New or Improved Apparatus for Stopping and Re-starting Tram-cars and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 27th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 29th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
New or Improved Apparatus for Stopping and Re-starting Tram-cars
and other Vehicles.
We, THOMAS HENRY RUSHTON, Electro-plate and Fountain Manufacturer of
442 Victoria Street, and GEORGE AUSTIN FRUSHER, Master Mariner, of
472 Cleethorpe Road, both at Grimsby in the County of Lincoln, 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 relates to a new or improved apparatus by the employment of
which more or less of the force exerted in stopping a tram-car, for example, is
stored-up and utilised for the purpose of re-starting the said vehicle.
Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings which
show diagrammatically the apparatus applied to a tram-car, only so much of the
lower portion of such car being shown as is necessary to enable the action of our
stopping and re-starting mechanism to be properly understood.
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the said apparatus with the
brake in the act of being applied, Figure 2 is a view of same as seen from the
underside of the tram-car, looking upwards, with the brake in the act of being
applied, Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 but with the brake in the act of
being released, and Figure 4 is a transverse sectional elevation on lines X-X of
Figures 1 and 2.
A is the lower part of the car which runs as usual on four wheels, two of which
BB' are seen in the drawings, their axles being marked CC¹. On the axle C¹
is centred a forked lever D carrying the spur wheel E which gears with the
pinion F. Under certain conditions the wheel E is made to gear with the rack G
which latter is adapted to travel to and fro, and up and down, when required, in
the guide-way H, and is provided at its end with a rod G. This rod carries a
helical spring I which is adapted to be compressed between the end G² of the
rack G and the bearing J fixed to the underside of the car A and in which the
rod G¹ slides as the rack G travels from right to left in Figures 1, 2 and 3.
D¹ are two arms extending upwards from the lever D and carrying at their ends
friction rollers D2 which run on the upper side of the rack G as seen clearly in
Figures 1, 3 and 4. K is a spur wheel which, together with the beforementioned
pinion F, revolves with the axle C¹, the wheel K being adapted to gear under
certain conditions with the rack G as is also the case as before stated with the
spur wheel E. The outer end of the lever D is connected by means of the
chain L, for example, with the segmental plate M on the brake lever N, which is
mounted on the standard O on the foot plate of the car. The two axles CC¹ may
be coupled, if desired, by means of a driving chain P running over chain
wheels P¹ P
The action of the apparatus is as follows:-
When the car is running normally the brake lever N is in the right hand
position (Figure 3), the spur-wheel K and pinion F revolving with the axle C¹
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page_text: extreme right hand position, the bead G³ of the rod G₁ being against the
bearing J, and the spring I being in its free or open position. The rack G is
consequently out of gear with both of the spur wheels E and K, being too far to
the right to be in gear with wheel K, and the wheel E being too low to gear with
the rack, the end G of which is supported in the bracket U.
When it is desired to stop the car, the attendant draws the lever N over into
the position shown in Figure 1, the spring latch Q passing the incline R in the
standard O, and, passing behind the other side of the said standard, it locks the
lever N in position. This operation of the lever N raises the lever D (against
the resistance of the spring S for example) and with it the spur-wheel E until
the said spur-wheel gears with the rack G and raises the said rack into the
position shown in Figure 1. The continued revolution of the car wheel B' rotates
the pinion F, and spur-wheel E, which latter being in gear with the rack G
causes it to travel to the left against the resistance of the spring I which is thereby
set or compressed between the end G 2 of the rack G and the fixed bearing J, the
car being gradually brought to rest by the resistance of the spring I reacting upon
the road wheels.
When it is desired to re-start the car, the attendant releases the spring latch Q
from the standard O, and returns the lever N into the right hand position
(Figure 3). The lever D is thus lowered, and with it the spur-wheel E, until the
said wheel is out of gear with the rack G. The rack G is also drawn down, by
the friction rollers D2 on the arms D¹, until it comes into gear with the spur-
wheel K. The rack G will now be forced forward by the release of the
compressed helical spring I and being in gear with the spur-wheel K on the
axle C¹ will cause the wheels B₁ (and through the chain P the wheels B) to
revolve.
It will be understood that by placing the spur wheel E into gear with the rack G
the forward movement of the vehicle is utilised to compress the spring I and
thereby to stop the car and store-up force, and that by then placing the rack G
into gear with the spur-wheel K, the force stored-up in the compressed spring I is
utilised to produce forward motion of the car, that is to say re-starting the
same.
Although we have described and illustrated our invention as applied to one end
only of a tram-car, it is obvious that in cases where the car is required to run in
both directions the apparatus may be applied at both ends, and that with suitable
modifications our invention may be applied to other kinds of vehicles whatever
motive power may be employed. For example in cases where the axles do not
rotate the wheel K and pinion F may be attached to one of the back road wheel.
It will also be obvious that arrangements and forms of springs other than that
shown and described may be employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. An apparatus for stopping and re-starting vehicles which consists of a
sliding rack constantly pressed in one direction by a spring, gearing driven by an
axle of the road wheels, and arranged so that it can be put into gear with the
said rack in order to store-up energy in the aforesaid spring, and thereby stop or
retard the vehicle, and gearing driven by an axle of the road wheels with which
gearing the said rack can be brought into gear in order to utilise the energy
stored-up in the spring for re-starting the vehicle, substantially as described.
Second. In apparatus for stopping or re-starting vehicles the combination of a
spring-urged sliding rack G, a pinion F on the axle of the road wheels and a
wheel E gearing therewith, a wheel K on the axle of the road wheels, and means
for gearing the rack G alternately with the wheels E and K, substantially as
described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

page_text: Third. The apparatus for stopping and re-starting vehicles combined, arranged
and operating substantially as described.
Dated this 27th day of November 1895.
T. H. RUSHTON,
G. A. FRUSHER,
Per W. H. Beck,
115 Cannon Street, London, E.C., Agent.