CONTINUOUS BAILAVAY BRAKES. 



173 



the classification which may bo stiitahlo for continuous brakes. 

 Tho writer has before referred to the groat number of brake 

 mochniiisma which have been invented. In a paper on tho 

 ' GlaHsiJicaiion of Gontinwnis Railway Ihahes" read at tlio 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, on December 2nd. last, by the 

 author, an attempt was made by him to classify continuous 

 brake mechanisms in a systematic manner ; and though the 

 classification of continuous railway brakes was mainly dealt 

 with, that of sectional brakes was likewise incidentally 

 discussed. 



Tho facts which led to tho method of classification 

 eventually adopted, — facts by which no one who has gone 

 into tho question of railway brakes can fail to have been 

 3',raok, — arc Very briefly summarized, as follows : — 



1. The very large number of brake mechanisms invented, 

 including sectional and continuous brakes. 



2. The limited number of different principles underlying 

 the action of the mechanisms to bo found. 



3. Tho obvious family resemblance to be discovered 

 between the mechanisms in a group, when classified accord- 

 ing to tho principles upon which their action was based. 



4. That whatever the classification adopted may be by 

 different writers, one line of division will be found common 

 to all systems of classification proposed, which separates 

 brakes which are sectional, or only applied to certain vans 

 placed at front, middle, and rear of a, train, at best, and more 

 usually to front and rear van only, and continuous brakes, 

 which are applied to every vehicle throughout the lougth 

 of the train. Among continuous brakes, another natural 

 line of division is suggested by the " a " and " h " conditions 

 of tho Board of Trade requirements, namely, tho division 

 of thorn into " simple " continuous brakes, complying with 

 condition " a" of the circular; and "automatic " continuous 



