AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR RETARDING THE PROGRESS OF WHEEL CARRIAGES
Year: 1865

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, for the
Invention of "AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR RETARDING THE PROGRESS OF
WHEEL CARRIAGES."-A communication from abroad by François Piatti,-
of Milan, in the Kingdom of Italy.
Sealed the 2nd January 1866, and dated the 8th July 1865.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Newton.
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th July 1865.
I, WILLIAM EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane,
in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of
the said Invention for "AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR RETARDING THE PROGRESS
OF WHEEL CARRIAGES," to be as follows:-
In the breaks usually employed for retarding the progress of wheel carriages
the object is effected simply by creating friction on the periphery of one of the
running wheels. In this system it is simply the rubbing of the break on the
surface of the wheel which produces the effect; but in the improved break.
which forms the subject of the present Invention not only is the friction.
employed for the purpose, but a considerable amount of pressure is applied by
means of a foot lever with which the break or rubbing surface is connected.
In carrying out the Invention a lever is adapted to the axletree of the
binder wheels and is connected thereto by a block or bracket provided with a.

page_text: pin which constitutes the centre of motion of the lever; this lever is formed
with an arm which carries the break or shoe which rests or bears on the
periphery of the running wheel when the lever is forced down. At the outer
end the lever is provided with a flat horizontal plate on which the conductor
or other person can stand, so that his whole weight multiplied by the length
of the lever may be brought to bear on the friction break or shoe, which will
thus produce a very powerful effect on the wheel without overstraining any
part of the carriage or apparatus, as is now the case in friction breaks. The
of
lever may, if desired, be provided with a strong spring for the purpose
keeping the friction break or shoe up from the wheel when not in use; or
the lever may be lifted up by means of a chain or rod and suspended from a
hook. When the break is required the conductor will simply allow it to
descend on to the wheel, and will then place himself on the plate at the end
of the lever so as to press the same down on the wheel. The friction surface
of the break may be made of wood or other suitable substance, and is adapted
to a moveable plate placed inside the shoe, and provided behind with a screw,
whereby it may be forced forward as it wears away. By this arrangement it
will be understood that when the friction block is worn out the moveable plate
may be removed, and another block adapted to it, and so on from time to
time as the blocks wear away.
i
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said William Edward Newton in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 8th January 1866.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
EDWARD NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in the County
of Middlesex, Civil Engineer, send greeting.
me,
> WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Pátent, bearing date the Eighth day of July, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-five, in the twenty-ninth year of Her
reign, did; for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto the
said William Edward Newton, Her special licence that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others
as I, the said William Edward Newton, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and
at all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"AN IMPROVED BREAK FOR RETARDING THE PROGRESS OF WHEEL CARRIAGES,"
being a communication from Francois Piatti, of Milan, in the Kingdom
of Italy, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said William
Edward Newton, my executors or administrators, by an instrument in writing
under my, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal
Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after the
date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Edward Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the Drawing hereunto annexed,
and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to say):-
In the breaks usually employed for retarding the progress of wheel carriages
the object is effected simply by creating friction on the periphery of one of the
running wheels. In this system it is simply the rubbing of the break on the
surface of the wheel which produces the effect; but in the improved break
which forms the .subject of the present Invention not only is the friction
employed for the purpose, but a considerable amount of pressure is applied by
means of a foot lever, with which the break or rubbing surface is connected.
In carrying out the Invention a lever is adapted to the axletree of the
binder wheels and is connected thereto by a block or bracket provided with a
pin which constitutes the centre of motion of the lever; this lever is formed
with an arm which carries the break or shoe, which rests or bears on the
periphery of the running wheel when the lever is forced down. At the outer
end the lever is provided with a flat horizontal plate, on which the conductor
or other person can stand, so that his whole weight, multiplied by the length
of the lever, may be brought to bear on the friction break or shoe, which will
thus produce a very powerful effect on the wheel without overstraining any
part of the carriage or apparatus, as is now the case in friction breaks. The
lever may, if desired, be provided with a strong spring for the purpose. of
keeping the friction break or shoe up from the wheel when not in use; or the
lever may be lifted up by means of a chain or rod and suspended by a hook.
When the break is required the conductor will simply allow it to descend on to.
the wheel, and will then place himself on the plate at the end of the lever, so
as to press the same down on the wheel. The friction surface of the break
may be made of wood or other suitable substance, and is adapted to a moveable

page_text: plate placed inside the shoe and provided behind with a screw, whereby it
may be forced forward as it wears away. By this arrangement it will be
understood that when the friction block is worn out the moveable plate may
be removed and another block adapted to it, and so on from time to time as
the blocks wear away.
In the accompanying Drawing Fig. 1 represents in side view an omnibus
fitted with break apparatus constructed and adapted according to this Inven-
tion, and Fig. 2 is a back view of the same. A is a block or bearing placed
between the axle of the wheel upon which the break is to act and the spring
of that same wheel. This block A serves as a bearing for the fulcrum B of
the lever B, C, which carries the shoe or break proper; D, E, is a spring for
holding the shoe D out of contact with the periphery of the wheel when not
required to be brought into action. The outer extremity of the lever carries
a step or pedal C, upon which the conductor of the omnibus can stand or bear
when required. When it is desired to stop or retard the progress of the
omnibus (on descending an incline for instance) the conductor will only have to
stand upon the step C, and thereby cause the lever B, C, to descend and bring
the shoe D against the periphery of the wheel over which it is hung. As the
pressure put upon the wheel by the shoe is in a nearly tangential direction
and contrary to that of the movement of the wheel, the result will be that
besides the friction of the periphery of the wheel against the shoe there will
be another or passive resistance caused by the pressure of the shoe multiplied
by the lever arm B, D. It is scarcely necessary to remark that on the con-
ductor quitting the step or pedal C the lever B, C, will be raised by the action
of the spring E, and the skid removed from the wheel. The mechanism
above described is all that is necessary for enabling the conductor of an
omnibus to work the break; but if it be required to enable the coachman or
driver to actuate it, the end or step C of the lever B, C, must be dispensed
with, and instead thereof I employ the lever F, G, with a rod G, H, a bell-crank
lever H, I, J., together with a vertical rod J, K, which is connected to a short
lever K, L, having its fulcrum at L, and operated by means of the pedal M.
The two lever arms M, L, and L, K, have their fulcrum at L (Fig. 1) and
the lever F, G, is mounted at the extremity F of the axle A, F, (Fig. 2).
When the coachman or driver desires to bring the break into action he presses
with his foot upon the pedal M, thereby raising the end K of the lever K, L,
and with it the connecting rod K, J, which acts upon the bell-crank lever
J, 1, H, and through the rods G, H, upon the lever arm G, which by rocking
upon its fulcrum at B above will depress the shoe D.and bring it into contact
with the periphery of the wheel as above described.

page_text: By the arrangements above described it will be seen that the break D may
be made double acting, that is to say, that it may be acted upon both by the
driver and conductor at the same time. The driver and conductor may signal
to one another to stop the horses and work the break by means of a bell
operated by one of the moving parts of the break apparatus. As the break
or shoe wears away the connecting rods G, II, may be shortened by turning
the female screw a on the rod, and which screw works upon right and left
handed screws on the rods G, H.
Having now described the Invention of "An improved Break for Retarding
the Progress of Wheel Carriages," and having explained the manner of carrying
the same into effect, as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent as
aforesaid, I claim as the Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as afore-
said, the mode herein described of constructing, arranging, adapting, and
operating breaks for the purpose above set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Edward Newton have here-
unto set my hand and seal, the Eighth day of January, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-six.
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
W. E. NEWTON. (L.S.)