US19917A - Bailboad-cab brake - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES GIDEON DORSCH, OF SGHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-CAR BRAKE.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 19,917, dated April 13, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GIDEON DoRsoH, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Oar-Brake; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, -and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a longitudinal vertical section of my improvement. Fig. 2, is aI plan or top view of the car bed or platform with an endless chain attached.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two igures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invent-ion, I will proceed to describe it.

This invention consists in combining the ends of the brake levers with an endless chain by which the levers are operated.

A, represents the car bed or platform; and B, B, represent t-he two trucks attached to the bed or platform in the usual manner.

C, represents the shoe bars, with shoes D, attached at each end. The shoe bars are attached to the trucks in the usual manner. To the center of each shoe bar C, a lever E, is attached. These levers are pivoted in sockets F, the shanks of which pass through the shoe bars and have nut-s (a), on their outer ends.

The two levers E, E, of each truck are connected by a rod G. rIhe upper ends of the levers E, E, are attached to rods H, H1, which constitute portions of an endless chain (o). The chain (b) passes around pulleys (o), placed on the lower ends of vertical rods I, attached to the ends of the platform, said rods having each a hand wheel ((Z), on its upper end.

One lever E, of each truck is attached to the rod H, and the other lever to the rod H1, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

From the above description of parts it will be seen that by turning either of the rods I, in the proper direction, the shoes D, will be pressed against the wheels.

The advantage of the invention is, that the shoes are always pressed against the wheels with a limited movement orturni'ng of the rods I, and this movement is always the same, for as the shoes wear the levers E, are brought nearer to avertical position, so that the faces of the shoes are always at an equal distance from the treads of the wheels. There are also no parts liable to derange ment by wear as in the usual brakes. The invention is simple, may be applied with facility, and at a moderate cost.

I do not claim to be the inventor of the brake levers E, having their fulcra connected; for I am aware that an analogous arrangement is seen in the patent of F. A. Stevens, 1851. which relates to the mode of hanging the y shoes. But in the device of said Stevens, a single chain is used, the ends of which wind upon the brake rod; and the result is that when the shoes are released from the wheels, there is always more or less slackage of the chain. Now, any brake is dangerously defective in which a slack of chain must be wound up before the shoes begin to act upon the wheels. Such is the practical result of Stevenss device. Before the shoes can operate upon the wheels, the slack of the chain must be wound up. The most precious portion of the time wanted for the action of the brake, viz., at the instant of alarm, the speed being then greatest, is thus lost.. But in my improvement, this is not the case; for `by the use of the endless chain, no slack thereof is occasioned. The chain is always taut, and the shoes begin to press upon the wheels at the instant that power is applied to the rod I. In itself considered, I do not claim the endless chain (b). But

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Ipatent, is:

Combining the ends of the levers E, E, with an endless chain (b), as and for the purposes set forth, when said levers are hung and operated as described.

Witnesses ALBERT I-IoUGH,

RosswELL PERRY.

Nor do I claim anythingv

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