Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Starting of Tramway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Sept., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th June, 1893—Accepted, 5th Aug., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Starting of Tramway
and other Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of The Excelsior Plough Works, Agricultural
Engineer, and THOMAS JAMES NORTHCOTT, of 1, Laira Bridge Place, Market
Gardener, both of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to that class of apparatus for starting tramway and other
vehicles of the kind in which the vehicle in starting is moved a less distance
than that traversed by the horses for instance as described in the Specification
granted to one of us dated September 3rd 1891 No. 14883
According to our present invention we mount opon one of the axles a sector
the periphery of which is grooved to receive a rope or chain, and adjacent to this
sector we fix upon the axle a ratchet-wheel with which a pawl pivotted to one
end of the sector is designed to engage in such a manner that, when the sector is
moved in the required direction, motion will be imparted to the said axle and that
when the said sector has made a certain amount of movement the pawl will be
disengaged from the said ratchet-wheel. The other end of the sector to that
carrying the pawl is preferably weighted in such a manner that, when the strain
upon the chain secured to the sector is released, the said sector will be moved back
to its norinal position. The chain attached to the sector is also wound around and
secured at one end to a drum or pulley, connected to or formed integral with which
is another drum or pulley of larger diameter around which one end of the draught
chain is wound but in a contrary direction to that of the sector chain so that, when
the draught chain is unwound from its drum, the sector chain will be wound upon
its drum and thereby move the sector to shift the axle. The draught chain at its
front end is preferably attached to a lever which, when in its forward position, is
designed to be locked by a catch which may be operated to disengage the lever by
means of a pedal. A chain attached to the segment and also to the underframe of
the vehicle or other suitable means is provided for limiting the motion of the sector
in a forward direction.
Instead of using pulleys or drums of different diameters as hereinbefore described
we may use two fusees or eccentrics to which the draught chain and the socket
chain are respectively connected so that as the leverage of one decreases that of
the other will increase.
When our invention is adapted to a tramcar designed to run in either direction
we employ two sets of apparatus such as hereinbefore described, one set being upon
each of the axles, the only difference being that the two ratchet-wheels are cut so
that one will work in one direction and one in the other direction.
A great advantage of our invention is that if the tramcar provided with this
apparatus is stopped in going up a hill and the draught chain is released the pawl
of the socket being in engagement with the ratchet-wheel will prevent the wheels
from rotating backwards and so relieve the backward strain upon the horses.
Dated the 30th day of September 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Means for Facilitating the Starting of Tramway
and other Vehicles.
We, WILLIAM HENRY SLEEP, of The Excelsior Plough Works, Agricultural
Engineer, and THOMAS JAMES NORTHCOTT, of 1, Laira Bridge Place, Market
Gardener, both of Plymouth, in the County of Devon, 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:-
Our invention relates to that class of apparatus for starting tramway and other
vehicles of the kind in which the vehicle in starting is moved a less distance than
that traversed by the horses for instance as described in the Specification granted
to one of us dated September 3rd 1891 No. 14883.
:
According to our present invention we mount upon, but independent of one of
the axles, a sector the periphery of which is grooved to receive a rope or chain, and
adjacent to this sector we fix upon the axle a ratchet-wheel with which a pawl
pivotted to the sector is designed to engage in such a manner that, when the sector
is moved in the required direction, motion will be imparted to the said axle. The
sector is preferably weighted or connected with a spring in such a manner that,
when the strain upon the chain secured to the sector is released, the said sector will
be moved back to its normal position. The chain attached to the sector is also
wound around and secured at one end to a drum or pulley, connected to or formed
integral with which is another drum or pulley of larger diameter, around which one
end of the draught chain is wound but in a contrary direction to that of the sector
chain so that, when the draught chain is unwound from its drum, the sector chain
will be wound upon its drum and thereby move the sector to shift the axle. The
draught chain at its front end is preferably attached to a lever to which the horses
are connected, which lever, when in its forward position, is designed to be locked by
a spring-catch which may be operated to disengage the lever by means of a pedal
or foot-lever. A chain attached to the sector and also to the under frame of the
vehicle, or other suitable means is provided for limiting the motion of the sector in
a forward direction.
Instead of using pulleys or drums of different diameters as hereinbefore described
we may use two fusees or eccentrics to which the draught chain and the sector
chain are respectively connected so that as the leverage of one decreases that of the
other will increase.
When our invention is adapted to a tramcar designed to run in either direction
we employ two sets of apparatus such as herein before described, one set being upon
each of the axles, the only difference being that the two ratchet-wheels are formed
so that one will work in one direction and one in the other direction.
To enable our invention to be fully understood we will describe how it can be
carried into practice by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan of the under framing of a tramcar, each axle of which is
provided with an apparatus for facilitating the starting of the car according to our
invention:
; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same :
Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3, Figure 1:
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a section and a plan of a detail drawn to an
enlarged scale.
Similar reference letters indicate similar parts throughout the drawings.
a, b indicate the axles of the car, and A, B the two apparatuses respectively
used in connection therewith for facilitating the starting of the car according to
our invention. As the said apparatuses are alike we will only describe one of them,
viz., the apparatus A.
c is the sector mounted upon but independent of the axle a and having the

page_text: grooved periphery d around which passes the chain e, the said chain being
attached at one end to the sector at f. The sector c is shewn detached at
Figures 4 and 5.
9 is the ratchet wheel fixed upon the axle a and contained within the sector c
which is constructed with a recess h to receive it. is the pawl pivotted to the
sector c and engaging with the ratchet wheel g.
jis the spring connected at one end to the sector e to return the same to its
normal position as hereinafter described, the other end of the spring being attached
to the framing k of the car.
I is the fusee to which the other end of the chain e is attached and wound around,
and m is the fusee integral with the fusee to which one end of the draught chain n
is secured and wound around in a contrary direction to that of chain e. By this
arrangement of fusees the leverage of the chain e when rotating the said fusees
decreases as the leverage upon the chain e increases. Instead of fusees, pulleys of
different diameters or eccentrics may be used.
o is the lever connected at its lower end to the other end of the chain », the
horses for drawing the car being connected to the said lever at o'. The said lever
is fulcrummed at p to a bracket 7 on the end of the car and works in a guide r.
s is the spring-catch which locks the lever o when in its forward position, the said
catch being a lever fulcrummed at t and having one end normally in the path of the
lower end of the lever o so that as the said lever is moved forward it gradually
thrusts the catch to one side, but when at the end of its movement, the said catch
slips behind it and locks it in position. u is the foot-lever for disengaging the
catchs from the lever o so that the latter can move back under the tension on the
spring j, the said foot-lever being fulcrummed to the car and connected to the said
catchs through the medium of a universal joint v and rod w.
The forward movement of the lever o and consequently of the sector c is limited
by a stop formed by connecting the outer ends of the sides of the guide r, the pull
exerted by the horses when the lever o reaches this stop being taken by the said
guide. The movement of the lever o is such as only to rotate the sector c about a
quarter of a revolution. The rearward movement of the said lever is limited by
the plate forming the splash board of the car. Instead of employing the stop
for limiting the forward movement of the lever o it may be effected by a chain or
the like attached at one end to the sector c and at the other end to the framing k of
the car.
The operation of the described apparatus A is as follows, that is to say, assume
the parts of the said apparatus to be in the position shewn and the car at rest and
the horses to be connected to the lever o. If, now, the horses move forward, the
lever o will through the medium of the chain n, fusees land m, and chain e move
the sector c in the direction of the arrow, Figure 2, thereby rotating the axle a by
means of the pawl i and ratchet-wheel and causing the car to follow the horses
but at a slower speed. When the lever o reaches and bears against the stop x, as
shewn by the dotted lines, Figure 2, the pull will be thereby transferred directly to
the body of the car, the strain being relieved from the sector, at the same time the
said lever o is locked in position by the catch 8. The pawl which has moved with
the sector c about a quarter of a revolution, will, by the continued movement of the
ratchet wheel g, become disengaged and fall away therefrom. The whole of the
parts of the apparatus A. will now be in positions similar to those occupied by
the parts of the apparatus B, as shewn in Figures 1 and 2. In order to allow the
parts to resume their normal position when the car is stopped the foot-lever u must
be depressed thereby releasing the lever o which together with the sector c will be
drawn back by the spring j into the position shewn, the pawl i again engaging with
the ratchet wheel g.
Although we have shewn a lever to which the draught chain and horses are
connected it will be obvious that a bar sliding longitudinally beneath the car on
rollers or guides might be used instead.
A great advantage of our invention is that if the tramcar is stopped in going up

page_text: a hill and the lever o is unlocked and released, the pawli of the sector c engaging
with the ratchet-wheel g will prevent the axle a and consequently the car wheels
from rotating backwards and so relieve the backward strain upon the horses.
It is necessary when one apparatus, for instance, the apparatus A, is in use, as
shewn in the drawings, that the other apparatus B should have its lever o locked in
the forward position so as to maintain its pawl i out of engagement with its ratchet-
wheel g, as the engagement of the said pawl and wheel would prevent any movement
of the car through the medium of the said apparatus A.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. Apparatus for facilitating the starting of tramway and other vehicles com-
prising a sector, connected with the draught chain or lever, a pawl connected to
the sector and a ratchet-wheel secured to the axle of the vehicle, substantially as
described.
2. Apparatus for facilitating the starting of tramway and other vehicles com-
prising a sector, a pawl connected thereto, a ratchet-wheel adapted to engage with
the pawl and connected with the axle of the vehicle, chains, fusees and a lever, the
said chains and fusees serving to connect the lever with the sector, and a spring-
catch adapted to lock the lever in its forward position all substantially as herein-
before described and operating as set forth.
3. The improved apparatus for facilitating the starting of tramway and other
vehicles herein before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of June 1893.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicants.