IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES OR APPA- RATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS OR VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Giuseppe Francesco Coccapieller de Guggenbhüller, of
Rome, in the Kingdom of Italy, Engineer, but at present of Stratford, in the
County of Essex, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES OR APPA-
RATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY TRAINS OR VEHICLES."
Sealed the 22nd August 1876, and dated the 24th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by tho said Giuseppe Francesco Cocca-
pieller de Guggènbhüller at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
24th February 1876.
GIUSEPPE FRANCESCO COCCAPIELLER DE GUGGENBHÜLLER, of Rome, in the
Kingdom of Italy, Engineer, but at present of Stratford, in the County of Essex.
IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES OR APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY
TRAINS OR VEHICLES."
My Invention relates to the employment of improved means or apparatus having
for their object effecting the retarding or stopping of railway trains or vehicles
running on railways with greater facility and in a more expeditious manner than
heretofore.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a small wheel opposite each of the
wheels of the carriages, which additional wheels are screwed on the axles so as to
be capable of being brought into position against the respective wheels of the
carriages and the grease box.
These brake wheels are provided with four teeth or projections, and when put in
gear with the wheels of the vehicles, which operation is effected by any suitable
gear, each additional or brake wheel is caused to revolve with violence under the
action of the wheels of the carriage.
The
Each of the carriage wheels is furnished with a spiral spring, which comes in
contact with and strikes repeatedly against the fore teeth or projections aforesaid,
the latter being capable of slipping (whereby all shocks or jerks are obviated), and
the brake wheel is thus caused to bind against the wheel of the carriage.
motive action of this toothed or brake wheel is applied or taken off by means of two
curved levers connected by a semicircle or quadrant at the side of the carriage, and
worked by other levers and springs underneath the carriages. These levers are
actuated with facility in order to allow of free rotation immediately in any
direction, and may be worked by a long chain, which may be connected to a small
[Price 6d1

page_text: .
hook at the extremity of the small chain of the spring lever, which being passed
between the handle and the frame of the carriage applies or takes off the motive
power, which stops the wheels. The long chain may be carried by a grooved wheel
provided at the side of the tender or otherwise, whereby the engine driver is
enabled to, actuate it with rapidity (without exerting any force), care being first
taken to shut off the steam from the engine.
SPECIFICATION filed in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, and of
an Order of the Lord Chancellor, by the said Guisseppe Francesco Coccapieller
de Guggenbhüller in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 19th September
1876.
GUISSEPPE FRANCESCO COCCAPIELLER DE GUGGENBHÜLLER of Rome, in the
Kingdom of Italy, Engineer, but at present of Stratford, in the County of Essex.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BRAKES OR APPARATUS FOR RETARDING AND STOPPING RAILWAY
TRAINS OR VEHICLES."
My said Invention relates to the employment of improved means or apparatus
having for their object effecting the retarding or stopping of railway trains or
vehicles running on railways with greater facility and in a more expeditious manner
than heretofore.
In carrying out my Invention I provide a small wheel opposite each of the
wheels of the carriages on one or both sides of the whole of the carriages composing
the train, or of as many of them as inay be found necessary, which additional
or brake wheels are screwed on to the axles, so as to be capable of being brought
to bear against the respective wheels of the carriages in the manner herein-after
described.
The brake wheels are provided with four or any other suitable number of teeth
or projections, and when put into gear with the wheels of the vehicle, which
operation is effected by any suitable contrivances, cach additional or brake wheel
is caused to revolve with violence under the action of the wheel of the carriage.
The carriage wheels are furnished with spiral springs, which come into contact
with and strike against all the before-mentioned teeth or projections of the
respective brake wheels in succession, whereby the motion of the carriage wheels is
retarded until it is finally arrested by the brake wheels being screwed up so as to
bind against the wheels of the carriage. The motive action of the brake wheels is
applied or taken off by means of curved levers connected by a segmental piece or
quadrant at the side of the carriage, and worked by other levers and springs under-
neath the carriages. Suitable connections are provided so as to enable the guard or
driver to put in or take off the brakes as required with facility and promptitude,
simply by the act of releasing or pulling a cord or chain communicating with the
apparatus.
And in order that my said Invention may be fully understood, I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same, and for that purpose shall refer to
the several Figures on the annexed Sheet of Drawings, the same letters of reference
indicating corresponding parts in all the Figures.
Figure 1 of my Drawings represents a plan of a portion of a railway carriage
with my Invention applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a detail plan of one of the carriage wheels, with its brake wheel and
portions of the actuating gear drawn to an enlarged scale; and Figure 3 is a detail
elevation of the wheels corresponding to Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a sectional elevation of a portion of the end of the carriage with parts
of the brake actuating gear.
A represents the framing of a railway carriage; B, the wheels, which are fast on
axles a, a, as in the ordinary manner.
On each of the axles a I form a screw

page_text: thread, as shewn at b, upon which is fitted a wheel C having an internal screw
thread, and arranged in such a manner that when the wheels C are held fast by
means of pins b engaging therein, as herein-after more fully explained, they shall,
by the revolution of the wheels B and axles a, be screwed up so as to bear against
the sides of the wheels B and thereby arrest their motion.
Each of the wheels C is provided with teeth or projections c, and when the wheel
is held stationary by means of the pin b¹, as before mentioned, the corresponding
wheel B of the carriage, which carries a spiral spring d, revolves violently round it,
whereby the end e of the spring is caused to come into contact with and strike
repeatedly against the teeth or projection c of the wheel C (which is screwed upon
the axle a), and slip over such teeth or projections (in such a manner as to prevent
concussion and all liability to fracture), until ultimately the wheel C is brought to
press or bear against the wheel B of the carriage, when the motion of the wheel B
and of the axle & will immediately cease. The wheel C will then remain with one of
its teeth or projections e engaged with the end e of the spring d, until by backing
the carriage the wheel becomes unscrewed by the reverse motion of the screw axle,
or until the pin bis disengaged by the means herein-after described.
The wheels C are locked and released by the employment of the following
devices, videlicet:-Each of the wheels C has formed in it one or more holes f
Figure 3, for the reception of the pin b¹, which is fitted so as to be capable of
sliding through an aperture formed in the sides of the grease box at g. These pins
have a constant tendency under the action of springs to enter one of the holes f
.of their respective wheels C, but are retained disengaged from the holes of by means
of two bent levers i mounted on centres or fulcra le in the framing A, and connected
together by a segmental piece or quadrant in such a manner that they shall both
be actuated simultaneously by means of a bar m (shewn clearly in Figure 4), which
is connected by means of chains or cords n with a sliding plate n¹ or similar
contrivance carried on the segmental piece or quadrant l. When it is required to
put the brake in action the bar m is released, whereby it is allowed to fall into the
position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 4, and the pins ¹, impelled by their
springs h, will be forced into their holes f, and the motion of the vehicle be retarded
and ultimately arrested in, the manner herein-before described.
For the facility of releasing and withdrawing the pins b₁ from the holes f, I
provide a chain or cord o having at its extremity a ring p, to which is attached
another chain or cord g supported by screw eyes and connected by hooks, which
chain or cord extends for the whole length of the train, and is drawn up by the
driver by the aid of a windlass or other suitable means when he requires to put on
the brake. By these means he is enabled to put the brakes on the whole of tho
carriages for the time being utilized as brake carriages, independently of one
another but simultaneously, and without the concussion of one with the other, after
which the brake is put on the tender, which carries its own actuating mechanism,
care being taken to shut off the steam on the engine before applying the brakes.
The brake apparatus of each carriage may however be actuated independently of
the engine driver by the aid of a lever or a handle when required.
It is sufficient to place the mechanism on one side only of the carriage, but caro
should be taken that the carriages provided with such mechanism on the left-hand
side, and which are to be utilized as brake carriages for the time being are always
placed at the hinder part of the train, whilst the carriages which are placed
immediately behind the tender, and which are not to be brought into action, have
their mechanism on the right-hand side, in order that on the return journey more
particularly in the case of railways having only a single line of rails when they are
travelling in the opposite direction, the mechanism shall be on the left-hand side, so
that the mechanism which was ineffective in the journey in one direction shall be
brought into action when travelling in the other direction. It is therefore necessary
that a longitudinal chain or cord q should be provided on both sides, whilst the
chain or cord which is to be wound up by the engine driver is by preference placed

page_text: on the right-hand side, the windlass or other winding gear fixed on the tender being
also by preference placed on the right-hand side.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of my said
Invention, and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and original,
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to me by the herein-before in part
recited Letters Patent is, effecting the retarding and stopping of railway trains or
vehicles running upon railways by the employment of brake wheels screwed upon
the axles of the vehicles, so as to be capable when brought into action of bearing or
pressing against the sides of the wheels of the vehicle, in combination or not with
springs carried on or connected with the wheels of the vehicle, and acting in con-
junction with check or resisting teeth or projections provided on the brake wheels,
the whole arranged and operating substantially in the manner herein-before
described and illustrated by iny Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Guiseppe Francesco Coccapieller de Guggèn-
bhüller, have to this my Specification, set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth
day of September One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.