Improvements in or connected with the Propulsion of Street Tramway and other Cars or Carriages.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Jan., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 29th Oct., 1892-Accepted, 31st Dec.. 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Propulsion of Street
Tramway and other Cars or Carriages.
I, LEON VALLET, of 49, Everton Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer of Bottle Stoppers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates, mainly, to street and other tramway cars and other like
carriages, and locomotives, which are propelled by the expansive force of com-
pressed air or other gaseous fluid.
Some of the chief objects, amongst others, of my invention is to provide a mode
and means of propelling (more particularly) street tramway and other like cars or
carriages by compressed air or other gaseous fluid, of a simple and, relatively,
inexpensive character, and one also which shall not be so liable to defective work-
ing as those now in use. For convenience, in this Specification I will confine the
general description of my invention with reference to the propulsion of tramway
and like cars, and to the case in which the motor fluid used is compressed air.
According to my invention, compressed air is supplied continuously to the motor
upon a tram-car or locomotive from a suitable source of supply by a pipe of a
flexible nature, and which moves with or is drawn by the car or locomotive. In
one arrangement, this pipe is stored upon a drum, off which it is uncoiled, as the
car travels from the place where it is located, and onto which it is wound or coiled
when the car returns, or when it is released when the car reaches its destination, or
as and when desired according to conditions under which the system is being
worked. The end of this pipe is suitably connected or coupled to the source of
supply of compressed air, say at the station where the coiling drum is situated.
some cases this end of the pipe may be connected to the source of supply through
a hollow axle of the drum, or through a suitably jointed connection.
In
In connection with the drum, mechanism or means is provided by which the rate
of the paying out (or taking in) of the flexible pipe is regulated, and the general
action of the barrel, or drum, controlled.
In some cases the compressed air is supplied to a reservoir on the car and not to
the engine direct, in which case, a reserve or accumulation of power is afforded on
the car or locomotive. Suitable valves, cocks, and means for regulating and
controlling the supply and flow of compressed air, and the operation of the
machinery, are provided.
In some cases the gaseous. fluid supply pipe may be adapted to travel in a
suitable channel or conduit underground, whilst in other cases it may travel above
ground. The pipe may be supported on rollers or pulleys; and when a conduit is
provided, such conduit is open at one side or other part to permit of the connection
of the pipe with the engine.
In some cases I may provide several compressed air stations along the route
over which the cars travel, and each of these stations may be provided with a
flexible pipe coiling drum. In such a case, the pipe of each station is of such a
length as to admit of the car being run to the next station, and in operation, the
pipe at each station is coupled or connected to the car or locomotive as it arrives,
and is wound off by such car in travelling to the next station, when it is dis-
connected and the pipe of that station connected up to the car or locomotive, each
pipe as disconnected may be then drawn back and wound on the drum of the
station to which it belongs by operating said drum.
The air may be used in multiple cylinder compound engines on the cars or
?!

page_text: locomotives, or otherwise as desired; and efficiency and economy may be obtained
by heating the engine cylinders, or by heating the air or other gaseous fluid direct.
The application of this invention to existing locomotives or other steam engines
may be effected easily and with slight alteration.
The compressed air for operating locomotives or cars under this invention may
be obtained by compressing air at the different stations by steam or other engines
and storing it in suitable reservoirs, or it may be supplied by other means, and
distributed to the different points or stations of supply in any suitable way.
It is to be understood that this invention is not confined to the particular means
or arrangements herein above specified, since it may be carried out in different
ways by simple modifications or substitutions to meet the varying conditions under
which it may have to be applied, as well as to different requirements.
Dated this 28th day of January 1892.
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's Patent Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with the Propulsion of Street
Tramway and other Cars or Carriages.
I, LEON VALLET, of 49, Everton Road, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster,
Manufacturer of Bottle Stoppers, 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, mainly, to street and other tramway cars and other like
carriages, and locomotives, which are propelled by the expansive force of com-
pressed air or other gaseous fluid.
Some of the chief objects, amongst others, of my invention is to provide a mode
or means of propelling (more particularly) street tramway and other cars, or
carriages, by compressed air or other gaseous fluid, of a simple and, relatively,
inexpensive character, and one also which shall not be so liable to defective
working as those now in use. For convenience, in this Specification I will confine
the general description of my invention with reference to the propulsion of tram-
way and like cars, and to the case in which the motor fluid used is compressed air.
According to my invention, compressed air is supplied continuously to the motor
upon a tram-car or locomotive from a suitable source of supply by a pipe of a
flexible nature, and which moves with, or is drawn by the car or locomotive. In
one arrangement, this pipe is stored upon a drum, off which it is uncoiled, as a
car travels from the place where it is located and onto which it is wound or coiled
when the car returns, or when it is released when the car reaches its destination;
or as and when desired according to conditions under which the system is being
worked. The end or centre of this pipe is suitably connected or coupled to the
source of supply of compressed air, say at the station where the coiling drum is
situated. In some cases the pipe may be connected to the source of supply through
a hollow axle of the drum or through a suitably jointed connection.
In connection with the drum, mechanism or means is provided by which the rate
of the paying out (or taking in) of the flexible pipe is regulated, and the general
action of the barrel, or drum, controlled.
In some cases the compressed air is supplied to a reservoir on the car and not to
the engine direct, in which case means for a reserve or accumulation of power are
afforded on the car or locomotive. Suitable valves, cocks, and means for regulating
and controlling the supply and flow of compressed air, and the operation of the
machinery, are provided."
In some cases the gaseons fluid supply pipe may be adapted to travel in a suit-
able channel or conduit underground, whilst in other cases it may travel above

page_text: ground. The pipe may be supported on rollers or pulleys; and when a conduit is
provided, such conduit is open at one side or other part to permit of the connection
of the pipe with the engine.
In some cases I may provide several compressed air stations along the route over
which the cars travel, and each of these stations may be provided with a flexible
pipe coiling drum. In such a case, the pipe of each station is of such a length as
to admit of the car being run to the next station, and in operation, the pipe at each
station is coupled or connected to the car or locomotive as it arrives, and is wound
off by such car in travelling to the next station, when it is disconnected and the
pipe of that station connected up to the car or locomotive, each pipe as disconnected
may be then drawn back and wound on the drum of the station to which it belongs
by operating said drum as before described.
The air may be used in multiple cylinder compound engines on the cars or
locomotives, or otherwise as desired; and efficiency and economy may be obtained
by heating the engine cylinders or by heating the air or other gaseous fluid direct.
The application of this invention to existing locomotives or other steam engines
may be effected casily and with slight alteration.
The compressed air for operating locomotives or cars under this invention may
be obtained by compressing air at the different stations by steam or other engines
and storing it in suitable reservoirs, or it may be supplied by other means, and
distributed to the different points or stations of supply in any suitable way.
Having thus generally described the object and nature of the invention, I will
now proceed to describe it with reference to the sheet of accompanying drawings
which makes a part of this Specification. The example of my invention which I
have illustrated shews its application to street tramway cars.
In the various
figures the same parts are designated by the same letters, and they correspond with
those used in the following explanation of the example.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Figure 2 is a plan shewing a portion of a street
tramway with my invention applied thereto.
Figure 3 is an end elevation, shewn in section, of the way or conduit for the
flexible pipe which conveys the compressed air to the tram-car.
Figure 4 is a side elevation in section, shewing the connection between the
compressed air pipe and the tram-car.
Figure 5 is an end elevation of the drum on which the compressed air pipe is
carried, and from which it is paid off as the tram-car proceeds on its journey.
With reference to the drawings, a designates a portion of a tramway line; and
are tram-cars running thereon; c is a flexible pipe for conveying compressed
air or gas from an air or gas main or other source of supply, to a compressed air or
gas engine on the car. dis a drum on which the pipe c is wound and from which
it is paid off as the tramcar travels away from the drum. I prefer to employ a
double drum dd' and pipe cel as shewn in Figure 2, arranged so that when the
pipe e is paid off or unwound from the drum d by the movement of the car b, the
pipe is wound on to the drum, d' in the reverse direction so as to be ready to
connect to another car at the starting point when the car has reached the limit
of the length of the pipe c. Each of the pipes cc' are provided with a coupling
piece e by which they are connected to a coupling piece i on a pipe / carried by the
tram-car and leading to the engine on the car. This coupling runs in a conduit k
which is made of double form so as to take both the pipes c and c¹. The conduit k
is laid between or at the side of the tramway line and is provided with rollers!
placed at a short distance from each other, and which serve to carry the pipes c c
as they travel along the conduit k. The coupling piece e on the pipe c is provided
with a non-return valve m, and the end of the pipe is provided with projecting
parts which, when the coupling pieces e and i are screwed up together, comes
nto contact with the valve m and forces it open and so lets the compressed air, or

page_text: gas, pass from the pipe c into the pipe h, and so on to supply the engine on the
tramcar with the motive fluid. When the pipe c is uncoupled from the pipe, the
valve m is closed by the pressure in the pipe c; or, where the pressure is not
sufficient, a spring may be employed to close the valve.
.
The drums d d consist of a hollow shaft n mounted and running in bearings p,
the shaft being connected to the compressed air or gas main or supply pipe s by
a stuffing box n'. The flexible pipes are connected to and are in communi-
cation at their ends with the duct of the hollow shaft n, so that the motive fluid
passes from the supply to the flexible pipes c cl, and thence to the tramcar.
The flexible pipes c c are of such length as to enable the tramcar to run from
one station to the next, the flexible pipe being connected to the car at the starting
station, and disconnected when it arrives at the next station, the pipe being wound
off the drum by the tram-car in travelling. In connection with the drum there is,
preferably, provided a brake of any suitable known kind, by which the speed of
paying out the flexible pipe is controlled. This brake is preferably operated from
the tram-car by mechanical or electric means, the wire or other communication for
working the brake being carried for example, in the duct of the conduit k..
It is to be understood that this invention is not confined to the particular means
or arrangements herein above specified, since it may be carried out in different ways
by simple modifications or substitutions to meet the varying conditions under which
it may have to be applied, as well as the different requirements, for example, the
invention may be applied in mines to propel the trucks or waggons, the exhaust of
the compressed air being useful for ventilating purposes. It can also be applied for
working travelling cranes.
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 :-
:-
1. The herein described mode of transmitting power or motive power fluid from
a station or depot, to self-propelling vehicles such as railway and tram-cars, and
the like, consisting in connecting a tube at one end or part to the vehicle to
be propelled, and at its other end or part to a taking in and paying out device,
the tube being adapted to convey the motor fluid from the source of supply or store
to the vehicle.
2. The mode or means of propelling vehicles consisting in connecting a station
with the vehicle to be propelled by a conduit adapted to convey motor fluid to
the vehicle from the source or station, the tube or conduit being coiled on and off
drums or cylinders; substantially as herein described and set forth with reference
to the drawings.
Dated thin both dow..
1005
a day of O
1005
CHEESBROUGH & ROYSTON, Fels. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
15, Water Street, Liverpool, Applicant's. Patent Agents.