US357455A - brown - Google Patents

Description

(NO Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

J. L BROWN. RAILWAY GAR BRAKE.

.No. 357,455. Patented Feb. 8, 1887,

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(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

J. L. BROWN. R'AILWAY GAR BR KE. No; 357,455 I Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

N, PETERS. PhOlO-Lnnngrlph r. Wnhinglnm D. C.

among the best braking mechanisms of its class JACOB LORENZO BROWN, 0

F RAHVVAY, NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY-CAR BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters P To aZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAooB LORENZO BROWN, of Bahway, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Railway-Brakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact'description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification. I

This invention relates to that class of carbrakes commonly known as continuous or train brakes, in which the braking-power is conveyed from car to car throughout the train and operated from some point (generally the engine) in its length. In this invention the braking-power is derived from the rota tion of the car-axles and applied to one or more of the cars, so that by manipulating the apparatus from any desired point the brakes may be applied or released throughout the train.

Heretofore the apparatus used for producing the results reached by this invention have been so complicated and difficult to operate that it has prevented their general introduction upon the rolling-stock of railways.

The object of my invention is, therefore, to simplify and reduce the cost of the apparatus, while still retaining its efficiency to such an extent as to make it not only the cheapest, but

offered to railway-managers; and the invention consists in the means employed for converting the power gained from the rotation of the axles into direct pressure upon the perepheries of the wheels of all the brake-shoes; also, in the means used for conveying the power required to put the braking mechanism in operation on one car to all the other cars of the train; and, further, in certain details of construction, which will be hereinafter fully described. V

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan showing the general arrangement of the braking apparatus and its means of connection with similar devices upon the adjoining car of the train. Fig. 2 is a vertical and longitudinal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, il-

at ent No. 357,455. dated February 8, 1887.

Application filed June 1, 1886. Serial No. 203.804. (No model.)

lustrating upon an enlarged scale the power mechanism applied to the axle and the de vices for operating it. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, in perspective, of one of the car-axles and the gearing by which the brakes are applied. Fig. 4. is a transverse section showing the truck -beam, the axle, the brake operating gear, and the operating-lever.

In these several figures, A denotes the carfloor, under each end of which is placed a truck, B. These trucks may be of the ordinary construction, as the brake operating mechanism is readily attached to them without material change, thus making it applicable to the cars now in general use without material change in their construction.

In describing the brake-operating mechanism it will be understood as applied to one truck of a car, although it is evident that, if desired, it may be attached to both trucks of every car in the train; but experience shows that this will be unnecessary, except in special cases where trains are worked on heavy grades.

0 represents the truck beam, and D the axles, on one of which is placed the pinion E, by which the braking-power is transmitted to the brake-shoes. axle, and is provided with projecting lugs a, which may be made to engage with the projecting arms of a cross-bar, a, firmly secured to the axle, so that when the lugs a engage with said arms the pinion revolves with the axle. Upon the opposite side of the pinion from the lugs is formed a collar, to, having a grooved periphery, which receives a clutch or the forked end of an operating-lever, F, actuated by means to be hereinafter described.

Secured to the truck-beam by suitable bolts is a bracket, Gr, provided with j ournalbearings, in which revolves the winding shaft or drum H, upon which is secured the fixed coller b, and against this collar is placed the gear-wheel I, upon the opposite side of which from the collar b is placed a loose collar, 1), held in contact with the gear-wheel by the spring I), coiled around the shaft H,and having its tension upon the loose collar regulated by a nut or other suitable device upon the end of said shaft. It will thus be seen that when the pinion E is in gear with the wheel I the latter will be rotated by said pinion; but the winding-shaft will not This pinion E slides on the be rotated if the resistance is greater than the friction of the collars b and b upon the gearwheel. By this arrangement the power applied to the brake-shoes may be so adjusted as to prevent skidding the wheels and injuring them by the formation of flat spots upon their heads.

Attached to the winding-shaft H is the chain K, which passes around a sheave, c, in the outer end of equalizing-lever L, pivoted at a suitable point between the two trucks to the car-bottom A. This chain is then carried back to the end of the ear, where, if the car he the first or last in the train, it may be secured, so as to form a fulcrum-pointfor the action ofthe brakes; but if the car occupy an intermediate position in the train it is connected bya suitable coupling with the brake mechanism ofthe adjoining car or cars. I

To each truck-beam is secured a bar, M, at the opposite end of which are pivoted the brake-levers d d, one of which, 41, carries at its free end a sheave, d. The brake-chain N is attached at its opposite ends to the free ends of levers d, passing around the sheaves d" and around the sheaves c and c in the equalizinglever L. It will, therefore, be apparent that any movementimparted to the equalizing-lever L by the chain K will be transferred through the brake-chain Nto the brake-levers, and by them, through suitable connections, to the brake-beams 0, by which the brake-shoes are applied to the wheels.

In order to set the hereinbefore-described mechanism in operation and to automatically throw them out of connection and retain them in that condition when the brake is no longer required, the devices hereinafter described are employed.

To the upper end of the forked lever F is attached one end of a spring, 6, the other end of which may be secured to the ear-bottom or other suitable point ofattachment. The tendency of this spring is to hold theleverin such a position as to keep the pinion E out of gear with the wheel I, thus preventing the brakeshoes from being brought into contact with the wheels until the position of the lever F and pinion is changed or shifted, so as to bring the pinion into gear with the wheel. To accomplish this result, a chain, P, is attached to the upper end of the lever F, passes thence around the sheave 0, attached to the car-bottom and to one end of the car, where it may be connected with a winding-shaft or other suitable operating device, or with a corresponding chain carried by the next adjoining car. It will be apparent that power applied to this chain P will cause the lever F to throw the pinion on the axle into engagement with the wheel upon the winding-shaft, and-that the rotation of the latter will, through the chain K and its connections, apply the brakes, which will be retained in contact with the wheels until the tension upon chain P is relaxed, when the spring 6 will instantly reverse the position of lever F, throwing the pinion out of engagement with the gear-wheel upon the windingshaft and releasing the brakes.

As it is desirable to provide means for controlling the operation of the brakes from either end of the same car or from any car in the train the following devices are employed for that purpose. A lever, It, is pivoted to the bottom of the car, as shown in Fig. 1, to one end of which lever is attached the chain or rod P, which rod extends to the opposite end of the car from that reached by the rod or chain I, said connection P being provided withthe same means for operating it from the end of the car or attaching to the adjacent car as the connection I By these means it will be obvious that the action of the braking mechanism may be controlled from either end of a car or from any car provided with this apparatus in a train.

As it is sometimes desirable to connect the brake-power of one car to the brake apparatus of the next car in the same train, which may or may not be provided with the mechanism hereinbefore described for taking brakingpower from the axle, I pivot to the bottom of the car a lever, S, one end of which is connected with the chain K and its opposite end with a chain, K, which extends to the opposite end of the car from that reached by the chain K, and like that may be connected to the braking apparatus of an adjoining car, thus conveying the brake-power generated upon one car to its neighbor either in front or rear.

I am aware that many plans have been suggested for accomplishing the object sought in this invention. I do not therefore claim, broadly, acontinuous or train brake, but only the special mechanism by which I accomplish the end sought.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In a mechanism for operating canbrakes, the combination of a sliding pinion upon a car-axle with a frictionally-held gear-wheel mounted upon a winding-shaft, a chain winding upon said shaft, and suitable mechanism for connecting said chain with the car-brakes, as set forth.

2. The combination, in mechanism. for operating car-brakes, of the sliding pinion upon the axle, the friction-held gear upon the windingshaft, the lever by which such pinion is operated, the spring acting upon said lever to hold the pinion normally out of engagement with the winding-shaft gear, and the chains and the appliances by which the position of the pinion is shifted to apply the brakes, substantially as specified.

3. In a car-brake, the bracket G, secured to the truck-beam, winding-shaft H, revolving in journal-bearings in said bracket, fixed collar 1), loose collar I), and adjusting-spring b", in combination with the loose gear-wheel I, and sliding pinion E, arranged to wind up the power -applying chain K in applying the brakes, as specified.

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4. In a continuous or train brake mechanbrake-operating devices of an adjoining car, 10 ism, the combination of the power devices with in the manner set forth. the equalizing-lever L. lever S, chains K and In testimony that I claim the foregoing as K, and brake-chain N, all arranged and opmy own I affix my signaturein presence of two 5 erating substantially as specified. witnesses.

5. In a continuous or train brake, the com- JACOB LORENZO BROWN. bination, with the power mechanism, of the le- Vitnesses: ver F, spring 6, chains P and P, and lever B, JAMES H. DURAND, said chains being arranged to connect with the 1 JAMES E. TIER.

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