IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND STOPPING TRAM CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT. to Albert Piffard, of Felden, Hemel Hempstead, in the
County of Hertford, and Charles Henry Gimingham, of 45, St. Augustine
Road, Camden Square, in the County of Middlesex, for an Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND STOPPING TRAM CARS
AND OTHER VEHICLES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Albert Piffard and Charles
Henry Gimingham at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
29th June 1881.
ALBERT PIFFARD, of Felden, Hemel Hempstead, in the County of Hertford, and
CHARLES HENRY GIMINGHAM, of 45, St. Augustine Road, Camden Square, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND
STOPPING TRAM CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES."
The object of this Invention is to provide a practicable arrangement for storing
up power when stopping a tram car or other vehicle, and for utilizing such store
of power for again starting the tram car or other vehicle when it is required to
do so.
For this purpose we mount in guides or suspend by links below the body of the
tram car or vehicle a horizontal frame to which an endway movement can be
given. For a tram car running on four wheels we mount on each side of the
frame two pairs of rollers, one roller of each pair to come in front of one of the
wheels on that side of the car, and the other to come in rear of the same wheel.
When the car is running the frame is held in such a position that neither of the
rollers touch the wheel, but when the car is to be stopped the driver by moving &
lever, or in other suitable way, moves the frame forwards and causes the roller in
rear of the wheel to press against its periphery, and in this way the roller is made
to revolve. The axle of the roller has secured to it one end of a chain or rope, and
as the axle revolves the rope or chain is wound up around it. The other end of the
rope or chain is wound two or three times around a bobbin on the axle of the
roller which is in front of the wheel, and is then attached to one end of a long
Die Cz

page_text: coiled spring. The rope or chain which passes around the axle of the rollers which
are in front and rear of one of the wheels is attached to one end of the spring, and
the rope or chain which passes around the rollers in front and rear of the other
wheel is attached to the other end of the spring.
As the rope or chain is wound up upon the axles of the break rollers which are
pressed against the wheels, as before described, the spring is extended, and when
the spring is so extended that the rollers can no longer turn, the rollers will act as
ordinary break blocks.
On the axles either of the front or back rollers is a ratchet wheel with which a
pawl engages, so that these rollers cannot turn back and allow the spring to
contract until the pawl is lifted away from the ratchet wheel. When the car has
been stopped and is to be again started the driver turns his break lever in the
reverse direction to such an extent as not only to move the break rollers away
from the wheels but also to bring against the wheels the front rollers which are
surrounded with vulcanized india rubber. As the india rubber covering of the
rollers is drawn against the wheels the pawl is lifted by being brought against a
stop or incline; the spring is then free to contract, and in doing so turns the front
rollers and thereby turns the wheels of the car and starts the car forwards. When
the car has been thus started forwards the driver will turn his break lever or
handle into such a position that all rollers are free from the wheels.
In place of the rollers being made to act against the wheels of the car they might
be made to act upon discs or wheels affixed to their axles.
Also the rollers used to wind up the spring may be used in conjunction with the
ordinary brake blocks in case sufficient friction is not obtained by the use of the
rollers only.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Albert Piffard and Charles Henry Gimingham in the Great
Seal Patent Office on the 29th December 1881.
ALBERT PIFFARD, of Felden, Hemel Hempstead, in the County of Hertford, and
CHARLES HENRY GIMINGHAM, of 45, St. Augustine Road, Camden Square, in the
County of Middlesex. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND
STOPPING TRAM CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES."
The object of this Invention is to provide a practicable arrangement for storing
up power when stopping a tram car or other vehicle and for utilizing such store
of power for again starting the tram car or other vehicle when it is required to
do so.
For this purpose we mount in guides or suspend by links below the body of the
tram car or vehicle a horizontal frame to which an endway movement can be
given. For a tram car running on four wheels we mount on each side of the
frame two pairs of rollers, one roller of each pair to come in front of one of the
wheels on that side of the car, and the other to come in rear of the same wheel.
When the car is running the frame is held in such a position that neither of the
rollers touch the wheel, but when the car is to be stopped the driver by moving a
lever, or in other suitable way, moves the frame endwise and causes one of the
rollers to press against its periphery, and in this way the roller is made to revolve.
The axle of the roller has secured to it one end of a chain or rope, and as the axle
revolves the rope or chain is wound up around it. The other end of the rope or
chain is wound two or three times around a bobbin on the axle of the roller which
is on the opposite side of the wheel, and is then attached to one end of a long
coiled spring. As the rope or chain is wound up upon the axles of the break
rollers which are pressed against the wheels, as before described, the spring is
extended, and when the spring is so extended that the rollers can no longer turn,
the rollers will act as ordinary break blocks.
On the axles either of the front or back rollers is a ratchet wheel with which a
pawl engages, so that these rollers cannot turn back and allow the spring to
contract until the pawl is lifted away from the ratchet wheel. When the car has
been stopped and is to be again started the driver turns his break lever in the
reverse direction to such an extent as not only to move the break rollers away
from the wheels but also to bring against the wheels the rollers which are on the
opposite side of the wheels; these latter rollers are surrounded with vulcanized
india rubber. As the india rubber covering of the rollers is drawn against the
wheels the pawl is lifted by being brought against a stop or incline; the spring is
then free to contract, and in doing so turns the india rubber covered rollers and
thereby turns the wheels of the car and starts the car forwards; when the car
has been thus started forwards the driver will turn his break lever or handle
into such a position that all the rollers are free from the wheels.
In place of the rollers being made to act against the wheels of the car, they
might be made to act upon discs or wheels affixed to their axles. Also the rollers
used to wind up the spring may be used in conjunction with the ordinary brake
blocks in case sufficient friction is not obtained by the use of the rollers only.
In order that our Invention may be fully understood, we have shewn apparatus
anvarred on whoon dosaribad

page_text: the two pair of wheels upon which it is supported in the ordinary way. The
upper part of the tram car is of any ordinary construction; we have not thought it
necessary to shew it in the Drawing.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the floor or platform and the
apparatus carried below it; Figure 2 is a plan view with the platform removed,
the outline only of the platform being shown in dotted lines.
j
A is the platform mounted upon two pair of wheels B in the ordinary manner
C is a horizontal frame suspended by links D from the underside of the platform;
this frame carries four spindles E, E, F, F, parallel with the axles of the wheels B.
Each axle has one of the spindles E on one side, and one of the spindles F on
its opposite side. On the ends of the spindles E are iron rollers G, and on the
ends of the spindles F are rollers H covered with vulcanized india rubber, or it
might be other elastic material, and also drums I; I. When the frame C is moved
a distance endwise in one direction, the iron rollers G are brought against the
periphery of the wheels B, and when the frame is moved end wise in the opposite
direction, the vulcanized india rubber covered rollers H can be brought against the
periphery of the wheels; or if the frame is in its central position then none of the
rollers are in contact with the wheels; K, K, are cords or chains attached at one
end to the spindles E; they are also wound for three or four turns around the
drums I on the spindles F, and after being carried over pulleys L are affixed
to one end of springs M. On each spindle F is a ratchet wheel N with which
engages a pawl O; this pawl so long as it engages with the teeth of the ratchet
wheel prevents the spindle F from turning in a direction to allow the springs to
contract; P are stops for lifting the pawls and putting them out of action
whenever the frame is moved endwise in a direction to bring the india rubber
covered rollers H against the wheels:
Any suitable mechanical means may be adopted for moving the frame endwise.
In the arrangement shewn in the Drawing the frame is at each end coupled by a
link to one end of a lever R, whilst the opposite end of the lever is coupled to a
toothed rack S into which gears a toothed pinion T on the vertical axis V, which
occupies the same position as is now occupied by the vertical spindle of the break
mechanism commonly used.
It will be seen that the arrangement of the apparatus shewn in the Drawings is
applicable only to cars or vehicles which are always drawn or propelled with the
same end foremost. In cases where it is required that the car or vehicle should be
capable of being drawn or propelled with either end foremost, we modify the
arrangement of the apparatus by securing the cords K to the rollers I on the
spindles F, instead of attaching the cords to the spindles E, and we gear the
spindles E to the spindles F by crossed chains or cords, which are made to take
three or four turns around each spindle.
In this way when the break is applied the còrds K will be wound up around the
drums I in one direction when the car or vehicle is travelling with one end
foremost, and in the opposite direction when the car is travelling with the other
end foremost, and so when allowed to be turned back by the action of the springs
they will always turn in the proper direction for propelling the car or vehicle
forwards in the direction in which the car or vehicle was travelling when the
break was applied.
With this modification of the apparatus each spindle E or spindle F would have
upon it two ratchet wheels, one with the ratchet teeth in one direction, and the
other with the ratchet teeth in the opposite direction, and when the car or vehicle
is to travel in one direction, one of the pawls O acting with these ratchet wheels
would be held up or thrown back to put it out of action, whilst if the car or
vehicle is to be drawn in the opposite direction the other pawl would be put out of
action.
In place of gearing together the spindles E and F by means of crossed chains or
cords, they might be geared together by means of two toothed racks fixed on one
bar that can slide endwise, one rack gearing with the top of a toothed pinion on

page_text: one spindle, and the other rack with the bottom of a toothed pinion on the other
spindle, or other means may be adopted for gearing together the two spindles.
Having thus described the nature of our Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we do not confine
ourselves to the precise details of the apparatus herein before described, as these
may be variously modified, but what we claim is,-
First. The end wise moveable frame carrying two spindles (one to come in
front and the other in rear of a wheel or wheels of a vehicle, so that by moving
the frame endwise a roller on one or other spindle can be brought against the
periphery of the wheel), in combination with a spring or springs in such manner
that the turning of one roller by being brought against the periphery of the
wheel is made to extend or wind up the spring, whilst when the other roller is
caused to bear against the periphery of the wheel, the spring is made to turn
this roller and revolve the wheel in a direction to start the vehicle forwards.
Second. The combinations of apparatus for starting and stopping tram cars
and other vehicles, substantially as herein before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Charles Henry Gimingham, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty eighth day of December, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
C. H. GIMINGHAM. (L.S.)