Improvements in Automatic Car-brakes.
Year: 1890

page_text: United States of America),
Date of Application (in United Kingdom), 16th Dec., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 16th Dec., 1890-Accepted, 11th Apr., 1891
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Automatic Car-brakes.
I, WILLIAM PAISLEY PICKARD, of Henryville, in the County of Lawrence
and State of Tennessee, United States of America, Mechanic, do hereby declare
the nature of my invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC CAR-BRAKES,
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described
and ascertained in and by the following statement :--
My invention relates to an improvement in automatic car-brakes; and it consists
in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully
set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.
The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which is adapted to
automatically apply the brakes to the wheels of a railway-car when the train is
descending a grade; and a further object of my invention is to provide devices
whereby the brake apparatus may be thrown out of gear and caused to cease to
operate.
In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention,
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a car and of a locomotive provided
with my improved automatic brake apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a portion of a car provided with my improved
brake.
Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view of the same.
Fig. 4 is an inverted perspective view of the brake apparatus, showing the same
attached to one end of the car, the truck of the latter being omitted.
Fig. 5 is a detail section of the steam-cylinder.
The draw-head A, which is of suitable construction, is longitudinally movable
in guides B at the end of the car, and from the rear end of the draw-head projects
an extension or rod C, on which is arranged a coiled extensile spring D, which
bears against the rear end of the draw-head and against a plate E, which is
arranged transversely between the guides. The said spring forms a buffer and
serves to keep the draw-head normally extended beyond the end of the car in the
position shown in Fig. 3.
Formed integrally with the rear portion of the draw-head and depending there-
from is a hanger F, in which is an opening G that extends to the front side of the
said hanger. In the said opening is arranged the rear end of the hook H, the said
hook being pivoted on the bolt or rod I, arranged transversely in the hanger, and
said hook has on its upper side an engaging-arm K, and is provided with a
forwardly-extending arm L.
A pair of brackets M depend from the guides B, and journalled in the said
brackets is a transverse rock-shaft N, which is provided at one end with a crank O.
On that portion of the rock-shaft between the brackets is arranged a cam P, which
has a longitudinal channel in its lower face, into which the arm L of the hook H
is fitted, and the said hook is kept normally elevated with its arm in engagement
with the bottom of the said channel by means of the spring R, the said spring.

page_text: being secured at its rear end to the lower side of the hanger F. It will be
understood from the foregoing that the said pivoted hook, being attached to a
portion of the draw-head, is movable longitudinally with the latter.
A lever S is pivoted near one end on a bolt T, and is arranged transversely in
the guides B, and extends directly under the cross-head, being separated from the
latter by a transverse plate U, which connects the guides. The said lever S is
arranged in the path of the arm K of the hook H, and is normally engaged by
the same, and consequently when the draw-head is forced inward against the
resistance of the spring D the lever is partly turned on its pivot, as will be readily
understood.
The car-trucks V are of the usual or any suitable construction, and each truck
is provided with a pair of brake-bars W, the said brake-bars being arranged on the
inner sides of their respective wheels and being suspended by means of supporting-
links X. Suitable brake-shoes Y are attached to the ends of the brake-bars, and
are adapted to bear against the peripheries of the wheels. To the rearmost brake-
bar is attached a link-arm Z, which extends forward under the foremost brake-bar,
and is entirely detached and independent of the latter, as shown most clearly in
Fig. 3, and to the said foremost brake-bar is attached a bracket A', which serves
as the fulcrum for the brake-lever B. The short arm of the said brake-lever is
pivotally connected to the link-arm Z, and the long arm of the brake-lever is
connected to the short arm of lever S by means of the rod D¹. A swivel E¹
is arranged in the said rod, and in the said swivel is a buffer-spring F1, adapted to
take up slack, the said spring being of suitable strength and designed to yield under
violent strain.
The operation of this portion of my invention is as follows: Each car in a train
is provided with my improved brake apparatus, and when the train is in motion or
starts to descend a grade, and when the engineer applies the brake to the
locomotive-wheels, the instant that the speed of the locomotive is checked the
foremost car will be caused by its inertia to thrust its draw-head rearward, and as
the draw-head moves rearward its hook H partly turns the lever S and causes the
rod D' to draw upon the brake-lever and move the brake-bars from each other
simultaneously in opposite directions, and consequently applies the brakes to the
inner faces of the wheels, as will be readily understood. Each car in succession,
as the speed of its predecessor is checked, is caused by its inertia to apply the
brakes in the manner before described, this operation being repeated by each car
in succession throughout the entire train.
It is of importance to provide means for throwing the brake apparatus out of
gear in order to enable the train to be backed and to prevent the brakes from being
applied when the train is descending easy gradients, and it is also important to
adapt such means to be operated by the engineer at will. I have devised means to
accomplish these results, and I will now proceed to describe the same. The lower
ends of the brackets M are connected by rods G', and on the said rods are arranged
longitudinally-movable slotted links H, one of these links being under each end of
each car.
Under the centre of each car is a carrier-bracket I³. In the centre of
the bracket is journalled a drum K', which has a plane or flat upper face L', and
at each end of the bracket is journalled a sheave or guide pulley M', said sheaves
and the said drum being provided with peripheral grooves. To one end of the
shaft of the drum is attached a yoke N', and the extremities of the said yoke are
connected to the cranks O of the rock-shafts N under the ends of the car by
means of link rods or chains O'. Included in each link rod or chain is a turn-
buckle P¹ to take up slack therein. The inner ends of the slotted links H' are
connected to the drum K' by link rods or chains R¹, as shown, and in each of the
said link rods or chains is included a turn-buckle S¹ to take up slack. On the
locomotive is arranged a steam-cylinder T', in which is fitted a piston and a valve
to admit steam to either end of the cylinder at the will of the engineer, and
the rod U', attached to the said piston, is connected to the slotted link H¹ of the
foremost car in the train by means of an open spring-link V₁, as shown; and the

page_text: said slotted links are connected together at the ends of the cars by similar open
spring-links throughout the entire train. The piston in cylinder T is normally
moved rearward to relieve the link-rods R' of tension and maintain the drums K¹
with their yokes N' in a horizontal position, so that the link-rods O' maintain the
cranks O in a vertical position. When thus adjusted, the hooks H remain in
engagement with the levers S in the manner before described, and consequently the
brake apparatus is in gear throughout the entire train and ready to operate auto-
matically, as before stated. When it is desired to throw the brake apparatus out of
gear, the engineer admits steam to the rear end of cylinder T and causes the
piston W to move forward therein, and consequently draw upon the foremost
slotted link H', which, being connected to the drum K¹ by the link or chain R¹,
causes said drum to partly rotate, and the yoke N¹ turns with the said drum and
causes the link rods or chains O¹ to turn the cranks O rearward or toward each
other, and said cranks turn the rock-shafts N and the cams P, and the said cams
depress the hooks H and disengage the arms K of the latter from the levers S, and
consequently the draw-heads are permitted to be forced inward without moving the
said levers S, and hence the brakes are not applied by such movement of the
draw-heads. The spring-links V' uncouple without injury to the brake apparatus.
in case the train parts.
I will now describe my improved apparatus for throwing the brakes out of gear
by hand-power and adapted to be operated by a train-man stationed on a platform
of any car of the train, thus enabling a car to be controlled by hand when discon-
nected from a train, or in the event that it should become separated therefrom by
the parting of a coupling and to provide against accidents in the event that the
steam apparatus on the locomotive should get out of order. Under the bottom of
each car and near each end thereof is arranged a bracket-arm a, in the outer end
of which is pivoted a lever b. One end of the said lever is connected to the
proximate crank-arm O by a rod c, and the two levers on each car are connected
together by a rod d. A hand-winch e of the usual construction is arranged at each
end of the car, and each of the said hand-winches is connected to the inner end of
the proximate lever by a chain f. Hence by turning the winch-wheel g at either
end of the car the levers will be operated and cause the crank-arms O to throw
the brake apparatus out of gear, as will be readily understood.
It is also essential to provide the cars with hand-brake apparatus for use when
the cars are disconnected and in the event of injury to the automatic brake
apparatus, and I will now describe the improved hand-brake apparatus that I have
devised for this purpose. At either end of the car is a hand-winch h, of the usual
construction, and the lower end of the winch-shaft is connected to the proximate
brake-lever B by a chain i. By operating the winch-wheel k at either end of the
car the brakes may be applied by hand, and hence every car in the train is capable
of being controlled in the event that it should become uncoupled or should it be
necessary in case of accident.
In Fig. 5 I show a coiled spring, arranged in the rear end of the cylinder T'
and bearing against the rear side of the piston W¹. When steam is on, this spring
performs no function in operating the throw-off brake-gear; but when the steam is
turned off this spring moves the piston forward in the cylinder to the position shown
in dotted lines, thereby throwing the brake apparatus in position for operation, as
will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination, in an automatic car-brake, of the longitudinally-movable
draw-head, the lever S, connected to the brake apparatus, and the hook H, con-
nected to the draw-head and adapted to engage said lever S, substantially as
described.
2. The combination, in an automatic car-brake, of the longitudinally-movable

page_text: draw-head, the lever S, connected to the brake apparatus, the hook H, connected
to and movable with the draw-head and adapted to engage the lever S, for the
purpose set forth, and means, substantially as described, to disengage the said hook
from the said lever S, substantially as described.
3. The combination, in an automatic car-brake, of the lever S, connected to the
brake apparatus, the longitudinally-movable draw-head, and the connecting device
between the draw-head and the said lever S, and adapted to engage and disengage
the latter at will, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.
4. In an automatic car-brake, the combination of the lever S, connected to the
brake apparatus, the longitudinally-movable draw-head, the spring-pressed hook H,
connected to the draw-head and adapted to engage the lever, the cam P, engaging
the hook, and means, substantially as set forth, to operate the cam, and thereby
disengage the hook from the lever, substantially as described.
5. The combination, in an automatic car-brake, of the brake apparatus having
the lever B', the lever S, the link connecting said lever S to the brake-lever and
having the buffer-spring F¹, the longitudinally-movable draw-head, and the
connecting device between the draw-head and the lever S to operate the latter,
substantially as described.
6. The combination, in an automatic car-brake, of the longitudinally-movable
draw-head, the hook H, attached thereto, the lever S, adapted to be engaged by
the hook, the brake apparatus connected to the said lever and operated thereby,
the cam to disengage the hook from the lever S to throw the brake apparatus out
of gear, the drum, the links attached to the drum and adapted to be coupled
between the cars, and connections, substantially as described, between the drum and
the cam to operate the latter, substantially as described.
7. The combination, in an automatic car-brake, of the longitudinally-movable
draw-head, the lever S, connected to the brake apparatus, the hook attached to the
draw-head and adapted to engage the said lever, the rock-shaft having the cam and
the crank, the said cam being adapted to trip the hook from the lever S, the drum
having the lever connected to the crank, and the link-rods attached to the drum
adapted to partly rotate the same, and means, substantially as set forth, to connect
said links between the cars, substantially as described.
8. In combination with the trip or disengaging devices of an automatic car-
brake, the slotted links to operate said devices, and the open spring-links to connect
said slotted links between the cars, for the purpose set forth, substantially as
described.
9. In combination with the lever S and engaging hook H, constituting the trip
or disengaging devices of an automatic car-brake, the steam-cylinder, the piston
therein connected to the said devices, and means to admit steam to either end of the
cylinder, substantially as described.
•
10. In combination with the lever S and engaging hook H, constituting the trip
or disengaging devices of an automatic car-brake, the steam-cylinder, the piston
therein, connected to the said devices, means to admit steam to either end of the
cylinder, and the spring to normally move the piston to one end of the cylinder when
steam is off, substantially as described.
11. The combination, with the automatic brake apparatus, of the levers b,
connected thereto, and the hand-winch connected to the said levers, substantially
as described.
12. In combination with the automatic brake apparatus having the crank-arms O
and the disengaging devices, the levers b, connected to the said crank-arms, the rod
connecting said levers together to cause them to move simultaneously, and the
hand-power apparatus connected to one or both of the levers b, substantially as
described.
Dated this 10th day of Dal 1900