Chapter 83 Be One Step Ahead

A week had passed since the verdict was delivered in favor of the Axelsen & Nielsen Air Brake Company. Poul Nielsen was seated in his office, surrounded by his clients whom they had almost lost to the New York Air Brake Company. He addressed them, holding their attention with his words.

"As you can see from the news, we are the legitimate inventors of the air brake system and the ones from the New York Air Brake Company are nothing more than an imitation. Of course, I have no hard feelings for all of you, in fact, it was an eye-opener for us that we had not been flexible with our deals," Poul said, waving his hand. "And for that, we have decided to give you all fifteen percent discounts on our product. Of course, the contracts that we signed are still in effect, but should you need more air brakes, especially when the government started mandating it, you'll get the air brake with the same quality at a cheaper cost."

"Thank you for that, Mr. Nielsen," the representative from the Pennsylvania Railroad said. "And congratulations on winning your case. We take patent infringement very seriously. We know what it feels like when others copied the invention you poured your hard work on."

"I hope we can push forward on the partnership that we have already agreed upon," Poul said.

With that, The Axelsen & Nielsen Air Brake Company signed partnership contracts with the Pennsylvania Railroad, Baltimore, and Ohio Railroad, the Union Pacific Railroad, and the New York Central Railroad. Where they'll exclusively supply these railroads with air brakes.

After signing the contract, the representatives from those railroads left, except for Moses Corning, who stayed behind.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Corning?" Pou asked, curious as to why he hasn't left yet.

"You know, there are a lot of vultures preying on your company if you are not being careful. The best thing to do is to look out for them and make them go away. You proved that the New York Air Brake Company is infringing on your patents, and with that, we will not terminate our contract with you."

"I'm so glad that we kept it that way," Poul said. "Don't worry, we will be on a constant lookout for now. We know that this is just a start, there are still more of them lurking."

Corning smiled as he nodded his head in affirmation. "Very well, I shall take my leave, Mr. Nielsen. Good luck with your venture."

Corning rose to his feet and left the office. Poul remained silent for about a minute, relieved that they didn't lose their clients. However, he knew that they can't be complacent. There is fierce competition outside and the only way to not get devoured is to innovate.

Poul pulled out the blueprint he had been drawing for months. A new design for the air brake system, and superior to the first. He unfurled it and set it down on the table.

The current air brake system they have is a single-valve system.  It operates on a simple principle: a single valve releases air from the brake pipe and applies the brakes. The brake cylinder on each car is connected to the brake pipe, and when the valve is opened, air flows into the brake cylinder, forcing the brake shoes against the wheels to slow the train.

However, it has several disadvantages. Regulating the amount of braking force applied to each car is difficult, which can result in uneven stopping of the cars. Additionally, the braking force may not be strong enough to stop a heavy train quickly.

But his new design can solve the shortcoming, he'll call it the triple valve brake system. The triple valve system consists of three valves: the triple valve, the relay valve, and the brake cylinder.

When the train driver applies the brakes, the air is released from the brake pipe, which activates the triple valve. The triple valve applies the air pressure to the brake cylinder, which in turn applies the brakes to the wheels. The relay valve ensures that the brake force is distributed evenly among all of the cars, while the triple valve allows for precise control of the brake force.

It'll be more efficient and reliable than the first design, and he can't wait to adopt it. Mr. Simmons may have been stopped but that doesn't guarantee no one will compete with them. So he has to get ahead of them, so ahead that they'll give up the moment they realize just how far behind they are.

Rolling the blueprint close, Poul rose to his feet and made his way towards the drawing room where he'll brief his engineers on his new design.

Poul made his way to the drawing-room, where he found his top engineers, Walter Schneider, and Timothy Anderson, waiting for him.

"Gentlemen," Poul began, unfurling the blueprint and laying it on the table. "This is going to be our new design for the air brake system, the triple valve brake system."

Walter and Timothy exchanged glances, clearly impressed.

"This is quite a breakthrough, Mr. Niesen," Walter said, studying the blueprint closely. "But I must ask, why the triple valve system? What makes it superior to our current design?"

"Well, the current single valve system has some significant shortcomings," Poul explained. "It's difficult to regulate the amount of braking force applied to each car, and the braking force may not be strong enough to stop a heavy train quickly. The triple valve system solves these problems by ensuring even distribution of brake force among all the cars, and allowing for precise control of the brake force."

"I see," Timothy nodded thoughtfully. "This is indeed a significant improvement. But I wonder, what will the cost of implementing this new system be?"

"It will require some initial investment," Poul admitted. "However, in the long run, the benefits of the triple valve system will far outweigh the costs. We'll have a more efficient and reliable system, which will make us more competitive in the market."

Walter and Timothy nodded in agreement, clearly convinced. "What do you need from us, Mr. Nielsen?" Walter asked.

"I need you both to oversee the implementation of this system," Poul replied. "I want this to be our top priority. We need to get ahead of the competition even when there is still no one, and this is the way to do it."

Walter and Timothy nodded in agreement, clearly excited about the project. "We'll get right on it, Mr. Nielsen," Timothy said.

Poul smiled. "You two are my best engineers in the company, I believe that you can make this a reality. If you have any questions about the technicalities of the triple valve system, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Understood, Mr. Nielsen," Walter said. "By the way, sir, are these already patented?"

"Not yet, I still need to fill out the application form," Poul replied. "Also, the heating system and the suspension system that you two invented were a great addition to the company."

"Thank you, Mr. Nielsen," Timothy and Walter intoned together.

"Do either of you have any questions?"

"Is this going to be more expensive than our current system?" Timothy asked.

"About five dollars more expensive but that will be fine as I made the design compatible with our current system, making it easier for us to implement it on the trains we already retrofitted."

"I see, in that case, we will work on this project together, along with our teams," Jonathan said.

"Thank you, I'll be back at my office," Poul said.