Improvements in Motor Cars or Vehicles Propelled by. Petroleum Vapour or by Gas for Use on Railways, Tramways, and for General Traction Purposes.
Year: 1886

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Nov., 1886
Complete Left, 23rd Sept., 1887
Complete Accepted, 25th Oct, 1887
Improvements in Motor Cars or Vehicles Propelled by. Petroleum
Vapour or by Gas for Use on Railways, Tramways, and for
General Traction Purposes.
We RICHARD MCGHEE, Commercial Traveller, Maybank Trefoil Avenue, Shaw-
lands Glasgow and JOHN MAGEE of Maybank, Trefoil Avenue, Shawlands Glasgow
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
MOTOR CARS OR VEHICLES PROPELLED BY PETROLEUM VAPOUR OR BY GAS FOR
" to be as
USE ON RAILWAYS TRAMWAYS AND FOR GENERAL TRACTION PURPOSES
follows:-
Our invention consists of a novel construction of Motor car or vehicle for general
locomotive purposes.
The objects we have in view being.
(1) To construct a motor which can be easily and readily started stopped or
reversed.
To modify the speed of the Motor at will.
Increasing the speed by reducing the power or alternatively increasing the power
by decreasing the speed so that if the engine is carrying to her full power a load
on a level way at a given speed she will carry the same load up hill at a slower
speed.
(4) Heating the cars or carriages by the heat from the cylinders.
(5) To automatically operate a vacuum or a compressed air brake.
When applied to tramways to so arrange the gearing and handles that the
driver can work the motor back or forth from the motor or that he can only drive the
car in a forward direction. Thus if the motor car be in front of the passenger car
travelling northwards the driver would be in the front of the motor and he could not
drive his car southwards without leaving the front of the motor and going to the
rear end of the passenger car where the handles for driving southwards are placed ;
whichever way the cars may be travelling, whether the motor car or the passenger
car be in front-the driver is always in front and can only drive the car in one
direction.

page_text: (7) To construct and connect the motor car with the passenger car in such a manner
that passengers may enter or alight from the passenger car either by the front of
the motor or by the rear end of the passenger car thus avoiding the necessity of having
to shunt the motor car at the end of each journey.
(8) To have the engine always working whether the car is in motion or at rest..
The foregoing objects we attain in the following manner :-
We construct a motor frame resting upon four wheels. On one side of this frame
we place the engine. The other side of the frame we utilise as a passage leading to
the passenger car. The end of the frame furthest from the passenger car we use as
a platform by which passengers enter or leave the car on the journey when the
passenger car is moving in front of the motor car. On this platform we place a stair
leading to seats on the top of the motor. The engine is always in motion whether
the car be moving or at rest.
In gear with the crankshaft and adapted to the speed of the motor we place a
conical drum (No. 1). Parallel to this drum we place another conical drum (No. 2).
The taper of these drums point in opposite directions. Upon these drums we have
a belt running and its movements from one end to the other of the drums increases
or decreases the speed of the motor without any change in the speed of the engine.
The belt which runs on these conical drum is so operated by a weight or spring that
it is automatically brought to the slowest point on the said drums for starting. No. 1
drum is the driving one and operates No. 2. Upon the spindle of No. 2 drum we
place a loose pulley which may be operated by a friction or other clutch. This loose
pulley may be arranged to operate a belt, a band, a rope, or a chain connected with
a similar pulley placed upon the axle of the motor frame. The clutch is arranged in
such a manner that on throwing the loose wheel out of gear with the driving drum
it will operate the brake and bring the motor to rest. On the opposite end of the
spindle of No. 2 drum we place another loose pulley and another pulley upon the axle
of the motor frame. This loose pulley is operated by a clutch in a similar way to
that already described. Instead of an open belt it is a crossed belt which runs
between this pulley and the pulley on the axle of the motor frame. The object of
these pulleys and the cross belt is to drive the cars in the reverse direction. Instead
of a crossed driving belt we may reverse the engine by winding, distending or com-
prossing springs. But in this case we have clutch gearing so arranged in connection
with the cylinder valve that when the crank-shaft is driven in the reverse direction
the valves travel as before. The handles connected with the driving belts and clutches
are placed for driving in one direction at the front of the passenger car and for
driving in the reverse direction at the front of the motor car and are connected by
ordinary levers. Thus if the this belt was running the car at full speed and the
driver to suddenly throw the loose pulley out of gear the belt on the drums would
at once move back to the end of the drums which propelled the car at the slowest
speed.
By a second arrangement we may use grooved friction or other pulleys of various
diameters to suit the speed instead of the conical drums. These pulleys would be
operated by friction clutches or by tension weights or springs. The motor car when⚫
moving will to some extent oscillate on its springs and without provision would cause
an unequal tension upon the belt which runs between the loose pulley and the pulley
upon the axle of the motor. To provide for this we employ a tension pulley governed
by a weight or spring and so arranged that it will yield to the oscillation in which-
ever direction it may draw the belts. To heat the passenger car we utilise the heat
from the cylinder in two ways. First instead of water which is now commonly used
for cooling the cylinder we pass cold air round about the cooling jacket. The air
gets heated in its travel and we carry it through pipes to its destination. Second
we carry products of combustion through pipes to the passenger car. To form the
junction between the motor and the passenger car we place flexible pipes or suitable
stuffing boxes or glands.
The same or nearly the same kind of gearing and general construction is suitable
for railway locomotives. The speed is regulated by the governor as well as by the

page_text: drums. The brake may be operated by compressed air or by a partial vacuum in the
following manner. A pump is driven by the engine and is automatically thrown in
or out of gear by the compressed air or by the partial vacuum acting upon a piston
or diaphragm. A further mode of operating the brake is as follows:-On the motor
cylinder we place a valve loaded by a spring or weight. This valve opens only
outward to a pipe which is connected with the brake cylinder. It is loaded with a
spring or weight. When the pressure in the brake cylinder falls to a certain point
the pressure of the explosion in the motor cylinder will open the valve and pass into
the brake cylinder thus maintaining the necessary pressure for applying the brakes.
We may by using the exhaust form a partial vacuum to work the brakes. The gas
for driving the engine we carry in tanks arranged with pumps and fittings necessary
for that purpose.
Dated thin Monter fourth dor of November 1886

page_text: Improvements in Motor Cars or Vehicles Propelled by Petroleum
Vapour or by Gas for Use on Railways, Tramways, and for
General Traction Purposes.
We, RICHARD MCGREE, Commercial Traveller, Maybank, Trofoil Avenue, Shaw-
lands, Glasgow, and JOHN MAGEE, Engineer of Maybank, Trefoil Avenuo, Shawlands,
Glasgow, 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 a Motor Car or vehicle specially adapted for Tramway
work; but applicable also for general locomotive purposes, the objects being to con-
struct a vehicle propelled by gas or combustible vapour which can be easily and readily
started, stopped, reversed, or varied, in speed as desired.
On the accompanying Drawing Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are respectively a longitudinal
and transverse sectional elevation and plan, illustrating a Motor Tram car with
Passenger car, as constructed according to our said Invention.
The Motor Car frame a is mounted on four wheels. On one side of said frame is
placed the Motor Engine 6 which is enclosed by partitions c leaving the other part
of Motor Car to form a passage leading to the passenger car d to which it is coupled as
most convenient. On one end of the Motor car is a platforme by which passengers
onter or leave said car on the journey when the passenger car is moving in front of
the motor car. On the opposite end of the card is a similar platform w. for use when
inotor car is running in front of passenger car. On both platforms are placed stairs f
leading to the top. The Motor Engine b. is always in motion whether the car be
moving or at rest, and gears for suitable speed of car, by a pinion g with wheel h
fixed on a conical drum or speed cone i which revolves as indicated by arrow.
Parallel to this drum is another similar drum j. The tapers of these drums point in
opposite directions, thus constituting a set of speed cones. Upon the drums i.j. is
the belt k which can be shifted along said drums by a lever hanging from roof, the
bottom of said lever being forked or otherwise to shift belt k from one end to the
other of the cones thereby increasing or decreasing the speed of the car without any
change in the speed of the Engine. The belt k is indicated on drawings in position
for giving highest speed to car. The lever is attached to and drawn to one side
as shown at Fig. 2 by either of two cords or chains m which are led over or round
pulleys at o respectively to the outer end of the cars and terminating in handles m¹
where driver stands, one cord and handle being for driving with motor car in front,
and the other for driving with it behind passenger car, it being explained that the
driver stands in front facing the direction in which cars are moving. When said

page_text: cord or cords m is or are released the lever I is automatically brought over to opposite
side indicated, by a cord or chain n and weight n' thereby shifting the belt k over
lowest speeded end of cones on to the pulley v running loose on the shaft j¹ of cone j
whereby revolution of said cone and shaft is stopped. Fitted on shaft at each end
thereof is a loose pulley r and s respectively to work the crossed and open belts
and on and driving the pulleys p. q. fixed on driving axle t. The shaft j. is fitted
on outer ends with clutches operated by arms u¹³ projecting from a sliding
transverse bar fitted above conej so as to connect either pulley or s as desired
with shaft j. for driving the motor car in direction desired. Said clutches are so
arranged that both pulleys r. s. may be disconnected, but so that only one can be
connected to the shaft j¹ at one and the same time. A cord or chain is attached to
one end of bar and leads as most convenient to front of motor car where
operator stands, by drawing which, said bar is drawn to one side, thereby making
clutch s connect shaft with pulley & for driving forward. Another cord or chain
for drawing bar in opposite direction is lead to where operator stands for driving
with passenger car in front, by drawing which the clutch r¹ connects pulley r to
shaft thereby driving in reverse direction.
The driving belts may be kept tight by a pulley on a loaded lever bearing against
them, as indicated at a Fig. 1.
The top of the motor car may be fitted with seats under which may be placed a
strong tank or vessel having a tube leading thereto from bottom or side of car to
which on arrival at Gas supply station a flexible tube may be coupled to charge tank
with compressed gas, which is led as most convenient by another pipe having a
pressure reducing valve thereon to the Engine, which is thereby supplied at a constant
pressure.
In lieu of said tank and reducing valve the gas may be stored at a lower pressure
in a large collapsible vessel or reservoir occupying the whole top of motor car as
indicated by dotted lines z Fig. 2; the top plate of said vessel being loaded by
weights or otherwise to supply the gas through a pipe to the Engine at constant
pressure.
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.
1st. The arrangement and combination of Mechanism and Belts substantially as
and for the purposes described and illustrated.
2nd. In a motor Vehicle propelled by Gas or combustible vapour the use of a
set of speed cones or drums, arranged and operating substantially as and for the
purposes described & shown.
3rd. The mode of operating the clutches and shifting the belt on speed cones, by
means of cords or chains arranged as set forth.
4th. In combination with a set of speed cones the pulleys r. s. and pulley v, arranged
and operating as described & shown.
5th. In a gas motor car the arrangement of partitions c enclosing the engine, so as
to leave a side passage, as set forth and shown.
6th. In a gas Motor Car, a collapsible Gas storage tank or reservoir with loaded
top, arranged and operating as and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 21st day of September 1887.
DAVID MASON, C.E.,
Glasgow,
Patent Agent.