An Adjustable Pan or Shoe for the Brake Blocks of Road and other Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 25th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 26th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Adjustable Pan or Shoe for the Brake Blocks of Road and
other Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD CHURCH JOYCE, cf Park View, Farnborough, in the
County of Hampshire, Coach Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion to be as follows:-
:―
My invention relates to improvements in the construction of the pans or shoes
usually employed for holding the brake blocks of road carriages generally, the
same being also adaptable for use as a carrier for the brake blocks of tramcars,
railway carriages, locomotives or the like, and may be connected to, or arranged to
form part of, the arm or lever of the mechanical brakes thereon, the object of
which is that, a pan or shue constructed according to my invention, being adjustable,
and capable of holding brake blocks made of wood, rubber or other material, of any
shape size or configuration in cross section, and without bolts, screws or pins passing
through said blocks for that purpose, the life of the block is thereby materially
prolonged, is more easily attached and detached than obtains with the methods of
construction hitherto adopted, and worn or broken blocks may be easily and quickly
removed therefrom and new ones inserted without removing the bolts that hold the
said shoe to the brake arm or lever.
It has hitherto been customary to form the shoe or brake block holder, either of
a piece of flat metal to which the block is fastened by the means of bolts or screws
passing through holes in the shoe into the block, or countersunk into the block and
passing through the shoe, or by forming the shoe channel shaped in cross section
and seating the block therein and fastening it thereto in a similar manner, or by the
means of bolts passing laterally through the sides of the shoe and the substance of
the block. In either of these methods the life of the block terminated when this
has worn down sufficiently to expose the bolts that held it, consequently a large
portion of the block was thereby wasted, and to remove the old block and
put a new one in its place meant the removal and replacement of the bolts by which
the block was held connected to the shoe.
To overcome these difficulties I construct the shoe or block holder, channel
shaped in cross section, but with a longitudinal division or separation formed in
the substance of the bottom of said channel, so that the said pan or shoe is
practically in two pieces, each piece individually being more or less | shaped in
cross section, but collectively a channel as aforesaid, which may be more or less
widened by the lateral separation of the said pieces. The said division may be
parallel or diagonally with the sides of said shoe, and the united surfaces forming
such division, and overlapping each other, may be smooth, corrugated or otherwise
and the sides of said channel may be at any angle, relatively to the duplex bottom,
not exceeding 45°, so that a block of rectangular or dovetail shape in cross section
may find a steady, firm, and immovable seating therein. Two or more transverse
and longitudinal slots are formed in the duplex portion of said shoe, preferable
countersunk upon the inner surface, so that a taper headed threaded bolt may be
passed therethrough from the inside of the shoe, and through corresponding holes
in the brake arm upon which the said shoe is retained by the means of nuts screwed
upon the bolts. The taper headed bolts being seated in the countersunk slots
leaves a smooth and even inner surface for the seating of the block, and permits
the width of the shoe to be protracted or contracted and the shoe adjusted upon
the brake arm to the extent of the length of the slots. The block being seated
within the shoe the latter is then closed up embracing the block, and the outs
screwed home upon the bolts, thereby binding the block within the shoe and the

page_text: shoe firmly upon the brake arm, and this without a bolt, pin or screw being inserted
into the block, thereby providing that, if the width of the block be sufficient that
the width of the shoe exceeds the diameter of the tyre or rim of the wheel, the
block may be worn down almost to the bottom of the shoe before it needs renewing,
and when this is necessary the loosening of the before mentioned nuts will permit
the widening of the shoe, when the worn block may be removed, a new one inserted,
and the shoe closed up and nuts tightened as before described.
The said shoe may be made of any suitable metal or alloy of metals, and of any
desired size, so as to be adaptable for carrying any size block, of any carriage,
cart waggon, tramcar or other road vehicle, or that of a railway carriage or
locomotive. Or my invention may be so constructed as to form, or be connected to,
the skids of heavy waggons, trollies, lorries or the like.
Dated this 15th day of March 1892.
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Adjustable Pan or Shoe for the Brake Blocks of Road and
other Vehicles.
I, FREDERICK RICHARD CHURCH JOYCE, of Park View, Farnborough, in the
County of Hampshire, Coach Builder, do hereby declare the nature of this inven-
tion 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 improvements in the construction of the pans or shoes
usually employed for holding the brake blocks of road carriages generally, the
same being also adaptable for use as a carrier for the brake blocks of tramcars,
railway carriages, locomotives or the like, and may be connected to, or arranged to
form part of, the arm or lever of the mechanical brakes thereon, the object of which
is that, a pan or shoe constructed according to my invention, being adjustable, and
capable of holding brake blocks made of wood, rubber or other material, of any
size, and of dovetail form in cross section, without bolts, screws or pins passing
through said blocks for that purpose. The life of the block is thereby materially
prolonged, is more easily attached and detached than obtains with the methods of
construction hitherto adopted, and worn or broken blocks may be easily and quickly
removed therefrom, and new ones inserted, without removing the bolts that hold the
said shoe to the brake arm or lever.
It has hitherto been customary to form the shoe or brake block holder, either of
a piece of flat metal, incapable of adjustment, to which the block is fastened by
means of bolts or screws passing through holes in the shoe into the block, or
countersunk into the block and passing through the shoe, or by forming the shoe
channel shaped in cross section, and seating the block therein and fastening it
thereto in a similar manner, or by the means of bolts passing laterally through the
sides of the shoe and the substance of the block. In either of these methods
the life of the block terminated when this had worn down sufficiently to expose the
bolts that held it, consequently a large portion of the block was thereby wasted,
and to remove the old block and put a new one in its place, meant, the removal
and replacement of the bolts by which the block was held connected to the shoe.
To overcome these difficulties I construct the shoe or block holder, channel
shaped in cross section, but with a longitudinal division or separation, formed in
the substance of the bottom of said channel, so that the said pan or shoe is
practically in two pieces, each piece individually being more or less shaped in
cross section, but collectively, a channel as aforesaid, and as hereinafter explained
and shewn by the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views of one method of constructing the two pieces

page_text: or halves of my said pan or shoe, in which the upper surface of the one, and the
lower surface of the other, are corrugated, fluted, or channelled, to prevent
spontaneous lateral displacement.
Fig. 3 is a view of two of the square headed bevel edged bolts employed by me
for connecting together Figs. 1 and 2 in the manner shewn by Fig. 4.
Fig. 5 is a plan view of Figs. 1 and 2 when placed together and closed up as
in Fig. 4.
Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the manner of placing the block in the pan or
shoe Fig. 5 and
Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the lower and upper surface of the block
and pan as it would appear when connected to, and fixed upon, the brake arm of
the vehicle.
In carrying my invention into effect I cast, swage, press, or otherwise construct
of iron, steel, or any other suitable metal, and of any desired size, the two pieces or
halves shewn by Figs. 1 and 2, the bottoms A and B respectively of which, are
slightly wider at their upper ends relatively to the lower ends, the under surface of
the former and the upper surface of the latter being preferably, corrugated, fluted
or channelled as shewn, which may be either parallel or diagonally with, either the
outer edge, or the upturned sides and C¹, as desired. The object of the difference
in the widths of the ends of A and B, is'in order that when A, is placed in B, as at
Fig. 4, a tapered channel is thereby formed, as at Fig. 5, so that a like tapered
block may be placed therein, which provides that if the block and pan be fixed
upon the brake arm with the narrowest end downmost, the action of braking
the wheel tends to drive the block farther into the shoe, rather than remove it
therefrom.
In the bottom of A Fig. 1, 1 provide two narrow longitudinal slots a and b, or
two lateral slots as shewn by a¹ and b', or two square holes as shewn by a" and b",
in Fig. 1, the upper edges of which, are tapered to receive the taper headed bolt D,
when slots a and b or a and b are used, or the taper headed bolt D' when holes a¹¹
and are used, to be seated therein, flush with the upper surface of A. The
bottom B of Fig. 2, has two similarly positioned, but preferably, square holes c
and d, the diameter of each being about the same as that of the length of a or b, and
slightly deviating from the centre of the width of B, in favor of the side C, these
being, in conjunction with the holes or slots in A, to permit the widening of the
shoe, and the adjustment of D, to accommodate the usual holes in the brake arm.
The two pieces, Figs. 1 and 2, being placed together as at Figs. 4 and 5, the bolts D
or D' would be passed through a and b or their equivalents and extending through c
and would be passed through the usual holes in the brake arm E, and a washer and
nut placed thereon as shewn at Fig. 8. The rubber, wood or other block F, would then
be placed within the pan or shoe in about the position shewn at Fig. 6, and C and C¹
brought as close together as F would permit, the nuts would then be tightened
upon the bolts D or D', which would have the effect of firmly connecting the whole
to the brake arm or lever E. A. blow then given to F in the direction of the arrow
Fig. 6, would drive the block home into the shoe, and the arrangement is complete,
firmly holding the block within the pan, and the pan firmly attached to the brake
arm or lever, and this without a bolt, pin or screw being inserted in any part of the
block F or through the sides of the pan.
From the foregoing it will be easily understood that when F is worn out and
needs renewing, all that is necessary is to loosen the nuts upon D or D¹, when F
can be removed, and be replaced by a new block in a few minutes, without removing
the pan from the brake arm or lever E, and further, that by extending the width
between C and C¹, blocks of different widths may be held with the same tenacity
within the same pan or shoe. This cannot be done with any adjustable pan or shoe
of dovetailed form in cross section, hitherto made and used.
I may, if desirable, or when used upon light vehicles, dispense with the flutings
or corrugations upon A and B, and make them perfectly plain upon both faces, as
shewn at Fig. 8, but I prefer to use the corrugations generally, and especially in

page_text: connection with heavy vehicles, tramcars, or railway carriages, as by their use, if
made sufficiently fine, say twenty to the inch, the distance between C and C³ may
be extended or diminished by degrees of 2 of an inch, by which means the same pan
or shoe may accommodate any width of block likely to be used upon the size or
type of vehicle for which the particular pan or shoe is considered suitable, and the
spontaneous lateral displacement of A and B, and the consequent widening of the
pan, cannot possibly take place, so long as the nuts upon the bolts D remain
in position, and to insure this, lock nuts or any suitable equivalent therefor may
be used.
I am aware that brake block shoes have hitherto been constructed capable of
receiving and holding blocks of different sizes, but these have been, either, adapted
for the reception of blocks of "rectangular" form in cross section, only, which
necessitated the use of bolts passing laterally through the sides of the shoe and the
substance of the block, to hold the latter from falling out when in use, which had
the effect of shortening the life of the block, giving a clumsy appearance to the
whole, and entailing time and labour in removing and replacing the same, or, where
the shoe has been constructed to receive and hold a block of dovetail form in cross-
section, only one size block could be placed therein, to permit the shue to close
properly so as to keep out dust and wet, but I am not aware that a shoe has hitherto
been made and used capable of receiving and holding any size block, of dovetailed
form in cross section, and tapered in width from end to end, in order that the block
may be driven tightly into the shoe after adjustment, and in order that the action
of braking the wheel may not remove the block from the shoe, or where the only
bolts employed for adjusting the shoe and holding the block therein, are also
employed for holding the said shoe upon the brake arm, or where the shoe would
close against dirt and wet irrespective of the size of the block, as provided in the
combination forming the subject of my invention as herein described and shewn.
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 :-
First. As an improvement in adjustable paus or shoes, for holding, without bolts,
pins or screws passing therethrough, or thereinto, dovetailed blocks of different
sizes, tapered in width from end to end; for braking the wheels of road vehicles.
tramcars, railway carriages and the like, the construction and use of the herein
described combination of parts, connected to, fixed upon, and operating in connection
with, the usual brake arms and levers of such vehicles generally, substantially as
herein set forth and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Second. For the purposes set forth in the preceding claim, the construction and
use of an adjustable pan or shoe in two parts, formed as shewn at Figs. 1 and 2, the
former A. C. being corrugated or fluted upon its under surface, the latter B C
upon its upper surface, or both plain upon their upper and lower surfaces, and which
collectively when placed one within the other, form a tapered channel as at Fig. 5,
of dovetail form in cross section as at Fig. 4, held together and rendered adjustable
by bolts D or D' passing through slots a, b, or a' and or holes a" and 6 in A and
preferably square holes c d in B, and connected to, and fixed upon, the brake arm
or lever E, by the same bolts D or D' passing through holes therein, and holding
firmly between the sides C, C¹, a rubber, wood, or other brake block F, without
bolts, pins, or screws passing therethrough or thereinto, substantially as herein
described and shewn by the appended drawings.
Dated th th 1
1003
GEO. THOS. HYDE,
4, Moorfields, Fore Street, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicant.