MULETATION Improvements in Steering, Reversing, Stopping, and Starting Gear.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 6th Aug., 1890-Accepted, 18th Oct., 1890
DI MULETATION
Improvements in Steering, Reversing, Stopping, and
Starting Gear.
I, WILLIAM THOMSON, of Smith Street, Kinning Park, Glasgow 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:
This invention relates to steering reversing stopping and starting gear and is
designed for application to steam, gas, explosive oil and other engines and machinery
for starting and reversing and to tramway cars and other vehicles for braking or
retarding and restarting them the present improvements being developments of the
inventions described in the Specifications of my Letters Patent Nos. 8129 of 1886
and 10429 of 1889. In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,
Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an end and a side elevation of steering gear similar
to that described in the Specification of my Letters Patent No. 10429 of 1889 fitted
with the improved reversing gear and stopping and starting apparatus. Figures 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 9, are views of the improved reversing gear in detail.
Figure 10 is a plan of one form of the stopping and starting apparatus and
Figure 11 is an elevation of the lower framing of a tramway car showing a
modification of the improved braking and re-starting gear applied thereto. Figure 12
is a detailed view of part of the same and Figure 13, shows in part a modified form
of the gear. The steering apparatus shewn in Figures 1 and 2, is adapted to be
operated from the engine of the ship in which it is fitted, in the manner described in
the Specification of my Patent No. 10429 of 1889 by means of the shafts A, and B,
which are connected by a friction or other clutch C, or it may be worked from the
engine D, fitted on the framing of the gear, by depressing the lever E, to throw the
clutch C, out of gear to disconnect the shafts A, B, and throw the bevil wheel D¹, into
gear with the bevil wheel D², on the engine shaft D³. The apparatus may also be
worked by hand by means of the handing wheel D', as described in the Specification
last referred to.
The improved reversing gear as represented at Figures 3 to 9* consists of two bevil
wheels F, and G, running loose on a shaft H, and gearing with another bevil wheel I,
on a driving shaft J. A double cone clutchi K, is secured by means of a feather key
to the shaft HI, between the wheels F, and G, and may be thrown into gear with either
of them or as seen at Figures 8 and 9 a separate clutch K!, is provided at the back of
each wheel the clutches being operated by forks 1, on a sliding bar L, worked by
means of a lever M, as indicated at Figure 8, or by a rack L', and toothed segment M₁,
as indicated at Figure 9, or other mechanical devices may be used to operate the
clutches. The gripping surface of the clutch may be either a projecting cone as
shewn at Figure 4, or a conical cup as at Figure 5, or a double conical surface as shewn
at Figures 6 and 7 a suitable taper being employed to ensure sufficient grip or as
shewn at Figure 9" a flat friction disc K2 may be employed. On the back of each
wheel F, G, a flange a, is formed which runs on a similar flange b, and bears on a
shoulder c, formed on the wheel I, said flanges operating to support and steady the
loose wheels F, and G, and prevent noise and rattling of the teeth. To dispense with
collars on the shaft H, instead of a simple flange and shoulder the wheel 1, may have
a grooved, cut in the flange b, as shewn at Figures 4 and 8, in which groove the edge
of the flange a, of the wheels F, and G, runs, the outer edge of the groove being
bevilled and the edge of the flange a, turned to an approximately spherical contour, so
that the back of the flango will bear on the outside of the groove at one point only and
avoid rubbing and grinding action.
The stopping and starting apparatus which is applicable to gaș or oil and other

page_text: engines and machines may as represented at Figure 10 bo similar in construction to
that described in the Specification of my Patent No. 8429 of 1886 as applied to
tramway cars and other vehicles.
This arrangement is indicated as applied to the steering engine shewn in Figures 1.
and 2 and as shewn at Figure 10, it consists of a pinion e, on the rotating shaft B,
situated between two racks f, and g, either of which is thrown into gear with the
pinion by means of an eccentric, which is worked direct by a hand lever j, and is
provided with projecting lugs k, for throwing the racks into gear with the pinion the
spring, which is placed between the racks to economisc space being thereby com-
pressed to store up energy in braking or retarding the movement of the engine when
stopping it, which energy is utilised either in reversing the engine or to restart it by
throwing the reverse rack into gear.
Figures 11 and 12 shew a modified form of this stopping and starting apparatus
applied to a tramway car, in which a bevil wheel l, is fitted on each axle of the car
and a frame m, fitted with racks n, n¹, is carried so as to be capable of oscillating on a
longitudinal axis to bring one rack n, into gear with the teeth of the pinion and throw
the other rack n', clear of said teeth or vice versa, both racks n and n¹, being
maintained partly in gear with the pinion when the frame m, is in its central position
so as to lock the apparatus. The shafts o, on which the frame m, is supported are
square and are fitted in square holes in tubes p, so as to be capable of sliding therein,
the oscillating motion being imparted to the shafts o, and frame m, by turning the
tubes P, in bearings, by means of one of the levers », fitted to said tubes. The
shaft
a collars,
0, has
fixed on it which has a cam surface s¹, bearing against a similar
surface on one of the brackets q, so that on turning the lever, sufficient longitudinal
motion is given to the shafts o, and frame m, to bring the end of the rack n, or n¹,
which is turned towards the bevil wheel 1, into gear with its teeth. The motion of the
car then draws the rack along in the direction shewn by the arrow so as to compress
the spring t, till its resistance stops the car when the lever, is turned to its central
position and both racks are locked by the wheel 1. To re-start the car the lever is
thrown over to the other side the other rack being thereby thrown into gear with the
wheel, whereupon the spring t, moves the rack and frame m, back till the rack n or n',
clears the teeth of the wheel 1, the stored energy being transmitted through the
wheel, to the wheels of the car.
The wheel, may be fixed to the axle by a friction clutch which will allow of some
slip if an undue strain is brought to bear on it. In the modified form shewn in
Figure 13 the racks n, or ', are thrown into gear with the wheel l, by means of wedge
pieces n³, and n³, operated by suitable mechanism from the ends of the car, longitudinal
motion being given to start the rack by means of an inclined surface on the side of
the wedge pieces n², n³, acting on a projection on the back of the rack.
To prevent the car being pushed forward on the horses in starting an auxiliary
brake may be fitted to the car. As shewn in Figure 11, brake blocks u, may be
provided and pressed against the wheels of the car through links attached to lever
arms v, on a transverse axle w, by means of an adjustable spring a, acting on one arm
of another lever v¹, fixed to the axle w. This second lever v¹, is connected to the draw
bar at each end of the car by links y', so that the horses pull against the spring,
and relieve the pressure of the blocks u, on the wheels. By this means the car will
not start till the horses begin to pull and take off the brake against the pressure of the
spring, and when the horses stop the brakes are automatically applied. To enable the
driver to disengage the auxiliary brake, for example when it may be necessary to move
the vehicle without acting on the draw bar a pawl placed in a position suitable for
operation by the drivers foot may be fitted to engage ratchet teeth on the link y¹, or a
lever may be employed for relieving the auxiliary brake when required.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is :-
.
1. The combination with steering gear of devices for reversing stopping and

page_text: restarting the operative mechanism substantially as described with reference to
Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The improved reversing gear hereinbefore described with reference to
Figures 3 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
3. In combination with motive power engines and other moving machinery
mechanism for stopping and restarting the same constructed and arranged to
operate substantially as described with reference to Figures 10 to 13 of the
accompanying drawings.
4. The improved arrangement of mechanism described with reference to Figures 11,
12, and 13, for retarding and restarting tramway cars and other vehicles.
5. In conjunction with mechanism such as hereinbefore described for stopping and
restarting tramway cars and other vehicles the employment of an auxiliary brako
operated by the pull on the draw bar of the vehicle substantially as set forth:
Dated this Fifth day of August 1890.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.
CRUIKSHANK & FAIRWEATHER,
62, Saint Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agents.