Á DULICABLE TO TRAMWAY CARS. OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1875

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Robert Brown, of Tollington Road, in the County
of Middlesex, Gentleman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
Á DULICABLE TO TRAMWAY CARS. OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
Sealed the 6th October 1875, and dated the 8th April 1875.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Robert Brown at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
8th April 1875
I, ROBERT BROWN, of Tollington Road, in the County of Middlesex,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO TRAMWAY CARS, OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER CAR-
RIAGES," to be as follows.-
It is well known that when tramway cars, omnibuses, and other four-
wheeled carriages are heavily laden a very great strain is put on the
horses to start the carriage, because the horses, instead of allowing their
weight alone to overcome the vis inertiæ of the carriage, at once snatch
at the weight, and endeavour to move it by mere muscular exertion.

page_text: In the case of tramway cars, although the load is very heavy, it can
be drawn along the rails or trams with comparative case when once put
in motion, but as the horses will always snatch at the load in order to
start it they very often strain themselves in so doing, and it has been
found in practice that they are very quickly destroyed by being subjected
to the heavy and very frequent strains which they undergo by constantly
starting and stopping while at work.
The object of the present Invention is (by means of an elastic attach-
ment to the drawing gear, and an improved mode of adapting this gear
to the running wheels) to prevent the horses from unnecessarily straining
themselves, and also to apply their drawing power in a better and more
economical manner than heretofore. To this end, instead of the horses
being allowed to snatch and draw at any fixed point or points, as is now
the case, the drawing gear is adapted to a strong spring, by preference
an elliptic spring, but two strong coiled springs may be employed if
desired. The cross bar of the drawing gear is made to bear against the
ends of this spring or springs, which when power is applied to the
drawing gear will be compressed theroby By thus allowing the horses
to snatch at an clastic or yielding device, instead of a rigid fixed point,
they will not be subjected to such undue strain as is now the case.
In order to increase the tractive power of the horses so as to enable
them to start the dead weight with greater facility, a large ratchet
wheel or other equivalent device is adapted to the running wheels or
some of them, and to the ends of the cross bar of the running gear are
adapted ratchet clicks, which take into the teeth of the ratchet wheels,
so that when power is applied to the drawing gear (and the strong draft
spring is compressed) the ratchet clicks will be drawn forward, and will
thus pull round the ratchet wheels, which are either fixed on the sides of
the running wheels or on the rotating axle of the latter. By this means
the draft of the horses will be exerted on the end of a long lever reprc-
sented by a line drawn from the top of the wheel to the ground, which
is the fulcrum, instead of the power being exerted only on a short lever,
represented by one of the spokes of the running wheel.

page_text: filed by the said Robert Brown in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 8th October 1875.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ROBERT
BROWN, of Tollington Road, in the County of Middlesex, Gentleman,
send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eighth day of April, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five, in the thirty-
eighth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Ier heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Robert Brown, Her special licenco that
I, the said Robert Brown, my exccutors, administrators, and assigns, or
such others as I, the said Robert Brown, my exccutors, administrators,
and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to
time and at all times thereafter during the term therem expressed, should
and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of
Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS APPLICABLE TO TRAMWAY CARS,
OMNIBUSES, AND OTHER CARRIAGES," upon the condition (amongst others)
that I, tho said Robert Brown, my executors or administrators, by an
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within sıx
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Robert Brown, do hereby declaro
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that is to
say) :-
It is well known that when tramway cars, omnibuses, and other four-

page_text: weight alone to overcome the vis inertiæ of the carriage, at once snatch
at the weight, and endeavor to move it by mere muscular exertion.
In the case of tramway cars, although the load is very heavy, it can
be drawn along the rails or trams with comparative ease when once the
carriage is put in motion, but as the horses will always snatch at the load
in order to start it they very often strain themselves in so doing, and it
has been found in practice that they are very quickly destroyed by being
subjected to the heavy and very frequent strains which they undergo by
constantly starting and stopping the carriages while at work.
The object of the present Invention is (by means of an elastic attach-
ment to the drawing gear, and an improved mode of adapting this gear
to the running. wheels) to prevent the horses from unnecessarily straining
themselves, and also to apply their drawing power in a better and-more
economical manner than heretofore. To this end, instead of the horses
being allowed to snatch and draw at any fixed point or points, as is now
the case, the drawing gear is adapted to a strong spring (by preference
an elliptic spring), but two strong coiled springs may be employed if
desired. The cross bar of the drawing gear is made to bear against this
spring or springs, which when power is applied to the drawing gear will
be compressed thereby. By thus allowing the horses to snatch at an
elastic or yielding device, instead of a rigid fixed point, they will not be
subjected to such undue strain as is now the case.
In order to increase the tractive power of the horses, so as to enable
them to start the dead weight with greater facility, a large ratchet wheel or
other equivalent device is adapted to the running wheels or some of
them, and to the ends of the cross bar of the running gear are adapted
ratchet chicks, which take into the teeth of the ratchet wheels, so that
when power is applied to the drawing gear (and the strong draft
spring is compressed) the ratchet chicks will be drawn forward, and will
thus pull round the ratchet wheels, which are either fixed on the sides of
the running wheels or on the rotating axle of the latter By this means
the draft of the horses will be exerted on the end of a long lever
represented by a line drawn from the top of the wheel to the ground,
which is the fulcrum, instead of the power being exerted only on a short
lever, represented by one of the spokes of the running wheel.-
In the accompanying Drawings I have shewn in Sheet I. one mode of
carrying out my Invention.

page_text: Fig. 1 is an under side plan view of the framing of a tramway car
with my improved drawing gear adapted thereto, Fig. 2 is a sectional
elevation of the same, one end of the car being shewn in side elevation,
and the other end in longitudinal section taken in the line 1, 2, of
Fig. 1.
The running wheels a, a, are keyed fast on to the rotating axle b in
the ordinary manner, and on this axle is firmly secured a large ratchet
wheel c, into which takes a ratchet click d on the end of the arm d³,
which is mounted in a bearing e fixed on the sliding bar f, which is
capable of moving in the guides f₁, f¹. A horizontal vibrating bar or
arm having its fulcrum or centre of motion in a bearing g', Fig. 1,
outside the framing is connected by a pin to the sliding barf. The lever
or arm is connected in a similar manner to a link or bar h, which is
jointed at the other end to the draw bary; or if preferred the link / may
be dispensed with, and the arm 9 may be connected with the draw bar j
by means of a pin which will work in a slot made in the bar g. Tho
draw barj works in guides ¹, j', fixed on the under side of the framing,
and extends back to and embraces an elliptic spring k, which will be
collapsed, as indicated by dots at the right hand end of Fig. 1, when the
bar is drawn forward.
J
Fig. 3 represents another form of spring, which may be used in place
of the double elliptic spring shewn in Fig. 1, if preferred.
The action of the several parts is as follows.-Upon the horses starting
forward, and pulling on the draw bar 1, as indicated by dotted lines
at the right hand end of Fig. 1, the spring / will be collapsed, and at
the same time the vibrating lever or arm g will be pulled forward into
the position indicated by the dotted lines, and in so doing will move
forward the bar fand the ratchet lever d' connected therewith. By this
means the ratchet wheel c and the running wheels a, a, which are keyed
fast on the same axle, will be pulled round several inches, and will
thereby start the carriage, which is all that is required, as the horses can
then keep the carriage in motion without undue muscular exertion.
When the pull of the horses is relaxed (as when going down hill) tho
spring Z will carry the ratchet & back over the teeth of the wheel c into the
position shewn at Fig. 2, and ready for another forward motion. It will
be seen, on referring to the sectional view Fig. 2, that on the under side

page_text: of the ratchet arm d¹ there is an incline 2, which when the ratchet is
drawn forward will come against the inclined side of a fixed block 1, and
will thereby be raised up so that the ratchet or click d will be lifted out
of the teeth of the wheel c, and be prevented from clicking against the
teeth as the wheel c rotates.
As the carriage, being a tram car. will be drawn either end foremost,
it is provided at each end with my improved drawing apparatus, but
care must be taken that the teeth of the two wheels c, c, must be inclined
in opposite directions to suit the direction in which the carriage is to be
drawn. It will also be understood that when the ratchet & is in the :
position shewn in the sectional view, Fig 2, the running wheels cannot
run back. If then the carriage be stopped when going up an incline the
carriage will be kept stationary without the use of a brake, or without
calling upon the horses to exert any muscular power to prevent the
carriage from running back. As however when the carriage is to return :
in the contrary direction, and with the other end foremost, it will be
necessary to put this ratchet temporarily out of gear with the teeth of
its wheel, this object is effected by passing a small arm m under the
ratchet d, as indicated by dots in the detached plan view of these parts
shown at Fig. 4 Thus arm m may be worked from the inside of the 2
carriage, and will temporarily hold up the ratchet & out of the way of
the teeth of the wheel c.
In some cases, as with light carriages, and on very level roads, the
ratchet arrangement for starting the carriage may be dispensed with, the
draw bar and clliptic spring / only being retained. The horses in:
starting will then, instead of snatching at a rigid connection, first collapse
the spring, which will gradually set the carriage in motion. The elastic
connection of the horses with the drawing gear of the carriage may be
adapted to ordinary four-wheeled carriages, such as omnibuscs, light
vans, and such like vehicles, and will be found to afford the horses very
considerable relief In adapting this part of my Invention to omnibuses
or ordinary carriages I however prefer to construct and arrange the
apparatus in a somewhat different manner.
In Sheet II. Fig 5 is a plan view, and Fig. O a sectional elevation
of so much of a four-wheeled carriage with this part of my improve-
ments adapted thereto as will be necessary to understand the Invention.
It will be seen that instead of one double elliptic spring, as shewn at

page_text: Fig. 1, I employ four hichical or coiled springs, which are enclosed in
cylindrical cases, as at n, n, n, n, which are permanently secured in any
convenient manner to the ordinary splinter bar o, o, of the fore carriage.
Through each of the helical springs passes a rod having at one end a
plate or disc, against which one end of the spring bears, and at the other
end the rod is provided with a hook to attach it to the end of the traces.
It will be seen that the helical springs are independent of each other, so
that cach horse works independently of the other.
If desired the spring cases, instead of being permanently attached to
the splinter bar, as shown in the Drawing, may be simply hooked on to
a ring or other equivalent device secured to the bar. The traces may be
hooked on to the rods of the springs, as in the former instance.
It will be obvious that instead of four coiled springs enclosed in
cylindrical cases, as shown, two curved springs, such as those shewn at
Fig. 7, Sheet II, may be employed, one for each horse. When this kind
of spring is employed I prefer to adapt it to the back part of the splinter
bar, to which it is to be secured by a block and suitable straps. A
shackle is attached to each end of the spring, and is connected to a draw
rod, which passes through a hole in the splinter bar, or through an eye
or staple fixed on the under side of the splinter bar. The outer end of
each of the draw rods is provided with rings or hooks, so that the traces
may be attached thereto, as in the former instance.
Having now described my Invention of "Improvements Applicable
to Tramway Cars, Omnibuses, and other Carriages," and having
explained the manner of carrying the same into effect, I claim as the
Invention secured to me by Letters Patent as aforesaid,-
First. Adapting to the rotating axles of tramway cars a ratchet wheel
or other equivalent device, whereby increased power may be transmitted
from the drawing gear to the running wheels, so as to start the carriage
without undue strain on the horses. I also claim in connection with the
above the adaptation of a spring or elastic attachment, as herein set
forth, so as to provent the horses from unnecessarily straining them-

page_text: consisting of a spring or springs, to which the traces or drawing gear
are to be attached, as and for the purpose herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said Robert Brown, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, the Eighth day of October, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-five.