Improvements in Apparatus for Starting Tramcars and similar Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 11th Aug., 1893-Accepted, 21st Oct., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Starting Tramcars and similar
Vehicles.
I, THOMAS CHARLTON, of Haddricks Mill, Gosforth, in the County of
Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in the apparatus forming the
subject of my Patent No. 12,977 of 1888 in which the drawbar (with all the gear
attached thereto) when the traction ceases is drawn back, into the proper position
for restarting, by a strong spring the resistance of which has to be overcome by the
horses before the car can be started. In the case of cars having no "poles" this
spring requires to be of exceptional strength and is constantly in action and thus
its elasticity becomes in time much impaired.
Instead of transmitting the traction of the horses to the car as therein described
and shewn and causing the drawbar to return into the position for restarting when
the car comes to rest by the reaction of springs I propose to connect the drawbar
to the ends of rocking arms in a frame attached underneath to the body or platform
of the car so that the weight of the "pole" or "stretcher bar" of the chain traces
as the case may be with that of the drawbar will by gravity return the gear into
position for engaging the "pawl" with the ratchet wheel. These rocking arms,
when the horses are pulling and the car is running, are inclined forward radially,
on their axes in the frame, beyond their vertical line and the traction is taken
against a bracket or brackets fixed to the car. At some convenient position on
the drawbar, or its connection, is a light coiled, or other spring, or a counterweight,
the action of which, when the traction is relaxed and the car is stopping, is
sufficient to draw the rocking arms backward beyond their vertical position, when
the weight of the "pole" or "stretcher bars" and of the drawbar will operate
downward and backward so as to bring the gear into position for restarting.
The first action of the horses is to pull the drawbar forward radially upon the
rocking arms until the levers are raised so far as to allow the "pawl" previously
kept out of gear, to engage with the ratchet wheel and so to revolve the axle and
wheels. The drawbar being further pulled forward, until the car is started and in
motion, the levers are raised so as to cause the tail of the pawl to strike the sliding
tappet" which disengages it from the ratchet at the end of the stroke and it is
prevented from falling into gear, by any partial slackening of the traction, by the
<6 tappet" falling with it.
66
In an alternative form the automatic backward movement of the drawbar may
be effected by mounting it so as to slide downward on inclined planes, when the
traction is relaxed, and small rollers may be fitted to reduce friction but rocking
arms will generally be preferable from working without friction.
The action is entirely automatic except in the case of a car having to be put
back, from having missed the "points" in which case only, the drawbar may
require to be fixed by a pin being inserted or other device to prevent the "pawl
re-engaging with the ratchet.
Dated this 11th day of November 1892.
T. J. DANSON,
By L. W., per F. B.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Starting Tramcars and similar
Vehicles.
I, THOMAS CHARLTON, of Haddricks Mill, Gosforth, in the County of
Northumberland, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of said 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 certain improvements in the apparatus forming the
subject of my Patents No. 11013 dated August 12th 1887 and No. 12977 of 1888
in which the drawbar (with all the gear attached thereto) when the traction ceases
is drawn back into the proper position for restarting by a strong spring or
equivalent counter weights the resistance of which has to be overcome by the
horses before the car can be started. In the case of cars having no
poles" this
spring requires to be of exceptional strength and is constantly in action and thus
its elasticity becomes in time much impaired.
66
Instead of transmitting the traction of the horses to the car as therein described
and shewn and causing the drawbars to return into the position for restarting
when the car comes to rest by the reaction of springs or equivalent counter
weights I propose to connect the drawbar to the ends of rocking arms in a frame
attached underneath to the body or platform of the car so that the weight of the
"pole" or "stretcher bars" of the chain traces as the case may be-with that of
the drawbar will by gravity return the gear into position for engaging the "pawl"
with the ratchet wheel. These rocking arms, when the horses are pulling and
the car is running, are inclined forward radially, on their axes in the frame, beyond
their vertical line and the traction is taken against a bracket or brackets fixed to
the car.
At some convenient position on the drawbar or its connection is a light
coiled, or other spring, or a counterweight, the action of which, when the traction
is relaxed and the car is stopping, is sufficient to draw the rocking arms backward
beyond their vertical position, when the weight of the "pole" or "stretcher bars "
and of the drawbar will operate downward and backward so as to bring the gear
into position for restarting.
The first action of the horses is to pull the drawbar forward radially upon the
rocking arms until the levers are raised so far as to allow the "pawl" previously
kept out of gear, to engage with the ratchet wheel and so to revolve the axle and
wheels. The drawbar being further pulled forward, until the car is started and in
motion, the levers are raised so as to cause the tail of the pawl to strike the sliding
tappet" which disengages it from the ratchet at the end of the stroke and it is
prevented from falling into gear, by any partial slackening of the traction, by the
tappet" falling with it.
"
66
In an alternative form the automatic. backward movement of the drawbar may
be effected by mounting it so as to slide downward on inclined planes, when the
traction is released and small rollers may be fitted to reduce friction but rocking
arms will generally be preferable from working without friction.
•
The action is entirely automatic except in the case of a car having to be put
back, from having missed the points, in which case only, the drawbar inay require
to be fixed by a pin being inserted or other device to prevent the pawl re-engaging
with the ratchet.

page_text: traction having ceased the gear has moved backward on the rocking arms and is
in position for starting the car, and Fig. 3 shews the gear in its extreme backward
position as when the car is required to be put back owing to having missed the
66 points" or from any other cause.
The "ratchet" wheel B on car axle A,.the lever C carrying the hinged "pawl" D,
the automatic tappet O, and the guide pulley H over which the draw chain G passes
from the drawbar to the starting lever are all as shewn and described in my previous
Patent No. 12977 dated September 8th 1888 and form no novel features in my
present improvements.
>>
Referring to Fig. 1 K is the drawbar (on which is the "yoke-piece " M), mounted
on the rocking arms R R which are pivoted on a light frame F preferably encased
attached to the body or platform of the car. The drawbar moves radially in guide
brackets L L and is continued backward by a rod J on the end of which is a collar
between which and a fixed abutment T is confined a light coiled spring S which by
its reaction when the traction ceases pulls the rocking arms backward over their
vertical centre, when the weight of the drawbar with its attachments causes them
to fall backward into the extreme position shewn on Fig. 3 when the lever C has
also fallen so far with the "pawl" D that the latter is prevented engaging with
the "ratchet" wheel B by a spring attachment V which after the tail of the "pawl
is released from the action of the automatic tappet O, pulls and keeps it in the
position shewn and a pin may be inserted through a hole in the drawbar at Q
(Fig. 3) to keep the gear in position but this will not generally be necessary. In
this position the car can be put back when required without the interference of the
starting gear, but when it is required to be started the pull of the horses on the
drawbar raises the lever C and with it the "pawl" D into the position shewn on
Fig. 2 when the pawl engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel B and the axle A
is rotated until the car is started when the lever C being further raised the tail of
the "pawl" comes into contact with the automatic tappet O which depresses it and
disengages it from the ratchet wheel into the position shewn on Fig. 1 when the
full traction of the horses is taken by the rocking bars R R¹ abutting against the
fixed bracket guides L L'.
In an alternative form the coiled spring S may be replaced by a counter balance
weight placed at some suitable point, say, on the end of the lever C. In another
form the rocking arms may be so disposed that they will fall backward by gravity
without the spring.
When a car is running on a falling gradient or on a level without traction this
drawbar and rocking arms will be pulled back by the spring S, and the lever C
will fall slightly, but the automatic tappet O falling also will continue to press upon
the tail of the "pawl" and prevent it engaging with the ratchet.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The improvements in apparatus for starting tramcars and similar vehicles
consisting in mounting the drawbar, through which the starting gear is operated,
upon rocking arms which, when the traction ceases, fall backward radially, assisted
or not by a spring or equivalent device, carrying with them the drawbar and its
attachments so as to put the starting gear into operating position to rotate the axle
and wheels of the car substantially as hereinbefore described.
Second. The starting gear for tramcars and similar vehicles comprising a
drawbar K with yoke piece M mounted upon radial rocking arms R. R¹ and
moving in guides L L' fitted with a spring S and connected by a chain G to a
lever centred upon the car axle A and carrying a hinged "pawl" D engaging
with a ratchet wheel B fixed upon the axle, or disengaged therefrom when not
required to act by an automatic tappet O and by a spring V attached to the nose

page_text: "
of the "pawl the whole combined, constructed, and operating substantially as
described and as shewn by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 11th day of August 1893.
T. J. DANSON, F. Inst. P.A.,
Chartered Patent Agent,
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Agent for Applicant.