US775298A - Automatic vehicle-brake. - Google Patents

Description

No. 775,298. PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904. O. A. HARRIS.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

Attornegs Patented November 22, 1904.

UNITED STATES ATENT UFFTCE.

CHARLES A. HARRIS, OF MASSENA, IO\VA.

AUTOMATIC VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 775,298, dated November 22, 1904.

Application filed January 15, 1904. Serial No. 189,104. No model.)

To a]? whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, (humans A. HARRIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Massena, in the county of Cass and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Automatic Vehicle -Brake, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicles, and has for its object to provide an improved apparatus of this character which is automatically controlled by the draft-animals and is capable of being applied to any ordinary running-gear without altering or changing the same in any manner whatsoever. It is furthermore designed to have the present apparatus cooperate with any ordinary or preferred form of brake-beam to facilitate the connection of the apparatus with the draft-animals and to provide for locking the device in an inoperative position, so as to prevent application of the brake when backing the vehicle.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a running-gear provided with the brake apparatus of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail cross-sectional view on the line 3 8 of Fig. 1. Fig. a is a detail perspective view of the controlling-levers for connection with the harness of the draft-animals.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in each and every figure of the drawings.

For an adequate illustration of the application and operation of my invention I have shown an ordinary running-gear, including front and rear axles l and 2, which are connected, by the usual reach 3, with a tongue or pole 4, projected from the front axle. Any

are carried by the rear axle, with front and rear bolsters 6 and 7, carried by therespective axles. Any suitable form of brake-beam 8 is supported upon the rear hounds and provided with brake-shoes 9 for engagement with the rear wheels.

The parts thus far described are common and well known, and as they form no part of the present improvements they may be considerably varied in form without affecting the operation of the present brake-controlling means.

In carrying out the present invention 1 cmploy a relatively short rock-bar 10, mounted upon the rear hounds immediately in front of the rear axle, and from an intermediate portion of this rock-bar depends an arm 11, with another arm, 12, rising from an intermediate portion of the rock-bar. A suitable connecting-rod 13 connects the lower arm 11 with the brake-beam 8, and a spring 14 is interposed between the rear bolster 7 and the upstanding arm 12 to normally pull said arm rearwardly, and thereby maintain the brake-shoes inactive.

Connection is had between the rock-bar and the controling means at the front end of the pole through the medium of a connection made up of front and rear connecting-rods 15 and 16, respectively, which are connected through the front bolster by means of front and rear chain-sections l7 and 18 and a slidable rackbar 19, mounted to work endwise in an opening formed through the front bolster, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, at one side and adjacent to the king-bolt. The rear end of the rear connecting-rod 16 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the arm 12 of the rock-bar.

Upon the rear side of the front bolster there is a vertically -swinging latch member 20, which is terminally pivoted to the bolster, as at 21, with its free end extended to form an arm 22, having its outer end projected upwardly to form a handle 23, which lies alongside of one of the stakes 2% of the bolster and thereby in position for convenient manipulation by the driver of the vehicle to drop the latch into engagement with the rack-bar 19,

' suitable or preferred form of rear hounds 5 5 so as to lock the controlling means in an inl operative position of the brake to prevent application thereof when backing.

Upon the forward extremity of the pole 4: there is a cross-head or cross-bar 2.5, which lies across the top of the pole and is rigidly secured thereto by means of a suitable clip or clamp 26, each extremity of the bar or crosshead being inclined forwardly, as at 27, with a longitudinal slot 28 in each inclined terminal. Duplicate levers 29 are pivotally supported at their middles upon bolts 30, which pierce the levers and are slidable in the respective slots 28, the outer end of each lever being provided with a ring 31 for connection with the breast-strap and holdback-strap of the harness. The inner end of each lever is provided with an upwardly ofiset portion 32, which is loosely connected to the front connecting-rod 15 by a link 33, the upwardly ofl' set portion 32 serving to support the links above the cross head or bar 25 and prevent frictional contact therewith when working across the same.

In the operation of the brake the breaststrap and holdback-straps having been connected to the rings 31 at the outer ends of the levers 29 and the latch 20 disengaged from the rack-bar, any forward thrust of the drafttongueas, for instance, when the vehicle is descending the hill-will tend to swing the inner ends of the levers forwardly as their outer ends are held relatively fixed by the breast-strap and holdback-straps, whereby the connection between the levers and the rockbar 10 will be moved forwardly, thereby rocking the rock-bar in a direction to exert a rearward pull upon the connecting-rod 13, which is connected to the brake-beam 8, and thereby drawing the brake-shoes into engagement with the rear wheel. As soon as the forward thrust of the draft-pole is relieved, the spring 14 acts to automatically return the several parts of the controlling apparatus to their original positions, thereby drawing the brake-shoes away from the wheels,and hence releasing the brake.

It is of course apparent that the brake will be applied when backing; but this difiiculty can be overcome by engaging the latch 20 with the rack-bar 19, so as to lock the controlling apparatus in an inactive position.

The purpose of the chains 17 and 18 is to includeflexible elements in the connection between the controlling-levers and the rock-bar, so as to accommodate for the turning of the front axle without binding of any of the parts of the connection, thereby insuring a prompt and effective operation of the apparatus.

An important feature of the present apparatus resides in the forwardly-inclined disposition of the terminals of the cross-head or cross-bar 25, with the fulcrums of the levers working in slots in said inclined terminals, whereby the levers are permitted to slide for- 1 wardly during the application of the brake, and thereby maintain the proper tension upon the traces, so as to obviate looseness thereof during the application of the brake.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination of a cross-bar for connection with the pole of the vehicle, horizontal swinging levers fulcrumed intermediately upon the crossbar, and a connecting-rod secured to the inner ends of the levers.

2. In an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination with a cross-bar for application to a draft-pole, the ends of the cross-bar being inclined forwardly and provided with longitudinal slots in the inclined terminals, horizontal swinging levers having intermediate fulcrums slidable in the respective slots of the cross-bar, and a connecting-rod secured to the inner ends of the levers.

3. In an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination with brake-shoes, of a cross-bar for application to a draft-pole, a pair of horizontal swinging levers fulcrumed upon the crossbar with their ends offset upwardly, and a connecting-rod for operating the brake-shoes and connected to the offset ends of the levers.

4c. In an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination with a running-gear including a draftpole, and a brake-beam carrying brake-shoes, of a rock-bar carried by the running-gear and connected to the brake-beam, a spring connected to the rock-bar to normally hold the brake beam inactive, a cross bar mounted upon the draft-pole, horizontal swinging levers fulcrumed upon the ends of the crossbar, and a connecting-rod extending bet-ween the inner ends of the levers and the rock-bar.

5. In an automatic vehicle-brake, the combination with a running-gear including a draftpole, and a brake-beam carrying brake-shoes, of a rock-bar connected to the brake-beam, a spring to normally hold the brake-beam inactive, a cross-bar carried by the pole, horizontal swinging levers intermediately fulcrumed upon the ends of the cross-bar, a rear connecting-rod engaged with the rock-bar, a front connecting-rod engaged with the inner ends of the levers, a rack-bar slidable across the front bolster of the running-gear, link connections between the rack-bar and the front and rear connecting-rods, and a latch carried by the front bolster in position for engagement with the rack-bar to lock the brake.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

(JHARLES A. HARRIS.

WVitnesses:

EVA F. HARRIs, GILBERT M. HARRIS.

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