Improvements in Traction and other Self-moving Engines.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Sept., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 9th June, 1900-Accepted, 14th July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Traction and other Self-moving Engines.
We, ROBERT HENRY FOWLER and GEORGE SCHOFIELD TUER, both of the Steam
Plough Works, Leeds, Engineers, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:--
This invention relates principally to traction and other self-moving engines
which have two or more sets of gear for varying the travelling speeds, provided
with means to render it impossible for the driver to put any two speeds into or
partly into gear at one time.
According to this invention this is effected by means of a locking box in
which there is a locking piece pivotted at one end. One of the levers by which
the change of gear is effected is connected to a rod which moves on one side of
the locking piece and parallel to it whilst the other lever works on the other
side of the locking piece and at right angles to it. The rod has a bulb or
swelling on it and when the first lever is in its in-gear position this bulb forces
the locking piece to one side into the path of the second lever thus preventing
the latter from being moved. Similarly when the second lever is in its in-gear
position the bulb is prevented by the locking piece from entering the box and
the first lever cannot be moved.
When there are three levers, two locking pieces are provided, the rod connected
to the first lever working between them and the other two levers being on the
other sides of them.
When the first lever has two in-gear positions two bulbs are provided on
the rod connected to it.
When a change of gear is effected by a shallow bossed wheel sliding on a shaft
of large diameter the wheel when pulled into or out of gear has a tendency to
tilt or get across, thus locking itself and so preventing its being put into or out
of gear.
We obviate this difficulty by employing a clutch strap fitting into a
groove in the sliding wheel and pivotting this strap to a pair of levers one on
each side. These levers are pivotted at one end and connected at the other end
to the operating hand lever. The object of these levers is to ensure the move-
ment of the pinion being always absolutely parallel with the centre line of the
shaft, thus preventing any tilting of the pinion and locking the same on shaft.
Dated this 8th day of September 1899.

page_text: 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 principally to traction and other self-moving engines
which have two or more sets of gear for varying the travelling speeds, provided
with means to render it impossible for the driver to put any two speeds into or
partly into gear at one time.
According to this invention this is effected by means of a locking box in
which there is a locking piece pivotted at one end. One of the levers by which
the change of gear is effected is connected to a rod which moves on one side of
the locking piece and parallel to it whilst the other lever works on the other
side of the locking piece and at right angles to it. The rod has a bulb or
swelling on it and when the first lever is in its in-gear position this bulb forces
the locking piece to one side into the path of the second lever thus preventing
the latter from being moved. Similarly when the second lever is in its in-gear
position the bulb is prevented by the locking piece from entering the box and
the first lever cannot be moved.
This arrangement is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
Figure 1 is a plan partly in section showing so much of the gearing of an
ordinary traction engine as is necessary to illustrate the invention.
« is the
crank shaft. a a pinion fixed to it and a pinion free to move along it.but
turning with it. is the intermediate shaft, a wheel free to move along it
but turning with it and 2 is a wheel fixed to it. c and d are the levers by which
the pinion and wheel 6 are shifted along the shafts a and b. e is the locking
box and e¹ the locking piece pivotted inside it. f is a rod pivotted at one end to
the lever d and having a bulb f at the other end.
In Figure 1 the pinion is in gear with the wheel whilst the pinion aª
is out of gear with the wheel 2. The diagram Figure 2 shows the positions of
the levers c and d and bulb f. The diagram Figure 3 shows the corresponding
positions when a is out of gear with band a³ is in gear with b².
When there are three levers, two locking pieces are provided, the rod connected
to the first lever working between them and the other two levers being on the
other sides of them.
This arrangement is shown in Figures 4, 5, 6 and 7 which are similar views to
Figures 1 to 3.
In these figures is a wheel sliding along but turning with the shaft a and g
is the lever by which it is shifted. is a wheel fixed to the shaft and gearing
with the wheel is the second locking piece. Figures 4 and 5 show
in gear and a band a² 12 out of gear. Figure 6 shows a b₁ in gear and a²b
and a bout of gear. Figure 7 shows in gear and a band a 63 out of gear.
When the first lever has two in-gear positions two bulbs are provided on
the rod connected to it.
This arrangement is shown in Figures 8 to 11 f being the additional bulb
on f. In this case both the pinions and a² are fixed to the shaft a and gear
with the wheels 2 which are made in one piece and are free to slide on the
shaft b being shifted by the lever c. Figures 8 and 9 show a³ ³ in gear and a bi
and a² out of gear. Figure 10 shows a b¹ in gear and a 2 and a³ 3 out of
gear. Figure 11 shows in gear and a band out of gear.
When a change of-gear is effected by a shallow bossed wheel sliding on a shaft
of large diameter the wheel when pulled into or out of gear has a tendency to
tilt or get across, thus locking itself and so preventing its being put into or out
of gear.
We obviate this difficulty by employing the arrangement shown in
Figures 12 and 13. Figure 12 being a vertical section and Figure 13 a section
on the line 13-13 Figure 12.
h is a clutch strap fitting into a groove in the sliding wheel a³. This strap is
pivotted at jj to a pair of levers kk one on each side. These levers are pivotted
at to the frame and are connected at the other end to the operating handl
lever g. The object of these levers is to ensure the movement of the pinion

page_text: may have
being always absolutely parallel with the centre line of the shaft, thus preventing
any tilting of the pinion and locking the same on shaft. The levers
their ends fixed together as shown in dotted lines in Figure 13.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:-
1. The combination of the two levers, the rod, the bulb on it and the locking
piece substantially as described and illustrated in the drawings.
2. The locking devices substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1
to 11 of the drawings.
3. The combination of a grooved wheel or pinion, a strap in the groove and a
pair of levers pivotted to the strap one on each side substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of June 1900.
R. H. FOWLER.
G. S. TUER.