Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1886.
Complete Left, 14th Feb., 1887.
Complete Accepted, 15th Mar., 1887.
We, JOHN GILMORE, of the Vicarage, West Norwood, Clerk in Holy Orders, and
WILLIAM RICHARD CLARK, of 3 Danby Road, both in the County of Surrey,
Mechanician, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
Our invention relates to an improved device to aid the starting of tramway and
other vehicles where the vis inertiae requires a heavy pull on the part of the horses to
be overcome.
Our invention is designed to effect its object by the application of leverage, to the
wheel near the circumference, and therefore at a point of great advantage, and by the
actual and initial pull of the horses, thus preventing any risk of the car running on to
the horses which attaches to other starting devices acting independently. Moreover
our device is of great simplicity.
11
We may apply this leverage in many ways, and now instance the following
Free to turn in the framing of the car and across the same to the rear of the
leading or other axle is a rod. This rod carries at its centre a fixed crank, to the end
of which is pivoted the draw bar of the vehicle. At the inner circumference of the
wheel but clear of the tread, is attached a ratchet wheel, or a ratchet is formed upon a
hinged pawl, which
shoulder of the wheel itself. Fixed to the end of the bar is a
engages with the ratchet and gives it, as well as the whole wheel, an impulse at great
advantage of leverage, whenever the draw bar is pulled at starting by the animal or
animals drawing the vehicle. The pawl being now elevated; to cause it to drop when
the draught ceases, the pawl is hinged, and may be sprung-pressed or counterbalanced
so as to hang and remain clear of the ratchet when not in use and be ready for the
next operation. The draw bar is provided with a suitable stop, and a spiral or other
spring or springs work between this stop and the car frame, to hold the pawl
normally off the ratchet, and to lessen the jerk of starting, and further a fork or pin
at the outside of the framing may drop into a hole or against a shoulder on the draw
bar, so that when it is drawn out to its fullest extent after the impulse is given, or
when it has returned to its extreme position inwards, it may be automatically held in
that position, or this device may be under the control of the driver who may release or

page_text: fit it in as may be expedient. In place of a pawl a ratchet bar might be employed to
engage at either the upper or under side of the circular ratchet. This ratchet bar
might be thrown into or out of gear by a treadle or other device operated by the driver
or automatically by means of a spring or springs or counterpoise arrangement, or by a
suitable guide in which it might travel.
Again, in place of a pawl we may employ a cam or segment with several teeth, or
may make the bite a frictional bite, and dispense with the teeth both on the cam and
the wheel.
Our device may be applied to both of the pair of wheels or to one only, and it is
preferably fitted in duplicate so that the vehicle may be drawn in either direction.
FELL & WILDING,
1, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Starting Device for Tramway and other Vehicles.
We, JOHN GILMORE, of the Vicarage, West Norwood, Clerk in Holy Orders, and
WILLIAM RICHARD CLARK, of 3 Danby Road, both in the County of Surrey,
Mechanician, 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 :—
Our invention relates to an improved device to aid the starting of tramway and
other vehicles where the vis inertiae requires a heavy pull on the part of the horses to
be overcome.
Our invention is designed to effect its object by the application of leverage to the
wheel near the circumference, and therefore at a point of great advantage, and by the
actual and initial pull of the horses, thus preventing any risk of the car running on to
the horses, which attaches to other starting devices acting independently. Moreover,
our device is of great simplicity.
In order that our invention may be the better understood we now proceed to
describe the same in relation to the drawings hereunto annexed, reference being had
to the letters and figures marked thereon. Like letters refer to like parts throughout
the drawings.
Figure 1 is a general elevation of our device as applied to the wheels of a tramcar.
Figure 2 is a side and front elevation of one proposed locking gear.
Figure 3 is a side and front elevation of a modified locking gear.
Figure 4 is a side elevation of the cam gear and guide.
Figure 5 is a front elevation of the same.
Free to turn in the framing of the car and across the same, and to the rear of one
of the axles, is a rod A, which carries at its centre a fixed crank B, to the end of which
is pivotted the draw bar C of the vehicle. Where the vehicle is to be fitted for traction
in either direction, duplicate mechanism may be employed. At the inner circumference
of the wheel, but clear of the tread, is attached a ratchet wheel D, or a ratchet is
formed upon a shoulder of the wheel itself. Fixed to the end of the bar is a hinged
pawl E, which engages with a ratchet and gives it, as well as the whole wheel, an
impulse at great advantage of leverage whenever the draw bar is pulled at starting by
the animal or animals drawing the vehicle. The pawl is hinged, and is caused to
travel in a cam guide F, figure 4, by means of a guide pin G, so that the pawl will drop
clear of the wheel when the draught ceases. This is conveniently effected by the
pivotted cam guide F as follows:-
When the pawl makes its upward stroke, the pin G, which at the commencement of
the stroke rests on a shoulder of the bracket H, passes upwards at the underside of the
pivotted cam guide F. The pin G lifts the point of the pivotted cam guide F, and
when it has reached its extreme travel, permits the guide cam F to fall back on to its
stop or rest K. Upon the return stroke, the pin G of the pawl E descends on the
upper side of the cam guide F, and thus the pawl is held clear of the ratchet wheel,

page_text: The draw bar is provided with a suitable spring L, either round the rocking shaft A,
or at the extremity of the bar nearest the draught, to lessen the jerk of starting, and to
give spring recoil to the draw bar when the draught ceases. The draw bar is further
provided with a stop M, figure 2, which causes the draw bar to be locked against the
framing or other suitable part, so as to prevent the ratchet gear from coming into
operation until the lock on the draw bar is released. This may be effected by a foot
treadle N operating the lifting lever P, and which may be worked at will by the
treadle, so that the draw bar may be released from its stop and the ratchet gear come
into operation. An equivalent but modified method is shown at figure 3, in which the
draw bar C is provided with side wings QQ, which are locked by a locking plate P,
operated by the foot treadle N, as before. When the draw bar is back at its extreme
travel without draught upon it, the locking bar P may be raised, the pins thereon, PP;
being then free from the projecting wings of the draw bar. The draw har can then
draw out to its fullest extent and the ratchet gear be thus brought into operation.
Both these locking apparata act automatically to lock the draw bar when it has been
returned to its extreme position without draught, until released by the driver. The
locks cannot be released while draught is upon the draw bar.
+
In place of a pawl as before described to engage in the ratchet wheel, a rack might
be employed to engage at either the upper or the under side of a circular ratchet wheel,
the rack being connected to the draw bar. This rack might be thrown in or out of
gear by a treadle operated by the driver as above described, or automatically by means
of a spring or springs, or by counterpoise arrangement, or by a suitable guide in
which it might travel. We might modify the pawl into a toothed segment with several
teeth, or we might make the bite a frictional bite, and thus dispense with teeth either
on the pawl or wheel. Our device may be applied to both of a pair of wheels or to
one only, and will be preferably fitted in duplicate when the vehicle is desired to be
drawn in either direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our invention and
in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we claim is :-
:-
1st. The combination with a draw bar of a tram car or other vehicle, of a rocking
bar and pawl carried in any suitable part of the framing, the said pawl engaging with
a ratchet wheel fitted to or forming part of carrying wheel or wheels, substantially
as described.
2nd. The guiding of such a pawl by means of a pivotted cam guide so that it
engages with the ratchet wheel in the upward travel and falls back clear of the ratchet
wheel on its downward travel, substantially as described.
3rd. The combination with the draw bar so fitted of a locking apparatus operated
by a foot treadle at the pleasure of the driver, which automatically locks the bar so
as to throw the ratchet starting gear out of operation until released by the action of
the driver, substantially as described.
FELL & WILDING,
1., Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C.,
Agents for the Applicants.