IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING AND STARTING GEAR FOR TRAMWAY CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES
Year: 1876

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Green, William Turton, and John Walker, of
Leeds, in the County of York, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN
STOPPING AND STARTING GEAR FOR TRAMWAY CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES."
Scaled the 26th May 1877, and dated the 7th December 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Green, William
Turton, and John Walker at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the
7th December 1876.
"
THOMAS GREEN, WILLIAM TURTON, and JOHN WALKER, of Leeds, in the County of
York. IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING AND STARTING GEAR FOR TRAMWAY CARS AND
OTHER VEHICLES."
Our Invention has for its object the braking or causing cars when in motion to
be brought to an immediate standstill, and utilizing the momentum of the car by
mechanical appliances to act as a propellor or starting power to the car after it has
been once stopped.
The mechanism consists of spiral spring and chain friction clutches bevil gear
with hand and foot levers. On the axle of the car are two cone clutches, one right
and one left hand, which slide on a key fixed in the axle, and are thrown in and out
of gear by means of a hand and foot lever, with corresponding hollow cones attached
to bevilled wheels engaging with a bevil pinion, working loose on a stud from a
plate at the under side of the car.
In connection with the hollow cones there are drums, and when the clutch is
thrown in gear one of the drums winds up and elongates or compresses a coiled
spring attached to it. When the chain has therefore been wound round the disc
the man puts the opposite clutch in gear by a foot lever, and thus the two, acting
in opposite directions, the car is brought to an immediate stand. Reversely by
removing the clutch which had been first put in gear the spiral spring is released,
and going back to its original position it acts to propel or send the car forward and
thus start it.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent and of an
Order of the Lord Chancellor filed by the said Thomas Green, William Turton,
and John Walker in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 15th June 1877.
THOMAS GREEN, WILLIAM TURTON, and JOHN WALKER, of Leeds, in the County of
York. "IMPROVEMENTS IN STOPPING AND STARTING GEAR FOR TRAMWAY CARS AND
OTHER VEHICLES."
This Invention has for its object improvements in stopping and starting gear for
tramway cars and other vehicles. For these purposes wo mount a drum upon one
of the axles of the car or vehicle; on the side of the drum there is a rim or flange
which is slightly conical within. There is also upon the axle a sliding sleeve; it is
grooved to receive a feather on the axle which prevents it from turning inde-
pendently. The sleeve carries at its end a cone corresponding in form to the cavity
within the rim or flange of the drum; when the sleeve is slidden towards the drum
the cone becomes jammed into the recess within the rim or flange of the drum,
these parts then engaging as a friction clutch and compelling the drum to revolve
with the sleeve and with the axle. This friction clutch can be thrown in and out
of action at pleasure by means of a hand lever operating through connecting rods.
There is a chain attached to the periphery of the drum, which when it rotates it
winds up the chain, and by so doing compresses a spring. These parts are put
into operation when it is desired to stop, and the momentum of the car or vehicle is
then expended in compressing the spring. If the spring should be fully compressed
before the car or vehicle comes to rest the remaining momentum is quickly expended
in overcoming the friction between the parts of the friction clutch. There is also a
bevilled wheel formed in connection with the drum, and when it turns it drives
another corresponding bevilled wheel, mounted loose upon the axle, both of the
bevilled wheels being in gear with a pinion carried upon an arm projecting from the
axle at right angles, but so arranged that the axle may turn although the arm is at
all times prevented from doing so by a suitably arranged stop upon the body of the
vehicle.
In connection with the bevilled wheel which the pinion drives there is another
friction clutch similar to that already described, the hollow rim or flange of the
clutch being formed upon the back of the bevilled wheel, and the corresponding cone
upon a sleeve sliding on the axle with groove and feather. This second friction
clutch is also worked with a lever handle and connecting rods, and it is intended to
be thrown into gear as soon as the spring has been compressed. In this way a
backward movement of the car or vehicle is prevented.
When it is desired to start again the clutch which operates directly to render the
drum fast with the axle is thrown out, and then the spring regaining its original
form rotates the drum, and the drum through the bevilled gear, and the second
friction clutch (which remains still in) rotates the axle and propels the car or
vehicle in a forward direction.
In order that the stopping and starting apparatus may have more effectual control
of the car or vehicle we connect its two axles by means of a pitch chain passing
around chain pinions fixed upon the axles.
In order that our said Invention may be most fully understood, and readily carried
into effect, we will proceed to describe the Drawings hereunto annexed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 is a side elevation; Figure 2 is a plan; and Figure 3 is a front elevation
of stopping and starting apparatus arranged according to our Invention; in each of
the Figures a portion of the car or vehicle is shown in section.
ɑ and a¹ are the axles upon which the wheels of the car or vehicle are keyed.
The two axles are connected by a pitch chain b passing around chain pinions upon
them. e is a drum upon the axle and of a piece with the drum there is a bevilled

page_text: wheel c and a rim or flange c³, the interior of which is coned and forms one part of a
friction clutch. The cone forming the other portion of this clutch is of a piece with
the sleeve d which is able to slide with groove and feather upon the axle a, it is
actuated by the clutch fork c which in turn is operated upon by the rods f and the
lever handle y; or it can be worked from the other end of the car or vehicle by the
rods, f, and the lever handle g¹. h is a double spring, one section of which has the
strap i attached to it, whilst the other section is fixed to the body of the vehicle;
kis a chain attached to one end to the strap i, and at the other to the periphery of
the drum c; is a pinion in gear with the wheel cl, it is carried upon the arm l
which is connected with the axle in such manner as to keep the pinion in gear; the
arm at its outer end is retained by stops upon the body of the car or vehicle
which keeps it in place without interfering with the movement of the body resulting
from the play of the carriage springs. m is a second bevilled wheel upon the axle a
with which also the pinion is in gear; ml is a rim or flange of a piece with the
wheel m, and forming one portion of the second or locking clutch; n is the sliding
sleeve on which is the cone forming the other portion of this clutch; o is the clutch
fork for operating the sleeve n, and it in turn receives motion from the lever handle p
through the rods q, q; or the clutch fork o can be worked from the other end of the
car or vehicle through the rods q', q', by the lever handle p¹.
Having thus described the nature of our said Invention, and the manner of
performing the same, we would have it understood that we claim,-
First. The construction of stopping and starting gear for tramway cars and other
vehicles, substantially as described.
Second. The intermediate pinion in connection with the bevil gear and the way
it is attached to suit the rising and falling of the car or vehicle with light and heavy
loads.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Green and John Walker, have here-
unto set our hands and seals, this Sixth day of June, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy-seven.
THO. GREEN.
(L.S.)
JOHN WALKER.
(LS.)