Improvements in Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Tram-cars and other Vehicles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 29th Mar., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 30th Dec., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Tram-cars
and other Vehicles.
I, MATTHEW MCEWEN, of East Street and Quay, Ramsey, Isle of Man,
Ironmonger, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for stopping and starting tram-cars
and other vehicles and has for object to enable the power stored up when the car is
stopped to be utilized not only for restarting the car or other vehicle in the same
direction but to move it in the reverse direction if desired.
In carrying out my invention I mount two bevel wheels loosely on a shaft fixed
to a frame attached to the car or other vehicle, a third bevel wheel mounted
loosely on a second spindle, fixed to the said frame at right angles to the first
named shaft, gearing with the said two bevel wheels.
The two bevel wheels are provided on their inner faces with clutch teeth, with
either set of which a double clutch mounted loosely on the fixed shaft between the
two bevel wheels is adapted to engage. In connection with this double clutch a
chain wheel is mounted through the medium of which the motion of one or both of
the car axles is imparted to the double clutch. In practice the two ends of the
clutch are formed separately and connected by rods which slide through the chain
wheel so as to permit of the double clutch moving laterally without moving the
said chain wheel. To the boss of each of the two bevel wheels is connected one
end of a spiral spring, the other end of the spring being connected to the framing
attached to the car. These two springs are coiled in opposite directions and
adapted to be wound and unwound simultaneously.
To the back of the third bevel wheel is fixed a ratchet provided with a pawl to
prevent the springs from unwinding unless it is so desired.
The pawl and the clutches are controlled by the driver of the car or other
vehicle by any suitable means.
When the car or other vehicle is in motion the double clutch is not in gear with
either of the bevel wheels but when it is desired to stop the car one end of the
clutch is put into gear with the corresponding teeth on the face of one of the bevel
wheels and both the springs are thereby wound up by the clutch which revolves
with the chain wheel.
If it be desired to restart the car, the double clutch is moved to gear with the
teeth on the face of the other bevel wheel and the pawl released. If, however, it
be desired to restart the car in the opposite direction the pawl only is released, the
position of the clutch remaining unaltered.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Tram-cars
and other Vehicles.
I, MATTHEW MCEWEN, of East Street and Quay, Ramsey, Isle of Man,
Ironmonger, 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 :-
This invention relates to improved apparatus for stopping and starting tram-cars
and other vehicles and has for object to enable the power stored up when the car
is stopped to be utilized not only for restarting the car or other vehicle in the same
direction but to move it in the reverse direction if desired.
In carrying out my invention I mount two bevel wheels loosely on a shaft fixed
to a frame attached to the car or other vehicle, a third bevel wheel mounted
loosely on a second spindle, fixed to the said frame at right angles to the first
named shaft, gearing with the said two bevel wheels.
The two bevel wheels are provided on their inner faces with clutch teeth, with
either set of which a double clutch mounted loosely on the fixed shaft between the
two bevel wheels adapted to engage. In connection with this double clutch a
chain wheel is mounted through the medium of which the motion of one or both of
the car axles is imparted to the double clutch. In practice the two ends of the
clutch are formed separately and connected by rods which slide through the chain
wheel so as to permit of the double clutch moving laterally without moving the
said chain wheel. To the boss of each of the two bevel wheels is connected one
end of a spiral spring, the other end of the spring being connected to the framing
attached to the car. These two springs are coiled in opposite directions and
adapted to be wound and unwound simultaneously.
To the back of the third bevel wheel is fixed a ratchet provided with a pawl to
prevent the springs from unwinding unless it is so desired.
The pawl and the clutches are controlled by the driver of the car or other
vehicle by any suitable means.
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 sectional elevation of the lower part of a tram-car having my
improved apparatus applied thereto :
Figure 2 is a plan of the framing of the car provided with my improved
apparatus, and,
Figures 3, 4 and 5 are views of details.
a is the frame of the car and b, the axles of the same, c is a shaft supported in
bearings d, d and e, fare the two bevel wheels mounted loosely on the same. is
the third bevel wheel mounted loosely on the spindle secured in a framing i
attached to the frame a of the car.
j, k are the clutch teeth on the inner face of the bevel wheels ef respectively and
1, are the two ends of the double clutch mounted loosely on the shaft c and
connected together by rods m, m. n is a chain wheel mounted loosely on the
shaft c between the two ends and of the double clutch. The rods m, m
connecting the two clutch-ends pass through the said chain wheel n so that the
double clutch can be caused to slide on the shaft c to enable either the clutch end
to engage with the clutch teeth ; on the bevel wheel e or the clutch end to engage
with the clutch teeth k on the bevel wheel without the chain wheel moving on the
said shaft. o is a chain transmitting motion to the chain wheel m from a chain
wheel
P on one of the car axles b.
9,2 Figures 3 and 4 are the spiral springs one end of each being attached to the
boss of one of the bevel wheels on the shaft c, that is to say, one end of the spring q

page_text: being attached to the boss r of the bevel wheel e and one end of the spring q' being
attached to the boss r¹ of the bevel wheel f. The other ends of these two springs
are connected to the frame i on the car by means of screws s, s¹ respectively.
These spiral springs are enclosed in casings t, t' as shewn in Figures 3 and 4 and
are right and left hand whereby they are adapted to be coiled at the same time by
the bevel wheels e and f which rotate simultaneously in opposite directions.
u is the ratchet on the back of the bevel wheel g and v is the pawl by means of
which the springs are prevented from unwinding, the said pawl, as shewn in
Figures 2 and 5, being part of a lever w pivoted at w' and actuated by the
conductor of the car through the medium of the foot levers x, x and of the
chains y, y attached to the lever was shewn clearly in Figure 2. z is a spring
connected to one end of the lever w and to the framing i on the car so as to hold
the pawl in engagement with the ratchet u. Instead of the foot levers x x and
chains y y I may employ hand levers and rods respectively.
ບ
of
To operate the double clutch I may employ any suitable arrangement such for
instance as that shewn in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings in which one end
the double clutch is actuated by a forked lever a¹ keyed to a rocking shaft b
mounted in bearings c¹ attached to the frame of the car and provided at each end
with a crank d' adapted to be oscillated by the hand levers e¹ through the medium
of the arrangement of rods and bell-crank levers f¹.
The operation of the apparatus is as follows:-When the car is in motion the
double clutch 1, l' is not in gear with either of the bevel wheels e or f, that is to
say, it occupies the position represented in Figure 2. When, however, it is desired
to stop the car one end of the double clutch or ', according to the direction in
which the car is running, is put into engagement with the clutch teeth ; or k
thereby causing both the wheels e and f to rotate in opposite directions through the
medium of the chain wheels p and n, which transmit the motion of the car axle b to
the double clutch, whereby the springs q and q' are both coiled up.
If it be desired to restart the car in the same direction the double clutch is
moved to gear with the teeth on the face of the other bevel wheel and the pawl v
is released by means of one of the foot levers x, x.
If, however, it be desired to restart the car in the opposite direction it is only
necessary to release the pawl v in the manner described leaving the position of the
clutch unaltered.
It will be obvious that if desired one of the springs q or q' can be dispensed
with.
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. In apparatus for stopping and starting tram-cars and other vehicles the
combination with the spring or springs for storing up the energy of momentum of
the car, of a train of three bevel wheels mounted loosely on two shafts at right
angles and adapted to be engaged by a double clutch placed between the two
opposite bevel wheels, of ratchet mechanism for preventing the uncoiling of the
spring or springs and of means for releasing the spring or springs from the ratchet
mechanism, substantially as described.
2. The improved apparatus for stopping and starting tram-cars and other
vehicles consisting of the parts constructed and combined, substantially as herein-
before described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and operating as
and for the purposes set forth.
Dated the 30th day of December 1895.
G. F. REDFERN & Co.,
4, South Street, Finsbury, London, Agents for the Applicant.