Improvements in Brakes for Vehicles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Sept., 1899-Accepted, 11th Nov., 1899
Improvements in Brakes for Vehicles.
I, LOUIS ROUSSEAU, of 56, Rue St. Sabin, Paris, in the Republic of France,
Manufacturer, 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 improvements in that kind of brake for vehicles
which can be put into action by the person, animal, or engine which moves
the vehicle, whenever the said person, animal or engine exerts a retarding effort,
or when the engine drawing the vehicle passes from any speed to a lower one.
In the accompanying sheet of drawings
Figure is a plan view of a four-wheeled vehicle with one form of the
improved brake applied thereto, the said brake being adapted to act upon the
rear wheels of the vehicle.
Figure 2 is a separate view of part of the arrangement shewn in Figure 1.
Figures 3 to 6 show elevations and plans of arrangements of the brake as
applied to a hand vehicle.
Figures 7 and 8 are respectively an elevation and a plan showing the improved
brake applied to railway or tram carriages.
To enable a horse for example to operate the brake, which preferably consists
of cords or chains fixed at one end to the vehicle and then coiled round drums d
and e secured to or formed with the naves of the two hind wheels, I fix a pin a
(see Figures 1 and 2) to the underside of the carriage body, and on this I place
two small grooved pulleys b and c also under the said body, and at suitable
distances from the brakes, I place two other pulleys f and g, and on the shafts
two other pulleys and k. I then pass the traction cords or chains hand i
of the coiled cords or chains of the brakes round the pulleys j, b, g and kc f,
leaving the part 63 to form a kind of breeching upon which the retarding effort
of the horse may be brought to bear whether in descending hills or for effecting
a stoppage of the vehicle.
It will now be understood that when a retarding effort is made by the horse
upon the breeching 3, a tractive effect is exerted upon the cords or chains h, i,
connected with the coiled cords or chains of the brakes, and great friction is
thereby exerted upon each of the drums d, e, fixed on the naves of the hind
wheels.
In order that the frictional energy may be properly proportioned to the
retarding effort of the horse I may interpose springs at suitable points in the
length of the actuating ropes h i of the brake, which by stretching more or less
cause the brakes to act smoothly and evenly.
It is obvious that the brakes mounted on the drums d and e may be arranged
so that they may be actuated by the conductor as well as by the horse, or by the
conductor independently of the latter for that purpose it is only necessary to
connect traction cords or chains (upon which the conductor can operate by suitable
appliancés) to the cords or chains h and i at a point between the pulley g and
the drum d on the one hand, and at a point between the pulley f and the drum e
on the other.
In order to apply the improvements to brakes for hand vehicles, I place a
sleeve (see Figures 3 to 6) on the front end of each of the shafts of the vehicle

page_text: and adapt it to slide freely thereon. This sleeve is provided with a tube j¹,
through which passes the cord or chain k, which is carried round the pulley 7,
the axis of which is secured to the shaft of the vehicle in front of the sleeve j.
The cord or chain k has one of its ends fixed to a small boss of the sliding
sleeve and its other end to the brake cord or chain coiled round the drum on the
nave of the corresponding wheel.
When the person drawing the vehicle desires to check or stop the latter, he
grasps the sleeves jj, which form handles, and draws them backwards on the
shafts, thereby tightening the brake on each wheel.
The improvements may be applied to railway or tram carriages by arrange-
aments such as those shewn in Figures 7 and 8 in which A represents a locomotive
and BC two carriages connected to it. I fix at each end of each carriage a
support m to which is pivotted a lever n, one end of which is held by means of
any suitable spring, or otherwise, against the back face of the buffer o, and the
other end of which is connected by the cord or chain to the coiled brake cords
or chains coiled respectively on the brake drums q q¹ mounted on the front and
rear axles of the carriages.
By these means whatever may be the position of the carriages with regard to
each other, immediately the locomotive or a carriage slackens speed the following
carriage presses, by means of its buffers, against the buffers of the preceding
vehicle. The lever of the following carriage is thereby caused to turn on
its fulcrum, a pull is exerted upon the cord or chain p, and the brakes on
the drums and gl are put into action.
I desire it to be understood that although I have described my invention in
connection with brakes consisting of drums with cords or chains coiled round
them, it may be employed in connection with brakes of other kinds such as band
brakes, lever brakes and so forth.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is —
First. In brakes for vehicles, actuated by the animated or mechanical motor
which gives motion to the vehicle, the mechanism which consists of the pulleys j
and, mounted on the shafts of the vehicle, grooved pulleys b, c, f, g, mounted
on axes secured to the underside of the vehicle, brake drums d and e mounted
on the naves of the hind wheels, and cords or chains and passing round these
pulleys and connected to the brakes on the said drums, combined and operating
substantially as described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings.
Second. In brakes for vehicles, actuated by the animated or mechanical motor
which gives motion to the vehicle the mechanism which consists of the sleeves
or handles jj adapted to slide on the ends of the shafts, pulleys, the axes
of which are carried by the shafts, and the cords or chains connected to the
brakes mounted on the naves of the wheels, combined and operating substantially
as described with reference to Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings.
Fourth. In brakes for vehicles actuated by the animated or mechanical motor
which gives motion to the vehicle, the mechanism which consists of the buffers o,
supports m, levers n, and cords and chains p, connected to brakes mounted on
the drums, combined and operating substantially as described with reference
to Figures 7 and 8 of the drawings.