Improvements in Apparatus for Starting Omnibuses, Tramway and other Vehicles.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1892-Accepted, 1st Oct., 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Starting Omnibuses, Tramway and
other Vehicles.
I, WALTER HILL of 248 Oxford Street London Gentleman 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 for. starting omnibuses,
tramway and other similar vehicles and consists in fixing to one side, preferably
the off side, a cylinder containing a piston the rod of which is connected to a
frame containing the starting mechanism proper and fixed to the axle of the large
driving wheel, this frame being connected to one end of a rod the other extremity
of which is secured to a treadle depressed by the driver's foot.
In the accompanying drawings
Figure 1 is a general view of an omnibus fitted with my improved apparatus,
Figure 2 being an end view of the wheel and axle.
Figure 3 shows at an enlarged scale a side view of my improved apparatus.
Figures 4 and 5 show at a still larger scale details of the mechanism.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
The apparatus consists of a cylinder a pivoted at e to the recess S usually formed
under the sides of an omnibus such as B, and containing a piston d having a rod e
which is formed integrally with the end of the frame furnished inside with a
number of teeth and and outside with ratchet teeth k. This frame moves
within a rectangular band or frame f. furnished with staples wherein the ends of
the T shaped strap 9 can freely move, this strap being tightly bolted to the axle A.
The toothed wheel h which is mounted on the hub of the wheel W is capable of
gearing either with the teeth i or with the teeth j. To the arm of the T shaped
strap is pivoted a cam n having the shape clearly shown in Figure 5 and
furnished with a cam shaped rib against which bears the roller r fixed to the
upper end of the rods which is connected at its other end to a pawl v gearing
with the ratchet teeth K, this rod being capable of vertical displacement along a
guiding pin fixed to the band f. The cam n is provided with a rim or flange n¹
around its outer periphery against the inner side of which bears the roller f2
secured to the tab or projection f¹ of the band f, and is connected to a rod l
extending as shown in Figure 1 alongside the omnibus and fixed at its front
extremity to a crank lever o secured to a rod p which is fixed to the treadle t.
My improved apparatus which may be combined or not with an ordinary brake
operates as follows, that is to say when the driver depresses the treadlet the cam n
is moved by the rod into a position which is reverse to that shown in Figures 1
and 3, the band being raised with the frame b, in such a manner that the teeth j
come into gear with the toothed wheel h, whereupon the said frame moves in the
direction shown by the arrow Figure 3, and the wheel reaches gradually the end
of the frame its teeth abutting against such end and acting partly as a brake
while the roller Fig. 5, ascends the cam shaped rib q and the piston d moves
towards the right hand end of the cylinder a.
When the omnibus is to be started
the driver releases the treadle t the spring m brings the cam into the position
shown in 1 and 3 and the band f and frame being lowered the toothed wheel h
gears now with the teeth i at the same time as the roller r descends along the cam
shaped rib q and the rod s is depressed so as to disconnect the pawl from the
ratchet teeth and thus to allow the frame to be moved in the direction of the
arrow in Fig. 4 under the action upon one side of the piston d of the air com-
pressed during the preceding motion in the cylinder a and of the vacuum in the
077

page_text: other. The motion of this frame 6 imparts a rotation to the toothed wheel / and
hence to the wheel W.
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 -
The improved apparatus for starting omnibuses, tramway and other vehicles
operated by compressed air and arranged, constructed substantially as herein
described and shown.
of Eng a 1092.
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicant.