lENCE 



[Entered at the Post-Offloe of New York, N.Y., as Second-Class Matter.] 



A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER OF ALL THE ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



Sevknth Year. 

 Vol. XIII. No. 330. 



NEW YORK, May 31, if 



Single Copies, Ten Cents. 

 I3.50 Per Year, in Advance. 



THE WIDDIFIELD AND BOWMAN ELECTRIC CAR- 

 BRAKE. 

 Among the brakes tried at the Burlington brake tests in 1886, 

 was that invented by Mr. W. P. Widdifield and A. T. Button of 

 Uxbridge, Ontario, Can., who had a train of fifty cars equipped 

 with their " independent momentum brake." At those tests it was 

 demonstrated that this brake, in common with all of its competi- 

 tors, developed very objectionable shocks at the rear end of long 

 trains, owing to the fact that the brake-power could not be trans- 

 mitted to the rear car quickly enough to prevent the concussion of 

 the cars closing together. The inventors have now overcome this 



working contact with the axle-pulley C. The pulley e immediately 

 rotates, winding on its axle the chain v, which, through compound 

 levers, w and r, brings the large friction-wheel d in frictional con- 

 tact with the axle-pulley c, and causing it to rotate and wind upon 

 its axle the power brake chain s. 



Only a momentary impulse of electricity is required to apply the 

 brake by turning the switches Z' or Z", as the armatures of the 

 brake-magnets are provided with a ratchet bar and pawl, / and in, 

 which catch and hold the pulley in gear, and with a working press- 

 ure exactly in proportion to the electro-motive force of the current 

 passed through the magnet F, and which can be regulated at the 

 will of the operator. It remains in this condition until released by 



FIG. I. — THE WIDDIFIELD AND BOWMAN ELECTRIC BRAKE. 



difficulty by the use of electricity, which gives simultaneous appli- 

 cation or release of the brakes on the longest train. 



Referring to the accompanying illustrations, Fig. i shows the 

 apphcation of the brake to the truck of the car, and Fig. 2 shows 

 the details of the operating mechanism attached to the different 

 cars ; Fig. 3 shows the arrangement of the circuits, switches, and 

 batteries ; and Fig. 4, the coupling between the different cars. 



A friction-pulley, c, about six inches in diameter, composed of 

 fibre and soft metal, is cast on one of the car-axles. To apply the 

 brakes, a momentary current of electricity is passed through con- 

 ductors B and C (Fig. 3), causing electro-magnet F (Fig. 2), 

 through its connection with spring-lever h, to bring the pulley e in 



the operator by closing the circuit through conductors B and D, 

 and magnet p, the armature-core of which, n n, is thus drawn up- 

 ward, and trips the ratchet-pawl, and thus releases the brake. 



The electrical energy is supplied by a storage-battery of about 

 10 cells, located on the locomotive ; and it is estimated that a 

 battery having a capacity of 100 ampere hours will, in ordinary 

 freight-train service, require charging only about once in six 

 months. In addition to the battery on the engine, an auxiliary 

 battery is placed on the rear cai, in order that, when circumstances 

 require it, the brakes can be controlled from the rear of the train.' 



^ The brake and release magnets being in multiple arc, the power per car is the 

 same, whether the train consist of one car or any number of cars. 



