Improvements in Machinery for the Propulsion of Tramway Vehicles and for similar Purposes.
Year: 1887

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by WILLIAM H. PATTON, of Pueblo Colorado, United
States of America.]
Improvements in Machinery for the Propulsion of Tramway Vehicles
and for similar Purposes.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co. Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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:-
The object of this invention is the economical propulsion of street cars and it consists
in the combination of devices hereinafter described.
In the accompanying drawings,
Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the frame of a car with my improvements
applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a plan of the same.
Figure 3 is a side elevation showing a modification of the gearing.
Figure 4 is an underside view of the same.
In the drawings A A represents the frame of a car truck, B B¹ the axles and CC the
wheels. On the said frame is supported the motor D which is preferably a gas
engine. A storage tank E is also provided in which the gas will be compressed at
intervals, and supplied to the engine as desired.
On the axle B, I mount the two bevel gears F, F¹ and between these two gears, I
place another bevel gear G, mounted on the lower end of a flexible shaft G, which
is secured in suitable bearings and extends upward in an inclined direction and at
right angles to the line of the axle to near the centre of the fly wheel H, where it is
provided with another bevel gear I, which engages with the bevel gear J on the shaft J'
of the fly wheel as shown in Figure 2.
It is evident from this description that if the flexible shaft G', be kept continuously
revolving, and the bevel gear F be kept in the position shown in Figure 2, the car
will be driven in one direction, but if the bevel gear F be moved away and the gear F¹

page_text: be moved to engage the bevel gear G, the movement of the wheels will be reversed,
and the car will be driven in the opposite direction. To accomplish this result I
mount the gear wheels F and F¹, on a sleeve, having a lateral movement on the
shaft B, and connect the gears together by a boxing not shown so as to cause the two
gears to move in unison with each other on the axle, when operated upon by means of
the lever L as shown in Figure 1.
As car trucks are mounted on springs placed on the axle boxes there must be a
constant vertical movement of the axle B; and of the shaft G³, in relation to the said
axle, and the distance between the bevel gears G and I on either end of the shaft G¹,
is therefore constantly changing. It has been attempted to overcome this difficulty
by means of a shaft provided with a slip joint," so as to compensate for this
constantly varying length of the shaft, but this was found impracticable, as the shaft
thus constructed failed to hold the gears up to their engagement.
'
To overcome this difficulty successfully is the essential feature of the present
invention, and hence I use a flexible shaft G¹, which gives slightly towards its middle,
and by its flexible yielding it is found by actual tests to fully compensate for the
vertical movement arising from the use of the springs under the car axles.
In mounting the bevel-gear G, on the shaft G¹, I place a close collar K, on the
shaft between the bearing a, and the gear G, and this collar is rigidly attached to
the shaft by means of a thumb screw b, which turns freely with the shaft, and thus
holds the flexible shaft firmly up to its work. To compensate for any wear on the
bevel-gear G, it will only be necessary to loosen the collar K, and draw slightly on
the flexible shaft, so as to lengthen that portion lying outside the collar, and connecting
with the gear, thus giving the gear G, a slight thrust forward to again bring it into
proper engagement with the gears F F¹.
While the gearing arrangement as shown is preferred I do not desire to limit my
invention thereto as the driving axle may be revolved in opposite directions by various
other arrangements of gearing, one of which is shown in Figures 3 and 4.
The main shaft of the motor D may have a pulley B", for the purpose hereinafter
described.
The frame A is provided with guides L₁ for an inner frame M, which may be moved
in said guides in the direction of length of the car.
This frame extends past one of the axles B¹, of the car and in it are journalled three
shafts c, d and e on which are secured respectively pulleys f, 9 and 1, the latter being
an idle pulley as will be seen.
On shafts d and e, which are arranged on opposite sides of the axle B¹,
I secure
friction pulleys d'e', which are movable alternately into engagement with a friction
pulley N, on the axle B¹.
In practice these friction pulleys are revolved in opposite directions so that if one
of the said pulleys be brought into contact with the axle pulley it will revolve the said
axle in the reverse direction from that in which it would be revolved by the other
pulley, and thereby reverse the direction of the car.
By this arrangement of gears, these pulleys d' and e¹, are driven from the
pulley B, by means of a belt E', the said belt being carried around the idle pulley h,
between pulleys g and f, in order that said pulleys and the pulley N, may be driven in
reverse directions.
The frame is connected by a rod G with a lever G, which has a pawl for
engaging a rack O, by which it may be held in any suitable position.
When the parts are in full line position shown in figure 3, both pulleys d¹ and e¹
are clear of pulley N, and the car will remain at a stand still.
If the lever G be thrown back, the pulley e¹ will be drawn in contact with
pulley N while if said lever be thrown forward, the pulley d¹ will be set against
pulley N; thus the car axle may be revolved in one or the other direction as desired.
It is proposed to connect the wheels of the car by means of a connecting rod.
In the use of this invention it will be seen that the motor may be operated at full
speed at all times, and its motion may be transmitted to the axles in any desired
degree, or so as to revolve the same in either direction.

page_text: It will be seen that the waste of power incident to the frequent stopping and
starting of the engine is avoided as the engine may be in operation continuously, and
the motion be transmitted to the vehicle axles, or not, as desired.
While the arrangement and use of the friction wheels as shown are especially
intended for use on street cars, it is obvious that they may be employed for other
purposes without departing from the nature of the invention.
In starting, the frictions may be so arranged as to slip a little at first to avoid too
great a shock in starting and in stopping, if an abrupt stop is desired, the friction
pulleys may be quickly reversed.
This will be found effectual in avoiding accidents, as the car or other vehicle may
be stopped almost instantly..
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to me
by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is :-
First The frame A, of a car truck, the axle B, provided with the sliding bevel
gears FF in combination with the bevel gears G and I mounted on a flexible
shaft G, the bevel gear J, mounted on the shaft J and a motor for operating the
same, substantially as, and for the purpose, specified.
Second-The axle B, provided with the sliding bevel-gears F F', in combination
with the bevel-gears G and I, mounted on a flexible shaft supported in proper
bearings and provided with a close collar held in place by means of a thumb-screw,
and adapted to hold the bevel-gear G up to its work substantially as set forth.
Third The flexible shaft G supported in proper bearings, provided with the bevel
gears G and I in combination with the collar K secured to the said shaft between the
bearing and gear G, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
Fourth The combination with an axle or shaft and a friction pulley mounted
thereon, of two driving friction pulleys journaled adjacent to and movable alternately
into engagement with the axle pulley and mechanism whereby said driving friction
pulleys may be revolved in opposite directions, substantially as set forth.
Fifth The combination with the main frame having guides and an axle shaft
journaled thereto, and having a friction pulley, a frame held and movable in said
guides, and a drive friction pulley or pulleys supported in said frame and movable
into and out of contact with the axle friction pulley substantially as set forth.
Dated this 29th day of November 1887.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.