IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING AND STARTING TRAMWAY CARS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND OTHER SIMILAR VEHICLES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
Year: 1877

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by John Phillips at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 27th January 1877
JOHN PHILLIPS, of Southampton Buildings, London IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING
AND STARTING TRAMWAY CARS, RAILWAY CARRIAGES, TRUCKS, AND OTHER SIMILAR
VEHICLES, AND IN THE APPARATUS EMPLOYED THEREIN
"
This Invention has for its object to afford greater facilities for stopping and
starting tiamway cars and other similar vehicles by an improved arrangement of
mechanism, whereby all strain on the framework of the vehicle itself is avoided,
and the power requisite for starting the car is reduced to a minimum, at the same
time that the wheel axles are so stayed as to prevent their bending or breaking
I proceed as follows -I mount one, two, or any other requisite number of
springs on any convenient number of bars or other suitable supports, such supports
being carried by a framework which is itself caned on and serves to stay the axles
of the wheels of the vehicle, thereby preventing then bending or breaking under
any ordinary cucumstances Such springs abut against cross heads sliding upon the
hais or other suitable supports first mentioned whereon the springs are mounted
Toothed racks or any other mechanical equivalent are attached to such cross heads
for compressing the springs, and are actuated by pinions mounted on and receiving
motion from the axles of the wheels
The gearing which I prefer to employ is as follows -Mounted on the wheel axle
is a conical friction clutch sliding on a feather fixed to the axle in any suitable
manner, so as to be capable of being thrown in or out of gear with its friction cone
Solid with such cone is a bevil wheel (hereafter called the first bevil wheel), and on
the same axle is a second bevil wheel, to which motion is imparted by an inter-
mediate bevil wheel fixed in a convenient position, and receiving motion from the
first bevil wheel A pinion is attached to the second bevil wheel, by which the
toothed rack or other mechanical equivalent is worked, as above mentioned, and in
juxtaposition with such pinion is a comical ratchet wheel, the pawls of which are
attached to and work on pins fitted into the pinion
Such conical ratchet wheel 19
so arranged that it is capable of sliding in and out of gear by the lateral motion in a
Similar manner to the friction clutch
The conical friction clutch is worked by a suitable lever attached to the frame-
work of the mechanism, and connected by a rod to a hand lever worked by the
attendent

page_text: The conical ratchet wheel receives a lateral motion from a second lever pivotted
to the framework, and when pulling the conical friction clutch into gear such second
lever is actuated by the rod before mentioned, and when throwing the conical friction
clutch out of gear by a suitable spring placed between such lever and the framework
before mentioned
The operation of the mechanism is as follows -When stopping the car, the
attendant will pull over the lever, thus throwing the friction cone and conical ratchet
wheel into gear, and setting the train of gear wheels in motion, which in turn wind
up the toothed rack or other mechanical equivalent, thus compressing the springs
and obtaining the power for re-starting the car
The re-starting is effected by the springs expanding and pushing forward the
toothed rack or other mechanical equivalent, thus turning the gear wheels in the
reverse direction, motion being communicated to the axles of the wheels by means
of the before-described conical ratchet wheel.
I take care to regulate the power of the springs by a suitable brake or brakes.
The double purchase arrangement described in the Specification of my Patent,
No 257, of 1876, may advantageously be used in conjuction with the above
improved mechanism