1878.] 
Continuous Railway Breaks . 
13 
also to two vertical cylinders provided with pistons fixed 
under the carriage and on either side of it, midway between 
the wheels. To the bottom of each cylinder was hung, by 
a pair of links, two cast-iron cams or quadrants. Each 
cylinder had a piston, the rod of which passed out through 
its upper end, and to the top end of this two links were 
attached. These links were of such form that they passed 
down the outside of the cylinder. Near their lower ends 
they were connected with the cams or quadrants just men- 
tioned, and at their extreme lower ends they were connected 
with the thrust-rods of the cast-iron break-blocks. Thus, 
when the cylinder piston rises, it draws upwards with it the 
two links last mentioned, and in doing this the eccentric 
quadrants roll against each other, forcing the links apart, 
and, adting on the break-rods, thrust the break-blocks 
against the wheels. By the reverse of this adtion the breaks 
are made to leave the wheels. The breaks on the engine 
are similar in principle to the carriage-breaks, but the blocks 
were applied lower down on the wheels, and the arrangement 
of cylinders and links was somewhat different. There was 
one cylinder and set of break gear between the two coupled 
wheels on each side of the engine. 
Upon a train being made up, compressed air may be 
allowed, by opening a three-way cock on the engine, to flow 
from the main reservoir and charge the whole of the main 
pipe and all the carriage reservoirs at a uniform pressure. 
When it is desired to apply the breaks, the compressed air 
is allowed to escape from the main pipe into the atmosphere 
through the three-way cock lately mentioned. The reduc- 
tion of pressure to a small extent by this means operates 
upon a diaphragm 'in the triple valve under each carriage, 
instantly closing a port between the carriage reservoirs and 
the main reservoir, but permitting, at the same time, the air 
under pressure to pass from the reservoir to the break 
cylinders in proportion as the pressure in the main is 
reduced, thereby applying the breaks. By restoring pressure 
from the main reservoir to the main pipes the triple valves 
are shifted so as to charge again the carriage reservoirs, at 
the same time opening a discharge port in each triple valve 
by which the air can escape from the break cylinders, and 
thus release the breaks. The adt of breaking asunder the 
train at any part would have the same effedt as allowing the 
air to escape from the main pipe through the three-way cock 
on the engine, or through openings provided for the same 
purpose in the guards’ vans or elsewhere. 
It is impossible to read through the evidence given 
