IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR STOPPING AND RESTARTING VEHICLES, STEAM MOTORS, OR OTHER MACHINERY
Year: 1880

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Clayton Mewburn at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd June 1880. A communication
from abroad by Claude Goubet, of L'ile St. Denis, Seine, France.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR STOPPING
AND RESTARTING VEHICLES, STEAM MOTORS, OR OTHER MACHINERY." A com-
munication from abroad by Claude Goubet, of L'ile St. Denis, Seine, France.
In the brakes or mechanism hitherto employed for stopping or diminishing
the speed or movement of vehicles, motors, and machines in general, a considerable
acquired force is lost which could be utilized, if, instead of absorbing it by friction,
it were stored up in a spring capable of restoring it at the desired moment.
It is
upon this principle that the present Invention is based, and the improvements
consist in the special mechanism hereinafter described, by which the winding up
and unwinding of the spring are effected, so that the power stored up during the
stopping of the vehicle or machine is restored to the axle or shaft upon restarting.
This result is chiefly attained by means of toothed sleeves or collars, which con-
stitute internal mechanism for putting the parts into and out of gear.
The construction and action of the improved mechanism will be understood from
the following description thereof.
The axle or shaft (which may be the axle of a vehicle or the driving shaft of an
engine) has a boss mounted loosely thereon; to this boss one end of the spring for
storing up the power is connected by means of a dovetail groove. The boss has
two circular and concentric sets of ratchet teeth, the first consisting of a considerable
number of teeth, the second of 4 teeth. The boss is enclosed by means of a cover
within a box-pulley which receives the other end of the above named spring, and
is also loose on the axle and on the boss. The box-pulley is formed with a set of
teeth gearing with a toothed sleeve which is keyed on the axle, but is capable of
sliding thereon, and is kept in contact with the box-pulley by means of a spiral
spring. On the boss is a sleeve with teeth similar to the first set on the boss; this
sleeve carries two cams which, when a lever hereinafter referred to is moved in the
one direction, will allow the two sets of teeth to be put into contact by means of a
spiral spring. When the said lever is moved another sleeve with 4 teeth, by means
of a like arrangement of cams and another coiled spring, will also be put in contact
with the second set of teeth on the boss. This last named sleeve is keyed on the

page_text: axle and can slide thereon. The lever is fixed to a case enclosing the parts of the
mechanism and carrying internal cams which allow the two toothed sleeves to
advance when the lever is moved. The sleeve which takes into the first set of
teeth on the boss can be displaced longitudinally but cannot turn, because it is held
by a lever fixed to the vehicle or machine, as well as by a cam washer on the other
sleeve.
Around the box pulley before described is carried a spring strap acting as a
brake; one end is fixed to part of the vehicle or machine, and the other end to the
actuating rod and to the lever first herein before named.
Having described the construction of the parts of the mechanism I will now
explain the action when the mechanism is fitted to a vehicle, for example. As the
vehicle travels all the parts revolve, except the the 4 toothed sleeve and the cam
washer. When it is required to stop the vehicle, the driver or conductor, by
means of any suitable connecting piece, moves the lever to which the brake strap
on the box pulley is connected. But before the brake acts the first sleeve on the
boss, in consequence of the movement of the said lever, is put into contact with the
first set of teeth on the boss; then after a calculated travel of the lever the other
sleeve is similarly put into contact with the boss, each by means of their respective
cams. The following effect then follows:-When the box pulley is stopped by means
of the brake, the wheels by means of the axle and by the acquired propelling power,
tighten or wind up the spring which is within the pulley, and this by means of the
four toothed sleeve. The other sleeve on the boss as well as that on the axle only
move away on the passage of each tooth, being always ready to gear. The stoppage
of the vehicle is therefore effected rapidly without strain or jerk, first by the
tightening of the spring and afterwards by the power of the brake, which can be
regulated at will. For restarting the brake is released and the lever returns to its
normal position, but it first, by means of the cam of the washer, disengages the
four toothed sleeve. The wound up spring is retained in the centre by the other
sleeve on the boss, which sleeve, immovable and remaining geared to the boss,
prevents it unwinding. The spring not being able to unwind or develop itself at
the centre where it has been tightened, can expand its power only at the circum-
ference of the pulley, which thus gives the forward movement by means of the
sleeve on the axle. Then by continuing the return movement of the lever, the first
sleeve on the boss is disengaged by means of its cams, and the mechanism is ready
to act again.
To apply this brake to tramcars the box pulley is fixed to the loose wheel of the
hind axle, therefore the sleeve on the axle is dispensed with.
In some cases a fluid spring with compressed air, or with water under pressure, is
substituted for the metallic spring.

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Clayton Mewburn at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 2nd June 1880. A communication
from abroad by Claude Goubet, of L'ile St. Denis, Seine, France.
JOHN CLAYTON MEWBURN, of 169, Fleet Street, in the City of London, Patent
Agent and Consulting Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN MECHANISM FOR STOPPING
AND RESTARTING VEHICLES, STEAM MOTORS, OR OTHER MACHINERY."
munication from abroad by Claude Goubet, of L'ile St. Denis, Seine, France.
A com-
In the brakes or mechanism hitherto employed for stopping or diminishing
the speed or movement of vehicles, motors, and machines in general, a considerable
acquired force is lost which could be utilized, if, instead of absorbing it by friction,
it were stored up in a spring capable of restoring it at the desired moment. It is
upon this principle that the present Invention is based, and the improvements
consist in the special mechanism hereinafter described, by which the winding up
and unwinding of the spring are effected, so that the power stored up during the
stopping of the vehicle or machine is restored to the axle or shaft upon restarting.
This result is chiefly attained by means of toothed sleeves or collars, which con-
stitute internal mechanism for putting the parts into and out of gear.
The construction and action of the improved mechanism will be understood from
the following description thereof.
The axle or shaft (which may be the axle of a vehicle or the driving shaft of an
engine) has a boss mounted loosely thereon; to this boss one end of the spring for
storing up the power is connected by means of a dovetail groove. The boss has
two circular and concentric sets of ratchet teeth, the first consisting of a considerable
number of teeth, the second of 4 teeth. The boss is enclosed by means of a cover
within a box-pulley which receives the other end of the above named spring, and
is also loose on the axle and on the boss. The box-pulley is formed with a set of
teeth gearing with a toothed sleeve which is keyed on the axle, but is capable of
sliding thereon, and is kept in contact with the box-pulley by means of a spiral
spring. On the boss is a sleeve with teeth similar to the first set on the boss; this
sleeve carries two cams which, when a lever hereinafter referred to is moved in the
one direction, will allow the two sets of teeth to be put into contact by means of a
spiral spring. When the said lever is moved another sleeve with 4 teeth, by means
of a like arrangement of cains and another coiled spring, will also be put in contact
with the second set of teeth on the boss. This last named sleeve is keyed on the

page_text: axle and can slide thereon. The lever is fixed to a case enclosing the parts of the
mechanism and carrying internal cams which allow the two toothed sleeves to
advance when the lever is moved. The sleeve which takes into the first set of
teeth on the boss can be displaced longitudinally but cannot turn, because it is held
by a lever fixed to the vehicle or machine, as well as by a cam washer on the other
sleeve.
Around the box pulley before described is carried a spring strap acting as a
brake; one end is fixed to part of the vehicle or machine, and the other end to the
actuating rod and to the lever first herein before named.
Having described the construction of the parts of the mechanism I will now
explain the action when the mechanism is fitted to vehicle, for example. As the
vehicle travels all the parts revolve, except the the 4 toothed sleeve and the cam
washer. When it is required to stop the vehicle, the driver or conductor, by
means of any suitable connecting piece, moves the lever to which the brake strap
on the box pulley is connected. But before the brake acts the first sleeve on the
boss, in consequence of the movement of the said lever, is put into contact with the
first set of teeth on the boss; then after a calculated travel of the lever the other
sleeve is similarly put into contact with the boss, each by means of their respective
cams. The following effect then follows:-When the box pulley is stopped by means
of the brake, the wheels by means of the axle and by the acquired propelling power,
tighten or wind up the spring which is within the pulley, and this by means of the
four toothed sleeve. The other sleeve on the boss as well as that on the axle only
move away on the passage of each tooth, being always ready to gear. The stoppage
of the vehicle is therefore effected rapidly without strain or jerk, first by the
tightening of the spring and afterwards by the power of the brake, which can be
regulated at will. For restarting the brake is released and the lever returns to its
normal position, but it first, by means of the cam of the washer, disengages the
four toothed sleeve. The wound up spring is retained in the centre by the other
sleeve on the boss, which sleeve, immovable and remaining geared to the boss,
prevents it unwinding. The spring not being able to unwind or develop itself at
the centre where it has been tightened, can expand its power only at the circum-
ference of the pulley, which thus gives the forward movement by means of the
sleeve on the axle. Then by continuing the return movement of the lever, the first
sleeve on the boss is disengaged by means of its cams, and the mechanism is ready
to act again.
To apply this brake to tramcars the box pulley is fixed to the loose wheel of the
hind axle, therefore the sleeve on the axle is dispensed with.
In some cases a fluid spring with compressed air, or with water under pressure, is
substituted for the metallic spring.