A NEW APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING RAILWAY AND OTHER TRAINS FROM LEAVING THE METALS, THE SAID APPARATUS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE AS A BRAKE
Year: 1874

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William John Labett at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
18th July 1874.
I, WILLIAM JOHN LABETT, of 33, Saint Thomas Street, Portsmouth, in
the County of Hants, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "A NEW APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING RAILWAY AND OTHER TRAINS FROM
LEAVING THE METALS, THE SAID APPARATUS BEING ALSO APPLICABLE AS A BRAKE,"
to be as follows:
-
The apparatus as applied to an ordinary railway train may be
constructed as follows:-It is composed of a main shaft two inches in
diameter (less or more) and about four inches longer than guards' vans
or other vehicles to which it is attached, squared each end for coupling
with a bevel wheel one foot in diameter by two inches thick (less or
more) keyed (or otherwise) on or about the centre.
Vertical male screw two inches in diameter (less or more) and of quick
pitch by two feet long. (less or more), according to height of guard's
yan from metals, with a bevel wheel keyed (or otherwise) on the top

page_text: ՆՆ ՁԵՂԵՒ ՆՆ II the centre to take the vertical male screw.
Ine
ends of the said cross beam are fitted with hinge joint eyes (or otherwise)
for connection.
Slide (or guide plates) for cross beam and vertical male screw to work
in and for the securing of the same, two feet long, six inches broad, by
three quarters of an inch thick (less or more) fitted with shoulders, brass
bearings, and stays.
Connecting rods, each one foot six inches long by one inch and a
half inch thick (less or more), with or without springs in the centre or
any other part.
Preventive plates, each two feet six inches long, three inches broad,
by one inch and a half inch thick (less or more), in one or more
parts.
Preventive plate stay rods, five (more or less) in number, centre rod
of each plate four feet long, two inches broad, by one inch and a half
inch thick (less or more). The bottom part is fitted with (or without) two
legs with an iron plate two inches (less or more) thick, with a
connecting eye bolt in the centre, welded (or otherwise) in the centre of
the said legs, four inches from the top of metal lines (less or more), and
two rods on each end of each plate. The extreme end rod (on each end),
fitted in a diagonal direction, and the inner end rod (on each end) fitted
perpendicularly, and four inches inside the extreme end rod (less or
more). The lower ends of the said preventive plate stay rods are welded
(or otherwise) on the inner edge of the said preventive plates, the outer
edge of the aforesaid preventive plates slightly inclining upwards. The
upper ends of the said preventive plate stay rods are fitted with hinge a
joint eyes (or otherwise), with or without springs in centre or any other
part of them, and one inch thick (less or more). The true length of the
preventive plate stay rods can only be determined by the height of
guard's van from metals.
Joint eye bolts to take hinge joint eyes of the preventive plate.
stay rods, with screw cut on the end, with or without spring sockets,

page_text: When spring sockets are used they are fitted on an iron plate, and the
said iron plate with spring sockets and joint eye bolts complete, are
secured to the inside of the bottom sides of guard's van (or otherwise).
When joint eye bolts without spring sockets are used, they are driven
through the bottom sides (or other part of guard's van where most
convenient) from in out, and an iron washer (or plate) placed over the
outside end and nutted (or otherwise).
The parts of the apparatus as already described are placed and
connected together in the following manner, viz. :-The preventive plates
are connected by the hinge joint eyes of the preventive plate stay rods
to the joint eye bolts that are driven through the guard's van and bolted,
nutted, or pinned, or otherwise.
The connecting rods connect the preventive plates and preventive
plate stay rods to the cross beam by the lower ends of the said
connecting rods being connected to the connecting cyc bolts of the
preventive plate stay rods; the upper (or inner) cnds of the said
connecting rods are connected to the hinge joint eyes on the ends of the
arms of the cross beam, bolted, nutted, or pinned, or otherwise.
The cross beam and vertical male screw are secured to the centre of
the guard's van by the slide (or guide) in which they work. The top of
the said slide is bolted (or otherwise) to the cross bearers (or fore and
aft bearers) of guard's van (or any other more convenient place). The
lower end of the said slide is further secured by two (or more) iron stays,
one inch thick (less or more) the lower ends of which arc welded
together and formed into an eye, which cyc is passed over a stud on tho
one side of the bottom of the said slide and keyed (or otherwise). The
upper ends of the said stays are secured on the sides of the guard's van.
The vertical male screw works in brass bearings fitted on the top and
bottom of the said slide to prevent friction and for its better security,
and the bevel wheel on the top of said vertical male screw is worked by
the bevel wheel on the main shaft.
The main shaft works in brass bearings fitted on the head stocks and
cross bearers (or otherwise), with bevel wheel in or about the centre to
work the bevel wheel that is on the top of the vertical male screw as
aforesaid, which said main shaft is squared each end for coupling.
To facilitate the working of the said apparatus, the guards' vans and
engines or tenders are fitted inside with two upright pillars (or otherwise, :

page_text: as shall be found most convenient), the tops of which upright pillars are
fitted with brass bearings in which works a counter shaft two feet long
by one inch and a half inch thick (less or more), with a fly wheel, two
feet in diameter by one inch and a half inch thick, fitted with spokes
and handle for turning, secured on the end, and a cog wheel, one foot in
diameter by two inches thick (less or more), fixed on or about the centre
of the said counter shaft, which said cog wheel works another cog wheel,
two feet in diameter by two inches thick (less or more), fixed on the
main shaft on any part most convenient for working. A cog wheel or
cog wheels of proportionate size to those already mentioned fitted on the
upright pillars (or otherwise) between (and to work in and by) the cog
wheel on the counter shaft and the cog wheel on the main shaft, in
order that the guard or engine driver may by having the fly wheel
under their immediate control, work the apparatus with greater ease and
rapidity.
Flat bottomed metal railway lines, made according to my improved
system, answer both the purpose of railway lines for the trains to run on,
and slide lines for the preventive plates to work in, viz. :-Top surface of
metals four inches and a half inch broad by one inch thick; bottom
surface five inches wide by three quarters of an inch thick; centre (or
upright) five inches broad by three quarters of an inch thick (less or
morc).
The said metal lines are bolted or screwed on horizontal sleepers (or
otherwise); counter sunk holes are drilled in the bottom surface on both
sides for that purpose. Every third bolt is driven through hole
in metal and sleeper and nutted and pinned (or otherwise) under-
neath.
Chairs (or line supports) same shape as the "slide chairs" used at
points (with or without the slide secured on every or every alternate
sleeper to fit close to the metals for support.
The ends of the said metals are tongued together (as at present on
many companies' lines, or otherwise), resting on metal plates on the
sleepers, and bolts driven through all, and plated, nutted, and pinned,
underneath (or otherwise), and a chair on the outside to take the ends of
said metals for the better security of the same (or otherwise).
The working lines at points are fitted with an iron bar, and worked by
a rod to the centre (as now worked by many railway companies), and

page_text: iron bars secured on the bottom surfaces of the working lines at different
intervals. The ends of the bars thus secured will in the event of
collision, whilst shunting (as has been frequently the case of late), catch
the under surface of the standing lines (or otherwise), thus being
always prepared for every emergency.
Carriages, guards' vans, engines, tenders, trucks, and all and every
thing that run on railway lines, can be fitted with this "railway anti-
upsetting apparatus," and the whole train coupled together with the
"joint coupling ".as now in use for the continuous brake.
In the event of threatened collision the guard, engine driver, or other
person or persons, will immediately turn the "wheel" of the apparatus
that is fitted inside of the guards' vans and engines or tenders as afore-.
mentioned (right or left handed, as per indicator), and heave the
preventive plates hard up against the inner centre of the metal lines.
This position of preventive plates (which will show "danger" on the
indicator, which indicator is fitted inside guards' vans and engines or
tenders for that purpose), will prevent railway trains from leaving the
metals, and give greater facility in the stopping of railway trains, and
effectually check them, rebounding.
The "caution" position as shown on the indicator, will allow of the
preventive plates during the transit of trains from station to station,
running along the inner groove of the metals, and prevent the trains
from leaving the lines in case of obstruction by foreign bodies on the
metals, such as stones, or animals attempting to cross the lines, thus
being always prepared for every unforeseen occurrence that would cause
accidents, thereby facilitating the safety of railway passengers, goods-
traffic, and the curtailing of the enormous expense that falls on railway
companies consequent thereon.
The cross beam of the apparatus may be fitted with double arms
in lieu of single arms, which double arms on each end will give greater
rigidness to the preventive plates, as two connecting rods would be
required on each side, which two connecting rods will be connected
to any part of the preventive plates or preventive plate stay rods.
The preventive plates can, should it be thought fit to use them as
brakes, be fitted with blocks of wood on the outer edges for biting the
inner sides of metals.

page_text: The apparatus may also be worked by the horizontal screw and nut to
lever inside the guards' vans, engines, or tenders, with a fly wheel on
the inside end of the screw, with spokes and handle for turning. The
said lever is connected to the main shaft aforesaid by a connecting rod
to a crank secured on the said main shaft, and the preventive plates are
connected by connecting rods to crank fitted (or fixed) on the said main
shaft, or by substituting a round smooth iron bar in lieu of the
"vertical male screw " already mentioned and the cross beam afore-
mentioned, fitted with a smooth hole in the centre in lieu of the female
screw. The vertical bar acts as a guide for the cross beam to work up
and down in.
A sprocket wheel is fixed on the main shaft in lieu of the bevel wheel
as afore-mentioned, and a chain passed round the said sprocket wheel
and secured to the centre of a cross beam. The sprocket wheel is
worked by a ratchet wheel, and a lever (or a rack or tumbler to main shaft)
attached to the main shaft for working the apparatus. A balance weight
may also be pinned to the other end of the chain that passes round the
sprocket wheel to counteract the weight of the preventive plates and
stays. The preventive plates will then be kept in position cither up or
down by means of a brake on the one side of the sprocket wheel, and a
catch on the rack and tumbler (or otherwise), which tumbler or catch to
be removed by the foot or otherwise when the preventive plates are up
clear of the metals, and the said preventive plates dropped or lowered
into the "caution" or "danger" positions instantaneously.
The whole of the apparatus is made of wrought iron or steel, or part
of iron and part of steel, or otherwise. The preventive plates may be
worked by other combinations of mechanism, and be connected from
carriage to carriage in any other suitable manuer then herein set forth;
and I also claim the right of applying the herein described preventive
plates to tram cars, cranes, travellers, and other apparatus fitted with
rails, as well as to railway lines.