Improved Stopping and Starting Mechanism for Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Stopping and Starting Mechanism for Vehicles.
1. WILHELM PRINZLAU of Kielerstrasse 79, Hamburg in the Empire of
Germany, 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 consists in a stopping gear for vehicles, principally for tramway
cars, by means of which the power due to and obtained by the arresting of the
momentum of the car may be stored up to be used or expended again for the
restarting of the car.
In the improved gear the rotary movement of one of the wheels of the car is
transferred to a capstan disk or drum on which is wound a rope or chain passing
over guide pulleys to be wound on a second capstan drum. but in a contrary
direction. This second drum is used to bring a spring into tension, so that when
the first drum is disengaged from the wheel, the second will be driven by the spring
so as to propel one of the wheels in the direction in which the car is to travel. Å
second cable is arranged to insure the equal and corresponding movement of the
two drums.
"
In the annexed drawing,
Fig. 1 is an elevational longitudinal section of the under frame of a car with the
improved gear thereon.
Fig. 2 is a cross section thereof.
Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views Fig. 3 showing the gear at rest, Fig. 4 the same
in tension.
a and b are the two drums loose upon the axle con which the wheels are fixed.
The drum a may be moved sideways by the lever g, angle lever 1 and rod 2 in
connection with a hand lever 3, so that the teeth a¹ on the drum may be engaged
with and disengaged from the teeth z on the wheel r. If the wheel r revolves
loosely on the axle, the teeth are arranged on a disk fixed to the axle. The drum b
is provided with ratchet teeth 61 on its periphery and on the wheel r¹ are pawls i to
engage with said teeth when the drum is moved towards the wheel by the lever g¹
which is connected to lever g by a connecting rod g².
The cable s is connected and wound upon the drums a and b, passing from one to
the other over pulleys pp), and is so wound that the drums revolve in opposite
directions. On the drum b is also wound a rope s¹ which passing over pulleys of
the nature of a purchase draws together the ends of the spring e and brings the
latter into tension. The cable s² is also wound upon the drums ab but in directions
contrary to that of the cable s.
To stop the car, the drum a is brought into connection with the wheel r the rope s
is wound up in the direction of the arrow Fig. 3 off the drum 6 onto the drum a.
The drum b is thus revolved in a contrary direction to the drum a and brings the
spring e into tension until the car comes to a standstill. When the car is to be
again set in motion the drum a is drawn back from the wheel r while the drum b
remains engaged with the wheel r'. The spring e enters into action, and rotates the
drum in the opposite direction and with it the wheel r.
To hold the drum b in contact with the wheel after the drum a has been drawn
back as above mentioned from the wheel r and the lever gl consequently drawn
back, the following device is employed.
On a shaft o are two arms m n, the latter of which is lifted by the rope s¹ when
the drum b is moved and held suspended so long as the said rope is in tension.
This revolves the shaft and with it the arm m in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2
and presses this arm against the drum b. When the pressure of the spring e ceases,
Price d

page_text: or the rope sin place of coiling over the drum arrives at its full extension that
is radial from its point of attachment to the drum the arm n loses the support
previously afforded by this rope and consequently falls. The drum 6 can then be
thrown out of engagement with the wheel by the action of the spring v.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Stopping and starting mechanism for cars, in which two drums connected by
cables are adapted to be brought into respective connection with two of the car
wheels whereby said drums are revolved in contrary directions and operate to bring
into tension a spring (or springs) which afterwards causes the revolution of said
drums in the reverse direction substantially as described.
2. The combination for the purpose set forth of the wheels rrl with the drums a b
and spring e, the cables s s¹³, shaft with arms n m, spring v and lever gear for
operating the drums as described.
Dated this 27th day of Mar 1900
HERBERT & Co.,
Agents to Applicant.