Improvements in Driving Gear for Tramway Vehicles Propelled by Motor Engines.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Jan., 1893-Accepted, 25th Feb., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Driving Gear for Tramway Vehicles Propelled by
Motor Engines.
I, CARL LÜHRIG, of No. 30 Reichstrasse Dresden, 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 :--
This invention relates to an improved construction of coupling mechanism for
transmitting variable motion from a motor engine to the road wheels of a tramcar
to be used in substitution of the mechanism for this purpose described in the
Specification to my Patent No. 5707**.
I will describe the said improved mechanism with reference to the accompanying
drawing which shews a plan of the underframe of a tramcar, with the said mechanism
applied thereto.
In the said Specification 5707" the driving shaft N receiving motion from the
motor, was coupled to the shaft G', transmitting the said motion to the wheel axis,
by means of a frictional coupling S S₁ of which one part was fixed on G' while the
other part was fixed on N, which passed through Gi, so that for coupling the two
shafts together, a longitudinal motion had to be imparted to N for bringing the
parts of the coupling into frictional contact. According to the present improvement
a separate shaft is provided for working the frictional coupling.
By this arrangement all the shafts, including the new one, are arranged without
longitudinal motion, the one part of the coupling being made looze on its shaft so as
to be capable of sliding thercon. By this means a considerable portion of power
expended in friction and pressure in the previous arrangement is saved so that the
power of the motor is transmitted almost in its entirety to the shaft driving the.
road wheels. The manipulation is also easier and more reliable, and the engines
can work at a greater speed so that the tramcar could travel as fast as a locomotive
engine.
For the above purpose, there is provided, at the side of the driving shaft N, a
fourth shaft G which receives motion through the spur wheels N' N³.
The one part S of a coupling is loose on the shaft G2 while the other part S¹ can
slide thereon, and is actuated for this purpose by means of rods tt, and hand
wheels on the platform while at the same time S' is carried round by the shaft G³.
The extended boss of the coupling S carries the wheel N gearing with N'. Thus
when the coupling part S' is slid out of gear with S, the latter is rotated loose upon
the shaft G by the driving shaft N, but when S' is slid in gear S drives the
shaft G, which in its turn imparts motion to the wheel axle F, through pitch
wheels and chains U.
The other parts of the mechanism are the same as described in my said former
application No. 5707 and are indicated by the same letters of reference and need
therefore not be further described.
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 1
claim is :-
In driving mechanism far imparting variable motion to tramway cars such as is
described in Specification No. 5707% arranging the driving shaft N to impart
motion to the wheel axle F through a shaft G2 carrying a coupling S S³, of which
the part S is loose on G and is geared with N by means of spur wheels N', N',

page_text: while the part S₁ can be slid in and out of gear with S. according as motion is or is
not to be imparted to the wheel axles, substantially as described.
Doind this 16th day of January 1902
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for Applicant.