Improvements in or connected with Brake Apparatus for Vehicles such as Tramcars and Omnibuses.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 18th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 19th Nov., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Brake Apparatus for Vehicles
such as Tramcars and Omnibuses.
I, FREDERICK CARRINGTON PHILLIPS, of Hotel Continental, Rue Castiglioni,
Paris, France, Electrical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
Vehicles such as tram-cars and omnibuses are usually provided with brake
apparatus comprising brake blocks or other devices arranged to be pressed by the
action of the driver or conductor of the vehicle into close contact with the
periphery of the car wheels or axles or with drums or projections attached to
the wheel or axle. Now my invention has reference to the use in conjunction
with brake apparatus of this kind, of brake actuating mechanism adapted to be
operated from one or all of the car axles and so constructed and arranged as to
quickly and effectually apply the brakes when set in action by the driver or
conductor of the vehicle.
For this purpose the brake apparatus proper, which may be of ordinary or other
suitable construction, is connected, or adapted to be connected at the will of the
driver or conductor direct to or by means of a flexible or other connector, such as a
wire or chain or rod to a drum or toothed ring that is loosely mounted upon an
axle. The drum or toothed ring is driven from a toothed wheel fixed on one of
the car axles, through one or more intermediate toothed wheels journalled to a
rotary disc or equivalent provided with a clamp or gripper capable of retarding or
arresting and holding the said disc, the arrangement being such that when the
clamp or gripper is operated to hold the disc, the toothed wheel fixed on the car
axle will rotate the drum or toothed ring through the intermediate toothed wheel or
wheels and thereby operate either direct or by means of the flexible (or other)
connector the brake apparatus and apply the brakes, and when the drum or toothed
ring is wound up or rotated to its full limit, the disc or equivalent will be rotated
within its clamp or gripper against the retarding influence of friction until the axle
carrying the central or driving toothed wheel of the actuating mechanism ceases to
rotate thereby preventing overwinding of the drum or toothed ring and consequent
damage of the apparatus. The drum or toothed ring with other part of the brake
mechanism are returned to their normal position when the clamp or gripper is
released, by the action of a spring or by gravity.
In one arrangement, the drum and disc or equivalent are mounted to rotate upon
the same car axle as that upon which the toothed wheel is fixed. The clamp or
gripper is made in two parts connected together at one side of the disc by an
adjustable eye bolt, and at the other side by two links each pivoted at one end to
one of the parts and at the other end to each other and connected to a spring if
necessary and to a cable or chain leading to a hand lever under the control of the
driver or conductor of the car, the arrangement being such that when the links are
brought more nearly into line with each other by the driver or conductor pulling
the cable or chain connected to the said links the two parts of the clamp or gripper
will be moved together so as to hold the disc or equivalent to which they are
applied, and when the said links are released by the driver or conductor they
will be moved in the opposite direction by gravity or the spring and release the
disc.
The drum or toothed ring may be directly or indirectly connected to the brake
annaratus
to
davies such as han with projections thereon "adanted by

page_text: means of a lever, or other suitable means to be brought into connection with
the brake apparatus at an early or late period in the rotation of the drum as may
be desired.
Brake actuating mechanism constructed and arranged as hereinbefore described
may be combined with an energy accumulator such as a spring, pawls carried by
the drum for driving in either direction at will the axle upon which it is mounted
(and with or without as required a toothed ring adapted to hold the drum when
energy has been stored in the spring, and a clamp gripper or holding device adapted
to retard or arrest and hold the said ring and to release it as required) these parts
being constructed and arranged to operate as a car starter or propeller and brake
substantially in the manner described and shewn in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to me dated 17 Dec. 1890 No. 20610.
It will be obvious that in applying my invention to an omnibus or other vehicle
having a stationary axle or axles the hub of one or more of the travelling wheels
may be utilized for carrying and applying the brake actuating mechanism such
as herein described instead of a rotating axle.
It will be understood that the inomentum of the car or vehicle in cach case
supplies the force necessary for applying the brakes which operate to stop or retard
the travel of said car or vehicle.
Dated this 19th dox of Tann100
W. LLOYD WISE,
Per F. J. Brougham,
Applicant's Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
:
Improvements in or connected with Brake Apparatus for Vehicles
such as Tramcars and Omnibuses.
I, FREDERICK CARRINGTON PHILLIPS, of Hotel Continental, Rue Castiglioni,
Paris, France, Electrical 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 has reference to the use in conjunction with brake apparatus of the
kind ordinarily employed for vehicles such as tramcars and omnibuses, of brake
actuating mechanism adapted to be operated from one or more of the car wheels
or axles and so constructed and arranged as to be capable of effectually applying
the brakes when set in action by the driver or conductor of the vehicle.
For this purpose the brake apparatus proper, which may be of ordinary or other
suitable construction, is connected, or adapted to be connected at the will of the
driver or conductor either direct, or by means of a flexible or other connector such
as a wire, chain, or rod, to a drum or toothed ring that is loosely mounted upon an
axle. This drum or toothed ring is driven from a toothed wheel fixed on one of
the axles of the vehicle (hereinafter called the car axles), through one or more
intermediate toothed wheels journalled to a rotary disc or equivalent provided with
a clamp or gripper capable of retarding or arresting and holding the said disc, the
arrangement being such that when the clamp or gripper is operated to hold the disc,
the toothed wheel fixed on the car axle will rotate the drum or toothed ring through
the intermediate toothed wheel or wheels and thereby operate, either direct or by
means of the flexible or other connector, the brake apparatus and apply the brakes,
after which the disc or equivalent can rotate within its clamp or gripper against the
retarding influence of friction. Thus it will be understood that the combined
apparatus can be used either to stop the rotation of the wheel or wheels, or to
retard its or their motion as may be desired. The drum or toothed ring with
other parts of the brake mechanism are returned to their normal position either by
the action of a spring or by gravity when the clamp or gripper is released.

page_text: In the accompanying drawings,
Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the application of my brake actuating
mechanism to ordinary brake apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 illustrating a modified arrangement.
Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are respectively an end elevation, a cross section, and a side
elevation, all to a larger scale, of the brake actuating mechanism applied to a car
axle.
Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the line x x Fig. 4.
The brake apparatus proper shewn in Figs. 1 and 2 is of ordinary and well
known construction, but it may obviously be replaced by any other suitable arrange-
ment my object being merely to illustrate how my brake actuating mechanism is
applied to brake apparatus in general.
The brake apparatus shown, comprises a lever 1 jointed at and 3 by links 4
and to a pair of suspended brake blocks 6, 6ª arranged to bear against the
periphery of one of the car wheels 7 of the vehicle 8. 9 is a chain connected to
the lever 1 and also, if desired, to a hand lever as is usual, so that by pulling the
chain in the direction of the arrow a, the brake blocks can be applied by hand
when necessary, in a manner well understood. The brake actuating mechanism for
moving the lever 1 to apply the brakes, comprises in the example shown, a drum 10
loosely mounted on one of the car axles 11 and connected, in the example shewn in
Fig. 1, to the chain 9 by a flexible connector such as a chain 12 that passes around
a pulley 12. This drum is provided with a ring of internal teeth 13 with which
gear two pinions 14 that also gear with a toothed wheel 15 fixed to the car axle 11
and are free to rotate each on a pin 16 carried by a disc, plate or frame 17, herein
called a disc. This disc, which fits as shown in Fig. 4 against one end of the drum
within which the pinions 14 work, so as to prevent the entry of dirt to the pinions,
has a central part or boss 18, and a lateral projection 19 in the form of a short
hollow cylinder having around it an annular projection 20 (Fig. 4). The disc is
loosely mounted on the axle 11 and is held in position against the toothed wheel 15,
and one end of the drum 10 by a sleeve 21 which is securely fixed to the axle 11.
21 is a similar fixed sleeve arranged to bear against the opposite side of the drum.
Surrounding the part 19 of the disc, is a clamp or gripper 22 adapted to clamp and
hold or release the said part 19 as may be desired. This clamp or gripper is kept
in place on the part 19 by the annular projection 20 on such part, but so that the
disc can freely revolve within the clamp or gripper when the mechanism is not in
use. The clamp or gripper in the arrangement shown is a split. ring the upper
part of which is provided with an arm 22 Fig. 5 that is held in a fixed position so
as to prevent the parts of the ring revolving with the disc. The two parts of the
ring are connected together at one side by an adjustable eye bolt 24, and at the
other side by a link 25 and lever 26. The link 25 is pivotted at 25" to the upper
part of the ring and at 25° to the lever 26 which is pivoted to the lower part of
the ring at 26 and fits over the link 25. 27 is a spring that normally holds the
link and lever in the positions shown in full lines in Fig. 5 in which positions the
28 is a flexible connector
clamp or gripper will release the part 19 and disc 17.
such as a chain or cable that connects the upper end of the lever 26 to hand or
foot levers at the ends of the car and by operating either of which the driver.
can exert a pull on the chain or cable 28, and move the link 25 and lever 26 into
the position shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 5, so as to thereby draw the two parts of
the clamp or gripper together and clamp and hold the part 19 of the disc.
Any other suitable means can be used instead of the clamping or gripping
mechanism herein before described for holding and releasing the disc 17 at the
required times.
Thus an adjustable tooth or stop may be provided arranged to engage with a
suitably formed part of the disc.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the car is in motion and the combined apparatus is not in use, the toothed
wheel 15 will by its rotation with the car axle 11 and intergearing with the

page_text: pinions 14 idly rotate the disc 17 within its clamp or gripper, the drum 10. and
consequently also the internal teeth 13 being held stationary by the weight of the
brake blocks and connected lever and links. When the combined apparatus is to
be used to apply the brake blocks to the car wheels 7, the driver of the vehicle
must, by the means hereinbefore described, move the link 25 and lever 26 into or
nearly into the positions shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 5 so as to thereby clamp and
hold the disc 17. The toothed wheel 15 will now by its rotation with the car axle,
and through the pinions 14 and internal teeth 13, cause the drum to rotate in the
opposite direction to that in which the car axle is revolving, and partly wind the
chain or cable 12 in the groove 10" in the periphery of the drum, thereby moving
the lever 1 in a direction to apply the brake blocks 6, 6", to the car wheel 7.
By the construction described it will be seen that the disc can slip in its clamp or
gripper in case the pressure on the brake blocks for stopping the wheel or wheels
be not sufficient to arrest the rotation of the axle. Thus where desired the
mechanism will serve as a means of moderating the speed of rotation of the car'
wheels, as well as to arrest the wheels when necessary according to the pull.exerted
by the driver on the chain 28.
The drum will be returned to its normal position by the weight of the brake
blocks and connected parts when the clamp or gripper 22 is released.
From the foregoing description it will be seen that the force necessary to set
the brake actuating mechanism in action, and to keep it in action can be very
small.
When the axis of the pulley 12" is stationary and the chain 12 is tight, the
brake blocks will be applied directly the drum is caused to rotate. If however
the chain be normally slack or the axis of the pulley be made movable either of
which plans I adopt when my brake actuating mechanism is constructed to also act
as a car starter or propeller as hereinafter described the brake blocks will not be
applied until the drum has revolved and stored energy in a spring. Various
arrangements may be employed to enable the action of the brake blocks to bé thus
delayed. A suitable arrangement is shewn diagrammatically in Fig. 1 and com-
prises a bar 29 arranged to slide in a fixed bracket 30 and to which the pulley 12"
is journalled, and a coiled spring 31 that bears at one end against the said bracket
and at the other end against a nut or collar 32 on the bar 29.
With this arrange-
ment when the drum.10 is set in motion the pull on the chain 12 will first move the
bar 29 endways and compress the spring 31 the elasticity. of which may advan-
tageously be such that it will when compressed hold the brake blocks against the
car wheel with a moderate and determined pressure. When the spring has been
compressed to its full extent, the pull on the chain 12 will be wholly exerted on the
lever to apply the brake which, owing to the brake blocks being already in
contact with the car wheel, will be done instantly.
To enable the driver to throw the spring 31 out of action and apply the brake
quickly in case of emergency, the bar 29 may be formed with teeth 29 with one.or
other of which a tooth or detent 32 can be caused to engage at the will of the
driver so as, to hold the bar 29 and prevent it moving to the left. The tooth or
detent can be formed on a bar 33 arranged to slide in the bracket 30 and carried
by a lever. 34 that can be operated by the driver through a connection 35.**
Fig. 2 illustrates another arrangement' to enable the drum to rotate to a suitable
extent before applying the brake. In this arrangement the drum is not permanently
connected to the chain 9, but to a sliding bar 36 having at one end a tooth 36
adapted to engage with a projection 9ª on the chain 9 and apply the brake after the
drum has been partly rotated. To enable the bar 36 to engage the projection 9-
at an early period in the rotation of the drum, it is provided with several teeth 36b-
and is arranged to be lifted, and a lever 34, under the control-of, the driver, is
provided to enable the bar 36 to be lifted when necessary so that one or other of its
teeth 36 will engage the projection 9 and apply the brake through the chain 9.
To enable the drum, to act with its longest leverage, the chain 12 may be connected
to diametrically opposite points of the drum as shewn in dotted lines in Fig. 6
a
11

page_text: It will be obvious that in applying my invention to an omnibus or other vehicle
having a stationary axle or axles, the hub or hubs of one or more of the travelling
wheels may be utilized for carrying and applying brake actuating mechanism such
as herein described, instead of a rotating axle such as 11.
It will be understood that the momentum of the car or vehicle is utilized in each
case to supply force to apply the brakes which operate to stop or retard the travel
of the said car or vehicle.
Brake actuating mechanism constructed and arranged as hereinbefore described
may be combined with an energy accumulator such as a spring, pawls carried by
the drum for driving in either direction at will the axle upon which it is mounted,
and with or without, as required, a toothed ring adapted to hold the drum when
energy has been stored in the spring, and a clamp gripper or holding device adapted
to retard or arrest and hold the said toothed ring and to release it as required,
these parts being constructed and arranged to operate as a car starter or propeller
and brake substantially in the manner described and shewn in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me dated 17th December 1890, No. 20610.
In this case the connection between the drum and the brake blocks must be
arranged as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 so that such
blocks will not be applied to stop the vehicle until a suitable amount of energy has
been stored in the energy accumulator or spring for re-starting or propelling, the
vehicle.
Where the mechanism is constructed to simply act as a brake actuating
mechanism and not also as a car starter or propeller, the clamp or gripper 22 may
obviously be applied to the internally toothed drum 10 instead of to the part 19
of the disc 17, and the disc be connected, or be adapted to be connected, to the
brake apparatus in the manner hereinbefore explained with reference to the drum.
It will also be obvious that in some cases, as for instance where by means of the
drum, and the toothed ring and its clamp, gripper or holding device just above
referred to, energy is stored in a spring and held in reserve while the vehicle
continues to travel, it may be desirable that the brake shall not be put on at
the moment when the spring is nearly wound up. In such a case, the lever 26
(Figs. 3 and 5) may be arranged to be automatically put into the inoperative
position by a second lever L in the manner and by the means described in my said
former Specification for throwing the driving mechanism of the drum out of
operation when the spring is fully wound up, the said second lever being also
under the control of the driver so that the clamp or gripper can be again
rendered operative when desired. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 7 wherein
the lever 26 instead of being pivoted to the ring 22 as in Fig. 5 is pivoted to
another lever L that is jointed at one end to the said ring. To the other end
of this lever L is connected a spring j that normally holds it in the position
shown in full lines; also an extensible or detachable connector that is so con-
nected with or arranged in relation to the spring in which energy is stored,
that when this spring is nearly wound up it will move the lever into the
position shown in dotted lines thereby moving the lever 26 into its inoperative
position, also shown in dotted lines, and releasing the disc 17. To the lever L
is also connected another chain or cable 28" that is under the control of the driver
or conductor of the vehicle so that by pulling it, the levers L and 26 can be
again moved into position to apply the clamp or gripper to the disc and set the
brakes in action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is:-
1. The combination with the brake apparatus of a vehicle such as a tramcar or
an omnibus, of brake actuating mechanisin comprising two loosely mounted dises or
parts one of which is connected or adapted to be connected to the brake apparatus
and the other of which is provided with a clamp gripper or holding device, one of

page_text: the said discs or parts being provided with teeth, and the other with one or more
toothed wheels that gear with the said teeth and with a toothed wheel on one of
the axles or wheels of the vehicle, the arrangement being such that when the clamp
gripper or holding device is operated to hold its corresponding disc or part, the
other disc or part will be set in motion from the wheel or axle of the vehicle
to apply the brake with more or less force as required, after which the one disc
or part may rotate within its clamp gripper or holding device against the action
of friction, substantially in the manner herein before described for the purpose
specified.
.
2. The combination with brake apparatus for a vehicle such as a tramcar or
an omnibus, of brake actuating mechanism constructed arranged and operating
substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and illustrated in Figs. 3
to 6 inclusive of the drawings annexed, whether or not the said brake actuating
mechanism be constructed to also act as a car starter or propeller as described in
my said former Specification No. 20610 of 1890.
3. The combination with brake actuating mechanism of the kind referred to in
Claim 1, of means such as those shewn by way of examples in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2,
whereby the disc or part 10 that is connected or is adapted to be connected with
the brake apparatus, is enabled to rotate to a certain extent before applying the
brake, and whether or not a stop such as the detent 33 (Fig. 1) or teeth 36°
(Fig. 2) be used for the purpose specified.
atalan 1905
W. Lloyd Wise,
F. C. PHILLIPS.
46, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant..