IMPROVE- MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STOPPING AND RETARDING TRAM CARS AND ALL ROLLING STOCK
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Squire, of 6, Wrotham Road, Camden Road, in the
County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer, for the Invention of "IMPROVE-
MENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STOPPING AND RETARDING
TRAM CARS AND ALL ROLLING STOCK."
led the 5th January 1876, and dated the 5th July 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Squire at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th July 1876.
ALFRED SQUIRE, Pianoforte Maker, of 6, Wrotham Road, in the Parish of St.
Pancras, in the County of Middlesex, Pianoforte Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS
IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR STOPPING AND RESTARTING TRAM CARS
AND ALL ROLLING STOCK."
My Invention for improvements will be well understood by reference to
the accompanying Drawings forming part of this my Provisional Specification,
viz.By moving handle or lever F, which works in bell crank E, causes leaver B
to move right or left, as shewn on (plan of clutch out of gear). The clutch leaver B
working on fixed centre moves sliding clutch A into or caught by pinion I which is
keyed to axel, causing the sliding clutch to move round with pinion I, winding up
chain D fixed to clutch A, the other end of chain to spring or block J, passing over
pully or pullies as may be required. The winding up of chain D causes spring H, H,
to collapse, producing great tension of spring power, that power is conveyed to
ratchet or pinion I by rack C working in pinion I, pulling pinion or ratchet round
as the spring expands, causing the carriage or tram car to move forward. The
power of winding up spring is got by the momentum of carriage. The rack or
connecting rod C is brought in and out of gear by bell crank N attached to handle
or leaver F.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Alfred Squire in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th January
1877.
ALFRED SQUIRE, of 6, Wrotham Road, Camden Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Pianoforte Manufacturer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE METHOD OF AND APPARATUS
FOR STOPPING AND RESTARTING TRAM CARS AND ALL 'ROLLING STOCK.'
> >
This Invention relates to improvements in the method of and apparatus for
stopping and restarting tram cars and all rolling stock, and consists mainly in
fitting to the under part of a tram car or similar vehicle a series of bars under the
control of a hand lever within reach of an attendant, one of the bars having in
connection a clutch, and a drum or drums, or a pully or pullies upon the wheel's
axle that a chain can be wound thereon and a spring be compressed or contracted
by the forward motion of the car, such compression or contraction of which can be
employed in conjunction with the breaks that the car can be stopped thereby and
the power in the spring be utilized in effecting or greatly assisting to effect through
a rack and pinion the restarting of the car, the purpose of the Invention being to
take from the horses the first drag or movement of the heavy weight which has
proved so injurious to them.
My Invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed Drawings,
in which Figure 1 represents a portion of a tram car as now constructed, with my
apparatus fitted thereto for the object above described; Figure 2 is a portion of
the under framing of a car; and Figure 3 is a detached view of the clutch appliance
by which the apparatus or spring attachments are actuated.
A is a hand lever centred upon a bolt in a bracket B as a fulcrum under the
footboard C. The lower end of the hand lever passes into and through a slotted
portion of a bell crank D, which is free to oscillate on a fixed centre b. The
opposite leg c of the bell crank, also slotted, carries one end of a horizontal rocking
lever E, whose other end d is forked to encircle a sliding clutch F which is upon
the wheel axle G of the vehicle, in order to throw the clutch into and out of gear
according to the position into which the hand lever A is put by the driver or
attendant. The sliding clutch F is formed with a drum or pulley G¹ to which one
end of a chain is attached, the chain being then rove over a sheave e fitted to the
bow of a spring H, and thence to a fixed point which may be upon the vehicle
or as a clip upon the other bow g of the spring.
When the sliding clutch F is thrown into gear with the fixed clutch catch I the
sliding clutch is caused to revolve and the pulley to wind up the chain which
becomes wrapped thereon. The chain in this action compresses or contracts the
spring H, whose tension increases in proportion to the onward movement of the
car and in accordance with the weight within or upon the car, so that should the
load lie to its fullest extent and the spring be brought up to its utmost limit the
wheels would become skidded and slide upon the rails, whereby the vehicle would
easily be brought to a stand still.
By this
The movement of the band lever A may also be caused to act upon the ordinary
breaks through the rod J, which is attached or jointed to the short arm i at one
end and at the other to the lever j which may form a part of the hand lever A, or
a short arm on the axle pin K upon which the hand lever is centered.
means not only can the spring H be compressed but the breaks can be applied
simultaneously by a movement of the hand lever A in the direction of the arrow,
when it can be locked by the spring bolt l. On the hand lever A being moved in
the reverse direction the sliding clutch F is thrown out of gear simultaneously with
the drop of a rack bar K, whose teeth m take into the teeth of a pinion n, formning
part of the fixed clutch catch I in order that as the spring H rebounds the wheels
M, M, may be drawn round and the vehicle restarted or be assisted to restart, the
power or tension of the spring H being utilized alone or in conjunction with the

page_text: horses instead of all the work of starting being thrown upon the horses as is now
the case.
It will be seen by the Drawing that the rack bar K is jointed to the bow f of
the spring H, and that its other end is supported by a ring or socket pas part of
a bell crank to enable it to be raised or lowered as desired, this being effected by
the rod under the action of the hand lever.
The apparatus is so arranged that when the hand lever is vertical, as in Figure 1,
neither the sliding clutch, nor the breaks, nor yet the rack is in gear, such as
would be the case while the vehicle is running, but when it has to be stopped the
hand lever is shifted over to the line Y, which causes the clutch and consequently
the spring to be acted upon to bring the vehicle to a stand still, and with sufficient
tension in the spring that it will, when the lever is brought again into the vertical
position, have sufficient power to restart the vehicle or assist in doing so. When
the hand lever is put over into the position X the ordinary breaks are applied,
which is necessary when the vehicle is going down hill. The slots in the bell
crank D permit of the required play of the pins without affecting the working of
the parts when they are not desired to be in action.
Figure 4 shows a method by which I dispense with the rack. In this case I fit
the clutch catch as a sliding piece in addition to the sliding clutch loosely upon the
axle, and form each of them with a pulley or drum upon each of which a chain 7, 8,
can be wound one over and one under, as shown, so that both chains are wound
on at the same time, one to compress the spring, as before explained, and the other
to assist but practically to restart the vehicle when the chain 7 is released. The
connection between the two pullies G, H, is by pinions t, u, and y, and an inter-
mediate or idle wheel w which is in gear with the pinion x, a paul y being on its
end face to slide over the teeth of the wheel when the chains are being wound up,
but which engages into it to give motion to the vehicle.
Having now described the nature of my said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,-
Firstly. The improved method of and apparatus for restarting tram cars and other
like vehicles and all rolling stock, as described with reference to the annexed
Drawings.
Secondly. I claim the special adaptation of mechanism described with reference
to Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed Drawings, for the purpose set forth.
Thirdly. I claim the bell-crank and clutch arrangement shown in Figure 3 of the
annexed Drawings, as and for the purposes set forth.
Fourthly. I claim the combination of appliances shown in Figure 4 of the
annexed Drawings and their application or adaptation to tram cars and like
vehicles, for the purpose set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Squire, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Fifth day of January One thousand eight hundred and
seventy-seven.
ALFRED SQUIRE. (L.S.)

page_text: A Sliding Clutch
B Clutch lever
C Rack working into pinical
Chen working onto barrel of.
•Clutch A whewingear
E Bell crank by which Clutch
lever is worked
F Handle for working
Break and Propeller
HH Laminated springs
1 Pinion keyed on tale
JBlack fixed to Underfume
K Connecting rod to work
Breakler L
L Break for working when going downhill
M Connecting rod to work bell crank N
N.Belllrank for throwing rack
C in and out of
fgeor
O Rods connecting break lovers
. L to break bilocks