US424170A - Actuating device for car-brakes - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) Y

J. A. BRILL. ACTUATING DEVICE FOR GAB. BRAKES.

No. 424,170. Patented Mar. Z5, 1890.

N. Pneus, mmrwgnpher. wmangwm 'ua UNITED STATES "PATENT OEEICE.

JOHN A. BRILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ACTUATING DEVICE FOR CAR-BRAKES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,170, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed February 6, 1890. Serial No. 339,437- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN A. DRILL, of the city and county of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Actuating Devices for Car-Brakes, dac., of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements, as hereinafter claimed, in mechanism adapted for actuating car-brakes, the gripping devices of endless-cable railways, dac., and involves the employment of a lever made in sections jointed together at the fulcrum of the lever, and means by the actuations of which the lever-sections may be connected, whereby the sections may be rocked together or be left free to rock independently of each other. v

In the accompanying drawings, which show only those features deemed necessary for illustration of a suitable embodiment of my improvements adapted for operating the brakes of street-railway cars, Figure l is a view in side elevation, and Fig. 2 a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

In accordance with the organization represented by the drawings, the brake-actuating mechanism is supported by the platform or end flooring A of `a car adjacent to the dashboard A. The controlling-lever of the actuating mechanism is made in two parts, consisting of the main section or handle portion B and the lower or supplemental section B', and these parts are jointed together by a pin or pivot C, constituting the fulcrum on which the lever rocks4 The levcr-fulcrum has bearings c c, suitably secured to the car flooring or platform, and between these bearings the sectional lever is mounted by its fulcrum, a slot or elongated opening being made, as usual, in the flooring to allow of the proper movements of the lever, the lower portion or supplemental section of which passes through the slot.

In order that the supplemental section of the controlling-lever may be locked in its position of adjustment when in actuating the brakes, the lever is operated, as in turn to be described, curved holding-racks D D are provided, as usual, and a pawl b for engaging these racks is carried by the supplemental section of the lever. This pawl is controlled in suitable way to disengage it from the holding-racks to release the lever when-the brake is to be thrown out of action.

As shown, the pawlcontrolling devices consist of the trip-handle a, pivoted to the main section of the controlling-lever near the handle thereof, and the rod or link d, connecting the trip-handle with the pawl.

The supplemental section of the controllinglever is connected in any suitable way with the brake-shoes-as, for instance, by way of the rod E in well-known manner.

In order to provide for connecting the sections of the controlling-lever, so that; they may be .rocked together in one direction as though made of a single piece, while providing also for independent movement, as desired, of the sections about their jointed connection, the sections are adjustably coupled together by a suitable coupling-connection, preferably in manner as next to be described.

The inner end of the supplemental section of the jointed controlling-lever is widened and bifurcated and receives between its forks the lower end of the main section of the lever. The forked end of the supplemental section `of the lever is curved and toothed, so as to form two segmental racks F F, one at each side of the lower end of the main section of the lever. A sleeve G, having ratchet-like teeth at its lower end and adjustable by sliding cndwise uponthe main section of the lever, serves to normally lock the two sections of the lever together, the teeth of the coupling-sleeve engaging the racks F F. The coupling-connection between the two sections of the lever is practically a pawl-and-ratchet connection. It will be seen and it will be unstood that by raising the section G of the couplingconnection so as to disengage it from the racks F F the two lever-sections,instead of being held rigid with each other against independent movement in one direction, have no connection, except by way of the lever-fulcrum, about which they may be rocked independently. The pawl-like sleeve G of the coupling-connection is actuated to throw it out of operation by means of the triphandle aand a chain H, iiexibly connecting the sleeve and trip-handle. The chain H is of a length slightly greater than the distance between its points of attachment to the trip- IOO handle and sleeve-pawl G, the chain being of a length such that normally it hangs slack, so that greater movement of the trip-handle is required to move the pawl-sleeve out of engagement with the racks of the supplemental section of the lever than is required to disengage the pawl b from the racks D D. In this way the sections of the lever may, if desired, be held connected, while the pawl b is actuated to free the lever from the control of the racks D D.

Instead of actuating' the coupling-pawl G by means of the chain and trip-handle, modiied means may be employed-such, for instance, as the treadl'e-lever I, connected with the coupling-pawl by the link J, and operating in obvious way to throw the couplingpawl out of action. Both the treadle-lever and the chain may be employed,'if preferred.

Various other modifications may be made in my improvements without departing from my invention-as, for instance, by using but one of the holding-racks D, instead of two such racks, by omitting one of the forks of the supplemental section of the lever and using one rack F, instead of the two, as shown, and by the employment, in lieu of the ratchettoothed sleeve-pawl G, of a simple one-tooth pawl pivoted or sliding on the main section of the controlling-lever.

In operation, (with the parts in position, say, as shown by Fig. 1,) when it is desired to apply the brakes, the handle-section of the lever is moved away from the dash-board, thus moving the supplemental section of the lever (now coupled with the main section) in the opposite direction and operating on the brakes through the connection between them and the lever. The pawl ZJ locks the supplemental section of the lever in the position into which it is thrown, and by tripping this pawl the brake mechanism is freed from control. When, however, as sometimes happens with the ordinary brake-actuating mechanism, the controlling-lever cannot be given sufiicient throw to properly apply the brakes, because of the limited space allowed for movement of the lever, it would in the operation of myimprovement be only necessary to reverse the movement of the lever-handle and then again move it away from the dash-board. Inv reversing the lever to get a further action upon the brake mechanism the two sections of the lever are automatically uncoupled, the pawl G riding over the racks of the supplemental section of the lever, as will readily be understood, this supplemental section being held firmly by the pawl b. In renewing the action of the controlling-lever upon the brake mechanism the two sections of the lever become again coupled together, and at the end of the further movement given to the supplemental section of the lever it becomes irmly held by the pawl b. When, in releasing the brake mechanism, there is not room enough, because of the dash-board or other obstacle, for movement of the lever-handle while coupled with and compelled to partake of the swing of the supplemental section, then the lever-sections are uncoupled by raising the pawl G, either by the trip-handle or the foot-lever, thus allowing independent movement of the sections and permitting the supplemental section to swing to the extent desired without moving the handle-section.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the controlling-lever composed of a main section and a supplemental section adapted for connection with the mechanism to be actuated by the lever, the lever-fulcrum at which the sections are jointed together, and an adjustable couplingconnection between the lever-sections, by the actuations of which the lever-sections are coupled and uncoupled, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the brake-controlling lever composed of'a main and a supplemental section jointed together at the leverfulcrum, an adjustable coupling-connection between the lever-sections, by the actuations of 'which the lever-sections are coupled and uncoupled, and pawl-and-rack mechanism for holding and releasing the supplemental section of the lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in devices for actuating car-brakes, dac., of the controlling-lever composed of a main section and a supplemental section working in a slot in the supporting platform or iiooring and adapted for connection with the mechanism to be actuated bythe lever, the lever--fulcrum at which the sections arc jointed together, the pawland-ratchet coupling-connection, `by the actuations of which the lever-sections may be connected to rock together in one direction or left free to rock independently of each other, and the pawl-and-rack lnechanism, by the actuations of which the supplemental section of the lever is locked and released, substantially as and for thc purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

' JOHN A. BRILL. Witnesses:

E. HOWARD BURKE, THEO. H. MCGALLA.

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