AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR PROPELLING TRAM CARS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Oliver Mobbs and Lewis George Moore both of
Northampton in the County of Northampton, Engineers for an Invention of
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Oliver Mobbs and Lewis
George Moore at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
16th August 1882.
OLIVER MOBBS and LEWIS GEORGE MOORE both of Northampton in the
County of Northampton, Engineers "AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS
FOR PROPELLING TRAM CARS
Our Invention relates to a novel method of and apparatus for propelling tram cars
and other road vehicles by means of gas motor engines, and in starting and stopping
such vehicles without stopping the engine.
For carrying out our Invention we use a vessel or receiver for containing com-
pressed gas which is supplied to the motor engine in a normal condition by means
of a regulator fitted with an automatic valve for admitting the gas charge through
a pipe or expansion chamber into the engine cylinder. The driving shaft of the
engine cominunicates its motion to the axle of the cars or vehicles by means of
chains and wheels, spur, bevil or friction gear, as found most suitable, in combination
or not with intermediate gear.
For obviating the difficulty that has hitherto arisen in the application of gas
motor engines to tram cars and road vehicles, from the necessity of repeatedly
stopping and starting the engines, we employ frictional connections consisting
to one arrangement of cone clutches (right and left handed), or we may use
frictional pullies, either with a flat periphery surfaced with wood, India rubber,
leather or other elastic medium, or of metal grooved on their peripheries. Or we
may use flat discs faced or coated with an approved elastic medium, such as wood,
leather, India-rubber or the like.
Either of the above arrangements can be thrown in and out of gear with the
engine by means of screw, lever or other device, thereby enabling the car or vehicle
to be stopped, started, or reversed whilst the engine is running.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Oliver Mobbs and Lewis George Moore in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 16th February 1883.
OLIVER MOBBS and LEWIS GEORGE MOORE both of Northampton in the County
of Northampton, Engineers AN IMPROVED MODE OF AND APPARATUS FOR
PROPELLING TRAM-CARS
"
Our Invention relates to a novel method of and apparatus for propelling tramcars
and other road vehicles by means of gas motor engines, and in starting and stopping
such vehicles without stopping the engine.
In carrying out our invention we use a vessel or receiver for containing com-
pressed gas which is supplied to the motor engine in a normal condition by means
of a regulator fitted with an automatic valve for admitting the gas charge through
a pipe or expansion chamber into the engine cylinder.
The driving shaft of the engine communicates its motion to the axle of the car
or vehicle by means, of chains and wheels, spur, bevil, or friction gear, as found most
suitable in combination or not with intermediate gear.
For obviating the difficulty that has hitherto arisen in the application of gas
motor engines to tram cars and road vehicles from the necessity of repeatedly
stopping and starting the engine, we employ frictional connections consisting
according to one arrangement of cone clutches (right and left handed) or we may
use frictional pullies either with a flat periphery surfaced with wood, India rubber,
leather, or other elastic medium, or of metal grooved on their peripheries-Or we
may use flat discs faced or coated with an approved elastic medium such as wood,
leather, India rubber or the like, either of the above arrangements being thrown in
and out of gear with the engine by means of screw, lever, or other device thereby
enabling the car or vehicle to be stopped started or reversed whilst the engine is
running.
On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of one form of our improved
apparatus adapted for propelling tramcars, Figures 2 and 3 side and end views
thereof respectively and Figure 4 a detached view of parts of figures 1, 2 and 3.
In this arrangement A represents the bed plate carrying a gas motor engine of
any suitable construction. B is the drawing shaft, and C the fly wheel of such an
engine. Above the gas engine is located a receiver or gas holder D containing
compressed gas which is admitted to the engine cylinder through an automatic
cock (or valve) E (sco figure 4) which is worked by a regulator or expansive
chamber F. G. in such a manner that the compressed gas before being admitted to
the engine cylinder is expanded or reduced to the ordinary pressure used for
working gas engines. The driving shaft B of the engine communicates motion to
the wheels of the tram car (or that portion of it carrying the apparatus and
thereby to the tram car proper) by a frictional pinion E making contact with
either of the frictional pullies H' on the spindle of one of which is a pitch chain
wheel I actuating by pitch chain a corresponding wheel I' on the axle J of the
tram car wheels for driving the tram car in one direction whilst for reversing the
direction of the tram car the spindle of the other frictional pulley H' is provided
with a spur wheel K gearing into a similar spur wheel K₁ on the spindle of which
is the pitch chain wheel 12 actuating a corresponding wheel I³ on the axle L of the
tram car wheels as shewn in figure 1.
The pullies H and their spindles are carried by a rocking frame M which is
operated by a lever N the latter being raised or lowered by a screw and wheel O
for making or breaking contact between the frictional pullies H' and friction

page_text: pinion H on the driving shaft B respectively as required for starting, stopping or
reversing the vehicle whilst the engine is running. By this means in consequence
of the greatest power being required at the moment when the car or vehicle has to
be started the full power of the engine is utilised at that time.
Referring again to figure 4, F represents the outside case of the regulator or
reducer of the compressed gas, and G the inside case. The compressed gas is
admitted to the regulator F. G. through the cock (or valve) E and pipe P and
after its expansion or reduction therein to the normal or requisite pressure, it is
admitted to the engine cylinder by the pipe Q-R represents a lever attached to
the plug or spindle of the cock (or valve) E and regulated at one end by the inside
case G of the regulator F. G. its other end, being provided with a counterbalance
weight S, the combined action being to open and close the cock (or valve) E for the
passage of the compressed gas at the proper times.
According to another arrangement as illustrated by figure 5 in lieu of driving
the pitch chain wheels by frictional pullies as in figures 1 to 3 we employ double
cone clutches T. T. which are mounted (but not fixed) on an intermediate shaft U
arranged vertically (or othewise)-Formed on or attached to the clutches T. T.
respectively are bevil pinions V. V. geared into by a bevil wheel W which is fixed
on the spindle of the pitch chain wheel I' which drives the tram car or vehicle in
a similar manner to those before described. The clutches T. T. are engaged (or
not) by the double clutch cone X which slides on a feather on the shaft U the
latter being driven or rotated by the driving shaft B' of the engine by means of
bevil wheels Y as shewn.
On raising the clutch cone X so as to engage with one of the clutches T the
tram car or vehicle is driven in one direction and with the other clutch in the
reverse direction, whilst on bringing the clutch cone X into a mid position (or out
of gear with the clutches T) the tram car will be stopped, these several operations
being effeeted without stopping the engine.
By our particular arrangement of gearing the working parts being mounted on a
platform, freedom is ensured thereto from the injurious action of the dust and dirt
inseparable from road traffic.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of our said
Invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried into
effect, we would observe in conclusion that what we consider novel and original
and therefore claim as the Invention secured to us by the hereinbefore in
part recited Letters Patent, is :——
The combination and arrangements of apparatus for starting, propelling,
stopping and reversing tram cars or other road vehicles by means of gas motor
engines, substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated by the accompanying
drawings
In witness whereof we the said Oliver Mobbs and Lewis George Moore have
hereunto set our hands and seals this fourteenth day of February in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty three.