Improved Means for Automatically Controlling the Motion of Trucks and other Vehicles on Inclined Rails and Roads.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 21st Sept., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Nov., 1898-Accepted, 23rd Dec., 1898
Improved Means for Automatically Controlling the Motion of Trucks
and other Vehicles on Inclined Rails and Roads.
I, HENRY BURRIDGE, of 41, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, in the County of Bedford,
Brick and Tile Manufacturer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improved means for automatically controlling the motion
of trucks and other vehicles used on inclined rails and roads so as to obviate any
risk to life or property by reason of the said trucks or the like being accidentally
disconnected from the winch or other elevating or tractive agent by the breakage
of the rope or from any other cause.
According to my said invention I provide one or more toothed wheels or ratchet-
wheels on the rotary axle of one or both pairs of wheels of the truck or other vehicle,
and one or more pawls or detent levers hinged or pivoted to the frame or other
suitable part of the vehicle, to act in conjunction with the said toothed wheels so
that the axle can turn freely when the vehicle is moving forward, but will be
restrained from rotation so that the wheels will skid should the vehicle move back-
ward; rapid motion of the vehicle down an incline, is thus effectually prevented,
and if the grade is low, the motion of the truck will be arrested.
My improved device also acts as a brake to retard the motion of the
truck while being lowered down the incline, and will stop the truck when it reaches
the level part of the rails. The necessity for an attendant to apply a brake by
hand is thus obviated.
I sometimes provide a hand-lever or other suitable device arranged in a con-
venient position on the vehicle whereby the said pawl or detent-lever can be con-
veniently put out of gear with the ratchet-wheel when it is desired to move the
truck or the like in the reverse direction.
In some cases, moreover, I find it advantageous to arrange two ratchet-wheels
on one or both axles of a truck with their teeth inclined in opposite directions
and to arrange two pawls or detent-levers in combination with one or more hand-
levers and linkwork or like mechanism in such a manner that, when one pawl or
detent-lever is thereby put into gear with its ratchet-wheel, the other is put out
of gear and vice versa.
To avoid the noise due to the passage of the ratchet-teeth past the said pawl or
detent-lever, I sometimes provide the said lever with an India-rubber ring or
other suitable cushion at the part where the teeth strike the same.
If desired, I arrange the said pawl or pawls in combination with the draught-
gear of the truck in such a manner that, so long as a pull equal to or exceeding a
predetermined amount is applied to the draw-bar or the like, the pawl or detent-
fever will be held out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel, but as soon as the
pull is relaxed below the predetermined amount, the said pawl or detent-lever
will again engage with the ratchet-wheel and prevent backward motion of the
wheels. This may be effected by allowing the draught to act through a spring or

page_text: springs secured at one end to the truck or the like and having the other end con-
nected to a bell-crank or other lever or to a toggle-joint suitably arranged in com-
bination with the said pawl or detent-lever. Or an inclined plane or other suit-
able device may be employed in combination with the said pawl or detent lever and
a spring or springs for this purpose.
Dated 21 dan of Cantanti... 1000
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improved Means for Automatically Controlling the Motion of Trucks
and other Vehicles on Inclined Rails and Roads.
I, HENRY BURRIDGE, of 41, Cauldwell Street, Bedford, in the County of Bedford,
Brick and Tile Manufacturer, 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 improved means for automatically controlling the motion.
of trucks and other vehicles used on inclined rails and roads so as to obviate any
risk to life or property by reason of the said trucks or the like being accidentally
disconnected from the winch or other elevating or tractive agent by the breakage
of the rope or from any other cause.
According to my said invention I provide one or more toothed wheels or ratchet-
wheels on the rotary axle of one or both pairs of wheels of the truck or other vehicle,
and one or more pawls or detent levers hinged or pivoted to the frame or other
suitable part of the vehicle, to act in conjunction with the said toothed wheels or
ratchet-wheels in such a manner that the said axle or axles can turn freely when
the vehicle is moving forward, but will be restrained from rotation so that the
wheels will skid should the vehicle move backward; rapid motion of the vehicle
down an incline, is thus effectually prevented, or, if the grade is low, the motion
of the truck will be arrested.
My improved device, therefore, also acts as a brake to retard the motion of the
truck while being lowered down a steep incline, and will stop the truck when it
reaches the level part of the rails. The necessity for an attendant to apply a
brake by hand is thus obviated.
I sometimes provide a hand-lever or other suitable device arranged in a con-
venient position on the vehicle whereby the said pawl or pawls can be conveniently
put out of gear with the ratchet-wheel or wheels when it is desired to move the
truck or the like backward.
In the accompanying drawings I have shown how my said invention may be
conveniently and advantageously carried into practice.
Figure 1 is a plan, and
Figure 2 a vertical longitudinal section on the line r,, Figure 1, illustrating
the application of my improvements to a wagon for transporting clay or like
materials, the body of the vehicle being removed.
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are vertical longitudinal sections
modifications of my said invention.
showing other forms or
is a detent or pawl
of the wagon. This
a is a ratchet-wheel fixed upon one of the axles b or b¹.
which is pivoted at e' to a bolt d fixed in the under-frame
detent or pawl is adapted to engage with the ratchet-wheel a in such a manner as to

page_text: prevent rotation of the axle b in one direction whilst permitting rotation thereof in
the reverse direction.
In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2, a single ratchet-wheel a is fixed
on the forward axle of the wagon, and a hooked lever f is pivoted at f¹ to the
under-frame e so that it can be moved into position to support the detent or pawl c
when lifted out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel a, to permit of the wagon
being moved to and fro, for example, when it is on a level part of the railway. If
desired the pivot fl of the said hooked lever is connected by a hinge-joint to the
frame e, or the said lever is connected by an universal joint to the said frame, so
that the said hooked lever can be used for lifting the said detent or pawl out of
gear.
It is evident that, when the pawl c is in gear, both axles can rotate while the
wagon is travelling in the forward direction, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2,
but should the traction-rope break or the wagon become detached on an incline,
the wagon cannot rapidly descend the incline, since the forward axle is restrained
from rotation in the backward direction, and consequently either the forward pair
of wheels will skid and the wagon travel slowly down the incline, or backward
motion of the said wagon will be prevented.
In Figure 3 I have shown a detent or pawl e arranged in combination with a
ratchet-wheel a on the rear axle b, a pin y being provided for insertion into a
hole e¹ in the frame e for the purpose of holding the said pawl out of gear with the
ratchet-wheel. The front axle of the wagon can, if desired, also be provided with
a ratchet-wheel and pawl as above described.
Figure 4 shows an arrangement in which the detent or pawl c at the forward end
of the wagon has pivoted to it another detent or pawl adapted to engage with a
ratchet-wheel a on the rear axle b. The joint 3 between the two pawls is made as
shown so that both pawls can be simultaneously lifted out of gear. If desired the
two pawls may be rigidly connected so as to form a double pawl adapted to engage
with the two ratchet-wheels.
In some cases I find it advantageous to arrange two ratchet-wheels on one or both
axles of a truck or wagon with their teeth inclined in opposite directions,
and to arrange two pawls or detent-levers in combination with one or more hand-
levers and linkwork or like mechanism in such a manner that, when one pawl or
detent-lever is thereby put into gear with its ratchet-wheel, the other is put out
of gear, and vice versa.
In Figure 5 I have shown an arrangement of this kind wherein ratchet-wheels a
with their teeth inclined in opposite directions are fixed on the front and rear
axles, b,, respectively, and detents or pawls c are combined with the said ratchet-
wheels a double-armed lever h is pivoted at h¹ to the frame e between the two
axles, and is so arranged that, by turning it in one or the other direction, one of
the said pawls can be lifted out of gear and the other simultaneously lowered into
gear. By these means the pawls can be adjusted to suit either direction in which
the wagon may be travelling up an incline.
To avoid the noise due to the passage of the ratchet-teeth past the said pawl or
detent-lever I sometimes provide the said lever with an india-rubber ring or other
suitable cushion at the part where the teeth strike the same.
If desired, I arrange the said pawl or pawls in combination with the draught-
gear of the truck in such a manner that, so long as a pull equal to or exceeding a
predetermined amount is applied to the draw-bar or the like, the pawl or detent-
lever will be held out of engagement with the ratchet wheel but as soon as the
pull is relaxed below the predetermined amount, the said pawl or detent-lever
will again engage with the ratchet-wheel and prevent backward motion of the
wheels. This may be effected by allowing the draught to act through a spring or
springs secured at one end to the truck or the like and having the other end con-
nected to a bell-crank or other lever or to a toggle-joint suitably arranged in com-
bination with the said pawl or detent-lever. Or an inclined plane or other suit-

page_text: able device may be employed in combination with the said pawl or detent-lever and
a spring or springs for this purpose.
This arrangement is advantageous when it is desired to apply my invention to
trains running over long distances, as, in the event of a wagon or truck becoming
detached from a train while ascending an incline, the pawl or pawls will be
immediately thrown into gear.
It is obvious, that, if desired, the ratchet-wheel can be fixed upon one of the
wheels of the vehicle instead of upon the axle; and also that other forms of detents
or pawls may be used.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is;-
First. In a railway or other vehicle, an automatic device combined with one of
the wheels or axles in such a manner as to restrain the same from backward move-
ment whilst leaving it free to move forward, substantially as, and for the purposes,
hereinbefore described.
Second. The combination, with one of the axles of a railway or other vehicle,
of a ratchet-wheel fixed thereon and a detent or pawl engaging with the said
ratchet-wheel, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Third. The combination, with one of the axles of a railway or other vehicle, of
a ratchet-wheel fixed thereon, a detent or pawl adapted to engage with the said
ratchet-wheel, and a device for temporarily retaining the said pawl out of gear with
the ratchet-wheel, substantially as, and for the purpose, above specified.
Fourth. The combination of ratchet-wheels fixed on an axle or axles of a rail-
way or other vehicle and having their teeth inclined in opposite directions, detents
or pawls adapted to engage with the said ratchet-wheels respectively, and suitable
means for simultaneously throwing one of the said pawls into gear and the other
pawl out of gear, substantially as, and for the purposes, above specified.
Fifth. The modification of my invention wherein the pawl or pawls are arranged
in combination with the draught-gear of a railway or other vehicle so that so
long as traction is applied, they will be held out of gear, but, when the tractive
force is relaxed, they will be thrown into gear, substantially as described.
Dated this 2nd day of November 1898.
D. YOUNG & Co.,
11 & 12, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.