Improvements in Power-storing Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Tram-cars
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Oct.. 1890
Complete Specification Left, 8th July, 1891-Accepted, 15th Aug., 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Power-storing Apparatus for Stopping and Starting
Tram-cars.
-I, CHARLES THOMAS CROWDEN of 12, Ennersdale Road, Lewisham, in the
County of Kent, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
:-
My invention relates to improvements in power-storing brake apparatus of the
kind for which Letters Patent were granted to John Joseph Hooker dated
October 3rd 1888, No. 14,227.
My present improvements have for their principal object to simplify the con-
struction and reduce the weight of the apparatus and to ensure a more certain and
effective, and at the same time a more noiseless, action whereby the energy of
motion of a tram-car absorbed in stopping the vehicle is stored in readiness to be
utilized in restarting the vehicle, the apparatus being adapted to work equally well
in whichever direction the car may be running and to apply the stored power to
restart the car in either direction at will, without regard to the direction in which
it may have been running before it was stopped.
The apparatus, like that forming the subject of the previous Patent, comprises
a spring barrel mounted loose upon a sleeve which is loose on the wheel axle, the
springs being coiled about, and attached to, the sleeve and also to the barrel;
friction clutches respectively adapted to gear the one the sleeve and the other the
barrel with the wheel axle for the purpose of storing or applying power, as the
case may be a pair of friction brakes by which the rotation of the sleeve or of
the barrel is prevented or permitted at required times, the connections of the sleeve
and of the barrel with their respective clutches and brakes being made through
oppositely acting sets of gear, the arrangement being such that both brakes cannot
be released at the same time the one always remaining applied to act as an
abutment or point of resistance for the springs when the other is released and
neither brake can be released until after the corresponding part (barrel or sleeve)
has been geared with the axle.
In order to render the action noiseless, I substitute, for the sets of pawl and
ratchet gear before described as connecting the barrel and sleeve with their
respective clutches and brakes, sets of silent ratchet gear each consisting of rollers
acting as wedges between the concentric and eccentric surfaces of the driving and
driven parts to be connected, or permitting free independent relative motion of
either or both of these parts, as the case may be.
The improvement in the brake releasing gear consists in substituting, for the
two levers and connecting links, through which the brake releasing crank disc
operates on the brake shoes, a single lever operated by tappets on the reversing
shaft and a single toothed gear or double bell-crank by which the oscillation of the
said lever, in the one or other direction, causes abutments on the said lever and
single tooth pinion or double bell crank to force the one or other pair of brake
For the brake
levers apart and relieve the corresponding pair of brake shoes.
straps before described I substitute levers carrying brake shoes or segments which
are pivoted to the levers so as to adapt themselves to, and so obtain a constantly
uniform bearing on, the brake drums.
The clutch engaging gear comprises one only instead of two such cams as were
described in the aforesaid Patent as keyed on the reversing shaft and acting as a
single toothed pinion on a forked rock lever. This forked lever operates both
the clutch levers which are connected together so as to be moved simultaneously
to hold both clutches out of gear or to throw the one clutch into, and the other

page_text: clutch out of, gear. To allow the clutch levers to yield after being moved to a
certain extent in either direction, their respective fulcra are situated between pairs.
of oppositely acting springs. The range of motion of the reversing shaft necessary
for acting on the clutch engaging and brake releasing gear to the proper extent
to produce the aforesaid motions is reduced, rendering the manipulation of the
power-storing gear mucli more easy.
The improvements further comprise the application of rope gear for operating
the reversing shaft by which the clutch engaging and brake releasing gears are
operated, instead of using long shafts with universal couplings as before
described.
In this case the reversing shaft is only of the length necessary to carry the
cam and lever above referred to, and two sheaves to which are respectively
attached wire ropes running to opposite ends of the car. The two members of
each rope leading from opposite sides of the sheave are attached to, and wound
upon, a right and left handed spirally grooved barrel the one member winding up
as the other is paid off, the barrel being of small diameter relatively to the sheave
so as to afford a multiple purchase, the said barrel being on the vertical handing
shaft at the driver's platform.
The position of the power-storing brake mechanism is indicated by a pointer
moving over a dial and operated from the handing shaft by epicycloidal gear so
that its range of motion shall be restricted to a segment of a circle for several
revolutions of the handing shaft, and shall correspond substantially to that of the
reversing shaft.
In order to render available the adhesion on both pairs of wheels for the
purposes of storing and utilising the power, the two axles are permanently geared
together by endless chain gear.
Dated this has of Octalian 1000
C. T. CROWDEN.
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Power-storing Apparatus for Stopping and Starting
Tram-cars.
I, CHARLES THOMAS CROWDEN of the Vulcan Works, Guildhall Road,
Northampton, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in power-storing brake apparatus of the
kind for which Letters Patent were granted to John Joseph Hooker dated
October 3rd 1888 No. 14,227.
My present improvements have for their principal object to simplify the con-
struction, lessen the number of parts, and reduce the weight and dimensions of the
apparatus thereby enabling it to be applied to a narrow gauge car for which the
old form of apparatus is not easily applicable; to ensure a more certain and
effective, and at the same time a more noiseless, action of the apparatus whereby
the energy of motion of a tram car is absorbed in stopping the vehicle and is
stored in readiness to be utilized in re-starting the vehicle, the said apparatus
being adapted to work equally well in whichever direction the car may be running
and to apply the stored power to re-start the car in either direction at will
without regard to the direction in which it may have been running before it was
stopped.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
Specification, in which

page_text: Figure is a plan of power-storing car-starting apparatus, partly in horizontal
section.
Figure 2 is a cross-section through one of the double sets of silent ratchet gear.
Figure 3 is an end elevation of the brake releasing mechanism.
Figure 4 is a detail view of the clutch operating gear.
Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams in side elevation and underside plan respectively,
shewing the general arrangement and the connections of the reversing shaft with
the handing spindles at the drivers' platforms.
Figure 7 is an elevation of one of the handing spindles, with multiple purchase
gear.
Figure 8 is a plan of the epicycloidal index gear.
The same letters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.
The apparatus, like that forming the subject of the previous Patent, comprises
a spring barrel A mounted loose upon the wheel axle B the springs C being coiled
about, and attached to, a sleeve D loose on the wheel axle B and also to the
barrel A, friction clutches E E, F F respectively adapted to gear the sleeve D
and the barrel A with the wheel axle B for the purpose of storing or applying
power, as the case may be, a pair of friction brakes G G, H H, by which the
rotation of the sleeve D'or of the barrel A respectively is prevented or permitted
at required times; the connections of the sleeve D and of the barrel A with their
respective clutches and brakes being made through oppositely-acting sets of gear
and the arrangement being such that both brakes cannot be released at the same
time the one always remaining applied to act as an abutment or point of resistance
for the springs when the other is released and neither brake can be released until
after the corresponding part (barrel or sleeve) has been geared with the axle.
In order to render the action noiseless, 1 employ for connecting the barrel and
sleeve with their respective clutches and brakes, double sets of what may be
termed silent ratchet gear, each set consisting of rollers acting as wedges between
concentric and eccentric surfaces carried by the driving and driven parts to be
connected together or permitting free independent relative motion of either or
both of these parts, as the case may be.
Instead of the two sets of gear connecting, say, the sleeve with its clutch and
brake being placed side by side as in the former apparatus, I arrange the two sets
in the same plane the one set within the other, as shown in Figure 2, which
illustrates one such double set of silent ratchet gear the other set by which the
barrel is connected to its clutch and brake being similar and situated at the
opposite end of the barrel, so that having regard to its position the effect will be
reversed in direction.
The one set of rollers I are situated between flanges & eccentric to the axle B
and cast on a disc in one with the sleeve D and a concentric flange e cast with the
clutch drum E the rollers I acting as wedges between these surfaces and the
eccentric segments of the flange d being so shaped as to form chambers within
which the rollers are confined. The other set of rollers J are similarly situated
between eccentric flanges also in one with the sleeve and a concentric flange g' in
one with the brake drum G. The other double set of silent ratchet gear shewn at
the other end of the barrel are similar, the inner set of rollers K working between
eccentric flanges a in one with the end disc A' to which the barrel A is bolted and
a concentric fange in one with the clutch F whilst the outer set L works between
eccentric flanges h on the barrel disc and concentric flanges in one with the
brake drum H.
Instead, however, of using this silent ratchet gear, I may, if preferred, employ
ordinary toothed ratchets and pawls similarly arranged in double sets.
It will be observed that the brake drums G and H are mounted loose on the
clutch drums or on bosses of the clutch drums E, F, respectively and that the
clutch druns are mounted loose upon the axle and geared therewith by clutch
dogs EF radially guided in clutch frames E2 F2 keyed upon the axle B, the
dogs being operated by collars M N sliding on the sleeve of the clutch frame

page_text: keyed to the axle as above mentioned, the collars by their sliding motion acting
through pairs of toggle arms man and levers m'pivoted at ein cars carried
by the clutch frame and at e¹¹ to the radially-guided clutch dogs for the
purpose of forcing said dogs in and out of frictional contact with their respective
clutch drums.
The improvement in the brake releasing gear consists in substituting, for the
two pairs of levers connecting links and crank discs constituting the brake releasing
gear described in the former Patent aforesaid an arrangement whereby both brake
straps are operated from the same tappet on the reversing shaft, the two brake
straps G H being applied by the same spring O through the medium of a yoke P
coupling the brake strap levers. The two brakes, instead of being side by side as
in the other apparatus are at opposite ends of the drum and the whole apparatus is
symmetrically arranged with regard to the mid-length of the axle, as will be
apparent by Figure 1 of the drawings. The brake straps GH are connected
cach to a lever G² H²in_the_ordinary way and the two levers are coupled by a
yoke P to which a central spring O is attached, its other end being made fast to
the anchor lever Q of the frame R which is mounted loose on the axle as before.
One spring thus serves for both brakes and when the one brake is released, the
other is applied with increased pressure. The brake levers are respectively
actuated through intermediate levers G³ H³ (pivoted in brackets mounted on the
anchor lever Q) from a tappet S on a sheave fast on the reversing shaft T.
"
The two clutches E, F, are actuated by the same gear instead of by two sets of
such gear as described in the aforesaid Patent. This clutch engaging gear com-
prises combined rocking segments and single toothed pinion U keyed on the
reversing shaft and acting on a forked rock lever U', as shewn separately in
Figure 4. This gear is similar to that before described except that there is only
one set, the forked lever U' operating both the clutch levers MN which are
connected together by a rod W so as to be moved simultaneously to hold both
clutches out of gear, as shewn or to throw the one clutch into and the other clutch
out of gear.
To allow the clutch levers M' N' to yield after being moved to a
certain extent in either direction they are respectively pivoted through pairs of
links to collars situated between pairs of oppositely-acting springs XX
carried upon a rod of the frame R, X X being the springs against which the
collars bear when the clutches are applied whilst the springs act in opposition
to the springs X X and tend to keep the clutches out of gear.
The reversing shaft T by which the clutch engaging and brake-releasing gears
are operated, is operated by rope or chain gear instead of using long shafts with
universal couplings, as before described. The reversing shaft is therefore only of
the length necessary to carry the locking segment U and the double sheave Y, Y
to which are attached the ends Z, Z, of a wire rope or chain, said ends being
oppositely coiled on the sheaves and running over guide sheaves and around
sprocket pinions on the handing spindles and completing the circuit by passing
diagonally as at Z from the one sprocket wheel to the other the portions which
gear with the sprocket pinions being pitch chains and the arrangement being such
that to stop, start, or back, the car the manipulation of the handing lever at the
leading end of the car is always alike whichever may be the leading end for the
time being. Instead of using sprocket pinions on the handing spindles, as in
Figures 5 and 6, barrels may be used as shown at 1 in Figure 7, on which the one
member or winds as the member 22 is paid off and vice versa.
In either case,
the sprocket pinions or the barrels 11 being of small diameter relatively to the
sheaves a multiple purchase is obtained.
The position of the power-storing brake mechanism is indicated by a pointer
(Figures 7 and 8) moving over a dial and operated from the handing spindle by
epicyclo.dal gear 3 45 so that its range of motion shall be restricted to a segment
of a circle for several revolutions of the handing spindle in order that its position
shall correspond substantially to that of the combined single tooth pinion and
locking segments U and of the tappet S on the reversing shaft.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I would observe that I am
aware that silent ratchet gear and its application in other kinds of power-storing
brakes is not new, but I declare that what I claim is
1st. In the herein-described power-storing car-starting brake, the combination
with the spring barrel on the one hand, and with the sleeve on the other hand and
their respective brakes and clutches, of the two double sets of silent or other
ratchet gear constructed to operate as described, the two of each set being
arranged to work the one within the other in the manner and for the purpose
specified.
2nd. In the herein described power-storing car-starting brake, the arrangement
of the brake drums at opposite ends of the spring barrel and their connection
with the barrel and sleeve respectively through gear permitting independent
motion of the barrel or sleeve in the one direction but not in the other, sub-
stantially as specified.
3rd. In the herein described power-storing car-starting brake, mounting the
brake drums upon the clutch drums so as to economize space, as specified.
4th. In the herein described apparatus, pivoting the clutch operating levers
between pairs of oppositely-acting springs, as and for the purpose specified.
5th. In the herein described apparatus the improved brake releasing gear, con-
sisting in the combination with the two brake straps their operating levers,
connecting yoke, and spring, of the single tappet on the reversing shaft operating
on the two brake levers through intermediate levers pivoted to the anchor lever,
substantially as specified.
6th. In the herein described apparatus, the improved clutch operating gear
consisting in the combination with the two clutch levers of one combined single
tooth pinion and locking segments and one forked rock lever connected to and
operating both clutch levers, substantially as specified.
7th. In the herein described apparatus the combination with the herein described
brake releasing and clutch engaging gear operated from the same reversing shaft
as described, of multiple purchase handing gear as described and of indicators
actuated through epicycloidal gear in such manner that the pointers will indicate
the position and effect of the gear, notwithstanding that the handing spindles
may make several revolutions to one of the reversing shaft, substantially as
specified.
8th. The herein described improved apparatus combined and arranged to operate
substantially as herein specified.
Dated this 8th day of Tul., 1901