Tramway-cars, Locomotives, and other venicies.
Year: 1889

page_text: Tramway-cars, Locomotives, and other venicies.
I, HARRY LEE VANZILE, of No. 55 North Pearl Street in the City of Albany,
County of Albany, State of New York, United States of America, Civil Engineer, do
hereby doclare the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
stateinent:-
My improvement relates to traction mechanism such as is used in connection with
locomotives and street cars, for propulsion, and the object and purpose of my improve-
ment is to increase the capacities of the traction employed without the addition of
weight.
To accomplish these results, I arrange traction wheels or drivers to engage with
the inside face of the rails of a two-rail track, and bang these drivers so operating,
upon an angle with their journals turning in bearings located in the ends of the arms,
an anglo
that from where supporting said drivers, are extended, frontwardly on
towards what is the advancing end of the locomotive or car; where said arms are
pivoted to the truck, and so that when power is applied to said drivers, it will cause
them to crowd against the inside faces of the rails, and when running on an up grado,
the component force of gravity acting in the line of the grade descent will increase
this tractional engagement with the rail sides, by causing the arms to spread apart on
which the drivers operate.
Accompanying this statement to form a part of it there are three plates of drawings
illustrating the application of my improvement, with the same designation of parts by
letter reference used in all of them.
Of these illustrations Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a pair of connected
locomotive drivers or traction wheels, with one of my improved drivers, as arranged
lo net in connection therewith, and with the arm supporting my improved driver
shown as broken off.. Figure 2 shows a top view of the same parts that are illustrated
at figure 1.

page_text: Figure 3 illustrates in a top view my improved tractional mechanism as applied to
a street car, or locomotive truck, and in which the wheels employed to support the
weight of the locomotive or street car truck, are also used for propulsion. Figure 4
shows a top view of a street car truck with my improvement applied thereto, and in
which the only drivers used are those which engage with the inside face of the track
rails. Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the lines a¹, a', of figure 3 and 4.
Figure 6 is a rear end view of the parts shown at figure 4.
The several parts of the mechanism thus illustrated are designated by letter
reference and the function of the parts is described as follows:
The letters R designate the rails of the track; the letter D the usual drivers
operated to engage with the tops of the rails, and oporated through and by the
connection made by the equalizing bar B, and the pitman P. The letters D
designate other drivers or traction wheels that are set on an angle so that their peri-
meters will tangent on the inside face of the rails of the track, and which are termed
supplemental drivers or traction wheels herein when used in connection with the
ordinary drivers D.
The letters A designato arms that are pivoted to the truck frame T at p², by the
pivot pin p, as shown at figures 3, 4 and 6. The front end a, of these arms lap past
one another, where pivoted, and they are each therefrom extended downwardly and
rearwardly on an angle, with their rear ends e, each adapted to support the journal J,
of one of the drivers or traction wheels D³.
The letters W, at figures 4 and 6, designate the wheels of a street car truck,
adapted to support the weight of the car upon the tops of the rails R, and to which
wheels there is no direct application of power for propulsion.
The letters G,
designate a gear-wheel arranged on the axlo A, and E an eccentric thereon at each
end for communicating motion to each of the drivers D2, by means of a pitman
rod P, having a ball and socket joint at I, said pitman rod at each side making a
crank engagement with one of the drivers D by means of the crank-pin C, to com-
municate motion thereto and propulsion to the car.
The drivers or traction wheels thus illustrated and, described, whether used as
prime motors for propulsion, or as supplemental drivers, their operation is the same.
As the drivers or traction wheels D are operated to turn, when making a tangent
engagement with the inside face of the rails, by the power applied to them, said
drivers being supported on the pivoted arms A, are by the power applied to them for
propulsion forced against the inner sides of the rails on account of their pivotal
connection and in a sufficient measure to make a tractional engagement therewith.
When the car is ascending a grado, the component force of gravity acting in the
line of the grade descent, tends to spread the drivers D2, outwardly against the
track sides, and to thus increase the traction therewith when most needed.
As my improvement relates to drivers or traction wheels used as prime motors for
propulsion, or as supplemental drivers or traction wheels, I do not limit my inven-
tion to the specific means which I have shown as applied to operate them, but any
well known means may be employed to operate them provided the traction wheels or
drivers are journalled on to the ends of the arms that are pivoted to the truck and
therefrom extended rearwardly on an angle to where supporting the said drivers or
traction wheels.
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 what I claim is:
First. The combination with a car or locomotive truck having wheels to support
The weight of the locomotive or car upon a two-rail track; of drivers operated to
engage the inside face of the track rails, by means of the power operating said
drivers or traction wheels for propulsion, substantially as shown and described.
Second. The combination with a car or locomotive truck having wheels to support
the weight of the locomotive or car upon a two rail truck, said wheels being operated
to engage with the latter for propulsion; of supplemental drivers or traction wheels
operated to make a tractional engagement with the inside face of the rails by the

page_text: power operating said supplemental drivers for propulsion, substantially as herein set
forth.
Third. The combination with a car or locomotive truck having wheels to support
the weight of the locomotive or car upon a two-rail track; of arms that at their
front ends are pivoted to the truck. and therefrom extended rearwardly on an angle ;
and drivers or traction wheels, journalled on to the rearwardly extended ends of said
arms and making a tangent engagement with the inside face of the track, substan-
tially as shown and described.