Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Railway Platform Luggage Trucks and Trollies.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 12th Dec., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 12th Sept,, 1900-Accepted, 24th Nov., 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Railway Platform
Luggage Trucks and Trollies.
We, ALFRED HOLLANDS, of Speenhamland, Newbury, in the County of Berks,
Miller, and MONTAGU WILLIAM RICH, of Etwall House, Weston-super-Mare, in
the County of Somerset, Salesman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:
The object of this invention is to prevent the luggage trucks and trollies used
on railway station platforms from moving when left unattended and while being
loaded by automatically applying brakes to the wheels thereof when the handles
by which such trucks or trollies are drawn or pushed are released. Now according
to this invention as applied to four wheeled trucks or trollies which are drawn
by means of a cross handle attached to the fore-carriage we bolt or otherwise
attach to the axle of the front wheels a bracket of metal wood or other suitable
material at or near each end thereof to which brackets are pivotted levers the
short arms of which are provided if necessary with brake blocks or shoes.
The long arms of the said levers are connected by chains or links to a prolon-
gation of the cross handle below the fore-carriage.
A spring is attached to the handle and to the fore-carriage so that as soon as
the handle is released the spring raises it out of the way and at the same time
applies a brake to each of the front wheels.
If our invention is applied to trucks or trollies which are propelled by pushing
instead of being drawn along we pivot the brake levers to brackets in front of
the hind wheels of the truck or trolley and attach the long arms of the said levers
by means of a chain or chains links or other suitable means to a handle or lever
which is also pivotted to the rear of the truck or trolley in such a manner that
pushing against the upper part of the said handle causes a pull on the said chain
or links and takes the brakes off the wheels. A spring or weight is used to
normally keep the upper part of the handle or lever away from the truck or
trolley and the brakes on the wheels.
The brakes may be operated from either end of the trolley or truck by attach-
ing a similar handle or lever to the opposite end of the truck or trolley and to a
rod connected to the long arms of the brake levers.
If the trucks have plain metal wheels we fit the brake levers with indiarubber
brake blocks or shoes so as to obtain a good grip on the wheels.
If the trucks or trollies are fitted with wheels having indiarubber tyres wood
brake blocks or shoes only are required. Our invention is also applicable to
trucks and trollies having metal handles the upper portion of which falls down
when not in use by connecting the long arms of the brake levers to the drop
down part of the handle by means of a chain so that when the handle is raised the
brakes are taken off the wheels, the brakes being applied by means of a spring.
Dated this 11th day of December 1899.
T. E. HALFORD,
82, Mark Lane, London, E.C., Agent for the Applicants.

page_text: Improvements in and connected with Brakes for Railway Platform
Luggage Trucks and Trollies.
We, ALFRED HOLLANDS, of Speenhamland, Newbury, in the County of Berks,
Miller, and MONTAGU WILLIAM RICH, of Etwall House, Weston-super-Mare, in
the County of Somerset, Salesman, 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:-
The object of this invention is to prevent railway platform luggage trucks and
other trucks and trolleys from moving when left unattended and while being
loaded by automatically applying brakes to the wheels thereof when the handle
or handles by which such trucks or trolleys are drawn or pushed are released the
brakes also being capable of application when lowering the said trucks or trolleys
down an incline.
Now according to this invention as applied to four wheeled trucks or trolleys
which are drawn by means of a cross handle attached to the fore-carriage we bolt
or otherwise attach to the axis of the front wheels a bracket of wood metal or
other suitable material at or near each end thereof to which brackets are pivotted
levers the short arms of which are provided if necessary with brake blocks or
shoes.
The long arms of the said levers are connected by chains or links to a prolon-
gation of the cross-handle below the fore-carriage.
A spring is attached to the handle and to the forecarriage so that as soon as
the handle is released the spring raises the handle out of the way and at the same
time applies a brake to each of the front wheels.
If our invention is applied to trucks or trollies which are propelled by pushing
instead of by drawing or pulling we pivot the brake levers to brackets attached
to the back axle of the truck or trolley and attach the long arms of the said levers
by means of a chain, chains, a link or links or other suitable means to a handle
or lever which is also pivotted to the truck or trolley in such a manner that pushing
against the upper part of the said handle or lever causes a pull on the said chains
or links and releases the brakes from the wheels.
A spring or weight is used to normally keep the upper part of the handle or
lever away from the truck or trolley and to hold the brakes on the wheels. The
brakes may be operated from either end of a trolley or truck of this description
by attaching a similar handle or lever at the opposite end of the truck to suit-
able linkwork by means of which the brakes are released from the wheels.
And in order that our said invention may be fully understood we will proceed
to explain the same with reference to the accompanying sheets of drawings in
which
Fig. 1 represents side elevation of a railway platform luggage truck fitted with
automatic brakes constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 2 is front view of same.
Fig. 3 is plan of same, underside.
Fig. 4 is side view of a truck or trolley which is propelled by pushing also
fitted with automatic brakes constructed according to this invention.
Fig. 5 is front view of same.
Fig. 6 is plan of underside of same.
Fig. 7 is front elevation of ironwork which supports the brake levers.
Fig. 8 is end view of same
Fig. 9 is plan of same.
The same letters denote the same parts in all the figures.

page_text: is the axie of the front wheels.
e is the fore-carriage.
f is the axle of the hind wheels.
is a cross handle which is pivotted at h to the fore-carriage e.
kk are levers pivotted at 77 to brackets m m secured to the axle d the long
arms of the said levers being supported in brackets n n. As shewn by Figs. 7 8
and 9 we prefer to attach the brackets m m n n to a piece of flat metal o which
is bolted to the axle d.
The most convenient manner of making the said brackets and strip o is by
forming the whole in one piece of malleable or annealed cast iron as shewn.
To the short arms of the levers kk are secured the brake blocks p p which
may be of any suitable material but preferably of metal, faced if necessary with
wood indiarubber or any other suitable material.
To the ends of the long arms of the levers is pivotted an equaliser of which
consists of a plate of metal above and below the brake levers.
To the equaliser 9 we pivot a piece of flat metal r bent double as shewn and in
the loop thus formed we place a square or oblong links which is secured by means
of the bracket to the cross-handle g so that when the handle is raised into
the position shewn by Fig. 1 the long arms of the brake levers are drawn out-
wards and the brakes applied to the wheels c c. u is a spring one end of which is
attached to the handle and the other end to the fore carriage e in such a manner
that as soon as the handle g is released the spring automatically raises the
said handle to the position shewn by Fig. 1 at the same time applying the brakes
to the wheels c e thus ensuring the brakes being on and the truck prevented from
moving unless the handle g is pulled down and the pressure of the brake blocks
on the wheels removed.
When applying our invention to three and four wheeled trucks which are pro-
pelled by pushing instead of pulling we prefer to adopt the arrangement shewn
by Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in which the brackets m m n n are secured to the axle f
of the hind wheels. To the equaliser 9 is attached a draw-bar which passes
through the axle f the spring surrounding the said bar and bearing at one end
against a collar on the drawbar and at the other end against the axle f.
10 is a lever which is pivotted at a to a bracket y secured to the truck a the
said lever being provided with a crosshandle z secured to the long arm thereof.
The short arm of the said lever is connected by means of a rod or link z¹ with the
drawbar so that when the person pushing the truck or trolley presses the upper
end of the lever z towards the truck or trolley the brakes are released.
If desired the brakes may be released from either end of the truck.
This invention is also applicable to trucks and trollies having metal handles the
upper portion of which falls down when not in use by connecting the brake levers
to the drop down part of the handle by means of a chain so that when the handle
is raised the brakes are taken off the brakes being normally applied to the wheels
by means of a spring or springs.
In conclusion we would remark that we are aware of Specifications Numbers
19616 of 1898 and 24020 of 1898 and we do not claim anything therein described
and claimed but:-
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. The specifice combination and arrangement of parts forming our improved
automatic brake for railway platform luggage trucks trolleys and the like con-
structed combined and onerating in the manner specified.

page_text: 2. Brakes for railway platform luggage trucks trolleys and the like constructed
as herein before specified and shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this Twelfth day of September 1900.
T. E. HALFORD,
82, Mark Lane, London, E.C., Agent for Applicants.