Improvements in and connected with Driving-gear for giving Motion to Tram-cars and other Vehicles propelled by Motors.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Apr., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 25th Aug., 1890-Accepted. 4th Oct., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by JOHN STORER CONNELLY, Gas Engineer, of Plainfield,
in the County of Union and State of New Jersey, United States of America.]
Improvements in and connected with Driving-gear for giving Motion
to Tram-cars and other Vehicles propelled by Motors.
I JOHN THOMSON KING of 4 Clayton Square Liverpool in the County of Lancaster,
Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The invention relates to cars such as tram cars which are driven at varying speeds
through frictional gear by means of a motor having constant and uniform or nearly
uniform speed.
The objects are to render the action of such motors more efficient by preventing
slipping, loss of power and undue wear.
The invention consists essentially, first, in varying the pressure of contact between
the bearing surfaces of the frictional gear in such manner that the pressure of contact
between the surfaces of the said frictional gear increases in proportion as the speed of
the car decreases and vice versa..
Second. In constructing the frictional gear above mentioned of two discs the
periphery of one of which is driven by contact with the face of the other and in
making the face of the driving disc convex.
Third. In mounting the driven disc on a shaft the axis of which is inclined to the
face of the driving disc.
Dated this 12th day of April 1890.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Driving-gear for giving Motion
to Tram-cars and other Vehicles propelled by Motors.
I JOHN THOMSON KING of Liverpool in the County of Lancaster, Patent Agent,
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 invention relates to cars such as tram cars which are driven at varying speeds
through frictional gear by means of a motor having constant and uniform or nearly
uniform speed.
The objects are to render the action of such motors more efficient by preventing
slipping, loss of power and undue wear.
The invention consists essentially
First. In varying the pressure contact between the bearing surfaces of the frictional
gear in such manner that the pressure of contact between the surfaces of the said
frictional gear increases in proportion as the speed of the car decreases and
vice versa.
Second. In constructing the frictional gear above mentioned of two discs the
periphery of one of which is driven by contact with the face of the other, and in
making the face of the driving disc convex.
Third. In mounting the driven disc on a shaft the axis of which is inclined to the
face of the driving disc.

page_text: Figure 1 shows in side elevation a car motor adapted to be operated in accordance
with my invention.
Figures 2 and 3 show in side elevation modified arrangements of the driving
discs.
Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each. In the drawings, 2 represents
the driving cylinder of a gas engine, which may be of any suitable construction, 3 is
the fly wheel, mounted on the usual mainshaft 4, and 5, 5 are tanks or vessels in which
air is charged with the vapor of a liquid volatile substance, such as naphtha or
gasoline, which is used as the fuel to furnish the explosive charge for the cylinder.
In the use of the motor the engine may be driven by successive explosions con-
tinuously and in a single direction, without need of reversing or stopping during the
trip. 6 is a disc mounted on a driven shaft, which may be the fly wheel shaft, and 7 is
a second disc set with a feather and spline on a shaft S, on which it is movable
lengthwise. The periphery of the disc 7 is in contact with the face of the disc G, so
that the former disc is driven by rotation of the latter, and so that the speed trans-
mitted to the shaft 8 is variable by moving the former on its shaft towards and from
the centre of the latter. Such motion of the disc 7 may be effected by any suitable
arrangement of mechanism, for example, by means of a lever 9, which is operated
by a hand screw 10. The shaft 8 is connected to the driving axle 12 of the car by
means of gearing 13 and sprocket gearing 11. The engine as above stated may run
continuously, and its speed is regulated by the driver or engineer who shifts the
position of the disc 7 to correspond to the speed desired to be transmitted, the
nearer the disc is move to the centre of the other, the slower being the speed of
transmitted motion; and as the disc 7 may be set at any position between the centre
of the other disc and the periphery thereof, motion of any rate of speed between
certain limits may be transinitted to the car axle. This enables the speed of the car
to be varied accurately to conform to the load, the grade, and the amount of work to
be done by the engine. The motion of the engine may be reversed in direction, by
moving the disc 7 from one side of the centre of the disc 6 to the other, or separate
clutch mechanism may be employed for this purpose, as may be found desirable. In
the use of friction-gearing of the character described I bave found that the nearer
the one disc is brought to the centre of the other, and the less the rate of transmitted
speed the closer should be the frictional contact between the discs. To effect this, I
may use mechanism of various constructions, three forms of which are illustrated in
the drawings, and it will be understood that other devices may be employed without
departing from the scope of my invention, which relates broadly to the variation in
contact pressure of the frictional mechanism in conformity with variations in speed.
of the motion transmitted. The device for this purpose shown in Figure 1 consists
of a lever and a cam or screw-nut 14, by which the bearing of the shaft of the disc 7
may be moved to press the periphery of the disc against the surface of the other disc
with an adjustable degree of pressure. By moving the lever sufficiently to dis-
connect the surfaces of the discs, the car-axle may be put entirely out of gear with
the engine.
The mechanism shown in Figure 2 for varying the frictional contact between the
driving discs is as follows :-
The working face of the disc 6 is made of convex form, so that as the disc 7 is
moved towards the centre of the disc 6, the distance between their meeting surfaces
is diminished, and the closeness of contact automatically increased.
In the mechanism shown in Figure 3 the same result is attained by inclining the
shaft 8 to the plane of the disc 6. Both these forms of apparatus are generically alike
in that the face of one friction-disc is inclined to the line in which the other is moved
in the act of varying their relative position, and as this construction is desirable
because of its entirely automatic action, I intend to claim it specifically herein.

page_text: In the use of the mechanism shown in Figures 2 and 3, I employ separate clutch
mechanism for reversing the direction of the motion of the car. In order to put the
car-axle out of gear with the motor, for the purpose of stopping the car, I may employ
the clutch mechanism, or the same result may be attained by moving the disc 7
upwardly on its shaft 8, sufficiently to put it out of contact with the face of the
disc 6.
My invention which consists broadly in varying the contact pressure of the
frictional driving mechanism of a car motor conformably to variations in speed of the
transmitted notion, is of very great practical utility. It enables the frictional driving"
mechanism to be used without slipping and the loss of power and wear thereby
occasioned and contributes materially to the efficiency of action of the motor.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. In the operation of car-motors, in which the motive power is transmitted through
frictional driving mechanism, the method which consists in varying the relative
positions of the parts of such driving mechanism to vary the speed of transmitted
motion, and varying the degree of frictional contact between the same conformably to
such change in position; substantially as and for the purposes described.
2. Friction wheels relatively movable in position to vary the transmitted speed, the
face of one of the said wheels being inclined to the line of such motion, whereby the
degree of contact pressure of the wheels is varied comformably to the change in their
relative positions; substantially as and for the puposes described.
3. In the operation of car motors, in which motive power of variable speed is
transmitted through frictional driving mechanism, the method which consists in
varying the contact pressure of such frictional driving mechanism conformably to
variations in speed; substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. In a locomotive car motor the combination with the driven car wheel or axle
and an engine for driving the same of intermediate driving mechanism comprising
driving wheels or discs relatively movable to vary the position of contact for the
purpose of altering the speed of transmitted motion and mechanism by which the
frictional pressure of the driving wheels or discs may be varied substantially as and
for the purposes described.
5. In a locomotive car motor the combination with the driven car wheel or axle
and an engine for driving the same of intermediate driving mechanism comprising
driving wheels or discs relatively movable to vary the position of contact for the
purpose of altering the speed of transmitted motion, and mechanism for so moving
the same, movable bearings for one of the wheels or discs and mechanism by which
the said bearings may be moved to vary the contact pressure of the wheels or discs,
substantially as and for the purposes described.
6. In a locomotive car motor the combination with the driven car wheel or axle
and an engine for driving the same, of intermediate frictional driving mechanism for
transmitting motion of variable speed, and mechanism for varying the frictional
pressure conformably to the variation in speed of the transmitted motion substantially
as and for the purposes described.
Dated the 22nd Anst 1800