IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO TRAMWAYS "AL
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to David Phillips of Battersea in the County of Surrey
for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN CARRIAGES ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE
TO TRAMWAYS
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said David Phillips at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th October 1883.
DAVID PHILLIPS of Battersea in the County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGES ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO TRAMWAYS
"
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages especially applicable
to tramways.
The carriage has upon it a motor of any convenient description which does not
directly drive the carriage axles but actuates an intermediate rocking shaft which
through connecting rods and friction clutches drives the carriage axles. The outer
end of each connecting rod is pivotted eccentrically to a hollow cylindrical box
loose on the carriage axle and concentric with it the axle and cylinder being
connected together by spokes (preferably three) inside the box which are nearly
but not quite radial. The inner ends of these spokes are pivotted to the carriage
axle and their outer ends are pressed against the inner surface of the cylinder by
means of springs-When the cylinder is turned by the connecting rod in one
direction the spokes tend to become more radial and are thereby caused to jam and
firmly fix the axle to the cylinder and they are revolved together but when the
cylinder is turned in the other direction by the return stroke of the connecting rod
the spokes tend to become less radial and thus no longer jam but allow the axle
and cylinder to move independently of each other.
The axle of the carriage has upon it two of these.cylinders each actuated by a
connecting rod from the rocking shaft and the arrangement is such that the axle
is held and driven by one of the cylinders when the rocking shaft is moving in one
direction and by the other cylinder when the rocking shaft returns.
The arrangement as above described is only capable of propelling the carriage in
one direction, if the power of reversing is required I modify the arrangement as
follows:-Each cylinder is provided with two sets of spokes inclining in opposite

page_text: directions to the radii. Inside the cylinder there is a concentric disc having pins
upon it which rest against one or other set of spokes and hold them out of action
so that only one set of spokes is in action at the same time. By turning the disc
the spokes which were held out of action are freed and the others are lifted and
thus the axle is driven in the opposite direction.
In order to vary the speed at which the carriage is propelled without varying
the speed of the motor I connect the latter to the rocking shaft in such a manner
that the angle through which the shaft oscillates can be varied at pleasure. The
rocking shaft has fixed to it a radial arm which has a slot in it to receive a pin on
the connecting rod from the motor.
By shifting this pin towards or from the rocking shaft the angle through which
the shaft oscillates can be increased or diminished.
I prefer to connect the two axles of the carriage by two longitudinal bars which
carry the bearings of the intermediate shafts so that the vibration of the machinery
is not communicated to the body of the carriage.
In order to make the wheels of a tram car take the points in the right direction
I provide the car with a steering wheel which can be raised or lowered.-By
lowering this wheel and turning it to one side a tendency is given to the car to
turn so that when the points are reached the car will proceed in the right
direction

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said David Phillips in the Patent Office on the 5th April 1884.
DAVID PHILLIPS of Battersea in the County of Surrey "IMPROVEMENTS IN
CARRIAGES ESPECIALLY APPLICABLE TO TRAMWAYS
"3
This Invention has for its object improvements in carriages, especially applicable
to tramways.
My improved carriage is locomotive, and carries a motor either electric or
otherwise.
This motor does not directly drive the axles of the wheels but it drives through
an intermediate axis and from this imparts motion to a rock shaft. The rock shaft
imparts a corresponding rocking motion to a part of a friction driving clutch carried
upon the axle of the driving wheels.
The driving clutch is of cylindrical form hollow and box like with a cover.
One part of this driving clutch preferably the cylinder is fixed upon the axle
(which passes through it concentrically) either permanently or so long as the
driving apparatus is required to be in gear. The other part of the driving clutch
equivalent to the cover of the box, receives the rocking motion from the rock shaft.
This part is provided on its inner side with a boss surrounding the axle, and to
this boss three or other number of spoke like pieces are fitted; they are provided
with springs causing them to abut at their outer ends against the cylindrical
interior of the portion of the box, which is fixed to the axis.
The driving by this arrangement is intermittent, when the rocking movement is
in one direction, the spoke like pieces are simply drawn along the cylindrical
surface, but when the movement is in the contrary direction the spoke like pieces
being nearly radial become firmly set with their ends against the cylindrical surface
and they carry the axle around with them.
In order that the carriage may be driven either forwards or backwards I provide
two of the friction driving clutches one on each of the axles of the carriage. In
these the radial spoke like drivers are oppositely inclined, so that they produce
when in operation opposite movements of the carriage. Neither portion of the
box like friction driving clutch is in this case permanently fixed to the axis, but as
either apparatus is required to be in operation a temporary connection is made by
means of a friction locking clutch of ordinary construction.
The speed of the driving gear between the motor and the driving wheels is
capable of being varied to suit the circumstance under which the carriage is
running, whether it be heavily laden or light, or on a level road or ascending or
descending an incline. For this purpose the connecting rod by which rocking
movement is imparted from the intermediate shaft to the rock shaft is made to
engage with a pin, which can be moved along an arm fixed upon the rock shaft so
as to be nearer to or further from the centre of motion. As the pin is moved
outwards from the centre of the rock shaft the angular motion imparted to the shaft
is lessened and consequently although the speed of the motor may remain unchanged,
the carriage will travel at a slower rate.
In order that my said invention may be most fully understood and readily
carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.

page_text: •
A is an electric motor. A worm on the axis of this motor engages with a
corresponding pinion upon the intermediate axis B. A crank pin set on the face of
the disc, at the end of this axis receives a connecting rod C, and this rod imparts
motion to the rock shaft D.
The slotted arm D¹ fixed upon the rock shaft receives into its slot a slide in
which is a pin E. The slide is able to move in the slot radially to the axis. The
pin E is also supported by the double frame F which at its lower end is jointed
to the radius rod G. It is also suspended by the link H from a bell crank
lever I:
Movement can be imparted to the lever I by sliding the bar K horizontally by
means of a hand lever provided for the purpose, and thus the pin E can be shifted
along the slot in the lever D' and the speed can be varied.
L: L. are a pair of arms fixed upon the rocking shaft D; one of them is connected
with and serves to impart movement to one of the driving axles, and the other is
similarly connected with the other axle.
The arm L by means of connecting rods M. M. imparts a rocking movement to
the lid like part O of the box like driving clutch upon the axle P of the carriage.
The radial spoke like drivers 0' have their ends lodged in cavities in the central
boss of the part 0; their springs are not indicated.
Qis the other part of the driving clutch. This part Q is not permanently fixed
upon the axle but it is provided with a flange, and in contact with this flange there
are segments R. R. These are connected by links S. S. with the boss T, and this is
able to slide along the axis. It receives motion by means of a lever and a rod
passing to a handle provided for the purpose.
The boss is prevented from turning upon the axle by a groove and a key or
feather entering the groove.
By the movement of the boss along the axis the links S. S. are caused to thrust
out the segments R against the flange of the part Q and then this part Q when
rotated carries the axle with it, By the movement of the boss T in the opposite
direction, the links S are caused to draw the segments R away from the flange, and
then the part Q is able to turn independently of the axle.
U. U. are ordinary break blocks, they are suspended from the frame of the
carriage by links V, and other links connect them with arms W' W¹ upon the
axis W. On this axis also a lever X is fixed, and rods Y. Y. are attached to
the extremity of this lever; they pass to the ends of the tramway carriage, so that
the driver at either end of the vehicle can apply the break to the wheels.
Having thus described the nature of my said Invention and the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I claim as my improvements
in carriages especially applicable to tramways, the means of propelling the same
herein described, and consisting in a suitable motor driving an intermediate shaft,
which in turn imparts motion to a rock shaft, and this to a friction driving clutch
operating by means of spoke like arms, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof I the said David Phillips have hereunto set my hand and
seal this Fifth day of April in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred
and eighty four.