Year: 1895

page_text: I THOMAS COOPER of The Elms, King's Lynn in the County of Norfolk,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The present invention has reference to locomotive carriages, to be driven by
motors of the gas or oil-engine class.
In such motors, which, unlike steam or compressed air engines, have no reserve
of power, it is necessary to maintain the continuous running of the motor, whether
the carriage be at a stand still or not. The stopping and starting of the carriage
is effected by means of clutch mechanism, but there is a serious difficulty in
providing for gradually varying speeds of travel necessary for common roads.
Hitherto, the only practicable method available for providing different speeds,
has involved the employment of several sets of driving gear, which are used in turn,
as circumstances require. This arrangement, however, necessitates the discon-
nection of the engine and stopping the carriage, while the gears are being changed,
thus causing undesirable delay, and, when running in the fastest gears, great
difficulty in starting.
It is the object of the present invention to provide for the driving of the
carriage at gradually varying speeds, while the motor does not deviate from the
rate at which it is set to run.
According to this invention, I obtain varying speeds, which can be gradually
increased or decreased while the carriage is in motion, with but one set of gear,
consisting of one or more expanding pulleys on a counter shaft, driven by a
belt from similar or common pulleys on the crank shaft of the motor, the counter-
shaft being suitably connected with the driving wheels of the vehicle.
The belt is by preference normally loose on its pulleys, and is made to grip by
means of a jockey pulley arranged in connection therewith. The expanding
pulley, which gives the varying speeds by reason of its varying diameter, is of
peculiar construction, and comprises a disc of permanent dimensions keyed on the
shaft, in which disc are radial guides or slots. Beside the said disc, upon the same
shaft, is a sliding hub or boss, which carries hinged or flexible arma corresponding
in number with the number of slots in the disc. The end of each arm carries
a block or its equivalent, which engages with, and slides in, one of the slots in the
disc.
Means are provided for advancing and retiring the boss or hub to and from
the disc, so as to spread out, or draw in, the arms, to vary the diameter of the
circle formed by the extremities thereof. These extremities, being bridged by
overlapping metal plates, or by a coiled metal spring or other elastic band
embracing the whole, a pulley is formed, capable of expansion or contraction while
in motion, as desired, to suit the requirements of varying speeds.
In pulleys where but small variation in diameter is required, it may not be
necessary to use the overlapping plates or springs.
It will be convenient to use expanding pulleys both on the motor crank shaft
and on the counter shaft, so that as one expands, the other will contract corre-
spondingly, thereby increasing the capabilities of the arrangement.
It is well understood that gas engines may, by means of the governor, be

page_text: regulated to constant speeds, considerably above or below the normal rate, and,
by using a small expanding pulley to drive the governors of the motor, the
speed of the latter could be varied while in motion, which would be additional
to the variation effected by the expanding. pulleys driving the carriage.
It will be readily understood, that the mechanism for expanding the segmental
rim of pulley may be arranged in various ways, and it will also be apparent that,
though specially designed locomotive road carriages, the expanding pulley is
suitable for tramway locomotives, launch motors, and a great variety of purposes,
where a variable speed is required.
Dated this 16th day of December 1895
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.
I THOMAS COOPER of The Elms, King's Lynn, in the County of Norfolk,
Engineer, 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:-
The present invention has reference to locomotive carriages, to be driven by
motors of the gas or oil-engine class.
In such motors, which, unlike steam or compressed air engines, have no reserve
of power, it is necessary to maintain the continuous running of the motor, whether
the carriage be at a stand-still or not. The stopping and starting of the carriage
is effected by means of clutch mechanism, but there is a serious difficulty in
providing for gradually varying speeds of travel necessary for common roads.
Hitherto, the only practicable method available for providing different speeds
has involved the employment of several sets of driving gear, which are used in
turn as circumstances require. This arrangement, however, necessitates the
disconnection of the engine and stopping the carriage while the gears are being
changed, thus causing undesirable delay, and, when running in the fastest gears,
great difficulty in starting.
It is the object of the present invention to provide for the driving of the
carriage at gradually varying speeds, while the motor does not deviate from the
rate at which it is set to run.
According to this invention, I obtain varying speeds, which can be gradually
increased or decreased while the carriage is in motion, with but one set of gear,
consisting of one or more expanding pulleys on a countershaft, driven by a belt
from similar or common pulleys on the crank shaft of the motor, the countershaft
being suitably connected with the driving wheels of the vehicle.
The expanding pulley, which gives the varying speeds, by reason of its varying
diameter, is of peculiar construction, and comprises a structure of permanent
dimensions keyed on the shaft, in which structure are guides or slots radiating
· from the axis. Upon the same shaft is a sliding hub or boss, to which are
flexibly connected arms corresponding in number with the number of slots or
guides. The end of each arm carries a block or its equivalent, which engages with,
and slides in, one of the slots.
Means are provided for advancing and retiring the boss or hub, so as to spread
out or draw in the arms, to vary the diameter of the circle formed by the
extremities thereof,-these extremities being bridged by overlapping metal plates,
or by a coiled metal spring, or other elastic band embracing the whole. A pulley

page_text: L
18 thus formed capable of exprusion
suit the requirements of varying speeds.
In the accompanying drawings,-
Fig. 1 shows in sectional plan a pair of expanding pulleys adapted to the under
framing of a motor carriage.
Fig. 2 is a front view of one of these pulleys, detached.
Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a detached expanding pulley of modified
construction; and
Fig. 4 is a front view of the same.
Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is a countershaft, driven in any suitable manner
by the motor, not shown; for instance, by means of the band pulley a. Keyed
upon the shaft A is the expanding pulley, which consists of a number of blocks b
sliding in slots or guides c arranged radially in the casting C, which is keyed to
the shaft A. The casting C is by preference of conical form on the side which
carries the guides c, so as to facilitate the movement of the blocks b therein.
The blocks 6 are flexibly connected, each by a link 6' to the boss B sliding on the
shaft A, so that the movement of the boss to and fro on the shaft, will move the
blocks b up and down their respective guides, making them assume the drawn or
dotted positions, or any intermediate position. The spaces between the blocks may
be bridged by elastic metallic strips, which overlie them (see Fig. 2).
In Fig. 1, I have shown, parallel to the counter-shaft A, a second shaft A¹,
provided with an expanding pulley corresponding in every way with that first
described; the cone of the casting C, however, faces in the opposite direction,
and the boss B also is similarly placed. In this way, when the sliding bosses B
are moved simultaneously in the same direction by any suitable device, for instance,
by means of the rod D and arms d d shown in the drawing, the dimensions
respectively increase and diminish by reason of the movement of the blocks b up or
down their guides.
In the modification shown at Figs. 3 and 4, the guides o for the blocks b, instead
of being formed in the conical face of the casting C, as in the arrangement
previously described, are made radially in a plain disc, the said blocks being
operated by means of bell-crank levers E, fulcrummed to lugs F fixed to the disc.
One arme of the lever E passing through the slot, jointed to the block b, while
the other arm, e, engages with the boss B sliding on the shaft A.
In this arrangement I have shown the following method of bridging the inter-
vening spaces between the blocks. are a number of short strips of metal
secured at one end to a block b, while the other end projects beyoud, and overlies,
the next block.
In pulleys where but small variation in diameter is required, it may not be
necessary to use the bridging or overlapping plates or springs before mentioned.
It will generally be convenient to use the expanding pulleys in pairs, as above
explained, so that as one expands, the other will contract correspondingly, thereby
increasing the capabilities of the arrangement.
It will be understood, however, that an expanding pulley may, if preferred, be
used alone, in conjunction with one of permanent dimensions, and a jockey pulley
to take up the slack of the driving belt, when the pulley is small.
In this case, when the conical expanding arrangement is used, a extra width,
both in the pulley of fixed diameter, and in the jockey pulley, is allowed, to
provide for the change in the plane of travel in the driving belt, caused by the
sideway movement of the sliding blocks up or down the cone.
It is well understood that gas engines may, by means of the governor, be
regulated to constant speeds considerably above or below the normal rate, and,
by using a small expanding pulley, to drive the governors of the motor, the speed
of the latter, could be varied while in motion, which would be additional to the
variation effected by the expanding pulleys driving the carriage.
It will be readily understood that the mechanism for expanding the segmental
rim of pulley may be arranged in various ways, and it will also be apparent that

page_text: though specially designed for locomotive road carriages, the expanding pulley is
suitable for tramway locomotives, launch motors, and a great variety of purposes
where a variable speed is required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
1. In carriages or vehicles driven by gas or oil engines or similar motors, the
employment, between the motor and the road wheels, of one or more expanding
segmental pulleys, by means of which the speed of travel of the carriage may be
increased or reduced while the motor is running at a more or less regular speed,
in the manner above set forth.
2. The herein before described construction of driving pulley with segmental
rim, which can be expanded and contracted while at rest or in motion, by means
of links or levers operated by a boss moved to and fro on the pulley shaft, as
set forth.
Dated this 16th doof and 1000
NEWTON & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.