Improvements in Tramcars, Locomotives, or other Vehicles Driven by Electricity.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 21st May, 1889
Complete Specification Left 21st Mar 1890-Accepted, 26th Apr., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tramcars, Locomotives, or other Vehicles Driven
by Electricity.
I, THOMAS DRAKE HOLLICK, of Shore Road, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My present invention relates to tramcars, locomotives, or other vehicles, propelled
by electricity, and it has for its object novel methods of arranging and constructing
the parts of the mechanism by which the carriage or vehicle is propelled, so that
it is simple, economical and effective in operation, and not likely to get out of
order.
For the purpose described electro-motors have been used, driving the wheels of the
vehicle by means of friction gearing of the ordinary well known kind, but it is
found that loss of power is caused by the necessity for obtaining sufficient pressure
between the wheels of such friction gearing, and it has not therefore been successfully
used.
By my present invention, I utilize the weight of the body of the car or locomotive
in order to cause sufficient pressure between the wheels of the friction gear; and for
this purpose (supposing that my invention is to be applied to a tramcar) I cause the
body of the car to be carried, with the intervention of suitable springs, upon the
bearings in which the spindle of the electromotor revolves. This spindle I preferably
arrange transversely across the car directly above the wheels of the latter which
are to be propelled, and upon it. I fix wheels or pinions of metal, india rubber,
or other suitable material, which press upon the tyres of the driving wheels and
set the latter in motion by the friction between them when the motor is revolving.
The motor spindle turns in a sufficient number of bearings fixed to the frame which
carries the body of the car as already described, and I prefer to use antifriction
bearings in which a sufficient number of rollers or balls are used in the ordinary well
known way.
The axles of the wheels of the car turn in axle boxes of the usual kind fitting in
horn-plates upon the framing which carries the electro motor as just described, and I
prefer to arrange one or more sufficiently strong cams or excentrics or equivalent
devices, actuated by a screw or levers under the control of an attendant so that the
hornplates with the framing, electro-motor, and car, can be raised or lowered to a
small extent, and their exact position adjusted, for the purpose of gradually causing
more or less pressure between the driving pinions upon the motor spindle, and the
driving wheels of the car, or of raising the pinions altogether out of contact with the
wheels, the continual revolution of the motor not being interfered with.
The method of arrangement described may be varied more or less. For instance
the friction pinions upon the motor spindle may be made to act upon intermediate
friction wheels above the car wheels. Or, the axles of such intermediate wheels may
themselves be provided with friction pinions which press upon and drive the car
wheels. Or, where the car is carried in the usual way by a four wheeled bogey at
each end, the transverse motor spindle may be arranged above two intermediate shafts
carrying friction wheels, which press upon and drive both pairs of wheels of one of
the bogies. Or the motor spindle may be arranged below instead of above the inter-
mediate shaft, its pinions being adjusted in permanent contact with the friction wheels
upon the latter, the pressure of which upon the driving wheels by the weight of the
car can be varied and adjusted as already described.
Devices of the ordinary well known kinds may be used for adjusting the different
bearings. The friction wheels may be made of paper or grooved where greater
friction is required than is afforded by the weight of the car, and a brake of any
11
Lad

page_text: By utilizing the weight of the car or vehicle in order to obtain the necessary
adhesion between the friction wheels, and by means of increasing or reducing and
adjusting such friction as required, the entire apparatus is made very simple,
economical, and effective.
I do not confine myself to the precise methods of arrangement and construction
described, which may be varied more or less to suit different circumstances.
Dated this 21st day of May 1889.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Inventor.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Tramcars, Locomotives, or other Vehicles Driven
by Electricity.
I, THOMAS DRAKE HOLLICK, of Shore Road, Hackney, in the County of Middlesex,
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, and accompanying drawings, (that is to say) :-
:-
My invention relates to tramcars, locomotives, or other vehicles propelled by
electricity, and it has for its object novel methods of arranging and constructing
the parts of the mechanism by which the carriage or vehicle is propelled, so that
it is simple, economical and effective in operation, and not likely to get out of
order.
For the purpose described electro-motors have been used driving the wheels of the
vehicle by means of friction gearing of the ordinary well known kind, but it is found
that loss of power is caused by the necessity for obtaining sufficient pressure between
the wheels of such friction gearing, and such method of arrangement has not therefore
been successfully used.
By my present invention, I utilize the weight of the body of the car or locomotive
in order to cause sufficient pressure between the wheels of the friction gear, and for
this purpose (supposing that my invention is to be applied to a tramcar) I cause the
body of the car to be carried, with the intervention of suitable springs, upon the
bearings in which the spindle of the electro-motor revolves. This spindle I preferably
arrange transversely across the car directly above the wheels of the latter which are
to be propelled, and upon it I fix wheels or pinions of metal, india rubber, or other
suitable material, which press upon the tyres of the driving wheels or upon suitable
wheels or cylinders upon the same shaft as the latter and I set the latter in motion by
the friction between them when the motor is revolving.
The motor spindle turns in a sufficient number of bearings fixed to the frame which
carries the body of the car as already described, and I prefer to use anti-friction
bearings in which a sufficient number of rollers or balls are used in the ordinary well
known way.
The axles of the wheels of the car turn in axle boxes of the usual kind fitting in
horn-plates upon the framing which carries the electro-motor as just described, and I
prefer to arrange one or more sufficiently strong cams, levers, excentrics, or
equivalent devices, actuated by a screw or levers under the control of an attendant
so that the horn-plates with the framing, electro-motor, and car, can be raised or
lowered to a small extent and their exact position adjusted, for the purpose of
gradually causing more or less pressure between the driving pinions upon the
motor spindle and the driving wheels of the car, or of raising the pinions altogether
out of contact with the wheels the continual revolutions of the motor not being
interfered with.
The accompanying drawing is in illustration of my invention; figure 1 being a
side view of part of a tram car shewing the operation of the apparatus, and figure 2
a transverse section of the same.
The body and frame of the car are carried with the intervention of suitable

page_text: springs a upon the bearings 6 in which the spindle c of the electro-motor d revolves.
Upon the spindle care fixed driving pinions e e directly above the wheels ff of the
саг. The axle of the wheels ff turns in axle boxes g fitted in the horn plates h of the
framing, which also carries the motor spindle as just described. i is a strong bar or
lever pivotted upon the top of the axle box g, and k, is a similar bar or lever pivotted
against the bottom of the bearing bin which the motor spindle c revolves. The two
levers i and k, are pivotted together at 1, and m, m, are rods pivotted at or near the
same point. These rods are shewn jointed to a link n suspended to the frame of the
car, and o is a rod jointed to the same point so that by moving it end ways the levers i
and can be moved laterally more or less and the motor spindle c gradually raised
or lowered as desired.
The rod o can be moved by an attendant by means of a lever, screw and nut, or
equivalent device, not shewn in the drawing.
In the figures the levers i and
C
are shewn in their vertical position, the motor
spindle being raised and its friction driving pinion e being lifted out of contact
with the main wheels ff of the car. If the levers ik are drawn out of their
vertical position by the rod o the friction pinions e e, can be gradually lowered until
the full weight of the car rests upon the circumference of the wheels ff.
Similar apparatus is arranged upon each side of the car.
The method of arrangement described may be varied more or less. For instance
the friction pinions upon the motor spindle may be made to act upon intermediate
friction wheels above the car wheels. Or, the axles of such intermediate wheels may
themselves be provided with friction pinions which press upon and drive the car
wheels. Or, where the car is carried in the usual way by a four wheeled bogey at
each end, the transverse motor spindle may be arranged above two intermediate shafts
carrying friction wheels which press upon and drive both pairs of wheels of one of the
bogies. Or the motor spindle may be arranged below instead of above the inter-
mediate shaft, its pinions being adjusted in permanent contact with the friction
wheels upon the latter, the pressure of which upon the driving wheels by the weight
of the car can be varied and adjusted as already described.
Devices of the ordinary well known kinds may be used for adjusting the different
bearings. The friction wheels may be made of paper or grooved, where greater
friction is required than is afforded by the weight of the car, and a brake of any
suitable kind may be used.
By utilizing the weight of the car or vehicle in order to obtain the necessary
adhesion between the friction wheels and by means of increasing or reducing and
adjusting such friction as required and in the manner described, the entire apparatus
is made very simple, economical, and effective.
I do not confine myself to the precise methods of arrangement and construction
described, which may be varied more or less to suit different circumstances.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the motor d and spindle c, friction driving pinions e, e, and
wheels ff, with the levers i, k, and adjusting rods m, m, or equivalent devices for
raising and lowering the motor spindle c, and friction pinions e, e, all substantially as
and for the purpose described and shewn in the drawing.
2. In combination with the motor spindle c friction pinions e, e, and devices for
gradually raising and lowering the latter into or out of contact with the wheels which
they drive, the intermediate wheels arranged between the driving pinions e, e, and the
wheels substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 21st day of March 1890.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Patentee.