IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STARTING, PRO- PELLING, AND STOPPING VEHICLES, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH, MORE PARTICULARLY WITH REFERENCE TO GAS ENGINES AND TRAMWAYS, BUT ALSO APPLICABLE WITH OTHER MOTOR ENGINES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Henry Percy Holt and Francis
William Crossley at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 13th
May 1879.
"
HENRY PERCY HOLT, of Park Row, Leeds, in the County of York, Civil Engineer,
and FRANCIS WILLIAM CROSSLEY, of Gt. Marlbro' Street, Manchester, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer. IMPROVEMENTS IN MACHINERY FOR STARTING, PRO-
PELLING, AND STOPPING VEHICLES, AND IN THE APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES
CONNECTED THEREWITH, MORE PARTICULARLY WITH REFERENCE TO GAS ENGINES
AND TRAMWAYS, BUT ALSO APPLICABLE WITH OTHER MOTOR ENGINES."
In carrying out this Invention the motive power and machinery may be arranged
either on a separate locomotive, or on the car or vehicle itself, and this is to be
implied throughout this Specification.
The first part of this Invention consists in the use of an integrating disc or discs
driven by the engine (either direct or indirectly through the medium of gearing)
which drive by means of friction integrating wheels arranged on the driving axles
of the vehicle or locomotive.
The integrating discs are arranged on vertical shafts, which run in bearings so as
to play vertically under the control of springs to allow for any unevenness of the
road.
The discs thus revolve in a horizontal plane, and are arranged over the axles of
the vehicle in such a manner that the weight of the vehicle causes the before
named integrating discs to bite on the integrating wheels, which are keyed on the
driving axles of the vehicle or locomotive in such a manner that they can be
traversed horizontally on the said axles in contact with the surfaces of the discs.
When gas engines are used as the motive power the engine and integrating disc
or discs are kept running continuously during the hours of working, and in order to
start the car forwards the integrating wheel is moved from the centre of the disc
towards its periphery, on one side, as may be arranged. To stop, it is moved back
to the centre of the disc, and to travel backwards the wheel is moved on the face of
disc in the opposite direction.
The speed of the car either in a forward or backward direction is regulated by the
portion of the wheel on the face of the integrating disc.
-
The second part of this Invention consists in the arrangement of machinery for
adjusting the position of the wheel on the integrating disc, which is as follows:-
The integrating wheels have a running. neck or chase formed on one or both sides
of their bosses, in which forks or straps (having play to allow springs to ride) are

page_text: fitted; these are traversed by means of screws worked from the driver's platform by
means of shafts and handles.
In some cases, in lieu of the before named screws, we prefer to apply hydraulic
pistons or rams worked by pressure obtained from pumps driven by the engine to
traverse the above named forks or straps.
The third part of this Invention consists in an arrangement for lifting the weight
of vehicle partially or entirely, so as to reduce the bite or grip between the inte-
grating disc and wheel, in order to traverse the latter more easily. This is effected
by means of screws on the axle box springs, so that by lifting the frames the
integrating discs are raised more or less off, bearing on the integrating wheels on
the axles.
The above screws are arranged to be worked from the driver's platform.
In some cases we prefer to use hydraulic rams in lieu of screws for the above
named purpose, the admission and exhaust valves of which are worked from the
driver's platform.
The hydraulic pressure for working these is obtained from pumps worked by the
engine, as before named.
In some cases we use one integrating disc and wheel to drive one axle, and
coupling rods to drive the other axle or axles. In other cases we prefer to use two
smaller discs and wheels to each axle to be driven, or to use one disc and wheel to
each axle to be driven, and dispense with coupling rods.
Which ever of these arrangements is used we adopt the same means for traversing
the integrating wheels, and easing the load off the integrating discs, as before
described.