IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND FOR RETARDING AND RESTARTING TRAMWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Laurence Hill, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North
Britain, Civil Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR STARTING AND FOR RETARDING AND RESTARTING TRAMWAY AND OTHER
CARRIAGES."
Scaled the 17th September 1878, and dated the 27th March 1878.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Laurence Hill at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 27th March 1878.
LAURENCE HILL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND FOR RETARDING
AND RESTARTING TRAMWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
This Invention comprises improvements having in part the same objects as, and
being modifications or developments of those described in the Specification of Letters
Patent granted to the present applicant, and dated 11 April 1877 (No. 1408).
One of the present improvements consists in substituting for the draw bar or
traction hook or connection ordinarily rigidly attached to the framing of the
carriage, a draw bar which is jointed to a lever set loosely on one of the axles, and
is capable of engaging with the axle, as herein-after explained.
The engagement with the axle may be effected by a catch on the lever acting on
a ratchet wheel on the axle, or by any suitable frictional gripping contrivance
arranged to engage only when the lover is moved forward. A spring (or weight)
applied to the lever piece prevents the latter from being drawn forward excepting
when an extra strain is applied; but when such extra strain is required, as on
starting the carriage, the spring will be extended and will allow the catch or other
engaging detail of the lever to act on the axle, and then the strain applied by the
horses will act with increased leverage to move the carriage forward. On the
carriage acquiring sufficient motion, the spring returns the parts to their normal
positions.

page_text: In some cases it may be more convenient to connect the draw bar to the upper
arm of two-armed lever, the lower arm of which is connected to a lever hanging
downwards from an axle or from the hub or boss of one or more of the wheels; or
the draw bar or hook may be connected to a chain passing round a pulley or pulleys
to the lever, which lever may be applied to the axle or wheel, hub, or boss in any
position that may be convenient.
Another of the present improvements consists in combining with retarding and
restarting apparatus, more or less like that described in the earilier Specification
herein-before referred to, a strut which, on the carriage having to be restarted, is
thrust against the ground to start or assist in starting it, the force applied in that
way being that stored up in a spring or springs, whilst previously retarding and
stopping the carriage.
In one modification the retarding apparatus consists of a lever piece mounted loosely
on the axle of one of the carriago wheels and carrying V shaped or other frictional
pieces arranged to engage with a rim formed on the inner face of the wheel or on a
separate pulley fixed on the axle. The frictional pieces are connected by toggle
levers so as to engage with the wheel or pulley rim by the action of a lever handle
to be worked by the carriage driver, and when they are so engaged, the lever piece
carrying them is turned by the motion of the wheel, and strains a spring or springs
to which it is connected. The movement of the lever piece is limited by a stop or
stops, and the strut is jointed to the lever piece, the range of whose movement is
from a horizontal or nearly horizontal position at the back of the wheel up to a
vertical or nearly vertical position at the top of it. The lower end of the strut is
supported by a radius rod or chain, so as to be clear of the ground when thrust com-
pletely back, but which rod or chain allows it to catch on the ground when it is
drawn forward on the wheel turning up the lever piece. When on restarting, the
spring is released and acts on the lever picce; this piece thrusts the strut downwards
and backwards against the ground, and the carriage is in consequence moved forward.
The bottom of the strut may be plain, or it may have a foot jointed to it, such foot
being formed and acted on so as not easily to slip. The strut is formed with a short
arm above the point at which it is attached to the lever piece on the wheel, and it
is with this short arm that the connection is made with the spring or springs, so
that the strain of the spring tends to turn the strut inwards towards the wheel, and
insure its catching on the ground. When the jointed foot is used it is connected
by a rod to a piece jointed on the short upper arm of the strut, and then the con-
nection to the spring or springs is made with this piece in a manner which secures
the proper action of the foot.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Laurence Hill in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 25th September
1878.
LAURENCE HILL, of Glasgow, in the County of Lanark, North Britain, Civil
Engineer. "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR STARTING AND FOR RETARDING
AND RESTARTING TRAMWAY AND OTHER CARRIAGES."
My said Invention comprises improvements having in part the same objects as,
and being modifications or developments of those described in the Specification of
Letters Patent granted to me and dated 11 April 1877 (No. 1408).
One of my present improvements consists in substituting for the draw bar, or
traction hook, or connection ordinarily rigidly attached to the framing of the car-
riage a draw bar or chain, which is connected to a lever set loosely on one of the
axles, and is capable of engaging with the axle by means of a ratchet wheel and
pawl or equivalent device when subjected to extra strain on starting the
carriage, so that the force applied by the horses may then act with extra leverage to
move the carriage forward.
Another of my present improvemonts consists in combining with retarding and
re-starting apparatus, more or less like that described in my earlier Specification
herein-before referred to, a strut which on the carriage having to be re-started is
thrust against the ground to start or assist in starting it, the force applied in that
way being that stored up in a spring or springs whilst previously retarding and
stopping the carriage.
And in order that my said Invention and the manner of performing the same
may be properly understood 1 hereunto append a Sheet of explanatory Drawings, to
be herein-after referred to, and representing examples of my improved apparatus.
In these Drawings the same reference numerals are used to mark the sanie or like
parts wherever they are repeated.
Figure 1 on the accompanying Sheet of Drawings is a longitudinal vertical
section showing a simple and conveniently applicable modification of my improved
apparatus for facilitating the starting of tramway or other carriages.
My other apparatus, which is for retarding a carriage and for assisting in re-
starting it by means of the force stored up in the retarding process, is also appli-
cable to the carriage having the starting apparatus; in order however to avoid
confusion, the two kinds of apparatus are shown separately in the Drawings.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, one of the carriage axles 1 lias
fixed on it a ratchet toothed disc 2. At one side of the disc 2 there is centered
loosely on the axle between the disc and a collar a lever 3, which has jointed to it a
pawl or catch 4 capable of engaging with the ratchet teeth of the disc 2. To the
outer end of the lever 3 there is connected a chain or wire rope 5 which is led over
a pulley 6 and proceeds forward, its forward end being attached to the draw bar 7,
which is fitted in guides 8 fixed to the carriage frame 9 so as to be capable of longi-
tudinal movement. The draw bar 7 is also connected by a wire rope or chain 10
to a strong spring 11. When the draw bar 7 and lever 3 are in the positions in
which they are shown in Figure 1, the spring 11 must be adjusted to resist the
tractive strain exerted by the horses when they are keeping the carriage in forward
motion at an ordinary rate. When a greater strain is applied by the horses on
their being about to start the carriage from a state of rest, the spring 11 yielding
allows the draw bar 7 to move forward in its guides 8, and the rope or chain 5 then
raises the lever 3, and the pawl 4 engages with the ratchet wheel 2 on the axle 1.
The tractive force then acts to turn the axle 1 with the increased leverage due to
the lever 3 and therefore starts the carriage with comparative ease. On the carriage
acquiring sufficient motion the spring 11 draws in the draw bar 7, and the lever 3
descends by its weight to its normal position. The catch or pawl 4 is connected by
a cord or chain 12 to the frame in such a way as to be thereby lifted just clear of

page_text: the teeth of the ratchet wheel 2 so as to avoid the noise that the action of the teeth
on it would otherwise cause when the lever 3 is in its lowest position and not acting;
but when the lever is raised the cord or chain becomes slack and allows the pawl 4,
which is suitably balanced for that purpose, to at once engage with the ratchet
wheel.
Another modification of my starting apparatus is shown in Figure 2, and in it
the normal position of the lever 3, which is determined by a stop 13 in the form of a
bracket fixed to the carriage frame 9 is shown in full lines, whilst its extreme forward
position is indicated by dotted lines. The catch or pawl 4 is jointed to the end of
the lever 3, and is of the form shown in the Drawings to admit of the spring 11
and the draw bar 7 being connected to it, so that the strains may act in the
following manner-As in the other modification the spring 11 is adjusted so as to
resist the ordinary tractive strain when the carriage is in motion, and then the
strain of the draw bar 7 acts on the pawl 4 so as to keep it clear of the ratchet
wheel 2. When however the strain is greater, as at starting, the pawl 4 turns
down so as to engage with the ratchet wheel 2 and thereby facilitate the operation
of starting, as in the other modification.
Instead of the ratchet wheel 2, and catch or pawl 4, there may be used any
suitable frictional gripping contrivance arranged to engage only when the lever 3 is
moved forward.
Also the spring 11 may be applied directly to an arm a of the lever 3, instead of
as shown.
In some cases it may be more convenient to connect the draw bar to the upper
arm of a two-armed lever, the lower arm of which is connected to a lever hanging
downwards from the axle, or from the hub or boss of one or more of the wheels.
A modification of my improved combined retarding and restarting apparatus is
shown in longitudinal vertical section in Figures 3 and 4, the parts being represented
in Figure 3, as when a retarding operation is just commencing; and in Figure 4, as
when a restarting operation is commencing. In this apparatus a lever piece 14,
mounted loosely on the axle 1 of a pair of the carriage wheels, carries shaped or
other frictional pieces 15, 16, arranged to engage with the inside of a rim 17 formed
on the inner face of the carriage wheel, or on a separate pulley or wheel fixed on thic
axle. The frictional pieces 15, 16, are connected by toggle levers 18, 19, one 18 of
which is connected by a rod 20 to a lever handle 21 to be worked by the carriage
driver. When about to retard or stop the carriage the lever handle 21 is moved,
so as to make the frictional pieces 15, 16, engage with the rim 17, and the motion
of this rim then turns the lever piece 14, so as to strain a string 22, to which
it is connected. The movement of the lever piece 14 is limited by a stop 23, and
the strut 24 is jointed to the lever piece 14, the range of whose movement is
from a nearly horizontal position at the back of the wheel up to a vertical or
nearly vertical position at the top of it. The lower end of the strut 24 is supported
by a radius rod or chain 25, so as to be clear of the ground when thrust com-
pletely back, but which rod or chain 25 allows it to catch on the ground when it
is driven forward on the wheel turning up the lever piece 14. When on restarting
the lever handle 21 is taken out of its holding notch, and the spring 22 is thereby
released, and acts on the lever piece 14, this piece thrusts the strut 24 downwards
and backwards against the ground, and the carriage is in consequence moved forward.
The bottom of the strut 24 may be plain, or, as shown in the Drawing, it may
have a foot 26 jointed to it, such foot being formed and acted upon so as not casily
to slip. The strut 2+ is formed with a short arm 27 above the point at which
it is jointed to the lever piece 14; and it is with this short arm 27 that the
connection is made with the spring 22, so that the strain of the spring tends to
turn the strut inwards towards the wheel, and insure its catching on the ground.
When the jointed foot 26 is used it is connected by a rod 28 to a piece 29 jointed
on the short upper arm 27 of the strut, and then the connection to the spring 22
is made with this piece 29 in the manner shown in the Drawing, and which secures
the proper action of the foot 26.

page_text: When the spring 22 acts it tends to turn the piece 29, and this piece by means
of the rod 28 connecting it to the heel of the foot 26 tends to press the toe or
forward part of the foot downwards upon the ground, and thus secure a firmer
hold.
A light spring 30 is applied to the lower end of the lever piece 14 to insure its
being turned sufficiently round when restarting the carriage, and a stop 31 is
provided to limit the action of the springs on it.
Having thus particularly described my said Invention, and the manner of per-
forming the same, I have to state that I do not restrict myself to the precise details
herein described or delineated, but that what I believe to be novel and original,
and claim as the Invention secured to me by and in terms of the herein-before in
part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The combination of parts to facilitate the starting of tramway and other car-
riages, wherein an extra strain on the draw bar overcoming a spring causes a
lever to engage with a wheel, disc, or pulley on an axle of the carriage, the parts
being arranged and acting substantially as lierein-before described.
2. The combination of parts for retarding and re-starting a trainway or other
carriage, wherein frictional pieces applied in connection with one or more of the
axles are arranged when retarding the carriage to strain a spring which on being
released causes a strut to be thrust backwards on the ground, so as to assist in re-
starting the carriage, the parts being arranged substantially as herein-before
described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Laurence Hill, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Twenty-third day of September, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight
Witness,
EDMUND HUNT,
Patent Agent,
Glasgow.
LAUR. HILL (L.S.)