Improvements in connection with Motive Power Engines for Driving Tramway Cars and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Mar., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in connection with Motive Power Engines for
Driving Tramway Cars and other Vehicles.
I, EUSTACE FITZMAURICE PIERS Baronet of 21 Lime Street in the City of
London Mechanical Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be
as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in connection with motive power engines
for driving tramway cars and other vehicles and consists of a combination and
arrangement of apparatus hereinafter described whereby the starting and stopping.
of the vehicle can be readily effected and the speed of the vehicle varied as
required by means of a valve under the control of the driver, means being
also provided for automatically indicating the speed at which the vehicle is
travelling.
The combination also comprises a bogie or bogies on which the body of the
vehicle is mounted to facilitate the passage of the vehicle round sharp curves and
an arrangement of pipes or passages through the axis or axes of the bogie cr
bogies through which the motive fluid passes to and from the motor by which
motion is given to the vehicle. I will describe my invention in connection with a
tramway car from which its application to other vehicles will be readily under-
stood. In any suitable part of the car but preferably beneath the floor is provided
a primary motor preferably a gas or oil engine, and on the bogies or one of the
bogies on which the body of the car is mounted is a secondary motor or motors.
preferably a hydraulic engine or engines a pump being provided and actuated by
the gas or oil engine for pumping water from a tank carried by the car into the
hydraulic engine or engines for giving motion to the car means being also provided
as hereinafter described whereby the stroke of the pump may be varied so that
the quantity of water admitted to the hydraulic engine may be increased or
decreased as required to alter the speed of the vehicle. When the quantity of
water admitted to the hydraulic engine is decreased the pressure is increased and
consequently increased power may be obtained for starting the car or for ascending
inclines and then by increasing the quantity of water admitted to the engine the
power may be reduced so as to drive the car at the normal speed to which it is set
to travel. The pipes or passages for the water to and from the hydraulic engine or
engines pass through the axis of the bogie which carries the hydraulic engine,
the water supply pipe leading to the engine and the discharge pipe from the engine
being arranged one within the other and provided with stuffing boxes to permit or
the required movements of the bogie on its axis. In the water pipe or passage
between the pump and the hydraulic engine there is provided a valve actuated by
a lever or other operating device under the control of the driver by means of
which valve the water under pressure from the pump can be diverted so as not to
enter the hydraulic engine but be conducted back to the tank from which the
pump is supplied and thereby stop the car without stopping the gas engine or
pump. As the gas engine and pump continue to work while the car remains
stationary the said car can be re-started at any moment by a simple movement of
the valve so as to direct the water from the pump into the hydraulic engine. This

page_text: valve is preferably an equilibrium valve of the Cornish type and to this valve is
connected a lever provided with an adjustable weight by means of which the
pressure at which the hydraulic engine is required to work, may be regulated.
The stem of this valve carries a small piston fitted to slide in a cylinder which is
in communication by a pipe or 'passage with the water supply passage before
referred to so that should the pressure in this pipe exceed that to which the valve
is weighted the water will exert pressure on the small piston on the valve spindle
and raise the valve so as to allow the extra pressure of water to pass into the
supply tank and so restore the normal pressure in the water passage. The valve
of the hydraulic engine is preferably a piston valve and is operated by an
excentric on the cranked axle to which the piston rod of the hydraulic engine is
connected.
To reverse the hydraulic engine to effect a return motion of the car I provide
in a chamber in connection with the inlet and exhaust passages to and from the
engine a valve under the control of the driver so that by a simple movement of
this valve the said water passages can be reversed that is to say that which was
the exhaust passage becomes the inlet passage and that which was the inlet
passage becomes the exhaust passage and so the car will be driven in- the reverse.
direction.
In case of the hydraulic engine racing from any cause for instance in descending
an incline, so as to cause the volume of water supplied to the engine by the pump
to be less than the volume swept out of the engine by its piston a valve provided
in the water passage will open and admit water from the tank to make up the
deficiency. In the water passage between the hydraulic engine and the pump
there may be provided a chamber for air to maintain pressure on the piston of the
hydraulic engine. To adjust the speed of the car there may be provided on a
shaft driven from the crank shaft of the gas engine a frame provided with guides
in or on which is fitted to slide a block the position of which with reference to
axis of the shaft may be adjusted by means of a screw or other suitable device.
To this block is connected the piston rod of the pump so that by adjusting the
position of this block nearer to or farther from the axis of the shaft on which it
is carried the stroke of the pump piston will be correspondingly shortened or
lengthened and so vary the quantity of water forced into the hydraulic engine and
thereby regulate the speed of the car. To the adjustable block there may be
connected a cord or chain or equivalent means for moving a pointer or index within
view of the driver to indicate the rate of speed the car is running. The water
before entering the hydraulic engine may be caused to pass through a tank or
jacket for cooling the gas engine and the exhaust from the hydraulic engine may
be utilized for heating the interior of the car.
To facilitate the passage of the car over fixed points I provide each bogie with
means for turning it on its axis so that the wheels may be directed into the track
the car is required to travel; for instance there may be provided on the bogie one
or more projections or recesses with which are caused to engage the lower end of
a lever fulcrumed to the frame of the car so that by moving this lever in one
direction or the other the car may be directed into the required course.
Dated this 23rd day of January 1895.
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.

page_text: i
Improvements in connection with Motive Power Engines for
Driving Tramway Cars and other Vehicles.
I EUSTACE FITZMAURICE PIERS, Baronet, of 21 Lime Street in the City of
London, Mechanical 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 :-
My invention relates to improvements in connection with motive power engines
for driving tramway cars and other vehicles and consists of a combination and
arrangement of apparatus hereinafter described whereby the starting and stopping
of the vehicle can be readily effected by means of a valve under the control of the
driver means being also provided for varying the speed and for automatically
indicating the speed at which the vehicle is travelling. The combination also
comprises a bogic or bogies on which the body of the vehicle is mounted to
facilitate the passage of the vehicle round curves and an arrangement of passages
through the axis or axes of the bogie or bogies through which the motive
fluid passes to and from the motor or motors by which motion is given to the
vehicle.
I will describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings which
represent it as applied to a tramway car from which its application to other vehicles
will be readily understood.
Fig. 1 of the drawings represents in side elevation the lower portion of the car.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same partly in section.
Fig. 3 shews in sectional elevation the passages for the motive fluid and the
arrangement of the valves and pump. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the
same.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 1-2 Fig. 3.
Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the speed regulating device and Fig. 7 is a
longitudinal section thereof.
A is the framing on which the body of the car is built and which is mounted on
bogies B B to facilitate the passage of the car round curves.
In any suitable
part of the car but preferably beneath the floor and bolted to the framing A is a
primary motor C which is preferably a gas or oil engine for working a pump D
formed in one with or bolted to the framing A. E is the crank shaft driven by
the motor C the said shaft being mounted in bearings on the framing A and
carrying a pinion F gearing with a spur wheel G on a second ecrank shaft H also
mounted in bearings on the frame A which shaft H operates by means of an
eccentric H the valve of the pump D. This shaft is provided with an
arrangement of mechanism for altering the stroke of the pump as hereinafter
described. Each bogie B B¹ carries a pair of hydraulic engines I I' into which
water is pumped under pressure by the pump Ď the said pump drawing water
from the chamber K which may constitute a tank or communicate with a tank or
other source of supply. The water from the tank passes to the pump by the
passage L Fig. 3 and is forced by the pump through the passage N into a box or
chamber N¹ containing ports or passages 0.0¹ (2 and a D slide valve P under
the control of the driver to conduct the water to the hydraulic cylinders through
either the port O or 0¹ according to the direction in which the vehicle is required
to travel. The port O communicates by à passage Q and pipe R with the valve
boxes S of the hydraulic engines I and by the passage Q and a pipe corre-
sponding to the pipe R with the valve box of the hydraulic engines I'. The
port O in the valve box or chamber N¹ communicates by the passage T and
pipe U with the valve boxes of the hydraulic engines I and also by the passage T

page_text: and a pipe corresponding to the pipe U with the valve boxes of the bydraulic
engines 1. The port O communicates with the passage L through which the
pump D is supplied. It will thus be seen that by a simple movement of the
D valve P the port O or O' can be made to communicate with the port O' and so
reverse the motion of the hydraulic engines to propel the vehicle in either
direction as required. The pipes R and U are arranged concentrically one within
the other and pass through the axes of the bogies B B to the bydraulic engines
the said pipes being provided with stuffing boxes or cup leathers as shown at W to
permit of the movement of the bogies on their axes.
In the partition which divides the passages L and N is provided an equilibrium
valve X preferably of the Cornish type and to this valve is connected a lever Y
provided with an adjustable weight Z by means of which the pressure at which
the hydraulic engines are required to work may be regulated. This valve is
constructed so that the area of the part a which rests on the seat bis greater than
the area of the part which rests on the seat d whereby when the pressure of the
water on the underside of the valve cxceeds that of the weighted lever Y which
tends to keep the valve on its seats, will raise the said valve and allow the excess
of pressure of water to pass into the passage L. The lever Y is provided with a
handle convenient for the driver to operate so that he can open the said valve
and thereby allow the water to pass direct from the passage N into the passage L
instead of allowing it to enter the hydraulic engines thereby removing the motive
power from the engines and so retarding or stopping the car whilst the
motor C and pump D may continue to work. So soon as the driver releases the
lever Ythe valve X will close and the water again come under pressure and
acting in the hydraulic engines re-starts the vehicle. The lever Y can be operated
from the opposite end of the car by any suitable means for instance as shewn in
Figures 1 and 2 the lever Y is connected by a chain or cord y to a lever Y2 by
means of which the controlling apparatus can be operated. The valves of the
hydraulic engines are preferably piston valves and are worked by eccentrics fon
the crank shafts E2 to which the piston rods of the hydraulic engines are connected.
In the partition which divides the water passages N and L there is provided a
valve g which valve in the case of the hydraulic engines racing from any cause
(for instance in descending an incline) so as to cause the volume of water supplied
to the engines by the pump to be less than the volume swept out of the engines by
their pistons the said valve opens and admits water from the passage L to make
up the deficiency. An air chamber i communicates with the passage N to
maintain pressure on the pistons of the hydraulic engines.
The gas engine is surrounded by a water jacket connected by pipes 1 and 2
with the suction passage of the pump D so as to cause the water to circulate
through the water jacket to keep the engine cool, the water being drawn from
the jacket by the pump D through the pipe 2, and the pipe 1 being provided, if
desired, with a valve which will admit water to the jacket but prevent it from
returning by the said pipe to the suction passage of the pump.
To regulate or adjust the speed of the car there is provided on the shaft H
which is driven from the crank shaft E of the gas engine a frame k (Figs. 6 and 7)
provided with guides in or on which is fitted to slide a block m the position of
which block with reference to the axis of the shaft H can be adjusted by means of a
screw working in a corresponding screw thread in the block m and carrying a bevel
wheel n' in gear with a pinion n² on a shaft or spindle n³ mounted in a bearing in the
frame k. To the block m is connected by a rod o' the piston rod o of the pump D so
that by adjusting the position of this block nearer to or farther from the axis of the
shaft H the stroke of the pump piston will be correspondingly shortened or
lengthened and so vary the pressure of the water. To adjust the position of the
block m there is provided on the brass or bushing p in the pedestal which supports
one end of the shaft H a screw thread with which engages a corresponding
screw thread q¹ formed in a ring r connected by arms 2 to a hood s or casing for
the frame. This hood or casing has in the interior an annular groove s in which

page_text: runs a wheel n' carried on the spindle n³ hereinbefore referred to. To one of
the arms is connected at a rod which can be operated by the driver so as to
impart to the hood or casing a motion of partial rotation and thereby in
consequence of the engagement of the screws 9 and 91 canse the said hood to
move longitudinally on the bushing p and bring one or other of the sides of the
annular groove s' into contact with the wheel n and thereby rotate through the
gearing n n the screw n and so traverse the block m nearer to or further from
the axis of the shaft H and thus shorten or lengthen the stroke of the pump and
consequently alter the speed of the vehicle according to which side of the annular
grooves is brought into contact with the wheel n'.
To the adjustable block m there is connected one end of a cord or chain u the
other end of which cord or chain is attached to a swivelled carrier u² fitted to
slide in a passage h' formed longitudinally through the centre of the shaft H.
The carrier is connected by a rod v to another carrier u³ to which is connected
one end of another cord or chain u the other end of which cord or chain is
connected to a pointer or indicator in view of the driver to show the speed at
which the vehicle is travelling.
The rod is connected to the carrier u² in such a manner as to admit of the
said carrier rotating with the shaft H without causing the rod v and the carrier u³
to rotate. The carrier u2 is caused to rotate with the shaft H by a stud w
projecting from the said carrier and engaging in a longitudinal groove w¹ formed
in the passage ¹. The carrier u³ is prevented from rotating with the shaft H
by a stud or projection wo on the said carrier engaging in a slot w² in a tube w³
fitted in the passage in the shaft H, on which tube the shaft rotates, and in
which tube the said carrier u³ can slide longitudinally. By this arrangement the
chains or cords u and u are prevented from twisting.
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 :-
:-
1st. The combination of apparatus for starting, driving, regulating the speed,
stopping, and reversing the direction of motion of tramway cars and other vehicles,
the whole being constructed arranged and operating substantially as hereiubefore
described and illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
2nd. The combination of apparatus for starting, driving, regulating the speed,
stopping and reversing the direction of motion of tramway cars and other vehicl
and means for causing the water, which works the hydraulic engines, to circula
through a jacket or space surrounding the gas or oil engine, the whole being
constructed arranged and operating substantially as herein before described and
illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 25th der of November 1895.
0
JOHNSONS & WILLCOX,
47 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C., Agents.