A new or improved Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Vehicles.
Year: 1897

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Mar., 1897
Complete Specification Left, 14th Jan., 1898-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1898
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
A new or improved Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Vehicles.
I, IGNAZ HERRMANN, of Bromley, Shrubbery Road, Streatham, in the County
of Surrey, Teacher of Mechanics, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to a new or improved apparatus for starting vehicles,
whereby certain advantages are obtained.
In order that the nature of my invention may be understood, I shall proceed
to describe a contemplated form of my invention.
The following is a description of the apparatus I employ and the method of its
working. It is to be understood however that I do not in any way limit myself
to the details of the mechanism described.
I shall consider in this description the case of a vehicle from one of whose
revolving axles alone the energy required to re-start the vehicle after it has come
to rest is obtained. Upon this revolving axle rides a sleeve which when desired
can be made to take up and participate in the rotation of the axle by means of a
suitable clutch. To this sleeve is keyed, or otherwise suitably secured a cam,
which for the purposes of this specification I shall term the pressure cam, while
upon the axle itself, there is a second can, which for the purposes of
this specification I shall call the driving cam. This driving cam is
free to revolve round the axle in a direction contrary to that of the revolving
axle, when the vehicle is moving forwards, but when revolved in the contrary
direction it gears with a paul mechanism and causes the axle itself to rotate.
Each of these cams bear upon friction rollers, which friction rollers are carried
upon a spindle occupying a position parallel to the revolving axle above mentioned.
The ends of this spindle are made to slide in suitable guides so that its movement
is one of translation parallel to or from the revolving axle above mentioned.
To the middle part of the spindle, one cam being on either side, is articulated
the head of a piston rod. The cylinder in which the piston to which the rod is
attached, is carried by suitable means from the superstructure of the car or vehicle.
The cylinder here spoken of is one suitable for the compression of air and the
piston may be of any well-known form which will give a high efficiency in com-
pressing the air within the cylinder. I divide the cylinder into two compartments
by means of a partition or diaphragm, the partition being so placed that the
chamber furthest from the piston head is very much smaller than that in which
the piston itself works. In the partition I place a valve of such construction that it
admits of the egress of air from the smaller chamber into the larger, or piston
chamber, but prevents the escape of air in the opposite direction. The object of
the small chamber will be understood from the following description. Into the
wall of this smaller chamber I screw or otherwise fix a small cylinder in which
works a piston, an air pump being thus constituted. When the piston is moved
forwards and backwards, air is pumped into the secondary or small chamber of
the large cylinder. The piston rod of the above mentioned air pump is made to
work against a spring, motion being communicated to the rod through a lever, or
system of levers which are moved by the vibrations of a counterpoise or weight

page_text: which vibrates under the influence of the vehicle's motion. This counterpoise
or weight is so placed as to receive the greatest amount of vibratory motion due
to the car or vehicle and depends somewhat upon the vehicle and the track or
room upon which it runs.
Having now described the more essential features of the said contemplated form
I shall now briefly show how these produce the desired result of starting the
vehicle or helping to start it.
Let us assume that the car or vehicle is to be stopped. The friction or other
clutch is applied and the sleeve on which is secured the pressure cam takes up
the motion of the axle. This causes the pressure cam to revolve. This cam, is
so designed that by its throw the friction rollers against which it acts, spindle,
piston rod, and piston are all displaced producing a compression of air in the large
chamber of the cylinder, which chamber has been kept filled with air by the little
air pump above described, during the movement of the car previous to stoppage,
thus increasing the efficiency of the mechanism. The other or driving cam is
made to follow its respective friction rollers by means of a spring during the
inward motion of the piston.
The piston as it is forced home compresses more and more the air within the
cylinder so that the car is finally brought to rest, the piston and cams being held
in position by suitable means.
When it is desired to start the car or vehicle, the piston with its accompanying
parts is freed and the friction rollers carried on the spindle articulated to the end
of the piston rod, causes the driving cam to revolve by their being forced outwards,
so producing a revolution of the axle of the vehicle which causes it to start into
motion.
For the Applicant,
J. G. LORRAIN, M.I.E.E., M.I. Mech. E.,
Norfolk House, Victoria Embankment, London, W.C.,
Chartered Patent Agent.
A new or improved Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Vehicles.
I, IGNAZ HERRMANN, of 36, Grosvenor Road. Tunbridge Wells, in the County
of Kent, late of "Bromley," Shrubbery Road, Streatham, in the County of Surrey,
Teacher of Mechanics, 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 relates to a new or improved apparatus for stopping or starting
vehicles, whereby certain advantages are obtained. In order that the nature of
the invention may be understood, I shall proceed to describe a contemplated.form
of my invention."
The following is a description of the apparatus I employ, and the method of its
working. It is to be understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the details
of the mechanism described, which will need modification according to the nature
of the vehicle, to which it is intended to be applied. I shall consider in this
description the case of a vehicle, from one of whose revolving axles alone, the
energy required to restart the vehicle after it has come to rest, is obtained. Upon
this revolving axle A A, Fig. 1. rides a sleeve, B, which by means of any well
krown action, when desired, can be made to take up and participate in the
rotation of the axle, by means of a suitable clutch. To this sleeve is keyed,

page_text: or otherwise suitably secured, a cam, C, which, for the purpose of this specification,
I shall term the pressure cam, while upon this axle itself, there is a second cam, D),
This
which, for the purpose of this specification, I shall call the driving cam.
driving cam is free to revolve round the axle in a direction contrary to that of
the revolving axle, when the vehicle is moving forward; but when revolved in the
opposite direction, it gears with a pawl or nipping lever mechanism, E, and causes
the axle itself to rotate. Each of these cams bear upon friction rollers, I, J, which
friction rollers are carried upon a spindle, occupying a position parallel to the .
revolving axle above mentioned. The ends of this spindle are made to slide in
suitable guides, with or without additional friction rollers, so that its movement
is one of translation to or from the revolving axle above mentioned. To the middle
part of this spindle, one cam being on either, side, is articulated the head of a
piston rod, K. The cylinder L L, in which is the piston to which the rod is
attached, may be carried by suitable means from the superstructure, or may rest
in guides likewise, so that it may be capable of a motion of translation. The
cylinder here spoken of is one suitable for the compression of air, and the piston
may be of any well known form, which will give a high efficiency in compressing
the air within the cylinder. I divide this cylinder into two compartments by means
of a partition or diaphragm; the partition being so placed that the chamber furthest
from the piston heat is much smaller than that in which the piston itself works.
In the partition I place a valve of any well known form, such that it admits of
the egress of air from the smaller into the larger, or piston chamber, but prevents
the escape of air in the opposite direction. The object of the small chamber will
be understood from the following description.
Into the wall of this smaller chamber I screw or otherwise fix a small cylinder M,
in which works a piston, an air pump or condensing syringe being thus constituted.
When the piston is moved forward and backward, air is pumped into the secondary
or small chamber of the large cylinder. The piston of the above mentioned air
pump is kept in tension by the action of a spring, N, motion or condensing action
being communicated to the rod by a lever or system of levers, which are moved by
the oscillations of a counterpoise or pendulum or weight, which oscillates under
the influence of the vehicle's motion. This counterpoise or pendulum is shewn in
Fig. 2, and is so placed, as to receive the greatest possible angular displacement,
due to the oscillation of the vehicle. Its disposition depends upon the general
structure of the vehicle, and the track upon which it runs.
Fig. 3 shews the section of the cylinder L L, through its axis, by a plane,
parallel to the plane of the paper.
Having now described the above essential features of the said contemplated
form; I shall now briefly shew how these produce the desired result
of starting the vehicle, or helping it to start.
Let it be assumed that
the car or vehicle is to be stopped. The friction or other clutch is applied,
and the sleeve B, on which is secured the pressure cam, C, takes up the inotion
of the axle A A, Fig. 1. This causes the pressure cam to revolve. This cam is
so designed, that by its throw, the friction rollers, against which it acts, spindles,
piston rod, and piston, are all displaced, producing a compression of air in the large
chamber of the cylinder, which chamber has been kept filled with air to any
desired ratio of pressure, by the action of the little air pamp or condensing syringe,
as above described, during the movement of the vehicle previous to stopping, thus
increasing the efficiency of the mechanism. The other or driving cam is made to
follow the respective friction rollers by means of a spring, S, during the forward
motion of the piston.
This piston as it is forced home compresses more and more, the air within the
cylinder, so that the vehicle is finally brought to rest.
When it is desired to start the vehicle or car, the clutch is thrown out of gear,
by the action of the crank lever T, Fig. 1. The pressure cam is thus set free and
the piston with its accompanying parts is set free also, and the friction rollers
carried on the spindle articulated to the end of the piston rod, cause the driving

page_text: cam to revolve by their being forced outward, and so, by means of the pawl or
nipping lever mechanism rotary motion of the axle A A, of the vehicle is produced,
which causes it to start into motion, or brings it into a state bordering on motion.
It is apparent, that exactly the same result can be produced, if the cylinder is
capable of moving in guides, and has attached to it, friction rollers, as shewn in
in I J, Fig. 1, and the parallel axle, shewn in part and in section, Fig. 4 and 5,
has mounted or is equipped with the gear, as is attached to axle A A, as heretofore
described.
In order that the starting of the vehicle may take place at the right moment,
the end of the lever T, can be locked by any well known device, so that the pressure
cam C, cannot be liberated until the horses are starting.
I employ also a break, of any well known form, which is applied automatically
by any well known device, when the compression has reached its limit, to prevent
strain on the mechanism. This break may likewise be used independently, to
retard the velocity of the vehicle, when desired.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said in-
vention, and in wha; manner the same is to be performed, I declare, that what I
claim is:
1. In stop and starting gears of vehicles, the combination of mechanical devices
for converting the kinetic energy of vehicles into potential, and for employing the
same for starting; substantially the same as described and as set forth in accom-
panying drawings.
2. The employment of a cylinder for the compression of air, with compartments,
so that the coefficient of restitution has a maxinum and constant value; substan-
tially as described and as shewn in accompanying drawings.
3. The employment of an air pump or condensing syringe, and its manipulation,
by means of the oscillation of the vehicle, for maintaining the efficiency of the
starting device; substantially as described and as set forth in the accompanying
drawing.
4. The combination of the devices referred to in the preceding clauses, for the
retarding, stopping and starting of vehicles, or for helping to start; substantially
as described and set forth in accompanying drawings.
Dated this 14th day of January 1898