Improvements in or connected with Vehicles to Run on Common Roads, Tramcars, and the like.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Sept., 1894-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Vehicles to Run on Common
Roads, Tramcars, and the like.
I, JOSEPH WILLOUGHBY, of Erme House, Mutley, Compton Gifford, in the
County of Devon, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of the said 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 improvements in or connected with vehicles to run on
common roads, tramcars and the like.
In vehicles drawn by horse or like traction, it is desirable when the vehicle is
arrested upon a gradient to employ some means to prevent the vehicle running back
otherwise the entire strain of holding it in that position is thrown upon the horses ;
and in re-starting the horses are required to overcome this strain in addition to the
ordinary vis inertia of the vehicle.
The means commonly adopted for attaining this end is for the driver to apply
the brake to the wheels whereby he can prevent the vehicle running back but upon
re-starting he must either take the brake off before the horses commence their
work, or he must allow them to exert their power not only to overcome the
vis inertia of the vehicle but also the tendency of the vehicle to run backward, and,
if the brake is not previously or concurrently taken off, the strain upon the
horses is increased and this is a common cause of serious injury to valuable
animals.
Now, the object of the present invention is to enable the driver or other operator
to throw into gear or bring into operation a simple device which will prevent the
running back of the vehicle, whilst, at the same time, it will offer no impediment
to the forward movement thereof.
In carrying the invention into effect, in the case of a vehicle in which the wheels
are loose upon the axle a ratchet wheel is fixed upon the wheel and upon the axle
or other suitable part is fixed a bracket upon which is pivotally mounted a pawl
adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, and this pawl is by means of a spring or other
means acting upon the tail thereof normally held out of engagement with the
ratchet wheel.
The tail of this pawl has connected thereto one end of a chain or other suitable
connection which passes over a guide pulley carried by the bracket, thence round
a guide pulley at the front of the vehicle, and up to the underside of the driver's
foot board, where it is connected to one end of a lever which is about the centre of
its length fixed upon a shaft traversing the underside of the foot board, and mounted
with capability of rocking in bearings.
The other end of the lever is pinjointed to a rod which passes through an
aperture in the foot board and at its upper end is furnished with a foot plate or
pedal, whilst a spring of suitable power, interposed between the foot board and the
foot plate or pedal, normally holds the same in its uppermost position.
The pawl of the ratchet wheel upon one side of the vehicle is thus placed under
control of the foot plate or pedal, whilst the pawl upon the other side of the vehicle
is by chain or other connection connected to a lever or offset fixed upon the
opposite end of the shaft, and thus both pawls are placed under the control of
the driver.
Or, if desired, a pedal might be employed arranged at the opposite side of the
foot board, and thus the pawls might be placed independently under the control of
the driver.
In some cases, it is only necessary to employ a pawl and ratchet wheel upon one

page_text: applied thereto.
Figure 2. is a plan thereof.
Figure 3. is a side elevation of a tramcar having the present invention applied
thereto, and,
Figure 4. is a plan thereof.
Figure 5. is a detail view of parts representing a slight modification.
In the several figures like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.
Referring to Figures 1. and 2. a. represents the body of the vehicle and b. repre-
sents the axles or axle trees which are non-revolving or fixed to the body a. in the
ordinary way, represents the wheels which run loosely upon the axles b. and 62
represents the hubs of the wheels.
Upon the hub 62 of each wheel is fixed a ratchet wheel 63 and upon the axle b.
is fixed a bracket 64 upon which is pivotally mounted a pawl 6 adapted to engage
the ratchet wheel 63 and this pawl 65 is by means of a spring 68 at one end abutting
upon the tail of the pawl, and at the other end upon the bracket bª, normally held
out of engagement with the ratchet wheel ³.
The tail of the pawl 6 has connected thereto one end of a chain c. or other
suitable connection which passes over a guide pulley 6** carried by the bracket b
thence round a guide pulley a* carried by a bracket fixed to the front of the
body a. of the vehicle, and thence up to the underside of the driver's foot-board a¹
where it is connected to one end of a lever d² which is about the centre of its length
fixed upon one end of a shaft d³ traversing the underside of the foot-board a¹ and
mounted with capability of rocking in bearings d³*.
The other end of the lever d² is pinjointed to a rod d¹ which passes through an
aperture in the foot-board a' and at its upper end is furnished with a foot-plate or
pedal d..whilst a spring d* of suitable power interposed between the foot-board a¹
and foot plate or pedal d. normally holds the same in its uppermost position.
The pawl 6 at one side of the vehicle is thus placed under the control of the foot
plate or pedal d, whilst the corresponding pawl 6 upon the other side of the vehicle
is by chain or other connection c. connected to a lever or offset d fixed upon the
opposite end of the shaft d³ and thus both pawls are placed under the control of
the driver.
Or, in lieu of the arrangement hereinbefore described, the connecting shaft d³
might be dispensed with and simple studs substituted therefor, and a lever similar
to d² with a corresponding pedal d placed at each side of the foot board a¹ or it
might be arranged centrally thereof.
In some cases, it is only necessary to employ a pawl 65 and ratchet wheel 6³ upon
one side of the vehicle, that is to say, in connection with one wheel only, in which

page_text: case the shaft d³ upon the underside of the foot-board would be dispensed with, and
the lever d² would be mounted upon a stud or axis carried by a bracket from the
foot board a¹.
In lieu of arranging the spring 66 so as to hold the pawl 65 out of gear with the
ratchet wheel 63, this action may be reversed as herein described with respect to.
Figures 3., 4. and 5.
In the example given at Figures 3. and 4., which represents the invention applied
to a vehicle in which the axles revolve and the wheels are fixed therewith and such
as a tramcar, a similar arrangement of parts to that hereinbefore described is
employed in connection with the axle b. of each pair of wheels at each end of the
vehicle so that a foot-plate or pedal d. will be within the reach of the driver
whichever end of the vehicle he is driving from, but in lieu of the spring 6 holding
the pawl 65 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel b³ it tends to hold it in gear
therewith whilst it is overcome by the superior force of the spring d* until the foot
plate or pedal d. is depressed by the driver.
In this case also, inasmuch as the axles b. revolve the brackets described
with respect to the former arrangement which in that case was fixed to the axle
is substituted by a collar 6 mounted loosely upon the axle b. and in order to
prevent the same revolving with the axle b. and yet allow of the vertical move-
ment of the axle consequent upon the compression or extention of the springs
supporting the car a. the collar 6 at its upper part is formed with a recess to
receive a stud a² fixed to the underside of the body a. upon the vehicle, and the
collar 4 is thus held in the required position, whilst the ratchet wheel 6³ is fixed
in a convenient position upon the axle b.
According to the modified arrangement of parts lastly herein before described,
upon the depression of the foot plate or pedal d. the connection c. will be slackened
and the spring 6 will throw the the pawl into engagement with the ratchet
wheel as shown at the right hand of Figure 3.
In the example given at Figure 5., a device is shown for preventing the rotation
of the collars without having recourse to the stud a² and recess in the collar 6.
lastly herein before described and for this purpose the two collars & loosely mounted
upon the axles b. are connected by a bar or rod 64** and it will be obvious that
many other devices might be employed to attain the same end.
By the means herein before described, upon the vehicle coming to a position of
rest upon a gradient, the driver is enabled through the various connections acting
upon the tail of the pawl to throw the latter into engagement with the ratchet
wheel and thus the vehicle will be held against running back without the aid
of the ordinary brake whilst no impediment will be offered to the turning of the
wheels in a forward direction upon the horses again starting and thus the great
strain now thrown upon the horses when starting upon a gradient is avoided, and,
in addition to the great relief from a humane point of view, the animals are less
liable to injury than heretofore.
Although the invention is described as applied to vehicles to be drawn by
horses or like traction, it is evident that it is also applicable to similar vehicles
propelled by steam or other motive power, the saving in such case being in the
power required to be expended.
Although I have herein before described the means that I prefer for carrying
my invention into effect, I would have it understood that I do not confine myself
to the precise details thereof as the same may be considerably varied without
departing from the spirit of my invention, for example, hand appliances may be
substituted for the pedals whilst the arrangement and method of actuating the
pawls may be modified.
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 :-
1. In a vehicle, the combination of a ratchet wheel or its equivalent fixed upon.

page_text: a wheel or revolving axle, a pawl or its equivalent carried by some part fixed
against revolution and adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, means for normally
holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel and means placed
under the control of the driver for bringing the pawl into engagement with the
ratchet wheel, substantially as herein shown and described and for the purpose
stated.
2. In a vehicle, the combination of a ratchet wheel fixed with a revolving axle,
a collar loosely mounted upon the axle, means for preventing the rotation of the
collar whilst permitting the vertical movement of the body of the vehicle, a pawl
carried by the collar and adapted to engage the ratchet wheel, means for normally
holding the pawl out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, a pedal or the like
placed under the control of the driver and suitable connections from the pawl to
the pedal, the parts being so arranged that the driver can at will bring the pawl
into engagement with the ratchet wheel, substantially as herein shown and described
and for the purpose stated.
Dated this 18th day of September 1894.
VAUGHAN & SON,
Agents for the Applicant.