Improvements relating to Motor-trucks for Electric and other Rail- ways or Tramways, and to Driving-gear therefor.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 30th Aug., 1898-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1899
Improvements relating to Motor-trucks for Electric and other Rail-
ways or Tramways, and to Driving-gear therefor.
I, GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL, of 903, Asylum Avenue, Hartford, County of
Hartford, State of Connecticut, United States of America, Manufacturer, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement:
This invention relates chiefly to motor-trucks for electric and other railways
or tramways designed to travel at high rates of speed, and to driving gear for
transmitting the rotary motions of the armatures of the motors to the driving
wheels.
The object of the invention is the construction of a simple, durable and easy
running truck having traction wheels which will safely travel on the two rails of
the track in common use or on the rails of a special noiseless track and rapidly
pass from one to the other without jar, and provided with one or more electric or
other suitable motors arranged with powerful friction gearing that noiselessly
transmits power from the driving part to the driven part with a force proportional
to the load on the driven part so that the motive power may be utilized to the best
advantage according to the weight on the truck, the grades of the road, the speed
it is desired to travel and the nature of the track which is being used.
with
that
The trucks shown in the accompanying drawings have traction wheels and
The
means for keeping them on the rails upon which it is desired they shall run.
traction wheel axles bear friction pulleys and support on anti-friction bearings
the truck frames which sustain the car and carry the electric motors. The arma-
friction pulleys
tures of the motors have rotary shafts
the friction pulleys on the axles of the
are in engagement with
traction wheels, and the location, arrangements and supports of these parts are such
that the pulleys that are in frictional contact automatically wedge themselves
together and increase their frictional grip as the load becomes heavier and release
themselves and decrease the frictional grip as the load becomes lighter, that is,
the frictional grip between the rotary driving and the rotary driven pulleys is
always proportional to the load on the driven pulleys.
Fig. 1 of the drawings is a plan of a truck built according to the invention.
Fig. 2 is a side elevation of this truck, with part of one end cut away on the
plane indicated by the dotted line a a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of
the truck taken on the plane indicated by the dotted line b b of Fig. 1, this view
also showing a section of track that may be built for this truck. Fig. 4 illus-
trates the driving mechanism employed for transmitting motion from the motors
to the traction wheels of this truck. Fig. 5 is a plan of a truck provided with
another form of mechanism for transmitting motion from the motors to the
wheels. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of this latter truck with parts cut away to show
the construction. And Fig. 7 is a diagram illustrating the action of the power
transmitting mechanism.
The traction wheels 1 of the first form of truck have ordinary flanges and are

page_text: located at the usual distances apart for running on the rails of the common track,
and the traction wheels 2 have wide flat treads without flanges adapted to run upon
the rails of a special track. The wheels 1 and 2 are connected to the same axles
with the latter located outside of the former so that the gauge of the special
track must be wider than that of the regular track. The flat treads of the wheels 2
are preferably made of comparatively soft material which will cushion and run
noiselessly. These wheels are shown as formed of a number of thin sections of wood
securely held between metal plates which are bolted to the flanged wheels. Inside
of the wheels and secured thereto or to the same axles are friction pulleys, the
pulleys 4 being shown as larger in diameter than the pulleys 5.
The truck frame 6 is supported by the axles of the traction wheels, suitable
anti-friction bearings being provided to insure free rotation of the axles. This
truck frame is formed of two rectangular parts held together by a pivot bolt 7 and
guiding bolts 8 that extend through slots so that the parts of the truck frame
may have a slight vertical oscillation independently of each other in order that
the wheels may readily conform to the contour of the rails.
Supported near each end by the truck frame is a motor carriage 9. Each of these
carriages is built with a plate 10 above and a plate 11 below a cross bar 12 of the
frame and with arms 13 that extend from the upper plate and arms 14 that
extend from the lower plate along the top and bottom of the side bars of the
truck frame so that each carriage, while held in place by these parts, may be
moved forward and backward. Bolts 15 pass through slots in the arms 13 and 14
and through the side bars of the truck frame to limit the movement of the
carriages. These carriages are normally drawn from the traction wheels by
springs 16 but either side may be forced toward the traction wheels by the wedge
bars 17 that engage inclined surfaces 18 on the edges of the upper and lower
carriage plates. These wedge bars may be supported in position by projections 19
from the cross bars 12 and they are backed up by blocks 20 secured to the end
bars of the truck frame. Connected with these wedge bars are levers 21 which
are pivoted to brackets attached to the end bars of the frame. When one of these
levers is oscillated, the wedge bar to which it is connected moves so as to force
one side of the adjacent motor carriage and motor toward the traction wheels, and
when this lever is oscillated in the opposite direction the same wedge bar forces
the other side of the motor carriage and motor toward the traction wheels.
Hinged to arms 22 depending from each motor carriage are arms 23, and
hinged to the upper ends of these arms are bed blocks 24 to which are secured
the field magnets 25 of the electric motors. Secured to the bed blocks and con-
nected with the field magnets are yokes 26 which have bearings for the shafts of
the armatures 27. These yokes are yieldingly supported at the ends opposite
the bed blocks between springs 28 mounted on rods 29 depending from the elevated
cross bars 30. The motors mounted in this manner are free to rock both up and
down on the double hinges except as controlled by the springs 28.
Mounted on the ends of the armature shafts are friction pulleys, the pulleys 31
that are arranged to engage with the pulleys 4 on the axles of the traction wheels
being smaller in diameter than the pulleys 32 that are arranged to engage with
the pulleys 5. The oscillation of the proper lever in the necessary direction will
move the desired side of the motor carriage toward the traction wheels, allowing
the opposite side of the same motor carriage to be drawn away from the traction
wheels, and of course the motor that is hinged to the carriage moves with it.
the pulleys on the armature shafts are of different diameters, various amounts of
torque may be transmitted to the traction wheels from the armature shafts by
properly moving these levers so as to engage and disengage the necessary friction
pulleys on the armature shafts with the complementary pulleys on the traction
wheel axles.
As
Supported by brackets 33 attached to the side bars of the truck frame are side
retaining wheels 34. These wheels are arranged to engage with side rails 35 for
keeping the truck on the track when the wide tread traction wheels are running

page_text: upon the rails 36 of the special track that is laid outside of the ordinary rails 37
of the common track. The truck frame may also be provided with wheels 38
arranged to run beneath the side rails 35 to prevent the truck from jumping when
running at high speed. The rails 36 may be formed of wide flat timbers laid out-
side of and with their upper surfaces just a little higher than the rails 37, and the
rails 35 may be formed of timbers bolted to the upper ends of bent Ṭ irons 39
which may be passed under the ordinary rails, between the common ties 40 and
be bolted to supplemental ties 41 secured between the ordinary rails. Metal
plata 42 may be secured to the inner surfaces of the side rails to form a track
for the side retaining wheels 34, and these plates may be employed as conductors
of electricity. Shields 43 may be fastened to the top of the side rails 35 for
protecting these contact plates 42.
In the form of truck just described the motors are supported near the axles of
the traction wheels and the pulleys 31 and 32 on the armature shafts engage
directly with the pulleys 4 and 5 on the axles of the traction wheels. But where it
is necessary to support the motors further from the axles of the traction wheels,
as illustrated in the second form of truck, intermediate pulleys 44 are located
between the pulleys 31 and 32 on the armature shaft and the pulleys 4 and 5
on the axles of the traction wheels. The pulleys 44 are supported by bearings
loosely attached to the truck frame and they are located so as to be just out of
frictional contact with the peripheries of the pulleys 31 and 32 when the wedges
are in their natural positions and the motor beds are drawn away from the traction
wheels.
If the armature 27 is rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow a the
pulley 31 will rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow a¹ and will cause the
pulley 44 to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow a², and this will rotate
the pulley 4 in the direction indicated by the arrow a³.
Friction caused by the rotation of the pulley 31 in the direction a¹ against the
face of the pulley 44 creates a tendency for the pulley 31 to ride up on the face
of the pulley 44 in the direction indicated by the broken line, for the pulley 31
is free to oscillate when moving in that direction on the pivot 45 of the hinge of
the motor base. This riding up of the pulley 31 on the pulley 44 as they rotate
together is, therefore, on the arc of a circle the center of which is the axis of the
pivot 45. In other words, the rolling together of the pulley 31 in the direction a¹
and the pulley 44 in the direction a² tends to straighten out the angle a5 and
bring the axes of the pivot 45, the pulley 31 and the pulley 44 nearer to a straight
line, which, of course, tends to shorten the distance between the axles of the pulley 31
and the pulley 44 so that the pulley 31 wedges itself against the pulley 44 with
a force proportional to the frictional resistance offered to its rotation by the
pulley 44. As the pulley 44 is held by oscillating bearings, the wedging against
it of the pulley 31 is transmitted with equal force to the pulley 4.
If there is but a slight load on the pulley 4, as when a car is running light or
down a grade, the pulley 4 will offer but little resistance to the rotation of the
pulley 44 and this, in turn, will offer but little resistance to the pulley 31, thus
all the pulleys will run easily and with but little frictional grip upon each other.
However, if there is a large load on the pulley 4, as when a car is full or when
running up a grade, much resistance to the rotation of the pulley 44 will be offered
by the pulley 4 and the pulley 4 will, in turn, offer much resistance to the rotation
of the pulley 31, and this resistance will so increase the traction between the faces
of the pulleys 31 and 44 that the pulley 31, as above stated, will tend to ride up
the face of the pulley 44 and shorten the distance between the axes of these
pulleys so as to increase the rotary frictional grip of the faces of the pulleys.
In other words, the frictional grip between the pulley 31 and the pulley 44 is
proportional to the resistance offered by the pulley 44 to the rotation of the
pulley 31 for, as the resistance to rotation increases, the tendency of the pulley 31
6 swing on a hince pivot and ride up the surface of the pulley 44 and shorten the
distance between their axes increases.

page_text: i
When the armature on the motor is rotated in the reverse direction; as indicated
by the arrow b, the pulley 31 will tend to ride down the face of the pulley 44,
swinging on the pivot 46 in the arc indicated by the broken line 6 in such
manner as to straighten the angle 62 and tend to bring the axes of the pulleys
nearer together and thus increase the frictional contact between the pulleys.
The initial frictional contact between the pulleys is secured by springs 47 placed
between the bed blocks 24 and the arms 23, and springs 48 between the arms 23 and
the tops of the carriages 9.
If the intermediate pulleys 44 are omitted, as in the first form of driving
mechanism illustrated, the action between the pulleys on the armature shaft and
the pulleys on the axles of the traction wheels will be the same as would be between
the pulleys 31 and 44 if the pulley 44 were held by fixed bearings instead of
being supported by oscillating bearings and backed against the pulleys 4.
Motors with this power transmitting mechanism can be run continuously, and
by movement of the wedges or corresponding parts the proper friction pulleys
can be thrown into or out of contact. The pulleys on the armature shaft can be
the same diameter or different diameters, and if of different diameters a ready
means for different speeds is provided. These pulleys will run noiselessly and
will have sufficient frictional grip to properly transmit the power from the driving
shaft to the driven shaft, which frictional grip will be directly proportional to
the load to be moved, that is, when the load is light the friction between the
pulleys will be light, and when the load is heavy the friction between the pulleys
will be increased. The changing of the frictional grip of the pulleys is automatic
and will so occur as to quickly adjust to the load to be carried.
The parts of this truck frame are arranged to oscillate vertically and allow
the traction wheels to accommodate themselves to the contour of the track, so all
irregularities will be passed over smoothly and without jar or strain whether the
flanged wheels are running on the ordinary track or the wide flat tread wheels are
running on a special track.
This truck has particular utility for elevated structures in cities and also where
it is desired to run at high rates of speed. The flat tread wheels run with but
little noise upon a flat track and the side retaining wheels run with but slight fric-
tion in contact with the side rails and prevent the flat tread wheels from running
off the rails. The side rails arranged in this manner provide substantial insulated
supports for conductors carrying high tension electric currents and for a protecting
guard or fence for the track when electricity is employed.
An electric road can be built in this manner with cushioned traction wheels and
flat wide rails for running across country. Where it is undesirable to utilize the
side guiding rails, as at crossings or switches, the ordinary rails may be laid for
short distances and the truck run from one form of rails to the other without
stopping and without inconvenience to the passengers. The wide flat rails may be
laid along side a track having the common rails, and when thus laid the upper
surfaces of the former are a little above the latter so that a truck provided with the
wheels described will be lifted above the common rails when run upon the flat
wide rails. When the track is thus lifted the flanged traction wheels are not in
contact with the common rails and the truck may be drawn with less power, for
there are no flanges rubbing against the sides and causing friction.
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 railway car truck having flanged traction wheels, wide tread traction wheels
connected thereto, a truck frame supported by the traction wheels, a motor
carriage loosely mounted upon the truck frame, means for moving the carriage, a
motor supported by the carriage, and friction connections between the motor and
traction wheels.
2. A railway car truck having flanged traction wheels, friction pulleys con-

page_text: nected thereto, a truck frame supported by the traction wheels, a motor carriage
mounted upon and movable longitudinally of the truck frame, a motor sup-
ported by the carriage, pulleys mounted on the shaft of the motor, springs
normally holding the carriage with the pulleys out of contact, and mechanism
for moving the carriage so that the pulleys on the motor shaft will engage with
the pulleys connected with the traction wheels.
3. A railway car truck having flanged traction wheels, a truck-frame in two parts,
each part being supported by a pair of traction wheels, pivots connecting the
parts of the truck frame whereby they may have an independent vertical oscillation,
a motor carriage loosely mounted upon and movable longitudinally of each truck
frame, means for moving the carriages, motors supported by the carriages, and
friction connections between the motors and the traction wheels and adapted to
be engaged and disengaged according to the movement of the carriages.
4. A railway car truck having flanged traction wheels, wide tread traction wheels
and friction pulleys mounted on the same axles, a truck frame supported by the
traction wheels, a motor carriage loosely mounted upon the truck frame, means
for moving the motor carriage toward and from the traction wheels, a motor, a
double hinge connection between the motor and the motor carriage, and friction
pulleys mounted upon the motor shaft and adapted to be moved into and out
of contact with the pulleys connected with the traction wheels.
5. A railway car truck having flanged traction wheels, wide tread traction wheels
connected thereto, a truck frame formed of two parts, each part being supported
by a pair of traction wheels, pivots connecting the parts of the truck frame so that
they may have an independent oscillation, and side bearing retaining wheels
secured to the sides of the truck frame.
6. A railway car truck having flanged traction wheels adapted to run upon the
two rails of the ordinary track, flat tread traction wheels without flanges mounted
upon the same axles with the flanged traction wheels and adapted to run upon
special rails that are higher than and which extend along side the rails of the
ordinary track, a truck frame supported by the traction wheels, and retaining
wheels borne by the truck frame and adapted to run against side rails elevated
above the traction rails when the truck is supported by the flat tread traction
wheels upon the higher special rails.
7. A power transmitting mechanism for a railway car truck consisting of oscil-
lating bearings and relatively stationary bearings, a driving pulley and a driven
pulley held by the bearings with their peripheries in contact, and yielding means
normally forcing the oscillating bearings toward the stationary bearings and
pressing the peripheries of the pulleys into contact, the bearings holding the
axis of one pulley out of the same plane with the axis of the other pulley and
the axis of oscillation of the oscillating bearings whereby the distance between the
axes of the pulleys automatically changes as the resistance to the rotation of the
driven pulley varies.
8. A power transmitting mechanism for a railway car truck consisting of oscil-
lating bearings, movable bearings and relatively stationary bearings and a driving
pulley, a driven pulley and an intermediate pulley with its periphery in contact
with the peripheries of the driving and driven pulleys, the bearings holding the
pulleys with their axes in the same plane with each other, and the axis of oscillation
of the oscillating bearings being out of the plane passing through the axes of the
pulleys whereby the frictional grip between the peripheries of the pulleys auto-
matically varies in force as the resistance to the rotation of the driven pulley
changes.
9. A power transmitting mechanism for a railway car truck consisting of bearings
supported so as to have two axes of oscillation, a driving pulley held by the
oscillating bearings, a driven pulley with its periphery in contact with the
periphery of the driving pulley, the bearings holding the driven pulley with
its axis out of the planes passing through the axes of oscillation of the oscillating

page_text: bearings and axis of the driving pulley whereby the angles between the planes
passing through the axis of the driving pulley and the axis of the driven pulley
and through the axis of the driving pulley and the axes of oscillation of the
oscillating bearings automatically change as the resistance to the rotation of the
driven pulley varies.
THE TOUR way of say,
GEORGE JOSEPH CAPEWELL.
D. Young & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.