IMPROVEMENTS IN VACUUM BRAKES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Audley Frederick Aspinall, of Inchicore, Dublin, in
the County of Dublin, Engineer, for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
VACUUM BRAKES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Audley Frederick
Aspinall at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd November
1881.
JOHN AUDLEY FREDERICK ASPINALL, of Inchicore, Dublin, in the County of
Dublin, Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN VACUUM BRAKES."
These improvements refer to valves for regulating the flow of air in vacuum
brakes. For the purpose of enabling the application or the release of the brake
to be graduated to the greatest nicety, I place upon the engine an engine driver's
air admission valve, which is constructed as hereinafter described, and so as to be
capable of working with either my single pipe or two pipe systems of vacuum
brake, as described in the Specification of my Patent, No. 4521, of 7th November
1878. This valve is constructed so as to connect with the ejector and with each
train pipe, and has two valves capable of being raised from their seats together,
and by preference of the flap construction; these valves are also placed so as to be
in equilibrium when off their seats. Between the two flap valves I place a spindle
with a conical or other head, or part which serves to raise the valves when
required; this spindle is connected to a flexible diaphragm (instead of passing out
of the casing through a stuffing box) and has a handle for working it.
side of the valve casing there is a flap or other valve fitted with a handle to
enable the driver to admit air to the valve casing, and thus to one of the train
pipes.
On one
Another part of my Invention refers to a valve for use in automatic brakes with
two train pipes, and described in the Specification of my Patent, dated 17th
February 1879, No. 633; that valve was constructed with two upper and two
lower flap-valves. Instead of the two upper flap valves I now propose to use two
ball valves in connection with a book, which is controlled by a flexible diaphragm

page_text: having a handle or lever, the hook serving to force one of the said balls from its
seat, the said lever being acted on when it is desired to admit air to the top of the
sack or vacuum chamber. Such a ball-valve and hook arrangement is described in
the Specification of Gresham's Patent, No. 4583 of 1880. Between the two ball
valves are the connections to the top of sack.
Another arrangement which I use for the same purpose is constructed with flap
valves similar to those described in the Specification of my Patent of the 17th
February 1879, No. 633, but I place the lower valve in the upper part of the
casing and the two upper valves in the bottom of the casing, and so arrange the
seats of the valves that they can all be faced or turned up through the openings
for the pipes at the side.
Upon the outside of the casing I place a small flexible diaphragm in a suitable
socket, and to this I attach a lever with either a hook or a wedge shaped end, and
so arrange this lever that it can lift one of the valves which are in the lower part
of the case from its seat when required.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said John Audley Frederick Aspinall in the Great Seal Patent Office
on the 23rd May 1882.
JOHN AUDLEY FREDERICK ASPINALL, of Inchicore, Dublin, in the County of
Dublin, Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN VACUUM BRAKES."
"
These improvements refer to valves for regulating the flow of air in vacuum
brakes, for the purpose of enabling the application or the release of the brake to be
graduated to the greatest nicety.
The improvements consist in a novel construction of valve to be actuated by the
engine driver, and in two novel constructions of automatic directing valves.
And in order that my Invention may be fully understood and readily carried
into effect, I will now proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying
Drawings, of which Figure 1, 14, and 1B, represent my new engine-driver's valve;
Figures 2, 24, and 2B one construction of automatic directing valve; and Figures 3
and 3 another such construction. These Figures will be more specially referred
to further on; Figure 4 is a diagram elevation of a train fitted with my automatic
vacuum brake on my double train pipe system, and with the valves just referred
to together with the brake cylinders or sacks described in the Specification of my
Patent, No. 4521 of 1878, and with the guard's valve described in the Specification
of my Patent, No. 633 of 1879; Figure 5 is a plan diagram of same. As shewn
here the engine is fitted with two brake cylinders K*, the tender and the passenger
carriage, and the guard's van likewise. The piston rods pass down through the
bottom of the cylinders, and are connected to the brake gear in such a manner that
the brakes are applied when the pistons and piston rods are raised; G₁ and F¹, are
the train pipes; H is the small ejector on the engine for maintaining a constant
vacuum in the train pipes, and consequently also above and below the pistons; this
will keep the latter in equilibrium, and the brakes will normally remain off. The
valve D* on the guard's van is the valve described with reference to Figure 1 in
the Specification of my Patent, No. 633 of 1879. This valve admits air auto-
matically to the train pipes the moment air is admitted to the train pipes in any
part of the train, for instance, by means of the engine driver's valve A*, which
latter will be presently described. The instantaneous action of the brake is thus
secured, as described in the Specification of my Patent, No. 633 of 1879.
I will now proceed to describe my aforesaid new valve constructions. I place
upon the engine an engine driver's air admission valve, which is constructed as
hereinafter described, and so as to be capable of working with either my single pipe
or two pipe system of vacuum brake, as described in the Specification of my
Patent, No. 4521, of 7th November 1878. This air admission valve is illustrated
by Figure 1 which is a transverse section; Figure 14, a view of one end, and
Figure 1B a view of the other end; Figure 1º is a section on line C, D, Figure 1.
It is indicated by the letter A* on Figures 4 and 5. It is constructed so as to
connect with the ejector H', Figures 4 and 5, by means of the pipe D¹, and with each
train pipe G¹, F1, and has two valves B and B¹ capable of being raised from their
seats C and C¹ should either be resting thereon, and by preference of the flap con-
struction, as shewn; these valves B, B¹ are also placed so as to be in equilibrium
when off their seats. Between the two flap valves I place a spindle E with a
conical or other head or part E' which serves to raise the valves B, B', when
required; this spindle E is connected to a flexible diaphragm E¹ (instead of passing
out of the casing through a stuffing box), and has a handle G for working it. On
one side of the valve casing there is a flap (or other) valve F fitted with a

page_text: handle F to enable the driver to admit air to the valve casing, and thus to the
train pipe F in the single pipe system or in the double pipe system.
The ejector H', Figures 4 and 5, on the engine exhausts through the pipe D' and
is in direct communication with the tops of all the cylinders or sacks K*, Figures 4
and 5, on the engine and tender.
The ejector communicates with both train pipes through this engine-man's valve,
Figure 1. Either train pipe G¹ or F¹ can communicate with the bottoms of the
engine and tender brake cylinders K* through the valve B*, Figures 4 and 5,
which is described and shewn in the Specification of my Patent, No. 633, of the
17th February 1879, Figures 8 and 9, and which is fixed at the end of the branch
pipe leading to the bottoms of the cylinders. This valve will either seat itself on
its seat x or on the seat x².
The engine man's valve Figure 1 (A* on Figures 4 and 5) consists essentially of
two flaps B and B¹, which by closing on their seats C and C' shut off all communi-
cation between the ejector and the two train pipes F¹ and G¹.
The flaps B and B' are so adjusted that they will remain open when the brakes
are off and there is an equilibrium of vacuum in all the pipes. In this case the small
ejector H, Figures 4 and 5, which is constantly going, is exhausting from both
train pipes, and constantly from the tops and bottoms of all the sacks K*,
Figures 4 and 5, through the opening E³, which is in communication with the
pipe D. To apply the brake the engine man opens the flap valve F and allows
the air to flow into the pipe F', forcing the valve B on its seat C and shutting off
communication with the ejector. The ejector continues in communication with the
pipe Gas the flap B¹ remains open. The air flows on through the right hand
train pipe to the bottom of engine and tender sacks, forcing the valve, shown at B*
in Figures 4 and 5 (the Figure 8 in Patent Specification No. 633 above referred to),
on to its seat x1, thus shutting off the left hand train pipe from the bottoms of the
sacks. Flowing on still it arrives at the directing valves, such as Figures 2 or 3,
described further on in this Patent Specification and indicated by letter C* on
Figures 4 and 5, and situated under the carriages. To take off the brakes the
flap F is allowed to fall back on its seat and the handle G is raised. This opens
the valve B and allows the air in the bottoms of the sacks to flow through the
pipes F¹ and D' to the ejector and the brakes fall off. The handle G may now be
dropped, when the valves B and B being open a vacuum will be once more
maintained in the pipes F¹ and G', and through the pipe 1 and the passage E³.
If air be admitted by accident or design into the left hand train pipe G¹ the
valve B', Figure 1, will fly on to its seat C', and the valve B*, Figures 4 and 5
(shown in Figure 8 in the Specification of Patent, No. 633 of 1879) will By over
to its seat a², and the ejector will then have to exhaust through the train pipe F¹
applying the brakes.
To take off the brakes raise the handle G, Figure 1, when the air in the pipe G¹
will flow through the pipe D¹ to the ejector, and the tops of the sacks and the
brakes will fall off.
If air is admitted to both pipes at the back of the tender it flows to the bottom
of the engine sacks and on through the pipes G' and F¹ to the valve, Figure 1
(the valve A*, Figures 4 and 5), and closes both the valves B and B¹, Figure 1, on
their seats C and C₁, and the ejector continues to exhaust from the top of the
engine sacks through D¹ applying the brakes on the engine and tender.
To release the brakes raise the handle G, when so much air will flow past C
and that a vacuum cannot be maintained in the top of the engine sacks and the
brakes will fall off.
Another part of my Invention refers to a valve for use in automatic brakes,
with two train pipes, and described with reference to Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 in the
Specification of my Patent, No. 633 of 1879.
That valve is constructed with two upper and two lower flap valves; instead of
this I now propose to use an improved construction of valve, illustrated by
Figure 2, which is a vertical section, Figure 24, a vertical transverse section and

page_text: Figure 2B, a plan view. In this construction there are two ball valves J, J¹, which
take the place of the aforesaid two upper flap valves; the ball valves are arranged
in connection with a hook K, which is controlled by a flexible diaphragm L
having a handle or lever M, the hook K serving to force the ball J from its seat,
the said lever N being acted on when it is desired to admit air to the top of the
sack or vacuum chamber.
Such a ball valve and hook arrangement is described in the Specification of
Gresham's Patent, No. 4583 of 1880, and I therefore lay no claim to it separately,
or except as hereinafter claimed. Between the two ball valves are the connections N
and N¹ to the top of sack. This valve, Figure 2, may take the place of the valve C*,
Figures 4 and 5.
Another arrangement which I use for the same purpose is constructed with flap
valves similar to those described with reference to Figure 3 in the Specification of
my Patent of the 17th February 1879, No. 633. This improved arrangement is
illustrated in Figure 3, which is a vertical section, and Figure 3A which is a
transverse section of the accompanying Drawings. This valve is indicated by the
letter C in Figures 4 and 5. I place the lower valve g', described in the aforesaid
Specification, in the upper part of the casing, as here shown, and the two upper
valves f¹, e¹, described in the aforesaid Specification, in the bottom of the casing,
and so arrange the seats of the valves that they can all be faced or turned up
through the openings a¹, b', for the pipes at the side.
Upon the outside of the casing I place a small flexible diaphragm k¹ in a suitable
socket, and to this diaphragm I attach a lever with either a hook or a wedge
shaped end, and so arrange this lever that it can lift the valve e' in the lower part
of the case from its seating when required to admit air to the top of the sacks.
The valves shown in the above Figures 2 and 3 may be used to direct the flow
of air to and from the cylinders under any vehicles, as described in the Specifi-
cation of my Patent, No. 4521 of 1878, and for the same purpose as those
described and shewn in Figures 2 and 3 of the Specification of my Patent, No. 633
of 1879.
I claim,-
First. The valve, Figure 1, for use by the driver to admit air to the train pipes,
or to remove air by aid of the ejector or other appliance as required.
Second. The combination of parts forming the improved directing valve for use
under each vehicle, as described and shewn in Figure 2.
Third. The combination of parts forming the improved directing valve for use
under each vehicle, as described and shewn in Figure 3.
€
In witness whereof, I, the said John Audley Frederick Aspinall, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Nineteenth day of May, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
JOHN A T ACDIN ATT
JOHN AT ACDINATI