US155117A - Improvement in atmospheric car-brakes - Google Patents

Description

' AfSheets--Sheet l. STEEL 81]. MGNNES.

Atmospheric Gar-Brakes. N 0,155,117I Patented Sept. 15,1874.

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Atmospheric Car-Brakes. No.l55,H7. .Patentedsept.15,1s74.

4Sheets--Sheet 4. l. STEEL & J. McINNES. Atmospheric Gar-Brakes.

N0.|55,H7. Patented Sept.15, 874.

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- l flu/ma UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcEc JAMES STEEL AND JOHN MGINNES, OF GLASGOW, NORTH BRITAIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN ATMOSPHERIC CAR-BRAKES.

Specification forming part of Letterslatent No. 155,1] 7, dated September 15, 1874 application led April 3, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AMES STEEL and JOHN MGINNES, both of Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, North Britain, engineers, have invented Improved Apparatus for Actuating the Brakes of Railway-Trains by Cornpressed Air, part or parts of which are also applicable for signaling in railway-trains, of which the following is a specification:

Our invention relates to air-brakes in which a supplementary air-reservoir is combined with each brake-operating piston and cylinder 5- and our invention consists chieiiy of certain passages and devices, described fully hereafter, whereby the air is admitted at equal pressure on both sides of each piston, and the latter is operated by withdrawing the air from either side.

On Sheet 1 of the drawings hereunto appended, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a compressed-air cylinder and receiver, with attachments constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2, Sheet l, is a vertical section at right angles to Fig. 1, while Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof.

The cylinder A and air-vessel B are shown formed in one casting. The cylinder A is cast with the upper end close, the lower end being fitted with a cover, O. The cover O is provided with a stufling-box and gland, D, secured by studs E to the cover O, the space F being filled with any suitable packing. On the inner side of the cover C a hollow cylindrical projection, G, is formed, upon which the piston H rests when in its lowestpositionthat is to say, when the brakes are of. The projection Gr is provided at the top with an india-rubber ring, I, which acts as a cushion to prevent any shock which might arise from the fall of the piston H. The space between the piston-rod J and the interior of the cylindrical projection G may be lled with packing to further prevent the escape of air from the cylinder A. The piston His packed by a cup-leather secured to its upper side by a washer, K, and nut L, which nut L at the saine time secures the piston H to the pistonrod J, as shown on the drawings. An indiarubber ring, M, is placed upon the washer K, to cushion the shock in the event of the piston striking against the top of the cylinder.

On the inlet-pipe N is a branch, O, in which is formed a valve chest and seat. The branch O is connected to the air-vessel B by a pipe, I. A ball valve or clack, Q, accurately fitting the seat in the branch O, prevents the air from returning by the valve Q. The piston-rod J is coupled` to the brake apparatus by the connecting-links R, which are shown double, (see Fig. 2,) in order that they may clear the draghook X. These links R-actuate the lever S, fixed upon the brake-shaft T, which is operated correspondingly with the movement of the piston in the cylinder A. In applying our invention to a vehicle running upon bogies, the brake-shaft T is connected to the pistonrod J by means of a flexible coupling, such as a chain or connecting-rod tted with a universal joint, so as to allow for the movement of the body of the carriage upon the swivelpins of the bogies, as hereinafter set forth. The brake shaft T is carried in brackets U, bolted to the lower frame-work of the carriage.' The brake cylinder and receiver are fixed to the lower frame-work and Hoor of the carriage by bolts V, which pass through a ange formed upon the sides of the air-vessel B. The air-vessel B projects through the end of the carriage, and is situate below the seat Y, as shown in section at Fig. 1, Sheet l. The coupling, whereby communication is effected between the cylinders on the different.

carriages, is shown particularly at Figs. 2 and 3, Sheet l. Openings W are formed at the upper'part of the air-cylinder A. Caoutchouc or other elastic rings X lill recesses formed for their reception in the faces Y. Tol keep the elastic rings X in their places, metallic rings Z are bolted on the faces Y, the interior edges of which rings Z overlap to some extent the elastic rings X, and thus hold them in position. Projections et are formed opposite the faces Y, and then are bushed with screwed nuts b, through which the screws c pass, the centers of which are opposite to the centers of the openings W. The innerextreinities of the screws c are provided with anti-friction thimbles d, and the outer eXtremities with vise handles e, by which the screws c are actuated. A hollow metallic T-piece is held between the thimble d and the elastic ring X, the pressure y imparted by tightening the screw c being sufficient to insure an air-tight joint between the circular ilat edge of the hollow metallic T-piece and the face of the elastic ring X. The junction of the T-piece and the ieXible tube which connects the cylinders is effected by forming a nozzle or projection, g, upon the T-piece,

`necessary apparatus for operating our iinproved air-brake apparatus. An air-pump, A, is shown bolted to the lire-box of the locomotive-boiler, and it is driven by a small steam-engine situate on the other side of the fire-box, (but not seen on the drawings,) which drives the crank-shaft 0. The air is pumped through the tubing B into the tubular receiver O. Upon a branch pipe, D, projecting from the receiver C, is fastened a two-way cock, E, by means of which the pressure of air from the receiver C may either be directed through the tubing F to the cylinders on the carriages, or it may be entirely cut oft' therefrom or directed into the atmosphere, at pleasure.

Fig. 5, Sheet 3, is a part side elevation and part section of two covered railway-carriages, showing our improved air-brake. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a similar covered railwaycarriage.

As shown at Fig. 5, Sheet 3, the air-cylinders A at either end of each carriage are connected in their upper parts at the pipe N by the flexible tube Near one end of the carriage the signaling-whistle C is situated. The si gnaling-whistle C may be operated from the interior of the carriage by means of a wire, cord, or chain, (not shown on the drawi11gs,) but which is led along the root` of the carriage and attached to the lower extremity ofthe lever c, fastened to the spindle of the whistlevalve ot' the signaling apparatus C, and which is thus sounded; or the flexible tube x may be led into the interior of the carriage, and a cock or valve placed thereon, by operating which the whistle Gis sounded. The lever d, standing at right angles to the lever c, carries a counter-weight, which shuts the valve of the whistle C, on the pulling strain being removed from the wire, cord, or chain.

The brake-blocks m, Sheet 3, are actuated from the piston-rods J through the connecting-links R, which actuate the levers S, fixed upon the brake-shafts T. From the brakeshafts T the brakes d are operated in the ordinarymanner by the levers c and connecting-rodsf. The brake-shaft T is carried by brackets U, bolted to the lower frame-work of the carriage.

The mode of operating our invention is as follows: A sufficient pressure of air having been raised in the receiver O by the air-pump a, Sheet 2, the two-way cock E is opened, allowing the air to travel through the tubing F into the air cylinder on the first carriage, whence it issues through the pipes on the carriage-root' to the air-cylinder at the opposite end of the carriage, and thence, similarly, through the iexible pipes and couplings to the several other ,cylinders and air apparatus throughout the train. When it is desired to apply the brakes, the air-pressure is removed from above the pistons H, (either by the engine-man turning the two-way cock on the engine so as to let oft' the air above theV pistons, or which may be accomplished by a passenger pulling one of the cords, or operating any of the cocks by which the air escapes, to sound the signaling apparatus.) The air conlined in the air-vessel B, and under part of the cylinder A, under pressure then expands and lifts the piston H, carrying with it the piston-rods J and links R, which actuate the levers S, and through it the brake-shafts T, which operations, as will be seen by reference to Sheet 3, apply the brakes by operating the levers e and connecting-rods f. To withdraw the brakes the pressure of air is again admitted to the upper part of the cylinder A, which throws the pistons H into equilibrium, when their own Weight and the weight of their attachments, which may or may not be aided by counter-weights or springs, causes the piston to fall to the bottom of the cylinder A, and thus withdraw the brakes.

The coupling operation, whereby the air-cylinders on the adjoining carriages or vehicles composing the train are connected, is effected by placing the T-piece coupling, Fig. 2, Sheet l, between the inner extremity of the screw c and the face of the elastic rings X, and screwing up the coupling rmly in that position by means of the vise-handle. iiXing the T-piece coupling is placed on both sides of each cylinder A, and each cylinder A is provided with two eXible tubes and couplings, one or both of which may be used to connect the cylinders of adjoining carriages. When in action the cylinders are coupled together by both flexible pipes; but in uncoupling them for the purpose of disconnecting the carriages, it is necessary only to unscrew one coupling on each carriage, and at the opposite sides of the respective cylinders, so that one of the flexiblev tubes is left hanging to each cylinder, thus allowing the flexible tubes and couplings always to come together in proper position for being recoupled, whether the same ends of the carriages are brought opposite to each other or not. In the event of a rupture of one ofthe flexible tubes between the cylinders on adjoining carriages taking place, the coupling-hole on the cylinder may be closed by the thimble on the end of the coupling-screw being pressed into it by the screw and connection maintained by the pipes for operating the The apparatus for brakes. At the end elevation of the last carriage of a train, shown at Fig. 6, Sheet 3, both 'of the couplings of one ilexible pipe, f, are

shown applied to the opposite sides of the same air-cylinder, thus closing the openings and preventing the escape of air at the last cylinder, or otherwise the exible pipes and couplings maybe withdrawn, in which vcase v the openings are closed by the thimbles on the ends of the screws c.

An important feature of our improved airbrake apparatus is that, as the pressure oi' air is in constant action throughout the train, it may at any time be instantaneously applied; and in the event of the ordinary screw or chain couplings breaking, so that the train becomes disconnected while running, the airpressure on the upper side of `the pistons being withdrawn by escaping through the broken air-pipes causes the brakes on each section of the broken train to be simultaneously applied, thereby stopping both parts of the train.

Fig. 7, Sheet 4, is a side elevation of a railway-carriage (running on bogies, and having a doorway through each end) to which our invention is shown applied. Fig. 8 is an end elevation of Fig. l. As the doorway prevents the application of a single cylinder at the center of each end of the carriage, as shown on Sheet 3, two cylinders are used, one at each side of either doorway, each cylinder having y reservoir, B, communicating therewith, piston to both sides of which air is admitted under pressure, and an outlet in the cylin der through which the air may pass from one side of the piston, all as described.

2. The combination of the cylinder A, opening w, screw o provided with a thimble, d, and a pipe having a T-head confined to the mouth of the opening by the screw, as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the,presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES STEEL. [L. JOHN MCINNES. [L.

Witnesses:

EDWARD FISHER BAMBER, JOHN CLARK.

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