{
  "patent_number": "US 88929",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "George Westinghouse's Original Steam-Powered Train Brake",
  "original_title": "Improvement in steam-power-brake devices",
  "summary": "An 1869 invention by George Westinghouse that used steam pressure to operate train brakes, replacing manual hand-cranked systems with a safer, centralized control mechanism.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a system that uses steam pressure from a locomotive's boiler to actuate brake mechanisms across a train. By utilizing a steam-driven piston, the engineer could apply force to the brake shoes against the wheels simultaneously. This replaced the dangerous and slow method of having individual brakemen manually turn wheels on each car to stop the train.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover compressed air braking systems, which Westinghouse would invent later.",
    "Does not cover electric or magnetic braking systems.",
    "Does not cover automatic emergency braking that engages if a train car detaches."
  ],
  "filed": null,
  "granted": "1869-04-13",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "George Westinghouse, Jr.",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/george-westinghouse-jr",
  "inventors": [],
  "times_cited": 1,
  "tags": [
    "mechanical",
    "automotive"
  ],
  "abstract": null,
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/88929/air-brake-westinghouse",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/88929/air-brake-westinghouse/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US88929",
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}