Improved Pneumatic Brake and Power Accumulating Apparatus for Vehicles.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 29th July, 1893
Complete Specification Left, 29th May, 1894-Accepted, 28th July, 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Pneumatic Brake and Power Accumulating Apparatus for
Vehicles.
BENJAMIN ROUND Engineer No. 12 Ernest Road, Hermit Road, Canning
Town Essex do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention consists of a combined carriage and engines mounted upon axles
and two or more wheels.
The said carriage to be in any form required, as tram car, omnibus, waggon, or
other vehicle.
The frame (and some other parts) of such carriage to be hollow or tubular, and
made of iron, steel or other suitable material, thus forming an air chamber or
chambers, for receiving and reserving air forced in by the aforesaid engines when
on a downward grade, thus retarding the velocity of carriage, and accumulating
power, to be used for propelling or assisting to propel the said carriage on an
upward grade.
The aforesaid engines to be affixed to frame of carriage, and consist of two or
more cylinders, with pistons, piston rods, and connecting rods connecting piston.
rods, with crank wheels, or crank shaft.
The pistons in said cylinders, made to act as air compressors when on down
grade, and as compressed air driven engines on an upward grade, or when needed.
The crank wheels or crank shaft of engines, to be connected to carriage wheels
or axle by toothed or chain gear.
Reversing and regulating gear to be placed under the easy control of the
attendant.
Stationary portable, or other engines to be used, for the supply of air at the
required pressure, and fixel or otherwise at the most convenient places.
Dated this 29th day of July 1893.
Improved Pneumatic Brake and Power Accumulating Apparatus for
Vehicles.
I BENJAMIN ROUND late of 12 Ernest Road, Hermit Road Canning Town
and now of 24 Seymour Street East Hain in the County of Essex 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:-
The objects of my invention are to obtain motive and brake power from the
motion and momentum of vehicles and to so construct such vehicles on which my
arrangement of mechanism is employed that portions of the framework shall form
receivers or accumulators in which a certain amount of power is stored after being
obtained by means hereafter described and in order to more clearly indicate the
nature of my said invention I shall refer to the sheet of drawings attached to this
Specification and to the figures and letters of reference thereon and these figures
[Pilt

page_text: shew how my invention may be applied to a road vehicle for passengers built after
the manner of an omnibus and adapted to be drawn by horses but I have only
delineated such portions of the framework or body as are necessary to explain the
means which I employ.
Figure 1. is a longitudinal section through the air pump or engine, (partly in
elevation).
Figure 2. is an elevation of the inner face of the cylinder cover and valve chest.
Figure 3. is an elevation of part of the frame and body of a vehicle fitted with
my apparatus and storage tubes and
Figure 4. is a plan of one end of same shewing position of engines or pumps
connections to storage tubes &c.
In carrying out my said invention I attach to the wheels A. A. or form upon
them cogwheels B. into which gear pinions C, one on either side of the vehicle
secured to sleeves which are mounted loosely on a shaft I) rotating in suitable
bearings on any convenient part of the body of the vehicle, on this shaft are also
other sleeves with feathers for the purpose of throwing the mechanism in or out of
gear by allowing the shaft to rotate or remain stationary (or other well known
means may be employed for this purpose).
On the shaft D'I secure a pair of cranks E. E at right angles and connected to
the end of the piston rod G. by rod F attached to piston H working in the
cylinder I through stuffing box J in end cover.
I construct my air engine and pump in the manner as shewn generally by
drawings Figures 1 and 2 but do not bind myself to the actual form therein set
forth and in the construction so delineated I is a cylinder in which works a
piston H.
At each end of this cylinder I secure by bolts or the like a cover or block
containing within it an upper and a lower circular drop valve (or its equivalent) K
and K' respectively resting normally on metal seatings L. L' the lower one L'
being screwed in from below; ports M and M' communicate with the cylinder at
each end thereof.
In the top of the cylinder I form air passages with ports O. O controlled by a
slide valve P. and the usual link gear, over the upper valves K are ports Q com-
municating with pipes R leading to the receivers or storage tubes S. S. s. s and I
may employ for this purpose metal tubes of various diameters (forming the chief
framing of the vehicle) in place of ordinary receivers or cylinders in which
compressed air is usually stored.
The action of my apparatus is as follows. When the vehicle descends an incline
(or if desired whilst travelling along an ordinary level by horse or other power)
the rotating shaft D may be thrown into gear with the pinions C normally rotating
idly with the cogwheel B on wheel A of vehicle, the piston is thus set in motion by
piston rod G connecting rod F and crank E secured to shaft D and air is then
drawn into cylinder at each end alternately through lower valves K and ports M
and on the return stroke is forced out through upper valves K and ports M and Q
into the pipes R and storage tubes S. S. s. s the slide valve P being at rest and
closing the ports and passages O. O in the top of the cylinder.
When the momentum of the vehicle is no longer sufficient to cause the piston to
force more air through the valves K the air pump acts as a brake or retarder until
further momentum is given to the vehicle by horse or other power (or until the
release of the air) when the air in the storage tubes becomes more highly com
pressed and so made available for use as an auxiliary motive power when allowed
to return to the cylinder through supply pipes T. T. slide valve P and ports O. sc
causing the air compressor or pump to now act as an air engine and so assist in the
propulsion or starting of the vehicle.
Cut offs U. U under the control of the driver enable him to connect or disconnec
either engine with or from the storage tubes on either side of the vehicle.
Pressure guages and safety valves suitably placed allow control of the com
pressed air and an exhaust such as V is provided.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. In pneumatic brake and power accumulating devices for vehicles utilizing
pipes or tubes in which power is stored as parts of the framework of the vehicle 50
as to reduce the weight of said vehicle when furnished with power accumulators
substantially as described.
2. The combined air engine, air compressor and air pump constructed substantially
as hereinbefore described and as illustrated by accompanying drawings.
3. The direct acting mechanism conveying power obtained from the wheels of a
vehicle to an air pump and compressor for the purpose of storing superfluous energy
within the framework of the vehicle to be given out again either for propelling or
retarding the speed of said vehicle substantially as herein before described with
reference to drawings.
4. In apparatus for assisting to propel, or for retarding the speed of, vehicles
the combination of an air engine forming at the same time an air pump and com-
pressor having a direct motion imparted thereto from the wheels of the vehicle
with pipes or tubes forming part of the framework of the said vehicle and in which
said pipes or tubes power is accumulated substantially as before described and as
illustrated by drawings.
1001
POPPLEWELL & Co.,
32, Southampton Buildings, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.