Improvements in Stopping and Starting Apparatus for Tramway Cars and other Vehicles.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1890-Accepted, 6th Sent., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stopping and Starting Apparatus for Tramway
Cars and other Vehicles.
I, CRESAORE GEORGE MOOR, of St. Clements Vicarage, Truro, Cornwall,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in that class of apparatus for utilizing the
motion of a tramcar to aid in restarting the vehicle in which the power is stored up
by means of a spiral spring; and the object of my invention is to provide an
apparatus in which excessive friction is avoided and which may be operated
indifferently from either end of the car without regard to the direction in which the
latter may be travelling.
According to my invention, the spring is coiled around a longitudinal shaft
mounted in bearings between the axles and is attached at one end to a ratchet wheel
loose on the shaft and at the other end to a ratchet wheel fast on the shaft, the loose
ratchet wheel being provided with a spring pressed pawl which automatically
engages with its teeth and constantly prevents it from revolving in one direction,
while the ratchet wheel which is fast on the shaft has a pawl which when engaged
with the ratchet wheel prevents the shaft revolving and the consequent uncoiling
of the spring but which may, at the proper times, be thrown out of engagement
with the wheel to permit of the power stored in the spring being applied for propelling
the car.
The spring shaft is provided at one end with a bevel gear wheel adapted to be engaged
with one or other of a pair of corresponding bevel wheels keyed, the one opposite the
other, to a sleeve on one of the car axles, the said sleeve being mounted on the axle
in such manner that while it will revolve as one therewith it may be slid along the
axle to an extent sufficient to bring either of its gear wheels into engagement with
the intermediate gear wheel on the spring shaft. This movement of the sleeve may
be effected from either platform by means of rock shafts which extend beneath the
frame to the platform and are provided with hand levers working over notched
plates which serves to hold the levers in the position to which they may be set.
In order to maintain the relative positions of the axle and spring shaft and ensure
the proper engagement of the bevel wheels, notwithstanding the vertical movement of
the car axle in the horn plate guides, the bearings carrying the spring shaft are bolted
to a carriage which is pivoted at its rear end to the car framing and at its forward
end is provided with a strap or bearing which embraces the sleeve on the axle, so
that the latter end of the spring shaft will follow the rising and falling movement of
the axle in its guides.
The operation is as follows; During the normal running of the car, the gear
wheels on the sleeve revolve idly with the axle and the ratchets are both engaged by
their respective pawls. To stop the car, the driver shifts the sleeve on the axle so as
to cause one of the bevel wheels to gear with the bevel wheel of the spring shaft and
thereupon the continued motion of the car revolves the shaft and coils up the spring,
the loose ratchet wheel to which the spring is attached being held by its pawl and
serving as an abutment. When the motion of the car is arrested, the driver throws the
other bevel wheel into engagement in readiness for utilizing the power stored in
the spring for starting the car, which is effected by withdrawing the pawl which holds
the shaft, thus permitting the spring to re-act and revolve the wheel axle in the same
direction as that in which it was previously revolving; If it is desired, however, to
move the car in the opposite direction, as is sometimes necessary, the gear wheels are
not changed after storing up power.
The pawl of the ratchet wheel may be acted on from either platform by means of

page_text: a pair of jointed rods attached to the underframing of the car and provided with
levers which project through the floor of the platform in a convenient position for
the driver to operate them by the pressure of his foot.
Dated this 24th day of October 1889.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Stopping and Starting Apparatus for Tramway
Cars and other Vehicles.
I, CRESACRE GEORGE MOOR, of St. Clements Vicarage, Truro, Cornwall,
Gentleman, 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 apparatus for utilising the energy of motion of a tramcar
to aid in restarting the vehicle; and the object of my invention is to provide an
apparatus in which excessive friction is avoided and which may be operated
indifferently from either end of the car without regard to the direction in which the
latter may be travelling.
Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this
specification, in which
Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, and
Figure 2 an underside view, of the improved stopping and starting gear.
The same letters of reference indicate liko parts in both figures.
According to my invention, the spring A, in which the power is stored for use,
coiled helically around a longitudinal shaft B mounted in bearings between the axles,
and is attached at one end to a ratchet wheel C loose on the shaft B and at the other
end to the shaft B or to a ratchet wheel D fast on the said shaft, the teeth of the
wheels C, D, being oppositely directed and the loose ratchet wheel being prevented,
by a pawl c, from revolving in one direction, another pawl d being provided, to
engage with the ratchet wheel D in order to prevent the spring uncoiling until the
proper moment for utilising the power stored in the spring, for propelling the car.
Upon the end of the shaft B is keyed a bevel wheel E situated between a pair of
oppositely bevelled wheels F, G, fast on a sleeve H fitted on one of the car axles
with a groove and feather connection, so that it will revolve therewith but may be
slid along the axle to throw either of the bevel wheels F, G, into gear with the
intermediate bevel wheel E.
In order to maintain constant the relative positions of the wheel axle and shaft B
and so ensure the proper engagement of the bevel wheels, notwithstanding the play
of the axle box springs, the bearings of the shaft B are carried by a frame I which is
pivoted, by a horizontal axis at its end most remote from the sleeve H, to the car
framing and is supported at its other end by a bearing which embraces the said
sleeve. The sleeve H is operated from either end platform by forked arms KK'
engaging collars on the ends of the sleeve, and carried by rock shafts kk' mounted
beneath the car and extending to opposite ends thereof and operated by lever
handles, standing up through the car-platforms and working over notched
quadrants (not shown). The pawls cd are pressed into engagement with their
respective ratchet wheels by springs (not shown) and the pawl d is disengaged when
it is desired to apply the stored power, by suitable mechanism operated from either
platform. In the example illustrated, this consists of a rock shaft L extending from
end to end of the car and having a toe l or other means of acting on the pawl d, said
rock shaft being acted on by pedals 1, 2 fixed to arms on the shaft and projecting
up through the platforms in convenient position to be operated by the pressure of the
driver's foot.
The operation is as follows; During the normal running of the car the wheels and

page_text: sleeve revolve idly with the axle and the ratchet wheels CD are both engaged by
their respective pawls. To stop the car, the sleeve on the axle is shifted so as to
cause one of the bevel wheels (F or G according to the direction in which the car
may be running) to gear with the bevel wheel E and thereupon the continued
revolution of the car axlo revolves the shaft B and coils up the spring A, the loose
ratchet wheel being held by its pawl and serving as an abutment whilst the spring
is prevented from uncoiling by the other ratchet wheel and pawl. When the motion
of the car is arrested, the one bevel wheel is thrown out of gear and the other bevel
wheel is thrown into gear with wheel E in readiness for utilising the power stored in
the spring for starting the car. This is effected by disengaging the pawl d which
holds the shaft, thus permitting the spring to re-act and revolve the wheel axle in the
same direction as that in which it was previously revolving. If it is desired, however,
to move the car in the opposite direction, as is sometimes necessary, in case of over-
running points, for example, the gear wheels F G are not shifted after storing up
power. In either case, after the power stored in the spring, as above described, has
been expended in starting the car, the clicking of the pawl c on its ratchet wheel will
notify the driver of the fact that it is necessary to disengage the gear.
It is to he remarked that in case of need, as for averting an accident, the car may
he suddenly stopped without storing power, the revolution of the pair of wheels to
which the gear is applied being suddenly arrested by moving the sleeve H in the
opposite direction to that in which it is moved for storing power so as to tend to
revolve the wheel D against its pawl; this being impossible, the wheels are
"skidded."
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is;
The herein described car-stopping and starting gear consisting in the combination
with the wheel axle and with bevel gear mounted thereon as described, of a coiled
spring about a longitudinal shaft provided with ratchet and pawl retaining gear and
mounted upon a frame directly supported by the wheel axle with which said shaft is
geared, substantially as specified.
Dated this 24th day of July 1890.