Improvements in Mechanism for Facilitating Starting of Tram Cars.
Year: 1887

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Mechanism for Facilitating Starting of
Tram Cars.
I, WALTER BRIERLEY of Town Hall Buildings, Halifax in the County of York,
Consulting Mechanical Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention which
invention has been communicated to me from abroad by Adolph Jeenel of Breslau
in the Province Silesia of Prussia German Empire, Supervisor 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 mechanism for assisting and facilitating the
starting of tramway cars, and by means of which the initial pull of the horse or horses
after a stoppage is greatly facilitated and the car readily started without a shock or
jerk.
The improved mechanism for purpose aforesaid consists of a chain wheel C carried
by suitable brackets at each side below the car and a Gallés chain a secured upon the
said wheel C and passing over a ratchet wheel c upon the axis of the car wheels, as
shewn in the drawings, in which fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the lower
portion or rolling frame of a tramway car.
Fig. 2 is a plan of the same.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation.
Fig. 4 is a section along the line C-D. of Fig. 1, &
Fig. 5 is a section along the line A-B of Fig 1.
The chain wheel C has on its circumference two projecting flanges between which
the studs are arranged, which engage with the links of the chain, preventing the same
to have contact with the circumference of the wheel. The chain wheels C are hollow
and form a drum or barrel to receive a spring d one end of which is secured to an arm
projecting from the bracket which carries the chain wheel or barrel, while the other
end of the said spring is secured to the inside circumference of the barrel C, as shewn
in figs. 1 and 4. On the axis of the car wheels W a ratchet wheel c is secured, having
projecting flanges similar to those of the chain wheels C, and studs between them
chamfered on one side in the direction towards the chain wheel C, as seen in fig. 1.
The stays of the Gallés chain when the latter is pulled forward rest firmly against

page_text: these studs of the ratchet wheel and the chain is prevented from coming in contact
with the circumference of the wheel c.
To lift the chain a, out of gear with the ratchet wheel c, a rail e is arranged above
said wheel, as shewn in Figs. 1. 2 & 5, extending in an inclined direction towards the
chain wheel C. One of the connecting stays of the Gallés chain, at F. projects from
the sides of said chain and when the projecting stay or pin F comes to run up the
inclined rails e the chain a will be readily lifted out of the studs of the ratchet
wheel c.
The flanges of the chain wheel C have notches where the stay F projects, to allow
the said stay to pass.
The free or fore ends of the Gallés chain a, are coupled by a draw spring g provided
with a hook or eye, through which passes the traction rope or chain / carrying the
traction hook n.
g
The spring a when drawn forward or moving backwards slides on two parallel guide
rods i provided with stops k. l. m to hold the spring g if required. The forward motion
of the spring g is limited by the stops or cushions o.
When the tramway car is to be started by the horse or horses pulling on the
traction hook n, the improved starting mechanism, as described will work to the
following effect.
1. The initial pull of the horse is facilitated by means of the rope h and elastic
spring g avoiding a rigid pull on the hook n.
2. The traction or pull is transferred from the springs g to the chains a and chain
wheel C whereby the spring d contained in the wheel or barrel C is wound and its
tension increased. The stays of the chain a engage with the studs of the ratchet
wheel c partly by the weight of the chain, and partly by the tension of same occasioned
by the traction; the chain thus serves to turn the axis of the car wheels and there
will begin to roll, the effect of the chain on the wheels will be proportionate to the
diameter of the ratchet wheel c.
When the chain a has been drawn forward to such length that the projecting pins
of the chain run up the inclined rails e, the chain will be lifted out of the ratchet
wheel c and will not further engage with the same, leaving the car wheels to roll
freely on.
3. The stops or cushions O allow of an elastic traction or pull during the further
motion of the car as the ends of the draw spring g which have no support at or near
their centre bear and rest against the said stops allowing the spring to be bent
forward.
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. In a car starting device a Gallès chain a secured upon a chain wheel C forming
spring barrel, the said chain engaging when drawn forward with a ratchet wheel c
on the axis of the car wheels and thereby causing the car wheels to turn.
2. The rails e arranged to lift the stay f of the chain a for the purpose of disengaging
the said chain from the ratchet wheel as soon as the draw spring g has reached the
stops k. l. m.
Dated this 9th day of November 1887.