A Combined Break and Starting Apparatus for Tramway Cars and other Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 16th May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
PROVIDIUNAL SPECIFICATION.
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A Combined Break and Starting Apparatus for Tramway Cars and
other Vehicles.
I, JOHN LAWSON JOHNSTON, Moss Grange, Sydenham Hill, London, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to apparatus so arranged on a tramway car or other vehicle,
that, on moving a break lever or handle for the purpose of stopping, I bring into
action as a force serving to retard and arrest the vehicle the straining of a spring;
and this spring afterwards, in expending the force that had been accumulated in it,
aids the starting of the vehicle.
For this purpose, I fix on a running axle or wheel of the vehicle a toothed pinion
with which a horizontal rack can be brought into gear by the movement of the
break lever or other suitable handle, in which case, as the axle or wheel and the
pinion continue for a time to revolve, the rack is moved backwards compressing a
helical spring, until the resistance of the spring becomes so great as to prevent the
axle or wheel from farther revolving, the vehicle being thus retarded or stopped.
Besides the pinion and rack above mentioned, there is another pinion gearing with
a rack on the side opposite to that on which the former pinion and rack gear, and
this other pinion is not fixed to the running axle or wheel but connected to it by a
ratchet and pawl, so that it can turn freely thereon in the one direction but not in
the other.
While in the act of retarding the vehicle, the one rack is moved back straining
the spring as above described, the other rack is moved with it merely turning its
pinion in a backward direction, as permitted by the ratchet.
But, when it is desired to start the vehicle, the break lever or handle is moved so
as to throw the first rack out of gear from its pinion, and thereupon the second rack,
being forced forwards by the springs, causes its pinion to rotate, and this, acting
through the pawl and ratchet, turns the axle or wheel of the vehicle in the forward.
direction, thus aiding in starting the vehicle.
Dated this 19th day of August 1801
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
A Combined Break and Starting Apparatus for Tramway Cars and
other Vehicles.
I, JOHN LAWSON JOHNSTON, Moss Grange, Sydenham Hill, London, 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus so arranged on a tramway car or other vehicle,
that, on moving a break lever or handle for the purpose of stopping, I bring into
action as a force serving to retard and arrest the vehicle the straining of a spring;
and this spring afterwards, in expending the force that had been accumulated in it,
aids the starting of the vehicle.
For this purpose I fix on a running axle or wheel of the vehicle a toothed pinion
with which a horizontal rack can be brought into gear by the movement of the
break lever or other suitable handle, in which case, as the axle or wheel and the
pinion continue for a time to revolve, the rack is moved backwards compressing a
helical spring, until the resistance of the spring becomes so great as to prevent
Price 8d l

page_text: the axle or wheel from farther revolving, the vehicle being thus retarded or stopped.
Besides the pinion and rack above mentioned, there is another pinion gearing with
a rack on the side opposite to that on which the former pinion and rack gear, and
this other pinion is not fixed to the running axle or wheel but connected to it by a
ratchet and pawl so that it can turn freely thereon in the one direction but not in
the other.
While in the act of retarding the vehicle, the one rack is moved back straining the
spring as above described, the other rack is moved with it merely turning its pinion
in a backward direction, as permitted by the ratchet.
But, when it is desired to start the vehicle, the break lever or handle
moved so
as to throw the first rack out of gear from its pinion, and thereupon the second rack
being forced forwards by the springs, causes its pinion to rotate, and this, acting
through the pawl and ratchet, turns the axle or wheel of the vehicle in the forward
direction, thus aiding in starting the vehicle.
Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shews diagrammatically combined brake
and starting apparatus according to my invention when the parts are in position for
retarding and stopping the vehicle.
Fig. 2 shews the parts in position for starting the vehicle.
On one of the running axles A is fixed a pinion P which gears with a rack R
when that rack is raised as shewn in Fig. 1 by means of a rod H worked by any
convenient handle or lever.
When the rack R is thus brought into gear with the pinion P the pinion by its
revolution as the vehicle advances moves the rack backwards compressing a spring S.
On the axle A is a toothed wheel W which is not fixed on the axle but carries a
spring pawl engaging the teeth of P so that when the axle turns in the one or
forward direction the wheel W is free to turn backwards. A second rack T gearing
with the wheel W is moved back along with R while the braking action is going
but when by lowering the rod H the rack R is disengaged from the pinion Pas
shewn in Fig. 2, then the spring S pushes forwards the rack T causing the wheel W
to revolve and with it the pinion P axle A and wheels of the vehicle, thus giving
the vehicle a start.
on,
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
Combined brake and starting apparatus for tramway cars and other vehicles,
substantially as herein described and illustrated by the drawings.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.