Patent GB-724152-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to apparatus for hauling vehicles
Inventor: HOWARD ALLAN MAURICE
IPC: B61J3/08
Filed: 1953-07-27
Abstract: 724,152. Apparatus for hauling railway wagons. NORTONS-TIVIDALE, Ltd. July 27, 1953 [July 25, 1952], No. 18898/52. Class 104 (2). A wagon haulage apparatus in which a bogie running on a narrow track between the wagon rails carries rollers which are movable from an inner position in which they are clear of the wagon to an outer position in which they engage the periphery of a wagon wheel or wheels close above the rail from in front and behind so as to move the wagon on movement of the bogie is characterized in that the rollers are outwardly movable in succession so that firstly one or more rollers engage the wheel or wheels in one direction and thereafter a further roller or rollers engage the wheel or wheels in the opposite direction. The rollers 16, 16<SP>1</SP> are mounted on bell-cranks 18, 22 which are connected by links 24 to cross-heads 26, 261 slidably mounted in a central box channel member 6. The cross-heads 26, 261 are attached to the end 28, 28<SP>1</SP> of a rope and operate against springs 30, 30<SP>1</SP>, the spring 301 of which is the stronger. The rope 28, 28<SP>1</SP> is led from the cross-head 26 round a pulley 34 through a tensioning device 36 and a control mechanism 38 and finally round a return pulley to the cross-head 261. The device 36 and the mechanism 38 may be arranged in a pit as shown in Fig. 3 or mounted on an overhead gantry, Fig. 4 (not shown). As shown in Fig. 5, the rope is repeatedly led round a driving drum 40 and an idler drum 42 and then passed round pulleys 44, 46. The pulley 44 is mounted in a fork 48 which can be moved to and fro by a motor 58 through bevel gears 56, 54 and a screwed spindle 52. The effect of movement of the pulley 44 in conjunction with the device 36 is to alter the tension in the rope to any of three different values. When the pulley 44 is in the dotted position shown in Fig. 5 the tension in the rope, which passes round pulleys 60, 62, Fig. 6, of the device 36, is effected by a plate 64 and is such that the rollers 16, 161 are held in the inoperative position by the springs 30, 30<SP>1</SP>. When the pulley 44 is moved to an intermediate position the pulley 62 is raised and lifts a weight 66 which results in an increase in tension in the rope and the increased tension is sufficient to overcome the spring 30 and hence to move the rollers 16 to the operative position. When the pulley 44 is moved to the position shown in full in Fig. 5 the pulley 62 is raised still further to lift up a weight 70 which results in the spring 30<SP>1</SP> being compressed and the rollers 161 being moved to the operative position. The drum 40 is driven by a motor 72 or 74 through a differential gear 78. The motor 72 is provided with a brake 82 and the motor 74 with a brake 84 and the arrangement is such that the drum 40 is driven by motor 72 when the brake 84 is applied and by motor 74 when the brake 82 is applied. A fluid coupling 86 is interposed between the motor 74 and the brake 84. Starting from a position in which' a bogie has moved a wagon and is about to return to pick up another wagon the apparatus operates as follows:-the pulley 44 is moved to the chaindotted position, Fig. 5, to move the rollers 16, 161 to the inoperative position, the bogie is hauled rearwards by the motor 74 clear of the wagon and the pulley 44 is then moved to the intermediate position to move the rollers 16 to the operative position. The rollers 16 encounter the wheels of the next wagon but since the fluid coupling 86 is unable to transmit sufficient force to move the wagon the bogie comes to rest and the motor 74 is then switched off and the brake 84 applied. The pulley 44 is now moved to the extreme right-hand position, Fig. 5, to move the rollers 16<SP>1</SP> into engagement with the rear of the wagon wheels and the brake 82 is released and the motor 72 started so as to haul the wagon forward by means of the rollers 161. The linkage mechanism between the rollers 16, 161 is of toggle form such that pressure applied to the rollers will not displace the cross-heads 26, 26<SP>1</SP> along the channel 6. Limit switches 94, 96 operated by a nut 90 mounted on a screwed shaft 88 driven from the differential gear 78 prevent the bogie overrunning its track. Specification 688,467 is referred to.