US92265A - Improvement in atmospheric car-brakes - Google Patents

Description

2 SheetsSheet 1.

W. L. CHAMBERS. ATMOSPHERIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 92,265. Patented July 26, 1869.

I 2 sheets-sheet 2. W. L. CHAMBERSL ATMOSPHERIC GAR BRAKE.

No. 92,265. Patented July 26, 1869.

II III! IIIII I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LATTA CHAMBERS, OF PLEASANT UNITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ATMOSPHERIC CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 92,265, dated July 6, 1869. v

Specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents a View, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a tender and a portion of a car with myimproved atmospheric brake applied thereto; Fig. 2, a bottom view or plan of the same, inverted; Fig. 3, a rear view of the tender Fig. 4, a front view of the same; Fig. 5, a side view of a portion of the same; Fig. 6, a vertical longitudinal section through the valve-box Fig. 7, avertical transverse section through the same; Fig. 8, a plan or top view of the case inclosing the valvelevers Fig. '9, a similar view of the valve-box with the caplremoved; Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, are different views of the device employed for closing the ends of the air-tubes Figs. 14. to 17, inclusive, are views of the coupling employed for throwing the air-pump into and out of gear, Fig. 18, a bottom viewof portions of two cars, showingthe mannef of connecting the air-tubes; Fig. 19, a view, partly in elevation and partly in'section, of the short connecting-tube, and Fig. 20 an end view of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide an :eflicient and reliable brake for railroad-ears which can be operated automatically by the engineer in such manner as to apply the brakeshoes simultaneously to all the wheels in the train by means of compressed air, thereby dispensing with the services of brakemen, and enabling the speed of the train to be quickly checked and the same brought to a stand in a short space of time, thus reducing greatly the risk of accidents from collisions or runs-off, to to which ends my improvements consist in a force-pump and air chamber or reservoir, from which the air is conducted to a cylinder at- ,tached to the trucks of the tender and cars and operating pistons therein, connected to the brake-shoes, in the manner. hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanyin g drawings, which show a convenient arrangement of parts for carrying out the objects of my invention, A represents the tehder, and B a car of the train.

, In the drawings the brake-cylinder and its connections are shown only upon the truck of a six-wheeled tender; but in. practice it is intended that similar devices shall be placed upon the trucks of all the cars.

A force-pump, B, providedwith a piston, B, suction-valves b b, and delivery valves b 12 is secured upon the tender-frame, its piston being reciprocated by means of the piston-rod b cross-head b and connecting-rod B connected to a crank, b ,.on a short shaft, 1), ro-

tating in hearings on the frame and carrying a spur-gear, b, which meshesinto acorresponding pin-ion, d, on the front tender-axle, 1).

The gear I) is loose upon the shaft in which a longitudinal slot, W, is cut, and a similar slot,'b is formed in the hub of the gear I).

A feather, b, ona clutch, bflrestsin the slot b and is pressed up to the slot [1 of the gear I) bya spring, b. When thefeatherb enters the slot 11 the'gear b and shaft 1) will rotate together, and the force-pumpB will be put in operation, and when withdrawn from the slot b the gear I) will rotate'loosely on-the shaft, and the pump consequently be stopped.

'lhe clutch is moved to withdraw the feather when desired by means of a pivoted shipper,

I1 whose free end rests in a groove upon the periphery of.the clutch, and which is connected'by a rod, 12, with a pivoted lever b, the upper end of which is within reach of 'the engineer. and is held by a spring-detent, b", when the clutch is moved to withdraw the feather, as above. When released the spring b forces the feather into the slot b and thereby puts the pump in operation.

Airis forced by the pump B through a pipe, 0, into an ainchamber or reservoir, 0, on the tender, in which a'supply of compressed air of proper tension to operate the piston of-the brake-cylinder is constantly maintained. This reservoir is connected, by a pipe, 0, with a valve-box, G, at the front part of the tender,

from which apipe, Gr, extends, communicating, by suitable flexible connections hereinafter to .be described, with the various brake-cylinders of the train.

F represents a brake-cylinder, attached to the tender-truck A, and connected by a flexible tube, G with the pipe G. A cylinder similarly constructed'and'operated is attached to each truck of thetrain, as before stated; but that of the tender only will be. here described and referred to.

Within the box G is a partition. 9, between the pipes c and G, in which is an opening closed by a valve, 9. This valve is secured upon a stenng, connected to a pivoted lever, 9 within reach of the engineer.

By the movement of the valve 9 compressed air is admitted to or shut off from the various brake-cylinders at pleasure.

The valve-box G is provided with two snitably-weighted safety-valves, g and g placed on different sides of the partition g. When the pressure of air in the reservoir 0 is greater than is necessary or safe, the valve g will rise and allow it to escape.

The valve 9 serves as a safety-valve for the brakercylinders and their connecting-pipes, and is raised by, the engineer to allow the air to escape therefrom when the brakes are to be released.

The brake-cylinder 1* is provided with a piston, f, connected, by a piston-rod, f, to a cross-head, f working on guides f on the truck-frame.

The brake-shoes H are pressed against the wheels a in the ordinary manner by means of an arm, F, the upper end of which is provided with pine working in slots in the cross-head f, the two pairs of brake-shoes being con nected by a rod, f. I

The cross-head f is connected, by chains/' with spiral pulleysf on a horizontal shaft in rear of the cylinder E which shaft is connected, by a chaimf", with a spring, f secured to the frame.

When the compressed air 1s allowed to escape from the cylinder by raising the valve as before described, the spring f draws the piston f backward by means of the connections just stated, and thereby releases the brakes. The spiral form of the pulleys f enable greater leverage to be had in proportion as the chains are wound up.

In order to provide an air-tight connection between the air-tubes of the different cars, and at the same time-to allow them to conform to the curvature of the road, the following devices. are employed. 7

A pipe, I, is secured longitudinally upon the bottom'ot' each car, which is connected by a flexible pipe with the brake-cylinder on its trucks. At one end of the car the pipe I terminates in a stationary box, K, and at the other is secured air-tight toa flexible pipe, I,

sufficiently long to be connected to the pipe ofthe next car or of the tender, and to allow, the cars to curve properly.

The box K is provided with a pivoted door, K, in which is made a longitudinal slot, k, and which is pressed up to the box by a spring, is.

A valve, k, slides in the slot 10 by which theopening of the pipe I can be closed when the car is the last of the train. When another car is attached, the valve k is moved in the slot 70 until the opening of the pipe I is exposed. The free end of the flexiblepipe I, which is provided with a collar, 5, is then inserted in the slot is and brought up to the opening of the pipe I,when the spring k, acting upon the pivoted door K, holds the pipes closely in contact, and communication is established with the valve-box G on the tender.

When that end of the car which carries the flexible pipe I is the last of the train, the rear opening of the pipe is closed by inserting its collar .i in a' slotted frame, 70 at the end and side of the car. A pivotedvalve, k, is pressed against the mouth of the pipe by a spring, 70'.

The pipe G, bywhich compressed air is conveyed from the valve-box G on the tender, terminates in a box, K, of the construction first above described, and. when thetender is coupledto that end of the car which carries the flexible pipe I, the connection is made between the two in the manner state When the end of the car which carries the box K is next the tender, the connection between the boxes is made by a short flexible tube, L, having collars Z Z on itsends, which areiuserted in the slotk of the pivoted doors K.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that all the brakes of a train can be simultaneously applied andreleased by the engineer, and by the application of a power which is is always under his command, withoutdepend ing on the attention of brakemen or involving any loss of time in passing from one brake to another, as is the case in brakes oi the ordinary construction.

The. speed of a train can be quickly checked, and the danger of loss of life and damage from collisions and runs greatly reduced by the use of my ilnprovemonts, which can be readily applied to cars of the ordinaryconstruction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire .tosecare by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cylinder B, operated as described, the brake-cylinder F, and brake F, arranged relatively to each other as herein described.

2. The valve-box G, valve 9, and safetyvalves g in combination with. the reservoir 0, pipes c G, and brake-cylinders F, the whole constructed substantially asset forth.

3. The brake-cylinder F, piston f, arm F, and brake-shoes H, with the chains f pulleys f and spring f, the whole arranged substantiallyas described,

4. 'Theboxes K, and pivoted doors K. in

combination with the flexible pipes I L, and" air-pipes G and I, constructed substantially as described.

5. The shaft b and gear-wheel b, in combination with the shipper b spring 12 and pivoted-lever b, the whole arranged substantially as described and set forth.

\ The above specification signed by me this 18th day of February, 1869.

WILLIAM LATTA CHAMBERS.

Witnesses:

F. 0. Sons, CHARLES Harmon.

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