Apparatus for Automatically Actuating the Atmospheric Brake Apparatus of Railway Trains.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application; 4th June; 1894
Complete Specification. Left, 2nd Mar., 1895-Accepted, 6th Apr., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Apparatus for Automatically Actuating the Atmospheric Brake
Apparatus of Railway Trains.
1. JOSEPH ACKERMANN, of Eitorf on the Sieg, Prussia, Head Engineer, do
hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :—
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically actuating the atmospheric
brake apparatus of railway trains, such as the Westinghouse or other brakes,
whereby such brakes are automatically applied on the occurrence of extraordinary
longitudinal and transverse oscillations of the engine and railway cars, as also in the
case of the fracture of tyres and rails, of running off the line, or, of subsidence of
the permanent way.
For the above purpose there is fixed on the train a horizontal U shaped tube
containing water or other liquid and constituting a liquid level, above which is
a scale beam, from the two ends of which rods. pass down into the open ends of the
water level where they carry floats, floating on the surface of the liquid therein, so
that as this liquid oscillates in the level, the floats are moved up and down, thereby
imparting corresponding oscillations to the scale beam.
The latter is connected in any suitable manner, preferably at its point of support,
to the positive pole of an electric battery, and it is provided at or near its ends
with upward projecting springs above which are contact screws carried in suitable
fixed guides, so that the distance between the springs and the screws when the beam
is horizontal can be accurately regulated.
These contact screws are connected by leads with the negative pole of the said
battery, so that when the liquid in the level and consequently the scale beam
oscillate to such an extent as to bring the one or other spring in contact with. its
contact screw,
the circuit of the battery will be closed. The electric current thus
produced is made by suitable means to actuate the shut off valve of the supply pipe
of the atmospheric brakes, so that the brakes are applied whenever the circuit is
closed; thus according to one arrangement the current is made to excite a fixed
electromagnet, the armature of which is attached, to one end of a double ended
lever whose other end is ordinarily engaged with a spring catch that holds a rod in
a certain position against the action of a spring that tends to move the rod into an
opposite position.
The said rod being connected in any suitable manner with the shut off valve or
cock of the supply pipe of the atmospheric brakes, it will be seen that when the
electromagnet is excited by the closing of the circuit as before described and is
thereby made to attract the armature end of the locking lever, this will be made to
release the spring catch, which in its turn will release the rod, and this, in being
moved over by its spring will cause the shut-off cock of the brakes to be opened
and the brakes applied.
The distance between the contact screws and the springs of the balance beam is
so adjusted that the ordinary oscillations of the train are not sufficient to produce
a contact between them, so that the electric circuit remains open and the brakes are
not operated; it is only on the occurrence of sudden and violent shocks produced
under the first above named,circumstances, that the circuit is closed.
By preference a number of such apparatus are provided on a train corresponding
to the number of brakes, and these are all included in the same electric circuit, so
that the closing of the circuit by the oscillations of the water level of one of the

page_text: apparatus, owing to an accident to that particular vehicle, will cause the whole of
the brakes to be applied simultaneously.
For the liquid in the level I employ preferably glycerine mixed with water,
or mercury, the size of the level being varied according to the nature of the liquid
used.
It will be obvious that the manner in which the current produced by the closing
of the electric circuit is made to operate the opening of the air valves of the brakes
may be greatly varied; and I have only indicated the above arrangement as an
example of the way in which this may be done.
Dated this 4th day of June 1894.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
Apparatus for Automatically Actuating the Atmospheric Brake
Apparatus of Railway Trains.
I, JOSEPH ACKERMANN, of Eitorf on the Sieg, Prussia, Head 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 :-
This invention relates to apparatus for automatically actuating the atmospheric
brake apparatus of railway trains, such as the "Westinghouse or other brakes,
whereby such brakes are automatically applied on the occurrence of extraordinary
longitudinal and transverse oscillations of the engine and railway cars, as also in
the case of the fracture of tyres and rails, of running off the line, or of subsidence
of the permanent way as I shall describe referring to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 an end view partly in section of the level and
its contacts.
Fig. 3 is a side view of the magnetic detent.
I fix on the train a horizontal U shaped tube a containing water or other liquid
and constituting a liquid level, above which is a scale beam & from the two ends of
which rods e pass down into the open ends of the water level where they carry
floats & floating on the surface of the liquid therein, so that as this liquid oscillates
in the tube a, the floats d are moved up and down, thereby imparting corresponding
oscillations to the scale beam b.
The beam is connected in any suitable manner, preferably at its point of support,
to the positive pole of an electric battery, and it is provided at or near its ends with
upwardly projecting springs e above which are contact screws f carried in suitable
fixed guides, so that the distance between the springs and the screws when the beam
is horizontal can be accurately regulated.
These contact screws f are connected by leads with the negative pole of the
battery so that when the liquid in the level and consequently the scale beam
oscillates to such an extent as to bring the one or other spring e in contact with its
contact screw the circuit of the battery is closed.. The electric current thus
produced is made by suitable means to actuate the shut off valve of the supply pipe
of the atmospheric brakes, so that the brakes are applied whenever the circuit is
closed. According to one arrangement for this purpose, the current is made to
excite an electromagnet y the armature of which is attached to one end of a lever h
pivotted at i having its other end ordinarily engaged with a spring catch that
holds a rod m in a certain position against the action of a spring that tends to
move the rod into another position.
The rod m being connected in any suitable manner with the shut off valve or cock

page_text: of the supply pipe of the atmospheric brakes, it follows that when the electro-
magnet g is excited by the closing of the circuit as before described and is thereby
made to attract the armature end of the locking lever / this is made to release the
spring catch which in its turn releases the rod m and this, being moved by its
spring causes the shut-off cock of the brake pipe to be opened and the brakes to
be applied.
The distance between the contact screws f and the springs e is so adjusted that
the ordinary oscillations of the train are not sufficient to produce a contact between
them, so that the electric circuit remains open and the brakes are not operated;
it is only on the occurrence of sudden and violent shocks that the circuit is closed.
By preference a number of apparatus of the kind described are provided on a
train corresponding to the number of brakes, and these are all included in the same
electric circuit, so that the closing of the circuit by the oscillations of the water
level of one of the apparatus, owing to an accident to that particular vehicle will
cause the whole of the brakes to be applied simultaneously.
For the liquid in the level I employ preferably glycerine mixed with water,
or mercury, the size of the level being varied according to the nature of the
liquid used.
It will be obvious that the manner in which the current produced by the closing
of the electric circuit is made to operate the opening of the air valves of the brakes
may be greatly varied, and I have only indicated the above arrangement as an
example of the way in which this may be done.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Apparatus for automatically actuating the atmospheric brakes of railway trains
when considerable oscillations or shocks occur, the said apparatus consisting of a
balance beam carrying floats in a level tube and springs, in combination with
adjustable electrical contacts, arranged and operating, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of March 1895.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.