[Illustration: ELEVATION.]
[Illustration: PLAN.
ACHARD'S ELECTRIC BRAKE--EASTERN RAILWAY OF FRANCE.]
The merits of a brake in which electric apparatus is used, that has
been adopted by one large railway company, and is about to be used on
the State railways, as well as the fact that arrangements are being
made to introduce it in England, demand consideration. It may be that
modifications will, under different circumstances, be introduced, or
that the system will ultimately be found too cumbersome or too
delicate, but before criticism it is necessary to know something of
the apparatus. We therefore endeavor to give somewhat in detail the
arrangement adopted by M.L. Regray, chief engineer of the Chemin de
Fer de l'Est, the electrical system being that of M. Achard. An
electro-magnet, A, is suspended on a hinged axis, so that the poles of
the magnet have for armatures cylinders of metal fixed upon the axle
of the carriage. Suppose now the poles, D D, of the magnet brought
into contact with the revolving armatures, the friction between them
causes the magnet to revolve. The chain attached to the brake is fixed
to the extended axle of the magnet, and consequently when that axle
revolves is wound up, bringing the brakes upon the wheels. The
friction between the poles and the armature depends upon the strength
of the magnet, and this can be regulated at will from a maximum to a
minimum. But it will be well to trace the whole action. The electric
current may be obtained by means of Planté secondary cells charged by
Daniell's cells--in other words, one or two Daniell's cells are
constantly in action charging three or six Planté cells, and it is the
Planté cells that are called into action to electrify the magnet. The
battery is carried in a box in the brake van. The engineers, however,
seem to prefer that the current be obtained by means of a small Gramme
machine, driven direct by a Brotherhood three-cylinder engine, the
steam for which is obtained from the locomotive. The velocity and
hence the current of the Gramme machine can be regulated, and so the
action of the brakes. M. Achard prefers the Planté cells; he informs
us that he has tried the Faure battery, but the results obtained were
not satisfactory. The regulator, R², consists of a cylinder of wood
around which, as shown, wire is wound. The length of this wire in the
circuit, increasing as it does the resistance of the circuit,
determines the current to the electro-magnet. The action is as
follows: When it is necessary to apply the brakes, a simple pressure
of a key or the turn of a handle sends the electric current into the
wires of the electro-magnet. An attraction immediately takes place,
and the poles and armatures are brought into contact. The friction
between these causes the revolution of the magnet, the winding of the
chain around the axle, and the application of the brakes. The whole of
the brakes of the train enter into action at one and the same time.
The brakes are taken off by stopping the current, and a small spring
pulls and keeps the magnet from the armatures. A frame--also
carriages--fitted with this brake, are shown by the Compagnie des
Chemins de Fer de l'Est, which company also shows several other pieces
of interesting apparatus, one of which is a carriage fitted with
elaborate mechanism, in which electricity plays, perhaps, but a
subsidiary part, to obtain the traction of the train under varying
circumstances, the pressure on the buffers when stopping, and various
phenomena connected with the engine.--_The Engineer._
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