C is the contact or circuit
closing rail: B is the battery and R is the apparatus shown in Figures 8 & 9 and
more particularly described hereinafter, it being characterised by a simple coil for
applying the brakes. K and K + are clamps for completing the current connection.
Lis for instance the locomotive and W a carriage moving towards each other.
-
Supposing now the current connection be established as shown in Figures 1 and 2,

page_text: -
that is to say, so that the clamp K (plus) is connected with the minus pole of the
battery B, and the plus pole of the battery is placed in electrical connection with
the axle bearings of the vehicle, the other clamp K of the apparatus will then be
connected with a sliding piece P which bears ou the third rail C but is not other-
wise in: electrical connection with the other parts of the vehicle. If now a vehicle
(hereinafter this is always presumed to be a locomotive) provided with this
apparatus, be travelling on a portion of a railway track provided with the centre
rail C, the apparatus remains inactive so long as there is no current connection
between S, S and C. But at the moment that the carrying rails are connected with
the circuit closing rail by means of an electrical conductor, the current circuit is
closed and the releasing apparatus P. comes into action.
In order to establish this closing of the circuit, that is to say, the electrical
conducting connection between S or S₁ and C, a single carriage, for instance, is
provided with a similar contact piece to that with which the locomotive is provided.
This contact piece P bears on the centre rail C and the other end of P stands in
electrical connection with the axle bearings of the carriage, that is also with the
wheels. In such case the current flows as follows:
It passes from the plus pole of the battery B into the axle bearings or the wheels
of the locomotive and also along the rails S S' to the wheels of the carriage standing
on the track, it then passes through these wheels and the sliding contact piece P
into the centre rail, along this to the sliding contact piece P of the locomotive and
finally returns to B through R. This shows, therefore, how the apparatus R on the
locomotive is released when the latter is travelling on a track on which there is a
single vehicle.
-
A case where two locomotives, each of which is provided with an apparatus R R¹,
are approaching one another is shown in Fig. 3. L' L" are the locomotives. If
it be assumed that the + pole of the battery on the locomotive L' and the pole
of the battery on locomotive L" are connected with the axle bearings or the wheels,
the switching on is evident from what has been already stated without further
explanation as soon as both locomotives come on to that part of the track which is
provided with the third rail C, both apparatus, namely, that of locomotive L' and
that of locomotive L" are simultaneously released. It is herein, in all cases,
assumed that the plus pole of the battery of the one locomotive, and the minus pole
of the battery of the other locomotive, are brought into electrical connection with
the rails S or St. This requirement cannot be carried out without further
arrangements, as, when building the locomotive, a given pole must always be
connected with the axle bearings.
In the position represented in the drawing Fig. 4, none of the apparatus would
come into action because the batteries B B lie parallel in the current closing
circuit. Action can, therefore, only take place by means of varying greater
electromotive force in the sources of supply of the current, which however, on
practical grounds, is difficult to bring about with safety. This, however, might be
obviated by applying a switching arrangement on the locomotive, and instructing
the locomotive driver, when running in the direction of L', to place the lever to the
right, and, when running towards L", to place it to the left. Simple, however, as
such a measure is, if such instruction were not adhered to, it might result in the
apparatus not acting. Automatic action is, therefore, provided in all these devices.
In those handles which must be operated by the drivers, no danger can occur from
not observing the rules, on the other hand, a train cannot start until everything is
so arranged that the apparatus will work with certainty.
-
Regarded from this point of view, a commutator or switching arrangement is then
constructed, which has for its object to, at one time, connect the + pole of any
locomotive travelling, and, at another time, the pole with the rail. This is
shown in Figure 5 at U and U. If it be assumed that, with the commutator U,
the lever lies at +, whilst with U the lever lies at -; the circuit is closed and
simultaneously therewith the apparatus set at work, that is to say that the brakes
are applied simultaneously on both locomotives.

page_text: --
:. These-levers of the commutator or switching arrangement may then be moved in
any suitable manner. The commutator change may be preferably effected by the
driving axis of the locomotive. In order, however, to avoid the back and forward
motion which would be accompanied by shocks, a rotary switch is shown in Figure 7,
which may be operated in any suitable manner. As it is preferable that the switch
levers or shall not leave the + pole until it has engaged with the pole, the
battery, for a short time, is short circuited for such purpose, and thereby a rapid
diminution of the electromotive force takes place. This drawback is avoided by
inserting the resistance w or w¹. The modification of the contacts on the switch,
which is necessary therefor, is represented in Figures 6 and 7, and may be under-
stood without further explanation.
.
1
The rotary switch, shown in Figure 7, is preferably operated from one of the
running axles of the locomotive.
".
The actual releasing apparatus shown in Figs. 8 & 9, which produces the
releasing and applying of the brake, is, as already mentioned, preferably placed on
the locomotive.
R is an electromagnet which, on the receipt of current impulses, attracts the
armature a, whereupon, by the action of the spring f, the lever is released and
thereby also the lever b.
In this manner, the end of the double-armed lever H, which is turned towards
these levers, is released, and the spring F, or a weight as shown by dotted lines,
then draws the other end of the lever H downwards which is, at such end, either
directly or indirectly (at A) connected with the brake apparatus and thus the brake
is set to work. K+ or K are the pole clamps or binding screws.
G' is a stop
handle. The only object of this relay is, therefore, to control, with a small power,
the action of a strong spring F, or, in its stead, to bring a heavy weight into
action...
Figures 10 & 11 are illustrative of how the above apparatus is employed at points,
for instance.
Assuming that a train has passed on to the track G in the direction of M, and,
owing to a wrong adjustment of the points, the track G has been opened to a train
coming in the direction of N, instead of the track G. the moment the locomotive
of M reaches the point a, both apparatus R R¹ of approaching locomotives at M
and N will be released and the brakes come into action automatically.
!
From this figure it may be seen that the centre rail (the contact rail C C¹) is
broken at o o¹ oor o³. The openings o p and o¹ p¹ are only necessary so that the
centre rails C C¹ may have no electrical connection with the carrying rails G G¹.
In practice, only is conductively connected with p and o' with p', preferably by
means of a piece of cable as shown in dotted lines. There is, however, a space
at o² ² and o³ p³, so that the connection of o with p² is only established when the
parts are arranged in the manner shown in Figure 10. In this position, therefore, the
track G is opened for the train coming from N. As G is, however, already occupied
from M, a collision would take place. But, as already described,
cy o o are
brought in metallic conducting connection with p C through the points, the
whole stretch x¹ o² 2 x must be regarded as a single centre rail, so that both
apparatus of the mutually approaching locomotives are released and the braking of
both locomotives must take place. If the track opened to the approaching train be
only occupied by one or more vehicles without a locomotive, a blocking of the
approaching train takes place also by means of these vehicles, exactly as described
and shown in Figure 1. There remains still to be explained how the contact of the
separate carriages is released when these latter are to be attached to a locomotive
and, therefore, to be made up into a train with this latter.
If the contact, shown in Figure 1 and more particularly hereinbefore described,
of each separate carriage with the centre rail were not released, the separate
carriages would block their own locomotive, which is easily apparent without further
explanation. In order, however, to avoid this, separate devices may be employed
the object of which is, when the separate carriages are shunted together to form a

page_text: train, to automatically release this contact, and to again automatically re-establish
it when the locomotive is separated from the carriages. As the essential point is to
remove the circuit closing capability of the separate carriages between the outer
and the centre rails, when the carriages are connected with a locomotive to form a
train, or to again re-establish it as soon as the locomotive is uncoupled and moves
away, a large number of devices and modifications of the same may be employed
for this purpose. Some of these, the more important ones, are shown in Figures 12
to 19. In all these figures, C represents the contact rail, P the contact piece,
W the carriage. In Figures 12 and 13, the releasing of the contact piece is so far
mechanical as that the same is raised from the contact rail, C, by the shunting
together of the carriage W. In Figure 12, for instance, the buffer-discs D, which,
with their lower lever arms P, form the actual sliding contacts, stand apart, and the
latter rest on the rail C, whilst, when the carriages have been pushed together, the
buffer discs come in contact and the sliding contact pieces are lifted off the rail C,
as in Figure 13.
In Figures 14 and 15, it is assumed that the lifting of the sliding piece P is
effected in such a way that, by means of two springs ff, which are linked
together when the carriages are shunted together, the sliding piece P is lifted
from C.
In Figures 16, 17, 18 & 19, the lifting of the contact is operated by disconnecting
the insulated wire conductor running from the sliding piece P when the carriages are
released.
In Figures 16 and 17, this is done automatically, whilst, in Figures 18 and 19, it
has to be done by hand. In this arrangement, the sliding piece P always remains
in contact with the centre rail.
By such an arrangement, it is, therefore, possible to apply the brake in an
approaching train, by means of a single carriage which has run too far when being
shunted or pushed, for instance.
If it be assumed that the carriage has run to the point pl o in Figure 10, so that
it projects with its buffers over the edge of the points of the section G, its sliding
contact piece rests on the rail pl o³, and blocks, without further trouble, the train
coming from N. Even a train coming from M is blocked in case it has received
the "line clear" signal, for instance, as in the station arrangement shown. In this
case, the switch E assumes the position shown in Figure 11, and, therefore, the
centre rail C is connected over the switch with a¹ o¹ po
From these explanations, it may easily be seen how the most complicated points
may be arranged, and the danger of trains overtaking or encountering one another
may be with certainty avoided.
It may be fiually remarked that the relays, Figures 8 and 9, connected with a
whistle for giving a signal, may be inserted in a switch in the circuit, so that,
besides the releasing of the relay, one or more visible signals may be given.
In electrically operated railways, this relay acts directly for interrupting or
switching on the operating current, and, in this case, the battery current may also be
replaced by a portion of the operating current.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what 1 claim is :-
1. The improvements in or connected with electrically applying railway brakes
consisting in the employment of a third circuit-closing rail, electrically insulated
from the two carrying rails but capable of being brought into electrical conducting
connection with them by means of a piece P or P¹ on the vehicle; and in connection
therewith the employment with this circuit-closing rail of a relay (Figures 8 and 9),
in combination with a battery B and the commutator or switching arrange-
ment UU more particularly shown in Figures 6 and 7, to form a device for
releasing the ordinary railway brakes and at a suitable moment, by means of the
pieces P or P' (and the intermediation of an electrically conducting connection

page_text: between the circuit closing rail C and the carrying rails S S¹ or G G¹) to start the
closing of the circuit which releases the relay (Figures 8 and 9) consisting of the
electromagnet R for setting the lever mechanism band in operation by
the action of a spring or weight F when the armature a is attracted, and the
commutator U U₁, Figures 6 and 7, alternately connects the plus and the minus
poles with the rails, and on the change of polarity the short circuiting of the battery
is prevented.
2. In the arrangement described in Claim 1, in order to remove the circuit
closing power of the separate carriages between the outer rails and the centre one C,
when the carriages are connected to the locomotive to form a train, or to again
re-establish the same as soon as the locomotive is uncoupled and moves away, the
modes of construction shown in Figures 12 to 19 consisting of the buffers D or D'
and the piece P connected therewith, so that the latter can be mechanically lifted,
or of chains ff with a piece P so that the lifting can be effected by hand.
Dated this 3rd day of August 1892
WM. P. THOMPSON & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.