Improved Means for Actuating Road or Tram Cars and Lake or other Boats.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Apr., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 21st Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
NOTIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Actuating Road or Tram Cars and Lake or
other Boats.
I MILES SETTLE of Darcy Lever in the County of Lancaster Colliery
Proprietor and Mining Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows :—
This invention relates to improvements upon an invention for driving road or
tram cars and lake and other boats by means of gas engines, the objects of the
present invention being to render the cars or vessels, when driven by a gas engine
or engines, perfectly independent of any gas mains or other fixed source of supply,
and secondly to provide suitable and convenient means for connecting the engine
or engines with the driving axle of the car, or other vehicle or vessel, and
disconnecting and reversing the same when required.
In the first place I propose to drive the engine or engines by means of gas made
from petroleum or other hydro-carbon oil, the car or other vehicle or vessel being
fitted with a tank, or tanks, or cisterns, for coutaining the requisite supply thereof
and with a converting apparatus for converting the said oil into gas and storing the
same in the proportion required for the engine. For this purpose I use a gas
convertor or generator, so constructed and arranged that as soon as a certain
pressure has been attained in the storing chamber the supply of oil to the apparatus
is automatically cut off and the further generation of gas is discontinued until the
working of the engine has reduced the pressure to or below the normal point, when
the necessary supply of oil is again admitted and the conversion or generation of
gas re-commences and so on, the gas being thus only made in proportion as it is
utilized by the engine so that the supply is always sufficient but never much in
excess of the requirements.
Secondly, on the driving end of the main shaft of the engine I mount a friction
clutch the sliding half of which is connected to a lever whereby it can readily be
put into or out of gear. The sliding portion works on a key on the shaft so that
it always revolves with it when the engine is working.
The other half of the clutch is loose upon the shaft, and only revolves when the
two cones are brought into contact by the lever. The loose half of the friction is
provided with a spur pinion, below which are two larger spur wheels which are
geared together and which are mounted on a sliding frame so arranged, one on
each side below the pinion, that upon sliding the frame in one direction or the
other direction (by means of a second lever provided for that purpose) either of
the said spur wheels can be put into gear with the pinion so as to reverse the
motion when required, and by placing the frame in the central or intermediate
position both wheels will be thrown out of gear with the pinion.
To one of the spur wheels is cast or fixed a peg wheel or grooved pulley which
by means of an endless chain or band drives a similar wheel or pulley (preferably
of a larger diameter) keyed or fixed on the main driving axle of the car or other
vehicle or vessel to be driven.
In the case of a road or tram car mounted upon springs I provide a tension
pulley bearing against the inside of the chain or band.
This pulley is mounted on a sliding bar which is provided with a spiral or other
spring which will always keep the chain or band at a proper state of tension for
driving, but will at the same time allow it to accommodate itself to the motion of the
D'

page_text: springs. Or the driving may be effected direct by means of bevil wheels and
reversing gear.
The handles of the levers are placed within easy reach of the engineer or other
person in charge, and it will be readily understood that by their means he can stop,
start and reverse the action of the driving axle at any moment whilst the gas
engine may be kept always running in the same direction.
It will of course be understood that if preferred screws or other equivalent
mechanical means may be employed instead of the lever handles for moving the
clutch and the reversing slide, and that any other suitable form of clutch may be
substituted for the one hereinbefore described.
Dated this 20th day of April 1892.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means for Actuating Road or Tram Cars and Lake or
other Boats.
1 MILES SETTLE of Darcy Lever in the County of Lancaster, Colliery
Proprietor and Mining Engineer, 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 :-
This invention relates to improvements upon an invention for driving road or
tram cars and lake or other boats by means of gas engines, the objects of the
present invention being to render the cars or vessels, when driven by a gas engine
or engines, perfectly independent of any gas mains or other fixed source of supply,
and secondly to provide suitable and convenient means for connecting the engine
or engines with the driving axle of the car, or other vehicle or vessel, and discon-
necting and reversing the same when required.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood I have annexed hereto
two sheets of drawings illustrative thereof and have marked the same with figures
and letters of reference corresponding with the following explanation thereof.
On Sheet 1 Fig. 1 is a side elevation.
Fig. 2 a plan of a car for moving road or tram cars constructed according to
my invention.
Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a part of the same detached.
On Sheet 2 Figs. 4 and 5 show apparatus for stopping, or reversing the direction
of the car without stopping the engine.
"
In the first place I propose to drive the engine a (or engines) by means of gas
made from petroleum or other hydro-carbon oil, the car or other vehicle or vessel
being fitted with a tank c or tanks, or cisterns for containing the requisite supply
thereof, and with a converting apparatus dd' for converting the said oil into gas
and storing the same in the proportion required for the engine. For this purpose
I use a gas convertor or generator of the type known as "Hearsons which may
be so constructed and arranged that as soon as a certain pressure has been attained
in the storing chamber d' the supply of oil to the apparatus is automatically cut
off and the further generation of gas is discontinued until the working of the engine
has reduced the pressure to or below the normal point, when the necessary supply
of oil is again admitted and the conversion or generation of gas re-commences
so on, the gas being thus only made in proportion as it is utilized by the engine a
so that the supply is always sufficient but never much in excess of the requirements.
I find however that it is preferable to dispense with this automatic cut-off of the
oil and to control the supply of the latter by hand by means of the gas supply
valve e the closing of which increases the pressure of gas in the apparatus d d³ and

page_text: so stops the supply of oil through the pipe c¹ from the tank c by overcoming the
pressure in the tank c.
The cylinder of the engine a is provided as usual with a water-jacket connected
by pipes ff and a pump to a tank containing water.
g
Secondly, on the driving end of the main shaft a¹ of the engine a I mount a
friction clutch g g¹ see Figs. 4 and 5 the sliding half of which is connected to a
lever g' whereby it can readily be put into or out of gear. The sliding portion g
works on a key on the shaft a¹ so that it always revolves with it when the engine a
is working.
The other half g¹ of the clutch is loose upon the shaft a¹ and only revolves when
the two cones or driving surfaces are brought into contact by the lever 9³. The
loose half g¹ of the friction clutch is provided with a spur pinion h below which are
two larger spur wheels which are geared together and which are mounted on a
sliding frame k and so arranged, one on each side below the pinion that upon
sliding the frame k in one direction or the other direction (by means of a second
lever provided for that purpose) either of the said spur wheels i or can be put
into gear with the pinion h so as to reverse the motion when required and by
placing the frame in the central or intermediate position both wheels i and i¹
will be thrown out of gear with the pinion h.
To one of the spur wheels is cast or fixed a peg wheel m or grooved pulley
which by means of an endless chain m² or band drives a similar wheel m³ or
pulley (preferably of a larger diameter) keyed or fixed on the main driving axle m³
of the car or other vehicle or vessel to be driven.
Or the loose half g' may be made to slide as shewn on Figs. 2 and 3 and the
wheels it may be mounted on a rocking frame n and gear with a third wheel ³ on
a short shaft on which the frame n rocks and on which are keyed or fixed the
peg wheels m m³ for driving both axles of the car by the chains m¹ m¹¹ see
Fig. 1 and 2.
In the case of a road or tram car mounted upon springs I may provide a tension
pulley o bearing against the chain or band.
This pulley is mounted on a sliding bar o' which is provided with a spiral or
other spring of which will always keep the chain m or band at a proper state of
tension for driving, but will at the same time allow it to accommodate itself to the
motion of the springs. Or the driving may be effected direct by means of bevil
wheels and reversing gear.
The handles of the levers g' and I are placed within easy reach of the engineer
or other person in charge, and it will be readily understood that by their means he
can stop, start and reverse the action of the driving axle at any moment whilst the
gas engine a may be kept always running in the same direction.
It will of course be understood that if preferred screws or other equivalent
mechanical means may be employed instead of the lever handles g² and I for moving
the clutch and the reversing slide or other gear and that any other suitable form of
clutch may be substituted for the one herein before described.
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 that what I
claim is :-
1. The improved means, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
by the annexed drawings for driving road or tram cars and lake or other boats,
consisting in fitting a car or boat with a gas engine combined with a tank or cistern
containing a suitable oil and converting apparatus for converting the said oil into
gas and storing the latter as required for the engine which is suitably connected to
the driving axle or axles of the car or boat.
2. The combination with the above engine and its appurtenances of two spur
wheels one on either of the main driving wheel and connected by chain, strap
or equivalent gearing to the driving axle or axles of the car or boat, the two spur

page_text: wheels being geared together and so mounted on a moving frame that the motion
of the car or boat may be stopped or reversed without stopping the engine sub-
stantially as herein before described and illustrated.
Dated this 20th day of January 1893.
GEO. DAVIES & SON,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester, Agents for the Applicant.