Improvements in Life Saving Apparatus applicable to Tram and Railway Engines, Motor and other Cars and Vehicles.
Year: 1898

page_text: Improvements in Life Saving Apparatus applicable to Tram and
Railway Engines, Motor and other Cars and Vehicles.
We, DANIEL HEMMING GILL, of No. 188, Green Lane, Smallheath, in the City
of Birmingham, Tube Maker, and JOSHUA HOWELL, of No: 522, Coventry Road,
Smallheath, Birmingham, aforesaid, Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to life saving appliances or guards to be attached to
tramway engines or cars, and consists in constructing such appliances or guards
of a cylindrical shape and so as to be revolved in an opposite direction to the
motion of the wheels of the engine or car to which the invention is applied.
In an apparatus constructed in accordance with this invention in one form we make
a cylindrical drum of wood or metal of suitable diameter preferably smaller than
that of the wheels of the engine or car and and of a length about equal to the
width of the front of the latter.
The outside of the drum may be wound or coated with india rubber or asbestos
or other suitable or elastic material in the form of ropes or tubes or of ribbed or
netted sheets or otherwise covered, and the drum is mounted on a horizontal axle
or on pivots at the ends running in metal or other brackets or arms attached to
the front of the framework of the engine or car so as to be clear of the roadway.
The drum is operated from the front axle of the engine or car in the following
manner. Between the drum and the engine or car framing at about the same
level as the drum axle is mounted a light spindle which is geared by chain gearing
and sprocket wheels to the front axle or other revolving part of the engine or car.
This spindle carries a spur pinion gearing with a spur wheel fixed on the axle
of the drum preferably in the middle of its length, and the gearing is cased
with a metal or other hooped guard within which the drum revolves.
The space from the top of the drum to the front of the engine or car and at the
ends may be enclosed with metal or other light casing carried to a suitable level
near the roadway so that only the front of the drum is exposed.
By these means when the engine or car is in motion the cylindrical drum is
revolved in an opposite direction at any desired velocity and any obstacle rolled
safely along or swept aside.
Various modifications of the above devices may be made without departing
from the nature of this invention. The revolving drum may be driven from either
end or by bevel gearing with longitudinal spindle or by equivalent means. It
may also be made to throw in or out of gear at the will of the driver. It may further
be set at any angle with the line of tramway.
Dated this 14th day of Mov 1900
•
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DANIEL HEMMING GILL,
JOSHUA HOWELL.

page_text: Improvements in Life Saving Apparatus applicable to Tram and
Railway Engines, Motor and other Cars and Vehicles.
We, DANIEL HEMMING GILL, of No. 188, Green Lane, Small Heath, in the City
of Birmingham, Manufacturer, and JOSHUA HOWELL, of No. 522, Coventry Road,
Smallheath, aforesaid, 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:-
This invention relates to life saving apparatus or guards to be attached to the
front of tram, railway engines, or motor or other cars or vehicles and consists in
constructing such apparatus or guards of a cylindrical shape and so as to be
revolved in an opposite direction to the motion of the wheels of the engine or car to
which the invention is applied, the object being to roll safely along or sweep
aside any obstacle in the path of the said tramway engine or car.
In the two accompanying sheets of drawings to be hereinafter referred to:-
Figure 1, Sheet I is a side elevation partly in section of the framework of a
tramway engine or car shewing our improved apparatus or revolving guard
attached thereto.
Figure 2 Sheet 1, is a transverse view of same also partly in section.
Figure 3 Sheet 2, shews a modified form of gearing for operating the said
revolving guard.
Figures 4 and 5 Sheet 2 shew the construction of the revolving guard in one
of its forms.
Figure 6, Sheet 2, shews a modification of same.
The same letters of reference apply to corresponding parts throughout the whole
of the figures.
In Figures 1 and 2 Sheet 1, A A is the framework of a tramway engine. B B¹
are the leading and trailing axles of the same. The improved life saving apparatus
now to be described consists of a cylindrical revolving drum C to be afterwards
more particularly described, mounted on the axle D carried by the brackets E
attached in any suitable manner to the framework A A so that the drum C may
just run clear of the roadway as shewn. On this spindle is fixed a spur wheel F
of smaller diameter than that of the revolving drum C, engaging with a similar
wheel G fixed upon an intermediate spindle H which is also mounted with
suitable brackets I, I, to the framework of the engine as shewn. The spindle H
also carries a sprocket wheel K with a roller chain L L or other suitable chain
gearing to the sprocket wheel M which is fixed on the driving axle of the engine.
The spur wheel F is preferably fixed about the middle of the revolving drum C
as shewn and the upper portion of the revolving drum C together with the spur
wheel Fis cased-with a sheet metal or other suitable casing N attached to the
brackets E and to the framework of the engine.
The proportions of the sprocket or chain wheels and of the spur gearing E, G,
must be so arranged that the velocity of the periphery of the revolving drum C
must be greater than that of the forward motion of the engine or car as much as
shall be desired or may be found necessary.
In the modified form of gearing shewn in Figure 3 Sheet 2 the intermediate
spindle H is geared to the axle B by means of two pairs of bevel wheels O and P
one of each being fixed upon the axle B and spindle H respectively engaging with
corresponding wheels fixed upon a longitudinal spindle Q mounted upon suitable
brackets and bearings R to the framework of the engine or car as shewn. Other-
wise the driving axle and the axle of the revolving drum C may be connected
with bevel gearing direct without an intermediate spindle H.

page_text: The same arrangement of apparatus is obviously applicable to tramway railway,
motor or other cars and vehicles propelled by cable electric or other traction or
by steam gas or other power. In the case of tramway engines or cars also the
gearing may be connected to either the leading or trailing axles.
The cylindrical revolving drum C is preferably constructed of metal with a
covering of rubber, asbestos, or other elastic or waterproof material as shewn in
elevation and cross section in Figures 4 and 5 respectively. c, c is the body of
the drum which may be either plain or corrugated transversely as shewn at c¹ c¹.
The ends are mounted on the pivots cc3 of the axle D. It is preferred to
make the drum divided in the middle as shewn with the spur wheel F fixed
between, although the latter may be fixed at either end instead. The rubber or
other coating in the form of rings may be made with ribbed outer faces and
stretched on the drum side by side as shewn, or the latter may be wound with a
spiral coating, or covered wholly with similar material plain or ribbed or with
suitable ribs or projecting studs as shewn in Figure 6.
The drum C may be set at an angle with the roadway if preferred, and the
gearing to operate the same may by well known means be made to throw in and
out of action at the will of the driver.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is: :-
1. The construction and use for tramway engines cars and the like of life
saving apparatus or guards consisting of a cylindrical revolving drum operated by
the devices shewn or by equivalent devices to revolve the said drum in an opposite
direction to that of the wheels of the said engines or cars and at a greater velocity
than that of the forward motion of the engine or car substantially as and for the
purposes hereinbefore described and set forth.
1000
DANIEL HEMMING GILL,
JOSHUA HOWELL.