Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Braking and Starting Tram Cars and the like
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Aug., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 19th May, 1891-Accepted, 20th June, 1891
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Braking and
Starting Tram Cars and the like.
I, GEORGE CORSON, of 25 Cookridge Street, Leeds, in the County of York,
Architect, do hereby declare the nature of this invertion to be as follows:-
:-
This invention relates to certain improvements in brakes applicable to tram cars
and the like, and has for its object the combination of certain imechanism, whereby,
on putting the same in motion the car is brought to a stand and to so arrange the
apparatus, that part of the force required for stopping the car, is utilized on releasing
the brake for putting the car in motion.
On one of the axles of a tram or other car are mounted a pair of bevel wheels
geared together by a similar bevel wheel, and on the back of each of the first
mentioned wheels is formed a friction coned pulley, the other portions of each
friction cone being composed of a sliding block having ratchet teeth formed thercon,
and rotated by the axle by means of feather keys, and slided thereon by levers
operated by a handle on the foot plate, and on each sliding block is a flanged
circular piece turned conical and free to rotate thereon in one direction.
In the space between each ratchet tooth is placed a ball, kept in position by the
before mentioned flanged circular piece, the inclination of the teeth allowing the
cone to revolve in one direction without operating the wheel, but when the motion
is reversed, the balls rolling up the incline of the ratchet teeth operate the bevel
wheels and wind a chain or the like round the circumferences of the friction coned
pullies at the back of the first named wheels, against the resistance of springs, and
when a certain length of chain is wrapped round same, the car wheels are held, and
the car brought to a stand.
Around a flanged brake pulley mounted behind the wheel gearing with the first
mentioned wheels, is a brake strap held in contact by a spring and connected by
one or more levers to a vertical rod on the foot plate of the car, by which the brake
strap may be relieved when required by the attendant pressing it downwards with
his foot.
When a car has been brought to rest by the application of the brake, on starting
the car, the brake may be released by moving the brake handle say one half of a
revolution, by which the position of the sliding friction cones is reversed, and on
liberating the brake strap by pressing the vertical rod downwards, the pressure of
the springs acting on the chains round the circumferences of the friction coned
pullies, causes the car wheels to rotate and assists the car to begin to travel in a
forward direction.
Dated this 11th day of Awoust 1890.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Method of and Apparatus for Braking and
Starting Tram Cars and the like.
1, GEORGE CORSON, of 25 Cookridge Street, Leeds in the County of York,
Architect 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 certain improvements in the brakes applicable to tram

page_text: cars and the like, and has for its object the combination of certain mechanism,
whereby, on putting the same in motion the car is brought to a stand and to so
arrange the apparatus, that part of the force required for stopping the car is utilized
on releasing the brake for putting the car in motion.
In the accompanying drawings
Fig. is a plan view of the frame of a car provided with the invention.
Fig. 2 is an end view of the same, a portion of the frame being broken away, and
parts of the mechanism shown by dotted lines.
Fig. 3 is a horizontal mid-section on line X. X. in Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a section of the ratchet and ball gear through line V. V. in Fig. 3.
Fig. 5 is a section of the spring case and drum and clutch on line Y. Y. in Fig. 3,
and
Fig. 6 a vertical mid-section of the balance gear on line Z. Z. in Fig. 3.
In the drawings A represents the car frame, and B. B₁ the car axles, only one of
which B. is shown supplied with the invention, but it will be understood, however,
that both axles may be provided with the device.
On the axle B are secured splines or keys C. C and D. D' are shifting sleeves
loosely mounted upon the axle to slide therealong, but engaging, respectively, with
the splines and compelled thereby to rotate with the axle."
The clutches E. E are connected respectively with the sleeves D. D' and
arranged to rotate therewith, being secured against lateral movement by collars
and set screws a' '. These clutches are preferably connected with the sleeves by
means of ratchet mechanism arranged respectively, reverse to each other, so that,
the rotation of the axle in one direction compels only one clutch to rotate, while
the rotation of the axle in the other direction compels only the other catch to
rotate. The clutches are preferably provided with ammular wooden faces e. e¹
which are arranged to respectively engage the walls of the annular grooves. / in
the bevel faced power accumulator operating wheels F. F which are journaled
upon the axle to rotate thereon and are secured by collars and set screws a. b.
against lateral movement thercalong.
The beveled connecting wheel & engaging with the bevel faces of the two
accumulator operating wheels, is journaled upon and held in position by a shaft H,
one end of which is journaled upon the car axle B, while the other end is secured
to the frame of the car. The connecting wheel G is preferably connected with a
self sustaining brake J by means of mechanism such as the ratchet I., which allows
the rotation of the connection wheel in one direction, but prevents rotation in the
opposite direction when the brake is applied.
A foot plate is indicated by K, and is connected with the brake band J for its
operation, indicates a foot plate at the other end of the car for a like purpose,
and O is a chain connecting foot plate with the brake operating mechanism.
Jis a spring which operates to apply the brake J at all times except when the
foot plate is pressed down.
The ratchet mechanism shown in detail by Fig. 4. consists of a ratchet wheel 1,
an annular case I, and loose balls; this form of ratchet, however is well known
and is illustrated only for convenience of explanation other forms of ratchet may
be employed, but this form is preferable as it is noiseless.
The power accumulators consist of spiral springs L. L', each being secured by
one end to its respective fixed case M. M' and by the other end to its respective
operating wheel F. F. The cases M. M' are secured to the car frame. Fig. 5
shows the spring so connected. It will be understood the springs are arranged the
same in each case, and that their reverse operation results from their reverse position
upon the axle. The clutch ratchets are also the same in their arrangement and
their reverse operation results from their position on the axle.
The levers N. N¹ respectively engage with the sleeves D. D' to throw the clutch
mechanism into and out of gear. These levers are operated by suitable mechanism ;
in the drawings they are represented as being operated by the ordinary brake
cranks P. Pone of which is geared upon a shaft Q extending from end to end of

page_text: the car and provided with a crank arm R shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and
which operates rocker beams S. S¹ pivoted to the ends of the levers N. N.
In practice, when the car is running, the spring J'operates the self sustaining
brake J to hold the ratchet stationary, so that, the connecting wheel G can rotate
only in the direction allowed by the ratchet, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2.
The clutches D. D¹ being both ont of gear, the car runs freely in either direction
without operating the brake and starter mechanism.
For convenience, suppose the car to be running in the direction of the long arrow
in Fig. 1, to stop the car, the brake handle P is turned in the direction of the
curved arrow in Fig. 1. This rotates shaft Q, and the rocker crank R is thereby
swung in the direction of the short arrow in Fig. 1, thus operating the rods S. S¹
and levers N. N¹ to throw clutch E into gear with the wheel F, which is thereby
rotated in the direction in which the car wheels rotate. The motion of Fis
transmitted through G to wheel F, which is thereby rotated in a direction reverse
to F. This operation winds both the springs Land L: the resistance of the
springs overcomes the momentum of the car, which is thus finally stopped. The
brake handle may now be released, and the spring T operates to throw the clutch
out of gear. The self sustaining band brake prevents the spring from unwinding.
When it is desired to start the car in the same direction as that in which it was
going, the brake handle is turned in the direction reverse to the arrow, thus
throwing clutch E into gear, then by depressing the foot plate K the band brake
is released, thereby allowing the springs to rotate wheels G, F and F and clutch E,
and the axle to drive the car wheels U in the desired direction. By this mechanism
the power of both springs is applied to stop and start the car.
When the springs are wound, they may be applied to run the car in either
direction, depending upon which clutch is thrown into gear. The means whereby
the clutches are compelled to rotate with the axle, each in a direction reverse to
the other, and are allowed to slip, respectively in the reverse directions-that is to
say, the ball and ratchet gears of the clutches or equivalent mechanism-are not
absolutely necessary to the operation of the clutches when the car has been started:
but by the use of such mechanism it becomes immaterial whether the clutches are
then freed or not, for the rotation of the car wheels cannot operate to unwind the
springs. Furthermore, by the employment of the ratchet mechanism of the clutches
it becomes possible to dispense with the self-sustaining brake J. for the reason that by
disconnecting the levers N. N' from each other and operating them separately, the
same results in stopping and starting may be obtained, but the power of the springs
cannot be stored except while the car is standing that is to say, in stopping the
car, both clutches may be thrown into gear. When the car stops, the clutches
operate against each other to prevent the unwinding of the springs then to start
the car, one of the clutches is thrown out of gear and the springs operate upon the
other clutch to drive the wheels and start the car. The direction in which the car
is driven depends upon which clutch is left in gear.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven
tion, and in what manner the same may be performed, 1 declare that what I
claim is :-
1. The combination of the car frame, the car axle provided with fixed car wheels,
two power accumulator operating wheels loosely mounted upon such axle, the
connecting wheel engaging with the accumulator operating wheels, two reversely
arranged power accumulator devices, each fixed to the car frame and connected,
respectively, with the accumulator operating wheels, two sliding clutches mounted
upon the axle and arranged to rotate therewith and adapted to respectively engage
with and disengage from the accumulator operating wheels, means for operating
such clutches, and means for controlling the rotation of the accumulator operating
wheels.
2. The combination of the car frame, the car axle provided with fixed car wheels,
two power accumulator operating wheels loosely mounted upon such axle, the

page_text: connecting wheel engaging with the accumulator operating wheels, two reversely
arranged power accumulator devices, each fixed to the car frame and connected,
respectively, with the accumulator operating wheels, and two sliding clutches mounted
upon the axle and provided, respectively, with means whereby the clutches are
compelled to rotate with the axle, each in a direction reverse to the other, and are
allowed to slip, respectively, in the reverse directions.
Dated this 15th day of May 1891.
JOHN WAUGH,
Agent.