Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Stopping and Starting of Tramway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 20th Apr., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 20th Feb., 1892-Accepted, 26th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Stopping and
Starting of Tramway and other Vehicles.
1. JOSEPH WILLIAM LEE, of Causeway, Cambridge, in the County of
Cambridge, Consulting Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to
be as follows:-
:-
My invention relates to improvements in apparatus of the kind described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 17977 of 1889, for storing the energy of
momentum of tramears when being brought to a standstill and for utilizing such
energy for again starting the car, and has mainly for its object to so construct the
apparatus that the counter shaft and the gear wheels operating in connection
therewith and described in the said former Specification can be dispensed with.
In carrying out my invention 1 attach the inner end of the spring in the spring-
drum to a boss or sleeve loose on the axle of the car, the said boss having attached
thereto a brake pulley or other suitable means which can be operated to prevent
the said end of the spring from revolving. The said pulley or the like is provided
with a pawl or catch which engages with a ratchet wheel keyed on the axle.
As described in the said former Specification the outer end of the spring is
attached to the drum and the said drum is provided with ratchet teeth having
engaging therewith a pawl or catch connected to the frame of the car.
Instead of
arranging the disc having the V-shaped projection loose on the axle as in the
said Specification, I attach it thereto and to support the drum against the thrust of
the disc I employ a flanged boss fixed to the axle. The mechanism for engaging
the said disc with the spring-drum and for applying the brake to the brake-pulley
are advantageously connected together so as to allow of their being operated
simultaneously.
To enable the car or other vehicle to be driven in either direction, two of the
apparatuses herein before described are used, one in connection with each axle as in
the said former Specification the pawl of the spring-drum not in use being
disengaged therefrom. I arrange, however, that in cases of emergency one
apparatus can assist the other to stop the car. For this purpose I employ
additional means for applying the brake to the brake pulley or the like of the
apparatus not in use.
Dated the 20th day of April 1891.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Facilitating the Stopping and
Starting of Tramway and other Vehicles.
1, JOSEPH WILLIAM LEE, of Cambridge, in the County of Cambridge.
Consulting 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 apparatus of the kind described in the
Specification of Letters Patent No. 17977 of 1889, for storing the energy of
momentum of tramears when being brought to a standstill and for utilizing such
energy for again starting the car, and has mainly for its object to so construct the

page_text: apparatus that the counter shaft and the gear wheels operating in connection
therewith and described in the said former Specification can be dispensed with.
In carrying out my invention attach the inner end of the spring in the spring-
drum to a boss or sleeve loose on the axle of the car, the said boss having attached
thereto a brake pulley or other suitable means which can be operated to prevent the
said end of the spring from revolving. The said brake pulley is provided with a
pawl or catch which engages with a ratchet wheel keyed on the axle.
As described in the said former Specification the outer end of the spring is
attached to the drum and the said drum is provided with ratchet teeth having
engaging therewith a pawl or catch connected to the frame of the car. Instead of
arranging the friction disc, which is adapted to engage with the face of the spring-
drum, loose on the axle as in the said Specification, I attach it thereto, and to
support the drum against the thrust of the said disc I employ a flanged boss or
disc fixed to the axle. The mechanism for engaging the said disc with the spring
drum and for applying the brake to the brake-pulley are advantageously connected
together so as to allow of their being operated simultaneously.
To enable the car or other vehicle to be driven in either direction, two of the
apparatuses hereinbefore described are used, one in connection with each axle as in
the said former Specification the pawl of the spring-drum not in use being disengaged
therefrom. I arrange, however, that in cases of emergency one apparatus can
assist the other to stop the car. For this purpose I employ additional means for
applying the brake to the brake pulley or the like of the apparatus not in use.
To enable my invention to be fully understood I will describe the same by
reference to the accompanying drawings in which :-
Figure 1 is a plan of the underframe and wheels of a tramcar provided with
two apparatus constructed according to my invention, one of which apparatus is
shewn in section.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.
Figure 3 is a vertical section of one of the said apparatus and parts connected
therewith drawn to an enlarged scale, and
Figures 4 and 5 are respectively sections on the lines 4, 4 and 5, 5 of Figure 3.
Figure 6 is a section on the line 6, 6 of Figure 4.
Figure 7 is a section shewing an axle and a portion of one of the levers for
causing the outer ends of the spring in the spring-drum of each apparatus to rotate
with the said axle.
Figure 8 is a section on the line 8, 8 of Figure 7.
Each apparatus comprises a spring-drum a containing and having secured
thereto, one end of a spring band adapted to engage frictionally with a disc e by
means of a lever d. a' are ratchet teeth in the drum a, a the pawl engaging
therewith and a³ the slotted piece for lifting the pawl out of the said teeth, all of
which parts are similar to those described in the Specification of the said former
Letters Patent.
e is the boss or sleeve to which the inner end of the spring is attached, the said
boss being loose on the axle el and having attached thereto what I term a double
lever brake pulley arrangement consisting of the pulley which is encircled by
straps, adapted to be tightened on the pulley by either of the slotted
bolts and bell-crank levers, as shewn clearly in Figure 4, for the purpose of
preventing the said inner end of the spring from revolving with the axle. ƒ³ is
an india rubber or other spring connecting the levers together. 7 is the pawl or
catch on the pulley and is the ratchet wheel keyed on the axle through the
medium of the boss and engaging with the said pawl.
Each disc c is attached to the axle by the key but can slide longitudinally
thereon to allow of its V-groove being pressed into engagement with the V-shaped
projection on the drum a by the lever d, so that the movement of the axle can
be imparted to the outer end of the spring b. h is the flange or disc forming part
of the boss and serving to receive the thrust of the disc when pressed into
engagement with the projection a' on the ram a, the said disc being provided
r

page_text: with a V-shaped projection designed to enter and fit the groove forming the
interior of the projection a'.
Each lever d'is forked at one end so as to embrace the axle and support pads i, i
fitting on bolts j, j, the pad i when the lever is moved in one direction, serving as
a fulcrum for the lever by bearing again-t a collar on the axle, while the pad ¹
serves to press the disce into engagement with the drum a.
Chains, connect the lever d and one of the brake levers
respectively
of each apparatus to the usual brake shaft n so that they can be operated
simultaneously.
Instead of arranging each slotted piece a³ to act upon a pin on its pawl a² as in
the Specification of the said former Patent, I provide the pivot pin of the pawl
with an extension o adapted to engage with the slot in the piece a³ in such a manner
that the pawl is compelled to turn with the said piece a but at the same time the
latter is free to bear upon the flange of the spring drum.
The pawl is advantageously carried in a ring o' encircling the ratchet teeth a'
and connected with the framing of the car by rods o' which allow of the vertical
movement of the said framing on the car springs without interfering with the
action of the said pawl. The brake straps are similarly connected to the
framing of the car by rods o³, oª.
The operation is as follows:-
will
Assuming the car to be moving in the direction of the arrows Figures 1 and 2,
in which case the apparatus in connection with the axle indicated at p will be made
use of. The brake shaft n being revolved in the direction of the arrow, Figure 2,
the brake straps f, and the lever d will be operated and the straps,
stop the brake pulley and consequently the rotation of the inner end of the spring
in the spring drum and the lever will cause the disc to be forced into engage-
ment with the spring drum a so that the outer end of the said spring will by reason
of the momentum of the car continue to revolve with the drum until the spring is
wound up.
At the same time the drum a and ratchet wheel will respectively
overrun the pawls a² and g. The spring having been thus wound up, when the car
is to be restarted it is only necessary to release the handle of the brake shaft n,
whereupon the drum a and pulley will be freed respectively from the axle and
brake straps, and the car will be moved again in the direction of the arrows
by the uncoiling of the spring rotating the axle through the medium of the ratchet
wheel, pawg, brake pulley and boss e,
the drum a being prevented from
turning in a contrary direction by the pawl a'.
Each apparatus has a screwed rod working through a nut q' for the purpose of
lifting the pawl a² of the spring-drum not in use, by impinging against and moving
the slotted piece a of the said pawl.
The bell-crank lever which is unconnected to the brake-shaft n of each
apparatus, is connected by a chain r to a foot levers at the opposite end of the car
so that in cases of emergency one brake pulley can assist the other to stop the car.
Instead of the pawl or catch a² and ratchet teeth on the spring drum I may
employ a wedge engaging with a correspondingly shaped groove in the drum.
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 :-
1. Apparatus for storing the energy of momentum of tramway and other vehicles
comprising a spring located within and having its outer end attached to a drum
loose on the shaft or axle carrying it, the other end of the spring being attached to
a boss or sleeve also loose on the shaft or axle, and means for preventing the
rotation of the boss or sleeve for connecting the drum with the shaft so that the
spring will be wound up by the movement of the vehicle, and for releasing
the spring and holding the drum stationary, substantially as and for the purpose
hereinbefore described.
2. In apparatus of the kind herein described the use of a boss or sleeve loose ou

page_text: the shaft or axle of the vehicle and to which is attached the inner end of the spring,
substantially as described.
3. In apparatus of the kind herein described the combination with the spring
drum, of a disc adapted to engage therewith by frictional contact, a boss or sleeve,
a brake pulley and a ratchet wheel adapted to engage with a pawl on the said
pulley, substantially as and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accom-
panying drawings.
4. The manufacture and use of the improved apparatus for storing the energy of
momentum of tramway and other vehicles for starting the same, the said apparatus
being arranged and operating substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated
in the accompanying drawings.
Dated the 20th day of February 1892.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.