Year: 1894

page_text: I, LOUIS EUGENE FREEDLEY, of No. 36 Montgomery Street, in the City of
Boston, County of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts, United States of America,
Gentleman, 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:-
Reference is bad to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this Specification,
in which
Figure 1 is a side elevation of an electrically propelled street car, a portion of the
body of the car being represented as broken away to show parts of the brake
mechanism;
Figure 2 a top plan view of the trucks and brake mechanism, the body of the car
being shown in horizontal section taken on line - in Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4, respectively, horizontal and vertical sections of the cut-out;
Figures 5 and 6, respectively, vertical and horizontal sections of the sand-box
mechanism;
Figures 7 and 8, like views of the switch;
Figure 9 a sectional elevation of the fender-releasing mechanism; and
Figure 10 a diagram illustrating the course of the electric currents in actuating
my improved brake mechanism.
Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different
figures of the drawings.
My invention relates especially to mechanism for transferring the electric current
from the drive-motors of electrically propelled street-cars to a supplemental motor
whereby the brake mechanism of the car may be actuated, it being designed
particularly for use in case of accident or sudden emergency where it is essential to
set the brakes with more rapidity than is practical with the ordinary hand-power
brake; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter fully set forth and
claimed, the object being to produce a simple, cheap, and effective device of this
character.
In the drawings-
manner.
A represents the body of the car, which is mounted on the trucks B in the usual
The drive-motors C Care supported on the trucks and wired in the
usual way over armature-shafts bearing pinions & meshing with the gears d on the
car-nxles.
The form of car shown in method of applying the current is that of the well-known
"over-head" trolley system.
leads to
In Figure 10, D represents the power station, from which a line-wire
the trolley-wire. The trolley on the car is in engagement with said wire,
and the current passes therethrough into the car, over wire f*, through wires ƒ'

page_text: man.
.0
and ƒ, to the motors CC; thence through wires and to the ordinary
rheostat at one end of the car, whereby the current is controlled by the motor-
Thenee through wires to the switch I disposed centrally on the car-
bottom and the purpose of which is hereinafter described; thence through wire"
to the ground, then to the power station D. Or when the cut-out is opened at
the end of the car described, the current passes from wire to wire, to the
rheostat at the opposite end of the ear, and over wire to the ground.
In suitable supports on the truck I mount a supplemental motor C, one brush of
which is connected by a wire g with the wire, the opposite brush being connected
by n wire with the post of the switch H.
To break the current through the motors CC, I interpose in wires and
cut-outs K K. The construction of these cut-outs is shown in detail in Figure 4.
The insulated tongue m normally connects the post p, so that the current con-
tinuously passes therethrough. The cut-out is housed in the box y under the
platform of the car, and fast to the pivot of its tongue a rod r projects at right
angles. A pivoted brake-bart (see Figure 2) of the ordinary brake mechanism is
mounted centrally on the truck, its ends being connected respectively by rods e e
and with the respective brake-beams. This mechanism being of the ordinary
form, it is not deemed essential to herein describe it specifically. One shaft k
described is adjacent said bar, and is connected by a chain te therewith, so that when
said shaft is rotated it will wind said chain to actuate the bart. On one end of the
shaft a ratchety is mounted, engaged by a spring-pushed dog 2. The pivot of the
dog projects outside the car, and a hand-wheel 15 is mounted thereon, whereby
the ratchet
may be freed after the brakes have been set. The switch 1 is mounted
adjacent the pivoted switch-bar . Said switch is shown in detail in Figures 7 and 8.
The tongue is housed in a box 16, mounted on a pivot 17, which projects through
the bottom of said box. Said tongue is pulled by a spring, and is normally in
contact with one of the posts g² or g². On the pivot 17 of the tongue outside the
box 16, a lever 18 is mounted centrally. Below the car-platform 20, a bell-crank
lever 21 is pivoted (see Figure 9). A spring-held plunger 22 rests upon one armn
of said lever, and is in position convenient to be depressed by the foot of the motor-
man. A rod 23 is connected with the opposite arm of the bell-crank lever, and
runs longitudinally of the car, its inner end being linked to one arm of the lever 18
at 24. A rod 25 connects the same arm of said lever with a bar 26 pivoted on the
car body. A similar arrangement of rods 27 and 28 connect the bell-crank 21 at
the opposite end of the car, and a pivoted rod 29, respectively, with the opposite
art of the switch-lever 18. The pivoted bars 26 and 29 are respectively connected
by chains 30 with the bars 23 and 27. Similar pivot-bars 31 and 32 are connected
by chains 33 with the rods 23, 25, 27, and 28. These pivoted bars are pulled by
springs 40 connected with the bottom of the bar, and operate a sand-box mechanism
hereinafter described. A flexible strap, preferably in the form of a chain 35, which
in connection with the switch-tongue constitutes an automatic cut-out, connects an
arm of the main switch-lever 18 with the winding-shaft k. Said chain is longer
than the chain r, and is not designed to be drawn taut by the shaft until after the
chain has been wound to a determined point, as hereinafter described. Sand-
boxes 41 are mounted on the sills 42 of the car outside the trucks, and from the
bottom of each of these boxes a curved spout or discharge pipe 44 leads, said pipe
opening near the track in front of each wheel. The ends of the pivoted bars 26 are
hent or curved downward and laterally, as shown in Figure 5, and operate as a
cut-off for these boxes, said bars closing the mouth of the discharge 44 thereof.
To each dasher of the car a curved fender 45 is pivoted to swing vertically in
brackets 46. Said fender is connected by elbow-levers 47 with said dasher. A
coiled spring 49 is interposed between the fender and dasher, said spring when the
fender is elevated being compressed and tending to throw the same outward. A
latch 60 (see Figure 9), pivoted on the dasher, locks the fender when elevated.
A bell-crank lever 51, pivoted to the platform, has one arm connected by a pivoted
lever 52 with the peudent arm of the bell-crank 21. A vertical rod 53 connects

page_text: the opposite arm of the bell-crank 51 with the latch 50, so that when the plunger 22
is depressed by the motor-man, said bell-crank 51 will be operated to release the
fender, which is thrown outward by its spring 49 and falls onto the track.
In the use of my improvement, when it is desired to apply power to the brake,,
the operator depresses the plunger 22, drawing the rod 23 or 27, as the case may
be, outward. This moves a switch-lever 18 of the switch H, until its tongue h
engages the post g³, which is out of contact with the wires 10 and 1, as shown by.
the diagram. At the same time, the movement of said rod operates the cut-out K³,
throwing its tongue m out of contact with one of the posts p. This breaks the
circuit through the motors C C', throwing the current into the motor C, from the
trolley, through wire y, the current passing through wire g, post g³, tongue h, and
wire, to the ground. Said motor C is at once set in motion, driving the
winding-shaft upon which the chain wis wound. This actuates the pivoted
brake-bar t, moving the brake-rods correspondingly, and setting the brakes. Should
the motor be driven in this manner too long, the chain to or its connecting.
mechanism would be liable to become broken or disarranged. To obviate this,
when the shaft has been rotated sufficiently to set the brakes with a predetermined
amount of pressure, 1 arrange the cut-off chain 35, which simultaneously winds on
the shaft, and at such point will have been taken up sufficiently to move the
switch-lever 18, to the opposite end of which it is connected, and disengage its.
tongue from the post '9', breaking the current through the motor C³, which at once
stops. The shaft k is held from reciprocating by the dog, and may be released
by means of the hand-wheel 15. The outward movement of the rod 23 or 27, in
actuating the mechanism described, has caused the pivoted rod 29 and the
companions connected with said rod 23 to move in like direction, opening the
discharges of the sand-boxes 41 from which sand is delivered immediately onto,
the tracks in front of the wheels, to prevent them from slipping when the brakes
have been set as described. When the winding-shaft k is released from its dog =,
the springs 4 will reciprocate the pivoted rods and close the sand-box..
This invention in its brondest scope is not limited to the use of the sand-boxes
or fender, nor to the particular mechanism described for controlling the current or,
operating the brake-mechanism from the supplemental motor, the primary feature
of my invention being to provide a mechanism for controlling the brakes of an
electrically propelled vehicle by means of a supplemental motor charged by an
electric current taken from the drive-motors of the vehicle, which are simultaneously
stopped.
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 I
claim is :-
1. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a driving electric
motor connected with said running gear, a brake mechanism comprising a brake
shoe for operating against a wheel of said running gear, a supplemental motor
connected with said brake mechanism, electric conductors connected with said
motors, mechanism for switching the current alternately into the driving and
supplemental motors, mechanism operative from the vehicle body for moving the
switch mechanism, and automatic mechanism for breaking the current when the
brakes become set, substantially as described.
2. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a driving electric
motor connected with said running gear, an electric circuit therefor, cut-outs
therein, a brake mechanism comprising a brake shoe for operating against a wheel
of said running gear, a supplemental motor connected with said brake mechanism, a
shunt circuit therefor, an electric switch, a spring plunger on the vehicle platform,
a bar operated by said plunger and connecting said switch and cut-outs to pass the
current alternately into the driving and supplemental motors, substantially as
described.
3. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a driving electric

page_text: motor connected with said running gear, an electric circuit for said driving motor,
a brake mechanism comprising a brake shoe for operating against a wheel of said
running gear, a supplemental motor connected with said brake mechanisan, a shunt
circuit for said supplemental motor, a switch cominon to both circuits, cut-outs for
breaking the driving circuit, bars connected at their inner ends with said switch,
each bar being connected also with one of said cut-outs, and actuators at each end
of the car for operating said bars to switch the current alternately into the driving
and supplemental motors, substantially as described.
4. The combination of the vehicle body, running gear therefor, a brake
mechanism, an electric motor for setting said brake mechanism, an electric circuit
passing through said motor, and automatic mechanism for breaking the circuit
when the brake becomes set, substantially as described.
5. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a brake mechanism
comprising a brake for operating against a wheel of said running gear, an electric
motor, a rotary winding-shaft operated by said motor, a chain connecting said
shaft with the brake mechanism, an electric circuit connected with said motor, an
electric switch in said circuit, means for operating said motor, and a flexible strap
longer than said brake chain connecting said winding-shaft with said switch for
automatically breaking the circuit when the brake becomes set, substantially as
described.
6. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a brake mechanismn
thereon, the shaft, the chain connecting the same with a bar for said brake
mechanism, the supplemental motor geared to said shaft, means for shunting the
electric current from the drive-inotor to sail supplemental motor, whereby said
shaft may
be rotated to set the brake, and automatic mechanism for breaking enid
current when the brake becomes set, substantially as described.
7. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a brake mechanism
thereon, a switch interposed in the circuit of the drive-motor of said vehicle, the
supplemental motor having its conducting wi. s tapping said circuit and connecting
with a post of said switch, the rotary winding-shaft geared to said supplemental
motor, the brake mechanism, a chain connecting a bar of said brake mechanism
with said winding-shaft, mechanism for operating said awitch from the vehicle
platform, whereby the current may be shunted to said supplemental motor, and
ineans for connecting said winding-shaft with the tongue of said switch, whereby
said circuit may be automatically broken, substantially as described.
8. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a driving electric
motor connected with said running gear, a brake mechanism comprising
a brake
shoe for operating against a wheel of said running gear, a supplemental motor
connected with said brake mechanism, electric conductors connected with said
motors, mechanism for switching the current alternately into the driving and
supplemental motors, and automatic mechanism for breaking the circuit when the
brake becomes set, substantially as described.
9. The combination of a vehicle body, running gear therefor, a brake mechanism
thereon, the shaft, the chain connecting the same with a bar of said brako
mechanism, the supplemental motor geared to said shaft, means for shunting the
electric circuit from the driving motor to said supplemental motor, whereby said
shalt may be rotated to set the brake, mechanism for automatically breaking said
current, and mechanism for freeing the brake after the same has been set,
substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of Juve 189.1
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.