Patent GB-453526-A (GB)
Title: Method of and means for storing and utilising normally-wasted power in road and rail vehicles
IPC: B61D43/00
Filed: 1935-03-14
Abstract: 453,526. Propelling vehicles. IVENS, T. L., Pickworth Rectory, Folkingham, Lincolnshire. March 14, 1935, No. 7904. [Class 103 (ii)] A device for assisting propulsion of a vehicle comprises a primary coupling including a clutch for connecting a volute spring means to the driving or driven shaft of the vehicle to effect winding up of the spring means and a secondary coupling consisting of a gear wheel train including a freewheel for trans. mitting the stored spring energy to the shaft. As shown in Fig. 1, an annular flange 3 on the road or rail wheel 1 forms one part of a cone-clutch 4 the other part 5 of which is carried on a drum 6 rotatable on bearings 7 carried by a sleeve 8 slidable on splines 9 on the fixed axle casing 10. A volute spring 11 is connected at its ends respectively to the sleeve 8 and inner periphery of the drum 6 and when the clutch is engaged, for example when the brakes are applied, the drum is rotated relatively to the casing 10 to wind up the spring. When the clutch is disengaged a pawl and ratchet or like locking device may act on the drum to retain the spring in its wound state. In order to transmit the stored spring energy to the road-wheel a sun-wheel 13 is mounted on a boss 14 of the road-wheel with the interposition of a free-wheel device 15 which is adapted to drive the road-wheel only when the spring 11 is unwinding. The sunwheel meshes with planet-wheels 16 (only one of which is shown) each rigidly secured to a larger wheel 17 freely rotatable on a stubaxle 19, projecting from a plate 20 fixed to the axle casing 10, and meshing with an internally-toothed ring 18 fixed inside the clutch part 5 carried by the drum 6. When the spring is being wound the wheels 13, 16 17 run idle, but when, after the clutch is disengaged and the looking device released, the spring unwinds, it effects rotation of the sunwheel 13 through the drum 6 and wheels 16, 17 in a direction which causes the free-wheel device 15 to couple the wheel 13 to the roadwheel. The wheels 16, 17 may be replaced by a single wheel. In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the transmission shaft 21 carries a pinion 22 incorporating a free-wheel device similar to the device 15, Fig. 1, and a pinion 23 which is freely rotatable on the shaft and adapted to be coupled therewith by a coneclutch having one part 25 fixed to the shaft and the other part 26 slidable but non-rotatable on the pinion 23. The pinions mesh with a bevel wheel 27 rotatable on a fixed stub axle 28 and a toothed wheel 32 fixed to or integral with the hub 31 of the wheel 27 meshes with rotatable toothed drums 34 containing volute springs 36 which are anchored at their ends respectively to the fixed pivots 33 and inner peripheries of the drums. When the clutch 25, 26 is engaged, rotation of the shaft 21 rotates the bevel-wheel to wind up the springs, the pinion 22 running free, owing to the freewheel device, while when the clutch is disengaged the springs transmit the energy to the shaft through the drums, bevel-wheel and pinion 22, the free-wheel device being inoperative in this direction of rotation of the pinion. The several springs may be replaced by a single spring the bevel-wheel in this case carrying the spring drum.