IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BRAKING OR RETARDING RAILWAY TRAINS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATNT to William Galloway, of Craigie, in the County of
Ayr, North Britain, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR BRAKING OR RETARDING RAILWAY TRAINS."
Sealed the 29th October 1869, and dated the 6th May 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Galloway
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 6th May 1869.
I, WILLIAM GALLOWAY, of Craigie, in the County of Ayr, North
Britain, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN APPARATUS FOR BRAKING OR RETARDING RAILWAY TRAINS," to be as
follows, that is to say :-
This Invention, which relates to an improved method or means for
braking or retarding the wheels of vehicles composing railway trains,
consists in attaching a pipe to a cylinder connected with the boiler of
the engine which draws the train, or to an air vessel or receiver
in which air and water are compressed to the required extent.

page_text: At convenient positions on the carriages composing the train
cylinders having pistons in them are situated, these are in connection
with the pipe herein-before referred to, the pipe extending throughout
the train. To the piston rods of the several cylinders are coupled the
links for actuating the brake blocks. Immediately that the water under
the pressure of steam from the boiler, or the steam itself, or that of the
compressed air in the receiver, is admitted to act upon one side of the
piston in the cylinder attached thereto the piston is depressed and the
water or other liquid on its other side is forced into the pipe, and
thence into the several cylinders, depressing the pistons therein, and
forcing the brake blocks against the wheels of the vehicles, thus retarding
the train or stopping it. When it is desired to withdraw the action of
the brake, this is effected by turning the valve or cock situated between
the cylinder and steam boiler or air vessel, which relieving the
pressure in the pipe allows the spring attached to the pistons in the
brake cylinders to react by forcing back the pistons therein, and
returning the liquid in them and in the pipe to the position it occupied
previous to the brake being applied.
In place of arranging the apparatus as herein-before set forth the
intermediate cylinder and piston connected to the boiler may be
dispensed with and the pipe connected direct to the steam boiler or
air vessel which would cause the water to act directly upon the pistons in
the several cylinders.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Galloway in the Great Seal Patent Office 2
on the 6th November 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
GALLOWAY, of Craigie, in the County of Ayr, North Britain, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her 3
Letters Patent, bearing date the Sixth day of May, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the 32nd year of
Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant
unto me, the said William Galloway, Her special license that I, the
said William Galloway, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or 3

page_text: such others as I, the said William Galloway, my executors, admi-
nistrators, or assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others,
from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term therein
expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend,
within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel
Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR BRAKING OR RETARDING BAILWAY TRAINS" upon the condition (amongst
others), that I, the said William Galloway, by an instrument in
writing under, my hand and seal, should particularly describe and
ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in
the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and
immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Galloway, do hereby
declare the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner tlie
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, that
is to say:-
My said Invention, which relates to an improved method or means for
braking or retarding the wheels of vehicles composing railway trains
consists in attaching a pipe to a cylinder connected with the boiler of
the engine which draws the train, or to a vessel or receiver in which air
and water are compressed to the required extent.
At convenient position on the carriages composing the train cylinders
having pistons in them are situated, these are in connection with the
pipe herein-before referred to, the pipe extending throughout the train.
To the piston rods of the several cylinders are coupled the links for
actuating the brake blocks. Immediately that the water under the
pressure of steam from the boiler, or the steam itself, or that of the
compressed air in the receiver, is admitted to act upon one side of the
piston in the cylinder attached thereto, the piston is depressed, and the
water or other liquid on its other side is forced into the pipe, and thence
into the several cylinders, depressing the pistons therein, and forcing the
brake blocks against the wheels of the vehicles, thus retarding the train,
or stopping it. When it is desired to withdraw the action of the brake,
this is effected by turning the valve or cock situated between the

page_text: cylinder and steam boiler or air vessel, which relieving the pressure in
the pipe allows the spring or weights attached to the pistons in the brake
cylinders to react by forcing back the pistons therein, and returning the
liquid in them and in the pipe to the position it occupied previous to
the brakes being applied.
In place of arranging the apparatus as herein-before set forth the
intermediate cylinder and piston connected to the boiler or air vessel
may be dispensed with, and the pipe connected direct to the steam boiler
or air vessel, which would cause the water to act directly upon the
pistons in the several cylinders. The piston may be made to draw or
push a rod which shall press a block or wheel segment or supplementary
wheel directly upon the rails.
And in order that my said Invention may be properly understood I
now proceed more particularly to set forth the system, mode, or manner
in or under which the same is or may be used or practically carried into
effect, that is to say,-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, and Figure 2 a plan, of the under
side of a railway carriage, showing my improved brake apparatus applied
thereto, and so arranged as to act upon an ordinary brake or retarding
apparatus. It consists of a cylinder A applied to the end framing of the
carriage having a ram or steam-tight piston B on it, shown in the
enlarged detail view, Figure 5, connected by a piston rod C and a cross
head D to a rod E, through which the power is transmitted to the brake
blocks F. The rod E is fastened at the opposite end from the cylinder to
a lever G, having a weight H attached, the tendency of which weight is
to act upon the rods e, e¹, in such a manner as to withdraw the brake
blocks from the wheels; a spring acting upon the rod E may be used
instead of this weight. Water or other liquid being admitted to the
cylinder A through the pipe I acts upon the surface of the piston B, and
forcing it backwards causes the rod E to lift the weight H by means of
the lever G, and acts upon the rods e, e¹, in such a way as to force the
brake blocks against the wheels, thereby stopping or retarding the train.
When the brakes have been applied as long as desired the pressure in
the pipe I is removed, as herein-after set forth, and the weight H or a
spring for the same purpose draws the piston B to its former position,
and expels the water through the pipe I, as herein-after mentioned.
Figure 3 is a part longitudinal section of the under body or framing
of a carriage, showing a modification of my brake applied in such a

page_text: manner that the pistons are made to act directly on the arms holding
the brake blocks. A is a double cylinder, which may be open at the
ends or closed to exclude dust or other injurious or gritty substance,
leaving an opening for the piston rods b, b', to work in. The liquid
enters at the opening c and acts upon the pistons a, a', in reverse
directions. The piston rods b, b', press by means of the nuts d, d²,
which can be moved backwards or forwards against the perpendicular
forked arms of the bell cranks B, B', and cause the weights C, C', to
move in the direction indicated by arrows, and at the same time press
the brake blocks D against the wheels through the medium of the
arms ff. When communication between the water tank, cylinder, or
the boiler of the engine is cut off, as herein-after described, when
communication is restored the weights coming back into their former
position force the pistons back, release the wheels, and expel the liquid
back through the pipe c.
Figure 4 represents another modification of my Invention showing the
cylinder A fastened in a vertical position to the side framing of a
railway carriage. The piston in its upward movement within the
cylinder A draws the weight C after it, and acts at the same time upon
the arms C', C', so as to press the brake blocks against the wheels. The
weight in its downward motion when the liquid has been withdrawn
from the cylinder releases the brake blocks D from the wheels B. b, b, are
adjustable nuts capable of being screwed up to compensate the wearing
of the brake blocks. The brake cylinders herein-before referred to are
intended to be placed on each carriage or vehicle throughout the train
having the pipes which feed them connected throughout and to the tank,
cylinder, or boiler.
At Figure 6 is shown a scetion of a cylinder or vessel for compressing
by the aid of the steam from the boiler of the engine the water or other
liquid to be used for supplying the brake cylinders. A closed vessel A
preferably formed with an internal chamber B contains the water or
other liquid to be compressed, and it also contains a wooden or metallic
disc or piston C which floats on the surface of the water or other liquid.
The internal chamber B is intended to be filled with common salt or
other soluble solid or non-freezing liquid. When it is desired to apply
the brakes steam is admitted through the pipe D in communication with
the boiler to the outside cylinder or vessel A, and from thence through
the upper openings b, b, into the internal cylinder B, the steam acts

page_text: upon the surface of the disc or piston C, and forces the water through
the pipe E in communication with the brake cylinder on which it acts,
as herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4.
When the brakes are to be withdrawn communication between the boiler
and the pipe D is cut off by a two-way cock or other suitable means, not
shown in the Drawings, and the steam escapes into the atmosphere,
while the returning water causes the disc or piston C to rise to its former
position. The chamber B may be opened by unscrewing the plug G in
order to fill the chamber B with salt or other soluble solid or non-
freezing liquid. A regulating cock is placed on the pipe E between the
cylinder A and the brake cylinders.
At Figure 7 is represented another means of compressing the water
or other liquid to be employed in the brake cylinders. A steam or
hydraulic cylinder A which may be supplied with water or steam from
the boiler of the engine, and having a slide valve B to regulate the
quantity of water or steam worked by the brakesman through the
medium of suitable levers is fitted with a piston c, which piston is
connected by a piston rod M to another piston or ram D working in
another cylinder or vessel E, in which the water for the supply of the
brake cylinders is compressed. When the brakes are to be applied the
slide valve B is drawn downwards from the position in which it is shown
in the Drawing until the passage or port G is open to the water or steami
in the chest F above it. The steam or water acting on the piston C
forces it downwards, and at the same time compresses the water or other
liquid underneath the piston or ram D, and expels it through the opening H
through the regulating valve J and pipe K to the brake cylinders, where
it acts as herein-before described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4
To release the wheels from the brake blocks the slide valve B is forced
back into the position shown in the Drawing, where the steam or water
gaining access to the port L to the under side of the piston C forces it up
to the position shown in the Drawing, and lifting the ram or piston D
takes the pressure off the water in the cylinder E, and the return of the
water through the pipe K from the various brake cylinders is regulated
by a cock or valve, as shown at J, Figure 7.
It is to be understood that the means for coupling together the water
pipes in the different carriages throughout the train forms no part of my
present Invention, as various kinds of pipe couplings may be employed.
The cylinder and piston rod are not necessarily arranged in any of the

page_text: ways or in any of the positions shown in the accompanying Drawings,
but may be placed in any convenient position, and may be made of any
convenient shape or form. The pressure of water may be obtained direct
from the boiler of the locomotive, and preferably passed through a
cooling apparatus before being admitted through a regulating valve into
the pipes which traverse the train, and thence into the various brake
cylinders, and the pressure may be removed from the water by shutting
off communication with the steam boiler and opening a valve, which
allows the water to flow out of the pipes at atmospheric pressure into the
tank for water in the locomotive, whence it again finds it way into
the boiler.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention, and certain
modes and apparatus under and by which it may be carried into
practical effect, I wish to observe in conclusion that I make no claim for
that part of it shown at Figure 7 of the annexed Sheet of Drawings,
but what I do consider novel and original, and therefore claim as the
Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part recited Letters
Patent is,-
First. The actuating of continuous brakes throughout a train by means
of a liquid carried in pipes and caused to act upon pistons in cylinders
connected to brake gear, as herein-before described, or any mere modi-
fication thereof.
Second. The general arrangement and construction of brake apparatus
or mechanism for being acted upon by the pressure of a liquid as herein-
before described and shown at Figures 1 to 6 inclusive of the annexed
Sheet of Drawings, or any mere modification thereof.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Galloway have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Thirtieth day of October One thousand
eight hundred and sixty-nine.
WILLIAM GALLOWAY. (L.S.)