Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Stopping and Restarting Tramway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 15th Apr., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 28th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 29th Mar., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Stopping and Restarting
Tramway and other Vehicles.
A communication from GAETANO GIUSSANI, of Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
In brakes such as are generally used for stopping travelling vehicles there are
employed brake blocks which are forced against the tires of the wheels and arrest
the movement of the vehicle by means of friction.
The object of the present invention is to use the momentum of the vehicle when
it is desired to stop it in such a manner as to change the said momentum into
mechanical force which is afterwards employed for automatically re-starting the
vehicle and the invention consists essentially in applying such mechanical force to
the drawing out of a piston fitting air-tight in a hollow cylinder thus creating a
vacuum in the cylinder the power necessary for such work affecting the stoppage of
the vehicle.
At the moment of starting the vehicle the piston is liberated and the atmospheric
pressure drives the piston back into the cylinder the force thus derived being used to
start the vehicle automatically.
By means of a sleeve secured to one of the travelling wheel axles the momentum
of the vehicle is transmitted to the rod of the beforementioned piston at the moment
it is desired to stop the vehicle, and afterwards the sleeve is used for turning the axle
by utilising the force exerted on the piston when this latter is liberated.
To this end two wheels turn loosely on the sleeve and these wheels consist each of
two pieces strongly bolted together. In the inner face of each of these wheels are
formed square teeth and on the outer faces thereof are formed the teeth of a ratchet
wheel. These wheels for distinction are hereinafter referred to as toothed wheels.
With the teeth of this ratchet wheel pawls are adapted to engage and these pawls
can be advanced or withdrawn at will by mechanism described hereinafter.
The rod of the piston consists preferably of two racks which actuate directly and
simultaneously the beforementioned toothed wheels one of which gears above the
travelling wheel axle with the teeth on the inner face of one of said toothed wheels
and the other underneath the travelling wheel axle with the teeth on the inner face
of the other toothed wheel. By these means the said toothed wheels are turned in
opposite direction when the piston is drawn out and this movement is of course
reversed when the piston is moved in.
The operating of the brake is as follows:-When it is desired to stop the vehicle
the two pairs of pawls mounted with springs in a movable frame are placed against
the ratchet teeth of the toothed wheels. As these wheels turn in opposite directions
one pair of the pawls will slide over the teeth of one toothed wheel while the other
will engage with the teeth of the other toothed wheel thus coupling the apparatus
with the before mentioned sleeve and the axle and the piston will then be drawn out.
By these means a vacuum is formed in the cylinder and the force necessary to draw
the piston out stops the vehicle.
A safety pawl engaging with the upper rack of the piston rod allows the piston
rod to move outwards and prevents it from returning until the said pawl is released
from the teeth of the rack.
When the vehicle is to be started again the pawl is lifted by mechanism described
hereinafter and the atmospheric pressure will then force the piston in. The direction

page_text: of the movement of the toothed wheels will be reversed and the other previously
disengaged wheel will now be coupled with the axle and will start the vehicle.
The above named pawls engaging with the "toothed" wheels are actuated in the
following manner :-
On the beforementioned sleeve are mounted loose straps each consisting of two
pieces bolted together. These straps do not turn with the sleeve as they are attached
to the sides of the cylinder by means of rods. The straps extend somewhat towards
the middle of the sleeve and on these extensions are mounted collars. Each of the
extensions is formed with a slot one half of which is parallel with the sides of the
straps while the other inclines towards the centre of the sleeve. The collar is provided
on the inside with a pin which fits into the said slot so that the collar will be
displaced longitudinally on the sleeve when it is turned by means of an arm fixed to
it. The collar is also extended towards the middle of the sleeve and this extension is
formed with a dove-tailed groove in which engages the movable frame carrying the
pawls.
The pawls can be engaged or disengaged during the travelling of the vehicle by
actuating the beforementioned arm.
The mechanism for transmitting the movement to the pawls can be actuated from
either end of the vehicle. For providing for the travelling of the vehicle in either
direction there is arranged at each end thereof a pawl engaging with a plate; when
travelling in one direction one of these pawls is in operation and when travelling in
the opposite direction the other pawl is used, these pawls being thrown into and out
of engagement by hand or otherwise at the then-forward end of the vehicle.
If it be desired to stop the vehicle and the driver stands at the then-forward end
he will draw over a lever and through rods connected with it actuate the before-
mentioned collar and the brake will thus be caused to act. At the same time the
beforementioned safety pawl will be brought into engagement with its rack and will
retain the piston rod in the position to which it will have been moved at the end of
the operation i.e. when the vehicle has stopped.
To re-start the vehicle it is only necessary to move the lever back to its original
position and so disengage the pawl from its rack at which time the piston will be
driven in again by the atmospheric pressure and the vehicle will be started as described
above.
Dated this 15th day of April 1889.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means or Apparatus for Stopping and Restarting
Tramway and other Vehicles.
A communication from GAETANO GIUSSANI, of Turin, in the Kingdom of Italy.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
M.I.M.E., 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 :-
In brakes such as are generally used for stopping travelling vehicles there are
employed brake blocks which are forced against the tires of the wheels and arrest the
movement of the vehicle by means of friction.
The object of the present invention is to use the momentum of the vehicle when
it is desired to stop it in such a manner as to change the said momentum into
mechanical force which is afterwards employed for automatically re-starting the
vehicle, and the invention consists essentially in applying such mechanical force to
the drawing out of a piston fitting air-tight in a hollow cylinder thus creating a
vacuum in the cylinder, the power necessary for such work effecting the stoppage of
the vehicle.

page_text: At the moment of starting the vehicle the piston is liberated and the atmospheric
pressure drives the piston back into the cylinder the force thus derived being used
to start the vehicle automatically.
In the accompanying drawings the invention is represented as applied to a tramway
car drawn by horses but it is evident that the invention can also be applied to other
vehicles or other moving objects which are often arrested and started again.
In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 represents in diagram the application of the
brake block generally used up to the present. Fig. 2 represents a similar view of
the cylinder and piston used as a brake. Fig. 3 represents the same cylinder at the
moment of using the atmospheric pressure for starting the vehicle. Fig. 4 represents
a sleeve consisting of two pieces strongly bolted together and fixed securely to one of
the travelling wheel axles of the vehicles and on which sleeve are loosely mounted the
wheels represented in figure 5.
By means of this sleeve the momentum of the vehicle is transmitted to the rod of
the piston H Fig. 8, at the moment it is desired to stop the vehicle, and afterwards
the sleeve is used for turning the axle by utilising the force exerted on the piston
when this latter is liberated.
To this end two wheels B fig. 5 turn loosely at A¹ on the sleeve and these wheels
consist each of two pieces strongly bolted together. In the inner face B¹ of each of
these wheels are formed square teeth and on the outer face thereof B* are formed the
teeth of a ratchet wheel,
With the teeth of this ratchet wheel pawls C Fig. 4 are adapted to engage and
these pawls can be advanced or withdrawn at will by mechanism described herein-
after.
The rod of the piston G as shown in fig. 9, consists preferably of two racks which
actuate directly and simultaneously the before mentioned wheels B one of which gears
above the travelling wheel axle with the teeth on the inner face of one of said wheels
and the other underneath the travelling wheel axle with the teeth on the inner face of
the other wheel. By these means the wheels B are turned in opposite directions when
the piston is drawn out and this movement is of course reversed when the piston is
moved in.
The operating of the brake is as follows;-
When it is desired to stop the vehicle two pairs of pawls C mounted with springs
in a movable frame C¹ are placed against the ratchet teeth of the wheels B. As these
wheels turn in opposite directions one pair of the pawls will slide over the teeth of
one wheel B while the other will engage with the teeth of the other wheel thus
coupling the apparatus with the before mentioned sleeve A and the axle, and the
piston will then be drawn out. By these means a vacuum is formed in the cylinder,
and the force necessary to draw the piston out stops the vehicle.
A safety pawl N figs. 8, 9 and 10, engaging with the upper rack of the piston rod
allows the piston rod to move outwards and prevents it from returning until the said
pawl is released from the teeth of the rack.
When the vehicle is to be started again the pawl N is lifted by mechanism described
hereinafter and the atmospheric pressure will then force the piston in. The direction
of the movement of the wheels B will be reversed and the other previously-
disengaged wheel will now be coupled with the axle and will start the vehicle.
The above named pawls C are actuated in the following manner;-On the parts A³
of the sleeve A are mounted loose straps D each consisting of two pieces bolted
together. The straps do not turn with the sleeve A as they are attached to the sides
of the cylinder by means of rods D¹. The straps extend somewhat towards the middle
of the sleeve and on these extensions are mounted collars E. Each of the extensions
is formed with a slot d one half of which is parallel with the sides of the strap while
the other inclines towards the centre of the sleeve. The collar E is provided on the
inside with a pin which fits into the said slot d so that the collar will be displaced
longitudinally on the sleeve when it is turned by means of an arm E¹ fixed to it. The
collar E is also extended towards the middle of the sleeve and this extension is

page_text: formed with a dove-tailed groove in which engages the movable frame C¹ carrying
the pawls C.
The pawls can be engaged or disengaged during the travelling of the vehicle by
actuating the before mentioned arm E (figure 7).
The mechanism for transmitting the movement to the pawls can be actuated from
either end of the vehicle. For providing for the travelling of the vehicle in either
direction there is arranged at each end thereof a pawl M engaging with a plate L:
when travelling in one direction one of these pawls M is in operation and when
travelling in the opposite direction the other pawl M is used, these pawls being
thrown into and out of engagement by hand or otherwise at the then-forward end
of the vehicle.
If it be desired to stop the car (fig. 12) and the driver stands at the then-forward
end, he will draw over a lever g into the position'g' and through rods b and d connected
with it will actuate the before mentioned collar E and the brake will thus be caused
to act. At the same time by means of the rods 1 and 2 and levers 5, 6, 7 the before
mentioned safety pawl N (fig. 9) will be brought into engagement with its rack and
will retain the piston rod in the position to which it will have been moved at the end
of the operation i.e. when the vehicle has stopped.
To re-start the vehicle it is only necessary to move the lever g back to its original
position when the levers 1 and 2 will lift the pawl N from its rack and the piston will
be driven in again by the atmospheric pressure and the vehicle will be started as
described above.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is ;-
1. In all appliances where one or more parts are to be stopped and started again
the arrangement which permits the force of the momentum to be used for the
stopping.
2. In all appliances where one or more parts are to be stopped and started again
the arrangement which permits the force of the momentum to be used for the
stopping and to store up the said force to be used again at will.
3. In all appliances where one or more parts are to be stopped and started again
the arrangement which permits the force of the momentum to be used for the
stopping and to store up the said force, by means of the elasticity or the weight of
solid bodies, liquids or gases.
4. In all appliances where one or more parts are to be stopped and started again
the arrangement which permits the stored up force of the momentum to be used
for the starting or for the increasing of the speed after it has been diminished.
5. In vebicles in which the wheels are fixed to the axles, the application of a
system, which permits the momentum of the vehicle to be used for the stopping of
the vehicle and the restarting of the same as also to use the excess of speed in
descending an incline to be stored up to facilitate the ascent of another.
6. In the application to vehicles of a system which serves as brake and effects the
starting the use of the same mechanism no matter in what direction the vehicle is to
be moved.
7. The arrangement of a double rack gearing with two separate wheels at the
same time giving them motion in opposite directions and capable of receiving a
reciprocating movement transmitting power at will in either direction.
8. The arrangement of a sleeve consisting of two parts and applicable to the axle
of vehicles for the purpose of actuating a brake system in which the force of the
momentum is stored up by using the elasticity or the weight of any body.
9. The combination of levers, rods and other parts for actuating brakes in which
the force of the momentum is stored up to be used again at will, substantially as and
for the purpose specified.
10. The combination of a system of pawls for operating a brake mechanism in

page_text: which the force of the momentum is utilised substantially as and for the purpose
specified.
.
The whole substantially as and for the purpose specified and represented in the
accompanying drawings.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicant.