US787652A - Car-brake or the like. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

J. N. WEIKLY.

OAR BRAKE OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED D3029, 1897.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

I PAT'ENTED APR. 1.81 1.905.

J1 N. WEIKLY.

UAR BRAKE OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED 13130.29, 189.7.

2 SHE'B-TS-S-HHET 2.

JNVENTOR: fllvrnw /zz's 14170171615, 7

WITNESSES:

UNIT D STATES Patented April 18, 19L5 PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES N. IVEIKLY, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE HOLT FRASER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CAR-BRAKE. OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,652, dated April 18, 1905. Application filed December 29, I897. Serial No, 664,398.

1'0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES N. WEIKLY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Jersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of 5 New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Brakes or the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to brakes, and is especially applicable to car-brakes and brake systems.

In car-brakes it is customary to employ a system of brake levers and rods for transmitting the force from the source of power, ordinarily a compressed air cylinder, to the I 5 brake-shoes. This system is generally carried by the car-body in part and partly by the trucks from which the shoes are suspended. Various systems operating on this principle are employed for both freight and passenger cars, the trucks being generally multipletrucks swiveled to the car-body near its ends and constructed with two essential parts, the one a member having substantially no degree of vertical movement relatively to the wheels 2 5 or track and the other a member normally subject to vertical movement by variation of the load, springs or other suitable provisions being employed for permitting the relative movement between such members desirable 3 to a yielding connection between the car-body and the wheels. The brake-shoes are carried from one of said members and carefully adjusted to obtain the most advantageous position for braking purposes. When the shoes 3 5 are carried from the unyielding member, they can be maintained in the same position relatively to the wheels regardless of variations in load; but when carried from the movable member their position is changed with such 4 variations. In the former case the movement of the shoe necessary to braking is a fixed distance, while in the latter case it varies with the variation of the load, making it necessary to adopt a mean adjustment, so that at only one position will the brake-shoe be advantageously located and at different positions under different loads its movement will vary.

Cars, and especially freight-cars, are built with a pronounced upward bow in the bodyframe for load-carrying strength. As the 5 load is increased or as the car weakens with age the body sags or is flattened and in some instances is distorted or bowed in the other direction, or downwardly. In straightening from an upward bow the distance between the king-bolts to which the trucks are swiveled is increased, and in bowing downwardly this distance is shortened, the variation depending, of course, on the extent of the bow and the length of the car. adjust the brake system to variations it is customary to have inspectors test and adjust the system of each car at regular periods to bring its system into proper adjustment for correctly operating under the then condition of the car. This adjustment is usually effected while the cars are empty, with the result that when they are loaded and the length of their bodies varied by flattening or by strain-0r the positions of their shoes relatively to the wheels changed by yielding of the truck the length of the brake system or the throw of the shoes is varied by the changed conditions,

so that the system is not then adapted for most effective use. It frequently results that in a freight-train, for example, it will require so slight a movement of the piston in the brake-cylinder to apply the brakes on an empty or lightly-loaded car that the wheels of this car will be slid by an attempt to mod- 8 erately brake the train or even by leakage, the wheels being thus soon destroyed, while for a heavily-loaded car a complete movement of the piston will be necessary to obtain a noticeable action of the brakes, and even at 5 times this movement will not be enough to be effective. The result is that different cars of a train are subjected to varying degrees of braking, which is most disadvantageous, dangerous, and injurious, and another result is that the greatest braking power is applied to the lightest cars and the smallest power to the most heavily loaded cars, since the shorter the movement of the brake-piston the less the expansion of air from the auxiliary reservoir and the greater this movement the In attempting to 60' greater the expansion of such air, and consequently the lower its pressure against the piston.

My invention aims to provide means whereby the braking system can be automatically adapted to the varying conditions of service.

To this end in carrying out the preferred form of my invention in its most complete embodiment I provide means for automatically regulating or preserving the position or the throw of the brake-shoes relatively to the wheels, means regulating the position or the throw of the brake-levers, means regulating the length or movement of the parts of the brake system, and means adjusting the throw or travel of the brake-piston, which means while they can be separately used are in the preferred embodiment of my invention combined and used together and are preferably all automatically operated in some suit: able manner, as by the relative movement between the yielding and unyielding members of the running-gear or by the variation in the condition or sag of the car-body or of the distance between the body-bolsters or kingpins and preferably by both in the said embodiment, and I provide certain other features of improvement, which will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate certain embodiments of my improvements, Figure 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing in elevation the body and compressed-air brake system of a freight-car, one truck being in side elevation and the other in section, the car being equipped according to the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View or diagram of the brake system shown in Fig. 1, the view being cut beneath the floor of the car. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation and vertical section of a part of the brake system, showing the preferred form of one feature of my invention, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view thereof. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section of the truck shown in Fig. 1, cut on the line 5 5 in Fig. 6 and looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section of said truck, cut at the left hand on the line 6 6 and at the right hand on the line 6 6 and looking-in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View of a truck, showing a modification. Fig. 8 is a similar View showing another modification, and Fig. 9 is a view showing still another modification. In these drawings the truck is a diamondframe truck in which the brake-shoes are between the wheels. Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a passenger-car with pedestal-trucks equipped with the various features of improvement in a modified form. Fig. 11 is a-diagrammatic plan thereof, similar to Fig. 2. Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary section elevation similar to Fig. 3, and Fig. 13 is a corresponding plan view to Fig. 4. Fig. 14 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the truck shown in Figs. 10 and 11 cut on the line 14 14 in Fig. 15; and Fig. 15 is an end elevation thereof. partly in section, on the lines 15 15 and 15 of Fig. 14. The truck shown in these figures has brake-shoes outside the wheels.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9 of the drawings, A represents the body of a car or other vehicle; a, the body-bolstersthereof; B, the trucks thereof; 7), the wheels; C, the brake system; 0, the brake-shoes; D, the brake-cylinder; d, the piston therein; E, the air-reservoir. and e the hand brake wheel. These parts may be of any usual or suitable construction, those shown being in general of ordinary construction and operation for freight-cars. In this construction air fromthe cylinder E operates the brakes by forcing out the piston-rod f to tilt the cylinder-lever F, or this lever is tilted by any suitable source of power, as by the hand-wheel e, the tilting of the lever F serving to draw in the live-truck lever Gr through the medium of the rod g and to force out the dead-truck lever H through the push-rod h for each truck, a multiplying-lever I and rod 2' being interposed between the cylinder-lever and one rod g for obtaining like throw for each of the live-truck levers. The shoes are carried by brake-beams J, fulcrumed to the truck-levers and suitably suspended. as by hangers ,7. The frame of the truck comprises a yielding member or load-sill K and an unyielding member or sand-sill L, the latter being supported immovably from the journals 7 of the wheels by a suitable frameworkl and the former being supported from the load-sill movably, as by springs M or other yielding provision and being guided by transoms m or in any other manner from the frame Z. N represents the king-pins or other swiveled connection between the trucks and body, and a is the connection between the brake-cylinder or other part of the system, suspending it from near the middle of the body. The dead levers H are fulcrumed by links 0 to the truck, and the floating lever I is fulcrumed by a pin 0 to the body.

In operation the escape of air from the reservoir to the cylinder forces out the piston, say ten inches for a maximum movement and three inches for a minimum movement, which latter isthe length of the leak-vent ordinarily supplied in such cylinders to prevent accidental braking because of leakage. The movement of the piston is transmitted to the shoes, this movement continuing until the shoes are completely set, which arrests further movement, the parts remaining in this position until release of pressure from the cylinder. Ordinarily these systems are set for a nearly complete movement of the piston, and variations in the condition of the brake system caused by loading the car to a greater or less extent than that at which this adjustment is ICC effected changes the adjustment for each condition of the car. Should the system be adjusted for an upwardly-bowed body,'the flattening of the body with load or strain would increase the distance between king-pins, but not relatively shorten the system, because of the like bow and corresponding flattening thereof, while a further downward sag of the center of the body would diminish this distance toward its original extent while also sagging the brake-levers and shortening the system; but a change would occur with changes in load should the shoe be depressed with any sagging of the truck-frame, or if hung from the movable member thereof should they move down therewith under load. The ordinary extreme movement of the loadsill is sufficient if imparted to the shoes to so change their relation to the wheels as to greatly impair the operation of the brakes or vary the throw required for applying them. If the system is adjusted to a heavily-loaded car the changed conditions resulting on unloading the car will sometimes be so great as to tightly set the brakes which were before accurately adjusted and generally will so change the system that the brakes will set with no piston movement at all or with the minimum of piston movement, and consequently with the maximum of force for an empty car. If the brakes are properly adjusted for an empty car, they will be so disarranged when the car is heavily loaded that the maximum movement of the piston may be required to apply them, and even then this may be insufiicient to apply them at all, while in any case it has the disadvantage that with the maximum movement of the piston there is the minimum of braking power because of of the greater expansion of air, and this minimum is frequently insuflicient to effectively brake a heavily-loaded car.

My invention provides for availing of the difl'erence in braking powers between degrees of movement of the piston, so that the greater power can be automatically availed of for the case where needed and the lesser powers for cases where they will sufiice, and it also provides for automatically regulating or adjusting the system and its several parts to modify the effectiveness or condition of the brake system to correspond with the circumstances of use. According to the preferred form of my invention I provide three means for effecting the automatic adjustment of the brake mechanism to correspond with the varying conditions of the car and combine these three, so that they shall act jointly and in proper relation and each contribute toward compensating for changes incident to the various conditions of use. One of these features provides for regulating the brake system to correspond with variations in the length of the distance between the king-bolts caused by fiattening or sagging of the car-body. According to the preferred means for eflecting this result my invention provides mechanism automatically lengthening the brake system with the lengthening of such distance and shortening such system with the diminishing of such distance. This may be accomplished in various ways and in any suitable manner. the simple expedient shown for purposes of illustration consisting of a chain, cable, or other connection P, fastened at its ends to remote parts of the body A-as, for example, to books 19 on the bolsters a and wound around a drum Q, carried by the car in any suitable manner, as from the frame. (1 for the floating lever I, which drum carries a large gear R and is turned in one direction in opposition to the strain of the connection P by an adjustable'spring r. A pinion S, mounted on the fulcrum 0 of the lever I, meshes with the gear R and is fixed to a cam s, forming part of this pin eccentric to the axis thereof and constituting a movable or adjustable fulcrum for the lever. The connection is adjusted by screwing in or out the hooks p or in any suitable way. In operation for. an upwardly-bowed body like that shown the system or levers are so adjusted that when the cam sis in one position the length of the system will be suitable to the then distance between the king-pins in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the minimum distancein which the length of the system will be the minimum length. Then as the body straightens out the connection, which has been straight under the tension of the spring 9, will be elongated, slightly turning the drum Q. This movement multiplied by the gear R will be transmitted through the gear S to the cam, throwing it toward the position reverse to that it occupied when the king-bolts were at the minimum separation. The throw of the cam will be so adjusted that in going from the position of minimum to the position of maximum separation of the king-bolts in the construction shown it will make a halfrevolution. This half-revolution straightens the lever I to the extent necessary to compensate either fully or to the desired amount for the increase in the separation, so that the relation of the brake system to the wheels will remain unchanged despite the changes in the distance between the king-pins. Should the body sag further and bow downwardly, the connection will be itself bowed and further stretched, causing a further movement of the drum, which will be coincident with the reduction of the separation of the king-bolts, due to the downward sagging. This further movement will throw the eccentric toward its initial position, and thereby again shorten the brake system to correspond with the lessening of this separation. Such further sagging may also sufiiciently sag the brake system to shorten it additionally to the automatic shortening. This will be desirable, since the great sagging last mentioned will almost invariably be due to excessive load, and the additional shortening due to downward bowing of the brake system will serve to bring the shoes into'position to engage the wheels with less than the previously-required movement, so that the brakes can be applied with less piston-throw, and consequently with more effectiveness than if they had the full movement desirable for light or mediumloading. Thus the connection P will serve to preserve a uniform relation or, if desired, as by varying the relative sizes of the gear R and pinion S, a suitably-graduated relation between the brake system and the circumstances or conditions of use. Another of these features provides for regulating the brake system or any part of it to correspond with variations in the load either with or independently of the sag of the body. According to the preferred means for effecting this result I provide mechanism automatically lengthening or shortening the brake system or the movement of the piston with the variations in movement between the members of the trucks, or either of them, which are subject to vertical movement, hereinafter called the yielding members, and those which are not subject to such movement hereinafter called the unyielding members. The former may be any part of the vehicle or running-gear which is subject to vertical movement. and the latter may be any part of either which is not subject to such movement or which is relatively less movable vertically as, for example, the journals, journal-boxes, rigid frame, or beams, bolsters, or sand-sills of the trucks. According to the preferred means for effecting this portion of my invention I shorten and lengthen the brake system by varying one or more of the truck-levers, as by shifting its fulcrum with the variations in movement between the load-sill and the unyielding member. This may be accomplished in various ways and in any suitable manner. I prefer the simple expedientshown for purposes of illustration in Figs. 1 to 6, in which the link 0, to which the end of the dead lever H is fulcrumed, is pivoted to the long arm of a lever T, fulcrumed to the load-sill at tand connected to the sand-sill by an adjustable connection or link U, the lever passing through a slot in one of the transoms m and swinging out and in toward and from the lever H as the sill K is depressed toward or rises from the sill L. In its uppermost position or most attracted position the lever T draws back the lever H, so that a relatively great movement of this lever is required to effectively apply the shoes 0 to the wheels. In its outermost position the lever T throws out the lever H, so that a relatively small movement of the latter suffices for applying the shoes. These changes in the requisite movement of the lever H lengthen and shorten the brake system to correspond with the position of the sill K,

and thereby increase and diminish the throw of the piston (Z in the cylinder D. As arranged, a short throw will serve for application of the brakes when the sill K is depressed, thus giving great force, because of small expansion of the air, and a nearly full throw will be required when the sill is elevated, thus then giving a diminished force, because of the great expansion of the air. I have shown the dead levers for each truck thus equipped. -An other of these features provides for regulating the brake system at or by the position of the brake-shoes and for the automatic maintenance or adjustment of such position relatively to the wheels to give the most effective condition of some part of the system for braking when great force is required and to maintain or shift the shoes in position relatively to the wheels according to the braking power required. According to the preferred means for effecting this result I provide devices automatically regulating the position of the shoes or some of them relatively to the wheels with the changes occurring between some part of the'vehicle subject to vertical movement and some part thereof not subject to such movement or subject thereto in less de gree than the other, preferably securing a movement of the shoes toward the wheels with the increase in the braking force required and vertically to vary their position around the axes of the wheels with such variation. This may be accomplished in various ways and in any suitable manner; but I prefer the simple expedient shown in Figs. 1 to 6, in which case the shoes 0 are movably mounted relatively to both the yielding and unyielding members of the trucks to move vertically relatively to both, being shown as carried by slides V, guided by slots u in the transoms m. To move the shoes, I prefer to employ levers W, connected to the slides flexibly, as by links 20 at their long ends, and to the movable sill K by adjustable links Xat their short ends and fulcrumed to the unyielding sill L on an axial pin 00 between their ends. The levers W are shown at the inner faces of the transoms and of such proportions that the downward movement of the load-sill K will be converted into an upward movement of the shoes 0, substantially double in extent the extent of the downward movement. The shoes in this case are shown as below, the advantageous position when the sill K is up and in dotted lines as at this position when the sill is down. The lower position is that of no load, in which agreater movement of the piston cl is required to bring the shoes against the wheels, while the upper position is that of heaviest load in which the minimum movement is required. It is immaterial whether the shoes passing from one position to another move from below up or from above down. As shown, the hangers j, between the slides ICC IIC

V and brake-beams J, carry and move not only these shoes and beams, but also the trucklevers and their rods.

When the means for vertically moving the shoes are required to simply keep them in a certain relation vertically to the wheels independent of sagging or strains on the vehicle or running-gear, the movement of the shoes may always be the same; but when the rela-' tion of the shoes to the wheels is shifted, as shown, the truck-levers may also be shifted vertically. If desired, this vertical shifting may serve to adjust the throw or position of the dead lever, or of either lever, by any suitable mechanical provision. In the construction (best seen in Fig. 5) the elevation of the dead lever will straighten the link 0, and thus throw the end of the lever outwardly. In some cases the link U may be disconnected, so that the lever or other suitable part T will be immovable or removable relatively to the part carrying it, and the swinging of the link 0 will then be from a fixed axis, so that the change in the position of the dead lever can be accurately determined.

In operation with the construction shown the movement of the piston will not be shortened by a merei'lattening of the car-body, the connection P serving to preserve the relation of the brake system to the trucks throughout any elongation due to flattening; but the position of the shoes and the throw of the levers will be adjusted according to the load, no matter what the condition of the body, the action, as shown, being to diminish the movement of the piston with the increase of load. The unloaded car will require a full movement for braking and the fully-loaded car the shortest limit of movement permitted. Thus in the former case the expansion in the cylinder will reduce the braking power, so that it will automatically be brought to a pressure suflicient for braking an empty car, but too small to cause the wheels thereof to slide. For a moderately-loaded car the movement will be reduced proportionally, say, to onehalf, giving a power sufiicient for effective braking for such a car, but insufficient to slide its wheels, while for a fully-loaded car the movement will be just enough to pass the piston sufliciently beyond the leak-vent to render the braking operative and hold the brakes set, in which case the expansion of the air from the auxiliary reservoir will be so slight that the maximum braking power will be exerted, this being the power of, say, substantially seventy pounds per square inch, to which the system is limited on the theory that a greater power would slide the wheels, and

thus diminish adhesion as well as impairing their tread. From this operation it will be by the brakes, that there will be no danger of sliding or partly braking the wheels of a light car or of insufiiciently braking the wheels of a loaded car, and that the several cars will automatically adjust their braking system to changes in their condition as they occur, so that a brake system once properly adjusted will not require the frequent readjustment, inspection, and testing now found necessary.

It will be seen that my invention provides improvements which can be readily and advantageously availed of, and it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular combination of features nor to the particular details of construction, arrange ment, and operation set forth and shown as comprising the preferred embodiment of the invention, since my improvements can be employed in whole or in part according to such modification in combination, construction, or operation as circumstances or the judgment of those skilled in the art may dictate without departing from the spirit of the invention. It will also be understood that the improvements can be employed in connection with any known or suitable means for applying power to the brakes and that the terms piston and cylinder as used in this application are intended to and do include any such means.

A modification is shown in Fig. 7 in which the shoes 0 move from an upward position downwardly relatively to the wheels 6 with the depression of the yielding member K toward the unyielding member L of the truck, these shoes being carried from the member L by levers 1, having slotted outer ends movably carrying the brake-beams J, pivoted at their inner ends on a fulcrum 2 and connected intermediate of their ends by a link- 3 to the member K, so that the depression of the latter is multiplied and transmitted to the shoes. This form is applicable to any construction of truck having yielding and unyielding members.

Fig. 8 shows a modification in which the shoes are moved upwardly, their slides V being carried by toggle-links 4C, connectedto the member L and connected at their knuckles to toggle-links 5, connected to themember K, so that as this member falls the links are straightened and the shoes raised. This mech: anism can be adapted by any one skilled in the art to any form of truck.

Fig. 9 shows a modification in which'the shoes 0 are fixed in their vertical position relatively to the wheels 6, their hangers j being connected directly to the transoms 6, which are fixed to the unyielding member L and have apertured portions projecting below the latter, the shoes being moved toward or from the wheels for effecting the adjustment or limiting the throw of the brakes. The construction shown for this is one of many suitable ways'and consists of a divided rod 7 between the dead and live levers G and H, the ends of the rod having pins 8, engaging inclined slots 9 in an adjuster 10, which passes up through the member L and is connected to the movable member K. The rods pass through the holes in the transoms 6 and are embraced by the adjuster 10. As the member K falls the adjuster is forced down, so that the oppositely-inclined faces of its slots separate the ends of the rod, thus forcing the shoes closer to the wheels. As the member K rises the adjuster draws the ends of the rod together, removing the shoes farther from the wheels. The adjuster is, in effect, a part of the rod, for which any means for elongating or shortening the rod can be substituted. The dead lever is here coupled by its link O to an immovable part. as one of the transoms 6.

Having now described several adaptations in which the shoes are between the wheels and are supported from the unyielding member, 1 will describe a modification in which the shoes are at the outer sides of the wheels and carried by the yielding member of the truck, taking a common passenger-car with trucks of the ordinary pedestal style and the usual brake system for such cars for convenience in illustrating one example of such an application. This modification isillustrated in Figs. 10 to 15, in which A is the car-body. B represents the trucks. C is the braking system. D represents the brakecylinders; a, the hand-wheel; a, the body-bolsters; F, the cylinder-lever; I, the fioatinglever; f, the pistonrod; (Z, the piston; n, the block carrying the cylinder; G, the live truck-lever; H, the dead truck-lever; h, the rods connecting these levers; g, the truck-lever rods; g, floating levers; 2', the rod between the cylinder-levers, and 1." rods between the latter and the floating levers. Each of thefloatingleversis connected by a connectionf" withone of the brake-wheels 0 when one is used at each end of the car. K represents the yielding member of the truck, L the unyielding portions thereof, and M the springs between these. The unyielding portions comprise the wheels 6, their axles 'or journals 7.", and the longitudinal bars Z), which bear on the boxes 6 on the journals and carry the remainder of the truck on the springs, guiding being obtained by the pedestals a, embracing the boxes. The shoes 0, brake-beams J, and connections are substantially similar to those before described. My improved feature of providing for flattening of the car-body here shown is a connection P, adjustably carried from books 7 a drum Q, operated by this connection and resisted by an adjustable spring 9. The drum is carried by a bracket q, fixed on the end of the cylinder D, and has a gear R, driving a pinion S, connected by the fulcrum-pin 0 to a cam s, which serves as the adjustable fulcrum of the lever I, which in this instance is one of the rod 20.

cylinder-levers instead of any other suitable part of the system. feature, as here shown, is identical with that before described, the cam shifting the lever to compensate for variations in length between the king-pins N or to adjust the throw of the brake-shoes or the piston with such variations. In this construction I also adjust the throw of the shoes or the movement of the piston by one of the levers through the movement between the yielding and unyielding portions of the running-gear, for convenience of illustration taking advantage of the axle or journal in as an available part of the latter. Here I connect the link 0' of the dead lever with a movable part, preferably a lever T, which is fulcrumed to the movable member at z." and connected at its short end by a link U with the axle, the parts being so arranged and proportioned that as the member K falls the lever '1" will be tilted, as shown in dotted lines, thus throwing the dead lever inward and throwing the shoe closer to the wheels.

The operation of this The one position is shown in full lines-and" the latter position in dotted lines in Fig. 14. The feature providing for adjustment or regulation through the position of the shoes is also shown in this figure, being best seen at the right and being accomplished in the example shown by carrying the shoes from movable hangers or levers W, fulcrumed at m to the member K and connected intermediate of their ends by links X with the axle k. As the member K descends the link X throws the carrier-lever W outwardly and upwardly, so that it raises the shoes from the position shown in full lines to that shown in dotted lines as the load increases. As the shoes are raised they are brought nearer to the wheels, so that.

their position for braking is more advantageous and the throw required is diminished, thereby shortening the brake system with the increase of load and decreasing the movement of the piston. In the construction shown, where both the shoes and the dead lever are adjusted, I prefer, for convenience, to operate both by the one link at the dead-lever end of the truck, which is done by fuleruming the lever T and the levers W on the same WVith this construction the dead lever is elevated relatively to the connection of the link 0 with the truck, and this elevation can be utilized in connection with the movement of the lever T, if desired, for adjusting the lever. As shown, the throw of the lever T is somewhat diminished by the swing of the link 0, the parts being so proportioned to give the desired degree of adjustment to the dead lever H at each position. The hangers between the shoes 0 and the levers W, may be connected by a rod j. The operation will be as before described, each or all of the features acting to adjust the system to different conditions.

It will be seen that with the construction described the automatic regulation and adj ustment of the brake system and of each of its parts will be aflected withoutvarying the leverage of any of the levers, the adjustment of their throw being preferably relied on and the difference in the expansion of air being employed to vary the braking force. It is generally conceded in this art that variation of the leverage of the brake system is to be avoided as far as possible, owing to the nehicle, of means automatically diminishing and increasing the length of said connection with variations in the length of the vehicle.

2. The combination with a vehicle having a body and multiple trucks, brake-shoesfor said trucks, a source of power, and a connection between'such shoes and said source, varying the length of said connection with variation in the distance between said trucks.

3. In brake systems, the combination with a vehicle-body, multiple trucks therefor, brake-shoes, a source of power, and a connection between said shoes and such source, of means automatically elongating such connection with elongation of the distance between said trucks.

at. In brake systems, a vehicle-body, multiple trucks therefor, brake-shoes, a source of power, and a connection between said shoes and such source, in combination with means automatically elongating and shortening such connection with variations in the distance between said trucks.

5. In brake systems, a vehicle having running-gear, brake-shoes, asource of power, and a connection between said shoes and such source comprising a lever I and rods 2' g pivoted on fixed fulcrums thereto, in combination with means connected to said lever and automatically changing its position relative to said rods with variations in the condition of the vehicle.

6. In brake systems, a vehicle having sepa rated trucks, brake-shoes therefor, a source of power, and a connection between said shoes and such source, in combination with an adjusting device in said connection for changing its length, and a connection between such device and the body of the vehicle automatically operating the former with variations in the length of the latter to shorten and lengthen said connection.

7. In brake systems, a multiple-truck vehicle, brake-shoes, a source of power, and a connection between such shoes and such source, in combination with a lever in said connection and a cam for changing its fulcrum-point and means automatically operating said cam operated by variations in the condition of the vehicle and adjusting such system to such variations.

8. In brake systems, a body A having trucks B, brake-shoes, a source of power, and a connection between such shoes and said source, in combination with a connection P between remote portions of said body, and means operated by the connection P automatically adjusting the connection between such source and said shoes in accordance with variations in the condition of the vehicle.

9. In brake systems, a vehicle having runninggear comprising a member subject to vertical movement by variation of load, and a member having no substantial degree of vertical movement, brake-shoes and brake-levers carried by said running-gear, a source of power carried by said vehicle, and a connection between said source and one-of said levers, in combination with means automatically elevating the other of said levers with the depression of said member subject to vertical movement.

10. The combination with a truck, brakeshoes and the dead lever and brake system, of means automatically varying the throw of the dead lever with variations in the load on the truck.

11. The combination with a truck, brakeshoes, and the dead lever of a brake system. of a movable connection between the free end of the dead lever and the truck, and means moving said connection automatically with the load carried by the truck.

12. The combination with a truck having yielding and unyielding members, of brakeshoes and levers W supporting said shoes movably from one of said members and controlled by the other of said members.

13. The combination with a truck having a relatively movable member and a brake system carried thereby, of a lever T connected to said system and fulcrumed intermediate of IIO its ends to the movable member of the truck and swung by the increase of load on the latter, said lever diminishing the movement of the shoes when so swung.

14. The combination with a truck, brakeshoes and brake-levers, of a lever T fulcrumed intermediate of its ends to the movable member of the truck, link 0 connecting one of said brake-levers with said lever T, and means elevating such brake-lever with increase of load on the truck to diminish the throw'of the brake-lever.

15. In a brake apparatus, the combination with the dead levers, of means for adjusting i said levers independently of each other according to the weight at each end of a car to 1 In witness whereof I have hereunto signed which the apparatus is attached. my name in the presence of two subscribing 16. In a brake apparatus, the combination witnesses. with the live and dead levers of means whereby JAMES N. VVEIKLY. 5 the said levers at each end of a car are ad- Witnesses:

justed independently at each end of the car, GEORGE H. FRASER,

according to the load. THOMAS F. WALLACE.

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