Improvements in Starting and Stopping Appliances for Railway and Tramway Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 29th Aug., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Starting and Stopping Appliances for Railway and
Tramway Vehicles.
I, PAUL OTTO, of 68 Körnerstrasse, Leipzig, in the German Empire,
Manufacturer, 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 brake adapted to be used with electric railways,
tramways and the like in which the kinetic energy of the moving car may be
stored up when the latter is being stopped and used to assist in restarting the car
in either direction, the brake being also adapted to stop the car without storing up
energy.
According to my invention I employ in combination with the brake lever, which
according to the direction in which the car is to move is attached to one or the
other end of the same, a device hereinafter referred to as the transmitter which,
when the brake is to store up energy, transmits the movement of the brake
lever to the mechanism designed to store up the energy, whilst in the case in
which the car is to be stopped without storing up energy or when the brake lever
is in its inoperative position no effect is produced on the mechanism for storing up
energy.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 (partly shewn on Sheet 1 and partly on Sheet 2) is a side view of the
bottom of a car shewing the brake handle in its inoperative position:
Figure 2 (partly shewn on Sheet 1 and partly on Sheet 2) is an underside
view; and,
Figure 3 an end view of Figure 1:
Figure 4 is a cross section on the line of Figures 1.and 2 :
Figures 4 and 48 are plans of parts of Figure 1 shewing the position of the
transmitter and the brake lever when the car is moving in the direction R':
Figures 4 and 4D are similar plans shewing the position of the brake lever and
transmitter when the car is moving in the opposite direction R³:
Figure 5 is an elevation of the brake lever:
Figure 6 shews the transmitter in frout elevation, side elevation and plan:
Figure 7 is a longitudinal section on the liney-y of Figure 8 shewing the action
of stopping the car and storing up energy when the car is going in the direction R¹
whilst the dotted lines shew the position of the brake lever when the car is running
in the direction R*:
Figure 8 is a plan of Figure 7 and shews the apparatus designed to store up
energy:
In the accompanying drawings the car is only represented by the bottom A on
the underside of which the wheels and brake apparatus are mounted.
The bottom of the waggon A is provided at its ends with notches or slots.a
and 6 which open into pockets c, c² and d, d' respectively mounted in bearings f
by means of pivots e and serve to receive the brake lever B or the transmitters Ć
(Figures 5 and 6) according as the car is to travel in the direction R¹ or in the
direction R.
The pockets c, d and c, d' are connected together by r
'
means of cods g, h

page_text: which are placed underneath the car and carry downwardly projecting bars g', h¹
for operating the brake blocks i by means of the transverse rod or bar k
attached to the spring arms k³, k² and which by means of the lever g², h² are
so connected with the right and left hand coupling that the apparatus can be
operated from the right or left according to the direction in which the car is
travelling.
The parts and m of the coupling are movable on axes or shafts l', m' which
are both provided with longitudinal grooves shaped, as seen in section in Figure 2,
so as to form oppositely projecting teeth n so that when one of the parts 1 or m
corresponding to the direction in which the car is running, is set in motion
the other part is not rotated. Both parts l, m are kept in their inoperative
position by a common lever arm n' which comes in contact with the rear ends of
the bars and attached to the rods g, when the brake lever B is in its
inoperative position.
The coupling parts l, m engage with the bosses 12, m² of the bevel wheels 1³, m³.
Drums, are rigidly attached to the bevel wheels 13, m³ which are both arranged
to gear with a third bevel wheel o provided on its back with ratchet teeth o' with
which a pawl o engages, the said pawl being held by a spring o³ and actuated by
the movement of the rods 9 and h through the medium of the projections o*, when
energy is to be stored up on stopping the car.
The drums, m are connected to a piston rod p by means of ropes or the like l°, m³
and a spring r is wound round the part of the piston rod inside the cylinder q, the
said spring being compressed by the piston p¹ when the piston rod p is pulled. The
piston rod is provided at its outer end with a projection p² which is tapered
conically on the side next the cylinder cover and against which the bent end s
of a lever strikes, the other end of the said lever, which is also beat,
serving for the purpose of arresting the motion of the transmitter C herein-
after described when the car is to be stopped and energy is to be stored up by
the brake.
As bereinbefore described the ends of the car A are provided with pockets c, d, c', d¹
arranged to swing on pivots e, e so that when the car is moving in the direction R'
the brake lever is inserted in the pocket d and the transmitter C in the pocket c.
The pocket d is provided with a projection which comes in contact with the
projection of the brake lever B, as shewn in Figure 4B.
The transmitter C is provided with a projection wo and lateral lugs w³, w' holes w³
in which are adapted to receive the bent end s¹ of the levert (which is acted on
by the spring & Figure 8) for the purpose of stopping the motion of the transmitter C,
as soon as the car is to be stopped and energy is to be stored up. The pocket c is
unused when the car is travelling in the direction R¹.
Il now the car is travelling in the direction R*, the transmitter C is placed in
the pocket c whilst the brake lever B is introduced into the pocket c¹ in such a
manner that its projection is in contact with the projection w of the transmitter (
for the purpose of actuating the brake.
The transmitter C is consequently placed at the same end of the car for both
directions of travel of the latter, it only being necessary to place it in the pocket c
or whilst the brake lever B is always placed in the front of the car, that is to
say, either in the pocket d or in the pocket c.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-The transmitter C is placed as
herein before described at one end of the car A either in the pocket c or in the
pocket, whilst the brake lever B is placed in the pocket dor e according to the
direction in which the car is moving. The brake lever B has three positions.―
1. Its inoperative position :
2. Its position when the car is to be stopped without storing up energy :
3. The position in which it is placed when the car is stopped and energy is at
the same time stored up.
When the car is to be applied without storing up energy and when it is moving
in the direction R¹, the brake lever B is pressed inwards, as shewn in Figure 1,

page_text: whereby the rod h presses the bar against the transverse bark and the brake
blocks against the rim of the wheel. The spring arm n' in this case is not moved
but rests against the projection n², that is to say, the brake for storing up energy
remains in its inoperative position because the spring arm n¹ retains the two
parts ; m of the coupling out of gear.
If energy is to be stored up whilst the car is being stopped the brake lever B
is moved to the position III whereby the rods g and are pulled backwards and
act on the spring arm n' and the parts 1, m of the coupling are pressed, by means
of the levers g, h, against the bevel wheels 13, m³ and engage with the bosses 12, m³
of the same.
As the parts 1, m of the coupling are movable on the shafts l', m' and as these
two shafts are provided with oppositely projecting teeth n, n, as shewn in cross
section in Figure 2, it is evident that only one coupling, namely m², m³, m* comes
into operation and winds up the rope m³ thereby actuating the piston rod p and
compressing the spring r.
As the bevel wheel m³ engages with the wheel by means of the intermediate
wheel o, the drum winds up the rope to the same extent so that though
only one coupling operates both ropes are wound up.
When the piston rod p is actuated its projection p² releases the levert which
holds the transmitter C in the pocket e so that the rod g is secured in position.
The energy stored up by the movement of the rod p is retained, until it is
necessary to again start the car by the pawl o² which engages with the ratchet on
the back of the bevel wheel o.
When it is desired to utilize the energy stored up, the brake lever B is moved
back to the position 1 whereby the pawl o² is set free from the teeth o' by the
boss of which compresses the spring o³ and the spring r, which stores up the energy,
is set free to act on the driving wheels, that is to say, on the wheels in connection
with the coupling. When the brake lever B is moved back to the position 1,
therefore, the energy stored up in the cylinder q is given out and the parts l, m of
the coupling are freed from the bosses 12, m² of the wheels so that the apparatus is
again ready to act.
The brakes can be put on just before the halting place of the car so that when
the halting place is reached the whole of the energy has been stored up or the
energy may be stored during the journey by the momentary stopping of the car as,
for instance, when vehicles cross the track or when the car is passing points, in
which case the energy stored up can be again utilized when the car resumes its
full speed.
When the piston rod p moves back as the energy stored up in the cylinder q is
given out the projection of the same pushes back the lever t, at the same time
compressing the spring t¹ and the bent ends of the same is set free from the
hole in the transmitter C so that the latter is no longer connected to the
rods g, h.
lf now,
the direction in which the car is to move is changed, that is to say, if it
is to move in the direction R2, the brake lever B is placed in the pocket c and the
transmitter C is placed in the pocket c'. In this case when the brake lever is
moved to the position II for the purpose of stopping the car without storing up
energy, or when it is moved to the position 111 for the purpose of stopping the
car and at the same time of storing up energy, the operation is similar to that
herein before described when the car is moving in the direction R' except that
the coupling 1, 12, 13, is the one which is operated on carrying with it the
coupling m, m2, m³,
m4.
It is obvious that the details, namely, the couplings with the devices for putting
them in and out of gear, the pivots of the pockets and the arrangement of the
brake device, and finally of the apparatus for storing up the energy can be con-
siderably varied without departing from the nature of the invention which consists
in storing up energy, when stopping the car moving in either direction, by means

page_text: of a reversible brake lever provided with a projection or tappet in connection with
the transmitter which is also provided with a projection or tappet, both brake
lever and transmitter being placed in movable pockets, the said pockets being in
turn connected with rods for the operation of the brake arrangement, with
apparatus for putting the couplings in and out of gear, and with the arrangement
connecting the transmitter and the rods.
For instance, instead of the claw couplings, friction couplings could be used
and the levers for putting the parts of the same in and out of gear could be
replaced by wedges operated by the rods whilst for storing up energy, instead of
using the spring r, several springs arranged one behind the other could be used or
another medium could be used such as air or a gaseous mixture which in the same
way as the springs could be compressed for storing up energy and allowed to
expand again for the purpose of giving it up.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A brake for storing up the energy given out on stopping cars of all kinds, but
adapted more particularly for use with electric railways and tramways and for
mechanical purposes, which brake can operate with or without storing up energy
and in whatever direction the car may be moving and consists of a lever provided
with a projection or tappet and of a reversible transmitter also provided with a
projection or tappet, the said lever and transmitter being arranged in pockets
which are attached to the car and are connected to rods for the purpose of
operating the mechanism adapted to stop the car with or without storing up energy,
substantially as described.
2. In a brake of the kind described in Claim 1 the employment of a driving axle,
parts of which are formed with teeth projecting in opposite directions, the said
toothed parts being provided with half couplings adapted to slide on the same
so that energy can be stored up by the rotation of one or other of the said
half couplings according to the direction in which the car is travelling, the
other half coupling being carried round with the rotating axle, substantially as
described.
3. In combination with the mechanism described in Claim 2 the arrangement of
an intermediate wheel o which connects two bevel wheels and m³ provided with
drums or pulleys 1, m so that ropes 1º, m³ are equally wound and unwound on the
two drums, the said intermediate wheel being provided with teeth adapted to be
locked by a pawl 02 operated by a rod g or for the purpose of retaining the
energy stored up in the cylinder 9 by the ropes 1, m³ in such a manner that when
the pawl o² is freed the energy stored up is utilized for restarting the car,
substantially as described.
4. In a brake for storing up energy of the kind described in Claim 1 the
arrangement of a spring arm m¹ which, when the brake lever B is in its position of
rest, acts on a rod g or h so that the halves I, m of the coupling are kept in their
unlocked position, substantially as described.
5. In a brake for storing up energy of the kind described in Claim 1 the
arrangement of brake blocks attached to a transverse bark which is held by
outwardly projecting spring arms k' and is operated by levers g', h¹ fixed to rods g
and h for the purpose of serving as a brake without storing up energy, substantially
as hereinbefore described.
6. In a brake of the kind described the arrangement, for the purpose of
maintaining the brake lever B in the position necessary for storing up energy, of a
two armed levert the ends s and of which are so bent that at the commencement
of the operation of storing up energy by pulling the piston rod p, the lever t (which
was before held back under the action of a spring t¹) is caused to move forward
so that the bent end s¹ enters a hole to in the transmitter C for the purpose

page_text: of stopping the same whilst after the energy has been given out a projection p²
of the piston rod p again causes the lever to resume its inactive position as set.
forth.
Dated the 9th day of December 1895
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.