Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb.. 1888
Complete Specification Left, 20th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Accepted, 7th Dec., 1888
[Communicated from abroad by ARTHUR ANDERSON WATKINS, of 5, Hansmann Strasso,
in the City of Hanover, German Empire, Engineer.]
1 JOHN DE LANNOY WATSON of 146 Brixton Hill, London in the county of Surrey,
engineer do hereby declare the nature of this invention to bo as follows:-
The invention relates to starters for tram-cars of that class which employ a sliding
draw-bar and a clutching device connected thorowith and working on the car-axle,
such clutching device being adapted to grip the axle on its forward movement only.
The object of the invention is to produce a starter of this character which will use
to the greatest advantage that distance which the draw-bar will move before pulling
direct on to the car.
If the car is drawn from both ends two starters would be necessary but if from only
one end, one starter only would be required.
Upon the car-axle is fixed a ratchet-wheel, and a lever attached round the axle at
one ond carries a pawl which engages in the teeth of the ratchet wheel, the other end
of this lever is attached to a pull-rod.
Now between this pull-rod and the sliding draw-bar of the car I have an arrange
ment of compound levers which are adjusted so as to give the greatest power (say of
about 3 to 1) when starting the car into motion, and then gradually diminishing down,
as the draw-bar is pulled out to the end of its stroke, to the power required to pull the
car direct, after it is thus started into motion.
By the above arrangement the car will move the farthest possible distance while the
car starter is in action in proportion to the amount the draw-bar is pulled out, and the
power obtained by a sliding draw-bar economised to its greatest extent.
Dated this 8th day of February 1888.

page_text: I, JOHN DE LANNOY WATSON of 146 Brixton Hill, Brixton in the County of Surrey,
Engineer 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 :-
The invention relates to starters for tram cars & other vehicles, and is of that class
in which a leverage power is given to the horses at starting by means of a sliding
drawbar connected through a lever & rods to a cog (or other) wheel fixed in the
centre of one of the axles of the car & treats of improvements in the same.
The object
of the invention being to produce a starter which will use to the greatest advantage
that distance which the drawbar moves before pulling direct on the car.
To enable the said invention to be properly understood I will proceed more fully to
describe the same by the aid of the accompanying drawings.
Over
Fig. 1. represents a side elevation and part section of one end of a car with the starter
and its attachments applied thereto. The ratchet wheel A is fixed firmly to the axle B
to which axle the car wheels are connected and which revolves with the same.
this ratchet wheel is carried a frame C which rides loosely on the axle. At one end
of this frame is fixed on spindle E the hook D which engages with the toeth of tho
ratchet wheel, also to a link on the same spindle are fixed the ends of a double wire
rope which lies on the top of the frame C, the other ends are fixed to a crosshead H
of a connecting rod I. This rod is connected to the lever J by the pin i. This lover J
is of a peculiar shape & construction having two fulcrum points-the pins j-k first
on one & then the other of which it turns. The horses pulling on the drawbar L
have a gradually diminishing leverage on the rod I. The loverage to commence with
about 1 to 3 but gradually lessens till before the end of the movement it vanishes
entirely, by which time the pull on the drawbar is practically direct, or without leverage
power. The dotted lines m, n, represent the position of the lever at the end of the
movement. This lever is held in position between two bars M being connected to
them by the pin j. At the other end the bars carry a balance weight N. The pin j
forms the first fulcrum for this lever round which it revolves till the pink has reached
the end of the slots in links P after which the pink becomes the fulcrum. The front a
end of the drawbar L rides on a roller Q supported by & between the two links R
hanging from the pin r. The horses are attached to the hook S which is a part of the
drawbar. As the drawbar is pulled out it rides on the roller Q till stopped by the
projection butting against the links. At the same time the links R swing out from
the face of the car till they reach the stop t at the end of the guide bars T. When 3
the pull rod has reached its fully extended position it is held there by the pawl U
g

page_text: against the stop V and remains in this position during the running of the car.
As soon
as it is desired to use the starter again the driver of the car treads on the bolt W
which liberates the pawl & sets the whole apparatus into gear again.
On the pin g (fig. 1.) works a lever represented in Fig. 2. One end of this lever
is bent round (in plan) at the end o and rests in the hook S (fig. 1.)-that is when the
drawbar is in the extended position & the apparatus not in use and the other end
projects upwards in front of the car frame at the point G thus preventing the apparatus
falling into gear in the case of the pawl U being unintentionally liberated. When
however the apparatus is to be used and the whipple-tree is hanging on the hook S,
this end of the lever is consequently raised and rests upon the top of the whipple-tree
ring; at the same time the other end 9 is lowered & allowed to clear the car frame
which permits the apparatus to be used.
g
The drawing (Fig. 1.) represents the apparatus at the position of starting. In this
position the hook D engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel A & causes it to
revolve as the drawbar is pulled out thus starting the car. When the drawbar has
reached the end of its movement the ratchet wheel has made about a quarter of a
revolution and the hook which is then at the top of the wheel falls out of gear by the
balance weight p which is fixed to the hook & extends out behind it. At the same
time the fall a swings over the projection & and prevents the hook becoming engaged
owing to any jerking or movement of the car. The connecting rod 1 is extended to b
and underneath it is a flat steel band or strap, one end of which is fixed to the con-
necting rod at 6 & the other end to the frame C at d, by this means the frame C is
pushed by the backward movement of the connecting rod into the starting position
as shewn in the drawing. The spring X helps the backward movement of the lever &
connecting rod when it is required to put the apparatus into gear. One end of this spring
is fixed to the floor of the car at c and the other to a ring e through which is the rod z.
This rod is inclined in the direction of the axle as shown in the drawing when in the
starting position, but as the drawbar is pulled out, gradually reaches first a vertical &
then a position inclined in the opposite direction as shown by the dotted line h, during
this time the ring e slips up the rod z in such a way that it pulls with a varying force
during the movement. The hook Y is held up by a chain to the hook y, which if lowered
keeps the drawbar from coming out if the car is required to be pulled sideways as in
the case of getting off the line.
In the case of a car drawn from both ends, two complete sets of the apparatus will
be required, one at each end, but only one tread bolt W is supplied, which is to bo
removed from end to end as required, by this means the apparatus at the back end of
the car cannot be put into gear or damaged as otherwise might be the case.
Fig. 3. represents a vertical sectional view of the ratchet wheel and frame.
Fig. 4. represents an alternative form of frame C by the use of which instead of the
hook D (Fig. 1.) a pawl Z fixed at the other end of the frame is used.
The surface of the frame on which the wire rope rests is not parallel to the
perimeter of the ratchet wheel but is raised further from it at the end d than at the
other end. By this means the radius at which the connecting rod pulls is greater at
the commencement & less at the end of its movement, & proportionately a greater power
is given to the horses at the commencement than at the end of the stroke of pull.
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:-
First. The variable ratio lever J with its two fulcrum points.
Second. The clutching device to ratchet wheel by means of the frame C with the
surface on which the wire rope rests at an incline to the perimeter of the wheel.
The fall a & hook D with the balance weight p substantially & for the purpose
described.
Third. The means of working & holding the frame C by the strap f fixed to the end
of the connecting rod I and extended to b as shewn & described.
.

page_text: Fourth. The second form of frame C and clutching device with a pawl Z as shewn
in Fig. 4.
Fifth. The front guiding gear for the drawbar, the combination hanging links R
with the roller Q, guide T, drawbar L and the hook Y substantially as shewn and for
the purposo described.
Sixth. The combination of spring X and the swinging rod z with the ring e as
described & for the purpose set forth.
Seventh. The safety lover q, o, as shown in fig. 2 and for the purpose described.
Dated this 20th day of October 1888.