, and for Applying the Breaks thereto when Required.
Year: 1885

page_text: Stock, and for Applying the Breaks thereto when Required.
I, STEPHEN LESLIE NORRIS of No Grand Parade, Portsmouth, in the County
of Hampshire, Lieutenant Royal Engineers do hereby declare the nature of my
invention for "APPARATUS FOR STARTING TRAM CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES OR
ROLLING STOCK, AND FOR APPLYING THE BREAKS THERETO WHEN REQUIRED to
be as follows:-
"
i
My invention has for its object, to afford a horse or motor engine drawing a
tram car or other vehicle an increased power of traction when starting a vehicle in
order to enable it to overcome the inertia thereof without undue strain.
"
For this purpose I fix upon the axle of the running wheels, or upon the hub of
one of the wheels, when these revolve upon a fixed axle, a disc or wheel, on each
side of which is a lever, loose upon the axle and free to turn through a small are,
the two levers being connected together by a bolt beyond the circumference of the
wheel. This bolt carries a "silent feed cam, that is to say, a cam so formed that
when the levers are moved in one direction the cam will slide freely over the
periphery of the wheel, but when moved in the opposite direction it will turn so as
to bite upon the circumference of the wheel and cause this to move with the levers.
The levers are extended beyond the point where they carry the cam to such a
length as may be necessary for obtaining the desired increased power for turning
the axle of the road wheels, and from the end of the levers a rigid trace rod passes
forward to the motor, whether this be a horse, engine, or other means of traction,
and it is so connected to such motor, that when the levers are in the backward
position, in which the cam does not bite on the wheel, the ordinary trace or
coupling of the motor hangs loose, so that on first starting the vehicle the motor
pulls only upon the trace bar of the lever, and in thus turning this through a small
are causes it by means of the cam to carry with it the starting wheel, and conse-
quently to turn the road wheels and overcome the inertia in starting by means of
the increased leverage afforded.
On stopping the vehicle, the driver, by means of a winch or other suitable
mechanical power draws back the motor so as to slacken the ordinary traces and
at the same time by pushing back the rigid trace rod, causes the starting levers to
be brought back into their original position for starting again.

page_text: In applying this arrangement to four wheeled vehicles, such as a tram car,
I provide a set of the said starting levers to each set of wheels, and I connect them
to each other firstly by means of thrust rods that may be connected to the same
pins that carry the cams, so that on pushing back the one set of levers, the other
set is simultaneously pushed back by means of the thrust rods, and secondly
I connect them by means of tie rods connected to the ends of the levers, such rods
being made with flexible ends passing over fixed guide pullies so arranged that the
pull of the front lever upon the hind one may be as nearly as possible tangential to
the arc which its end describes. In applying this invention to tram cars or railway
carriages where the motor is applied alternately to each end, for propelling the car
in either direction, the silent feed cams are so arranged that by reversing their
position, they can be made to bite on the starting wheels when the levers are
moved in either direction. I also combine, with the above described starting
mechanism, break gear for stopping the vehicle. For this purpose the starting
lever is connected by a rod to the lever of any convenient construction of break
gear, but by preference I employ for this purpose the construction of break gear
described in my application for a patent bearing equal date herewith. The starting
lever is in this case so arranged that it will move backward through a small are
beyond the position at which the cam commences to bite upon the starting wheel,
and that when in such backward position it causes the breaks to be applied, so
that on starting again after the breaks have been applied, the lever is first moved
by the motor from the position in which the breaks are applied into a position in
*which they are released, after which the cam comes into action so as to start the
vehicle.
In stopping, on the other hand, the driver first brings the horse or other motor
back so as to slacken the traces, and then in pushing back the thrust bar by means
of the winch he brings the starting lever into the backward position for applying
the brakes.
In employing for the above purpose my improved construction of brake apparatus
above referred to, the breaks are applied by the starting levers when this is
in either of the extreme end positions, so that this combination is particularly
applicable to tramcars that require to travel in both directions.
Dahim 1nt d
SI 100%

page_text: Apparatus for Starting Tram Cars and other Vehicles or Rolling
Stock, and for Applying the Breaks thereto when Required.
I STEPHEN LESLIE NORRIS of No 4 Grand Parade, Portsmouth in the County of
Hampshire, Lieutenant Royal Engineers 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 has for its object, to afford a horse or motor engine, drawing a
tram car or other vehicle, an increased power of traction when starting a vehicle in
order to enable it to overcome the inertia thereof without undue strain.
For this purpose I fix upon the axle of the running wheels, or upon the hub of
the wheels, when these revolve upon a fixed axle, a disc or wheel, on each side of
which is a lever, loose upon the axle and free to turn through a small arc, the two
levers being connected together by a bolt beyond the circumference of the wheel.
This bolt carries a "silent feed cam," that is to say, a cam so formed that when the
levers are moved in one direction the cam will slide freely over the periphery of
the wheel, but when moved in the opposite direction it will turn so as to bite upon
the circumference of the wheel and cause this to move with the levers. The
levers are extended beyond the point where they carry the cam to such a length
as may be necessary for obtaining the desired increased power for turning the road
wheels. The practical result is that the available force is applied with a leverage
of the radius of bearing wheel plus the length of the lever instead of being applied
indirectly with a leverage of the radius of bearing wheel only. From the end of the
levers a trace rod passes forward to the motor, whether this be a horse, engine, or
other means of traction, and it is so connected to such motor, that when the levers
are in the backward position, in which the cam does not bite on the wheel, the pin
of the draft iron bears against the back end of a slot in the drawbar the length of
which is equivalent to the throw of the lever head so that on first starting the
vehicle the motor pulls only upon the trace bar of the lever, and in thus turning
this through a small are causes it by means of the cam to carry with it the starting
wheel, and consequently to turn the road wheels and overcome the inertia in
starting by means of the increased leverage afforded.
On stopping the vehicle, the driver, by means of a winch or other suitable
mechanical power drawing back the motor slackens the traces or coupling and
enables the trace system-draw bar coupling trace rod and coupling rods-to be
drawn back the length of the slot in the drawbar by some arrangement such as a
weight or coiled spring attached to the coupling rods and rising and falling with
the motion of the levers from pullies in the centre of the car.
In applying this arrangement to four wheeled vehicles, such as a tram car, I
provide a set of the said starting levers to each set of wheels, and I connect them
to each other, by plain coupling rods from their heads, fitted with two cross bolts,
to which the weight in the centre is alternately attached so that in the forward
position of the levers it may always be raised a height equal to their throw, and
thus by gravity will tend to restore them to the starting position. In applying
this invention to tram cars or railway carriages when the motor is applied
alternately to each end, for propelling the car in either direction, the silent feed
cams are so arranged that by reversing their position, they can be made to bite on
the starting wheels when the levers are moved in either direction. The cam
handle may be fitted with a spring attached near the foot of the lever and so

page_text: adjusted in tension that the bite of the cam is assured, and its being thrown over on
release from the wheel prevented; and the two handles are also connected by a
special coupling rod enabling them to be reversed when necessary, and possibly by
their weight dispensing with the use of the spring aforesaid.
This coupling rod is acted on from either end of the car by straps passing over
the central pullies and carried out to convenient positions near the drivers seat. By
these the cams can be reversed.
Stops are suitably placed at each end of the lever's are to make the whole
advantage of the gear automatically available in the event of the car when heavily
loaded on a slope overcoming the action of the brakes.
I also combine with the above described starting mechanism break gear consisting
of band breaks passing round the before described starting discs or wheels, and
actuated by being deflected by means of a horizontal bar so arranged that the brakes
are applied when the bar is moved in either direction, but are out of action when
the bar is in the middle position, as will herein after be described.
The accompanying drawings shews an application of my above described inven-
tion to a tram car.
Fig. 1 shews a longitudinal section of the tram car and Fig. 2 shews a sectional
plan. A A¹ are grooved discs or wheels fixed on the axles B B¹, C C¹ are forked
levers embracing the discs A A² and mounted loose on the axles. Within the forks
of the levers are mounted excentrics or cams D D¹, rotatable on-pins E E¹ carried by
the levers and fitting by preference with a V shaped periphery in a correspondingly
V groove of the discs A A¹, the excentricity being such that so soon as the levers
are moved to the left hand from the position indicated, the excentrics will at once
bite in the grooves of the discs and cause these to be carried round with the lever.
The excentrics are also so formed and arranged that their position can be reversed
relatively to the levers C C¹, so that when these have been moved over into the
positions indicated by the dotted lines on starting the car in the direction of
the arrow, and are now required to operate in the contrary direction for starting
the car when it is travelling towards the right hand, the excentrics can be turned
over into the opposite position to that shewn, so as to bite on the discs A A¹ when
the levers are moved over to the right.
For reversing the position of the excentrics and holding them in the position into
which they are moved, the axes on which they are fixed carry small levers F F', the
ends of which are connected to the levers CC by helical springs G G¹ and they are
also connected to each other by a rod H, so that when the one excentric is reversed
by means of its lever, the outer one will be simultaneously reversed by means of
the rod, and they will both be held in that position by means of their springs.
The levers C C¹, which extend to such a length as may be found necessary to
afford the requisite amount of leverage, have their upper ends connected to rods I P
which in their turn are connected to chains K K¹ passing over guide pullies L L'
and M M' and hooked to the draft iron N. This is formed with a slot N₁, by means
of which it can slide to and fro to a certain extent upon the linch pin O by
which it is secured temporarily to the car.
The two levers CC are connected together by means of rods P, so that the
movement of the one lever is communicated to the other one.
The action of the above described apparatus will be as follows.
Assuming the draft iron N to be in the backward position shewn, then on a pull
being exerted upon them by the horses or other motor, they will, by means of the
chain K and rod I pull over the levers C C¹ from the position shewn in full lines
into that indicated by the dotted lines, and as during this motion the excentrics DD1
will bite on the discs A A¹ so as to carry these round with the levers, the axles B B¹
and road wheels will be rotated to a corresponding extent, and the tram car will be
started. When the levers have arrived in the dotted position, the draft iron will
have been drawn outwards until the inner end of the slot N¹ bears against the
linch pin, where upon the motor will exert a direct pull on the car in the usual
manner.

page_text: The connecting bars P are provided with two holes P¹ P*, so arranged that
when the levers and bars are in the position shewn in the drawing the hole P¹ is
situated immediately over the space between two fixed guide pullies QQ¹, while
when the levers and bars have been moved over into the other position the hole P²
is situated in that position.
By means of a linch pin, a cord or chain R having weights attached thereto
inside a box S and passing up between the pullics Q Q¹ is attached to the bars P
at one or other of the holes, according to the position of the levers, so that when
for instance it is attached at P¹ and the levers are drawn over into the dotted
position, the cord or chain with its weights will be drawn upwards over the
pulley Q. So long as a pull is exerted upon the draft irons by the motor, the
weighted cord or chain will be held in the raised position, but when such pull
ceases, on stopping, and the driver then causes the motor to move backwards
towards the tram car so as to slack the chain K, the pull exerted by the raised
weights upon the bars P will cause the levers CC¹ to be moved back into their original
position, such motion being limited by the levers C C¹ coming against the stop T¹.
The apparatus will now be in position to operate again in the above described
manner on the car being again started. When the car has to travel in the opposite
direction, the levers C Č¹ are moved over into the dotted position, the position of
the excentrics D D¹ having in the first instance been reversed by means of the
levers For F¹; the weighted cord or chain R is then disconnected from the hole P¹,
and connected to the hole P' which will now be situated over the guide pullies Q Q¹,
and the starting apparatus will then be ready to operate in the above described
manner on a pull being exerted on the chain K¹ to which the draft irons will have
been attached.
It will be seen that when the levers C C₁ are moved backwards as above
described, or when after they have been moved forward, for starting the vehicle,
the discs continue to revolve with the road wheels while the levers remain stationary,
the motion of the discs A A¹ relative to the position of the excentrics D D¹ will be
such that these will cease to bite on the discs and will only remain loosely in
contact therewith. With tram cars of present construction with side seats, the
starting apparatus must necessarily be arranged on one side as shewn in order to
find room under one of the seats, but in new tramcars, the seats might be arranged
centrally back to back, in order to allow of the starting gear being arranged
centrally. Figs. 3 and 4 shew respectively a longitudinal section and a sectional
plan of a tramway car having the before described starting gear applied thereto in
combination with my above described brake apparatus. Metal bands a a¹ are
passed round the underside of the discs A A¹, and have their ends attached to
strong pins 6 b¹ on the framing, the bands being made to hang with a certain
amount of slack round the discs. The rods I I' of the before described starting
apparatus are forked, as shewn in plan, to allow of the passage of one part of the
brake band, the other part of which passes between the double bars P. The brake
straps also pass between double bars cc' having between them rollers d d d¹ d'
bearing against the outer surface of each part of the brake band, the two double
bars c c¹ are connected together by a rod e passing through slots in the weight box S,
and have their other ends connected by cords ff¹ to chains g g' that are led over guide
pullies hh¹ to an upright winch i rotatable by a crank handle i¹. From this arrange-
ment it will be seen that if, when the driver is situ ted say at the left hand end of
the car, it is desired to apply the brakes, then on his rotating the winch i and thus
winding up the chain g, this will draw the bars c c' towards the left hand, causing
the right hand rollers d and d¹ to deflect the right hand side of the brake bands a a¹
laterally and, in thus drawing them tight round the discs A. A¹, cause the brakes to
be applied. On again releasing the winch (which is held by a pawl and ratchet that
can be disengaged by a treadle) the elasticity of the deflected brake bands will draw
the bars cc' back into their original position. If the driver is situated at the other
end of the car the brakes will be applied by the reverse motion of the bars c c¹, the
left hand rollers & d¹ being then caused to deflect the left hand sides of the brake bands.

page_text: The brake bands may be provided with a lining of wood or other material instead
of coming directly in contact with the discs A.
It will be seen that the brake band is deflected on that side on which the disc
travels towards the deflection; it might be arranged to be deflected on the other
side instead by placing the rollers inside the band instead of outside, but I prefer
the above arrangement, because by it the motion of the disc assists the tightening
of the band instead of being opposed to it. It might also be deflected simul-
taneously on both sides by providing rollers both on the inside and the outside
thereof.
The arrangement of the starting gear is just the same as previously described,
the various parts being indicated by the same letters of reference.
With reference to the starting gear I would observe that instead of causing the
levers C C¹ in operating to start from one inclined position and to move over into
the opposite inclined position, as described, they may be arranged to stand in a
central vertical position when not in action and to be moved over to the right
hand or to the left hand from that position for starting either to the right or to
the left. In this case the pin P¹ supporting the weighted cord R would not require
shifting on reversal of the direction of motion.
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
1. The use of apparatus for starting tram cars and other vehicles consisting of a
lever connected by a rod or chain to the horse or other motor and mounted loose
upon the axle of the road wheels which lever carries a cam or excentric so arranged
relatively to a disc fixed on the said axle, that when a pull is exerted upon the
lever by the motor, the cam or excentric is caused to bite on the disc and thus
carries this and the road wheels round with the lever, while when the motion of
the lever is arrested, the road whee's and disc continue to revolve by the direct
pull exerted upon them by the motor, the bite of the cam or excentric being released,
substantially as herein described.
2. In combination with apparatus for starting tram cars and other vehicles
such as is referred to in the preceding claim, the use of means whereby, when the
vehicle is stopped, and the horse or other motor is moved backwards so as to
slacken the draft chains or rods, the starting lever will be automatically moved
back into its original position for effecting the starting of the vehicle again,
substantially as herein described.
3. In the application of the starting mechanism referred to in the preceding
claims, to tram cars and other vehicles that require to travel in both directions,
providing both pairs of road wheels with starting levers, which are connected
together by rods so as to be simultaneously actuated by a pull exerted upon one of
them, the cams or excentrics being so arranged that their positions relatively to the
levers can be reversed, substantially as herein described.
4. In combination with starting gear such as is referred to in the preceding
claims, the use of brake apparatus consisting of metal bands partly surrounding
the discs of the starting gear and having their ends attached to tixed points, these
bands being laterally deflected for applying the brakes by means of rollers or studs
carried by a bar or bars to which longitudinal motion can be imparted at right
angles to the brake straps in either direction substantially as herein described.
Dated this 97th day of Wahm1001
ABEL & IMRAY,
50
Agents for the Applicant.