US154098A - Improvement in air-brakes - Google Patents

Description

N0.l54,098. 1' v Patented Aug.11,l874.Y

Witnesses: G z lnvenr:

THE GRAPHIC C0.FHUTD L|TH.3B& N PARK PLADEJLY.

UNITED STATES- Piriniv'r OFFICE.

JOSEPH sirnenn, ori-'NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN AIR-BRAKES.

Specicatlun forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,098, datedvAugust` 1 1, 1874; lapplication filed July 1o, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH STEGER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inAir-Brakes, of which the following is a specification:

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l represents a longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan. Fig. 3 is a detached section of thevacuum-cylinder in a larger scale than the'previous figures.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in a vacuum-cylinder containing two pistons, the rods of which extend out through the heads of said chamber inbppesite directions and connect with the' brake-levers of a railroad-car, in combination with a pipe which enters the vacuumcylinder at a point between the two pistons, and which connects with a steam-nozzle secured'to or connected with the locomotiveboiler in such a manner that, by admitting steam to said steam-nozzle the air from the vacuum-cylinder is exhausted, and by the action of the atmosphere on the two pistons in said vacuum-cylinder the brakes are simultaneously applied to all the wheels of the car.

Each of the pistons in the vacuum-cylinderV is constructed with two heads and an intermediate air-space, which communicates through a channel in the piston-rod, with the exhaustspace of the cylinder, while the packings of said heads are composed of rings of leather or other exible material, which project beyond the outer surfaces of the heads, so that by the combined action of the two heads, the intermediate air-space, and the projecting packling-rings, leakage of air past the piston is prevented, and at the same time comparatively little power is required to move the piston in the vacuum-cylinder.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the platform of a railroad-car, which is supported by two trucks, B B, each of which has four wheels, C G, as shown in Fig. 2. Between the two trucks is situated the vacuum-chamber, or cylinder D, which is fastened to the under side of the platform A. This vacuum-chamber is made in theform of a cylinder, and it is provided at about the middle of its the plan commonly employed in injectors or ejectors, so that, by admitting steam to said nozzle the air|` in the pipe E and in the vacuumchambers connected to said pipe will be rareed. The vacuum-chamber D is provided with two pistons, G, which are situated on opposite sides of the aperture a. The rods c of the pistons extend through the heads of the vacuum-chamber and they connect by chains d with levers e, which have their fulcra on the 4brake-heads f, extending across the inner wheels of the truck B. From said levers extend rods g to the brake-heads f', which extend across the outside wheels of the truck B, the brake-heads being suspended'from the truckframes by means of loops which pass through the brake-shoes g g. The pistons G are each constructed with two heads, h h', with an intervening air-space, i, (Fig. 3,) which communicates by a channel, j, in the piston-rod with the exhaust-space between the two pistons. Each of the heads h and h is furnished with a packing-ring or cup, 7c or k', which is made of leather or other suitable material, and which projects beyond the outer surface of its head h or h. 4If the air is exhausted from the vacu- 11m-chamber D, the packing-ring k is exposed to a uniform pressure from all sides, while the packing-ring k is exposed to the atmospheric pressure from the outside, and to the pressure of the rarelied air from the inside, and, consequently, said packing-ring is firmly held in contact with the sides of the vacuum-chamber, and no leakage can take place. At the the vacuum-chamber I) Vbecomes rareed, the pistons G are forced inward by the atmos-e pheric pressure, the levers e swing toward each other and the brake-shoes g g are drawn up to all the wheels of the trucks B B at the same time, and by usingV two double pistons the brakes in contact with the wheels for any desired llength of time and with an undiminishing power,I so that atrain of cars can be stopped from the engineers stand within a comparatively short space. When the connection between the steam-nozzle and the boiler is closed, the brakes are taken off by the force of their own springs, the power of which is so regulated that they also carry back the pistons G to their original position. f

What I claim as new, and desire to securefby Letters Patent, is- 1. 1n combination with the cylinder of a vacuum air-brake, pistons G, each .provided with heads 71, h', an intervening air-chamber, i,

u and a channel, j, substantially as described. .in the vacuum-cylinder, I am enabled to hold 2. The pistons G G, each constructed with heads h h, in combination with the cylinder D of a vacuum air-brake, the steampipe E, nozzle F, the piston-rods C, and brake mechanism, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand.

Y JOSEPH STEGER.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, JN0. D. PATTEN.

Images