Improvements in or connected with Appliances or Apparatus for Stopping and Starting Tram-cars, Omnibuses, and other Wheeled Vehicles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 7th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 7th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 20th Apr. 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Appliances or Apparatus for
Stopping and Starting Tram-cars, Omnibuses, and other Wheeled
Vehicles.
I, THOMAS SOUTHGATE of 6 Burton Crescent, in the County of London,
Gunmaker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The objects of my invention are to provide improved means as hereafter described
to facilitate the stoppage of tram-cars and other wheeled vehicles and to cause the
force obtained from the momentum of the vehicle to be stored up for use when
again starting same, and to effect these objects by simple and comparatively
inexpensive mechanical apparatus capable of being readily applied to existing
vehicles.
According to my invention I fix securely upon one of the road wheels,
two toothed pinions mounted concentrically with the said road wheel and fitted
around or upon the box thereof or connected to the road wheel in any other
suitable manner. Located and extending rearwards of this wheel axis I provide a
forked or looped bar terminating rearwards in a rod adapted to slide in guides fixed
upon the framework of the vehicle; around or upon the rod is a spiral spring the
rear end of the latter abutting against an enlargement, collar, or equivalent, on
the rod while the forward end of the spring takes against the forward fixed
guide and thus the rod and looped bar are normally retained in a back position.
The two members of the forked bar are arranged one above the other and at a
proper distance apart, each member being formed with teeth facing to the interior
of the fork. These teeth are adapted to gear with the two toothed pinions, the
width apart of the members being such that when the upper member is in gear
with one pinion the lower member is out of gear (so that it is impossible for
both members to gear simultaneously). The forward end of the forked part takes
into a yoke through which it is free to slide, and upon this yoke being lowered or
raised by a convenient operating lever within reach of the driver of the vehicle,
either the upper or lower member of the fork is geared with one of the toothed
wheels, the upper member of the fork taking onto the top of its toothed wheel, and
the lower member in its turn onto the bottom teeth of its spur pinion.
To stop the vehicle the yoke is lowered by the driver throwing the operating
lever, the top member gears with the top of its toothed wheel and this revolving,
draws forward the rod and places the spring into tension, action ceasing when the
vehicle stops. Upon starting, the yoke is raised, thereby throwing the upper
member out of gear and causing the lower member to be geared with the toothed
wheel, and the spring tending to draw the fork backwards, revolves or aids in
revolving the spur wheel and road wheel in a forward direction and starts or aids in
starting the vehicle. A hinged pawl or catch fulcrummed to the vehicle and
provided with a suitable spring may be employed to retain the fork when in its
forward position, and this pawl would be thrown out of engagement when or by
raising the forked part to start the vehicle.
The teeth of the rack may be of ratchet formation sloping away from the forward
end of the fork, and the teeth on the wheels should correspond according to the
direction in which action is required; it will however not be necessary in all cases
to employ two toothed wheels as by suitably forming the teeth to grip in both

page_text: directions, only one such wheel may be employed, it engaging with the top member
and drawing same in one direction and in its turn engaging the lower member and
itself receiving rotary motion to start the vehicle. One such appliance as herein
described may be fitted to one, two, or more wheels of any wheeled vehicle.
Dated this 7th day of June 1894.
Improvements in or connected with Appliances or Apparatus for
Stopping and Starting Tram-cars, Omnibuses, and other Wheeled
Vehicles.
I, THOMAS SOUTHGATE of 6 Burton Crescent, in the County of London,
Gunmaker, 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 :-
The objects of my invention are to provide improved means as hereafter described
to facilitate the stoppage of tramcars, and other wheeled vehicles, and to cause
force obtained from the momentum of the vehicle to be stored up for use when
again starting same, and to effect these objects by simple and comparatively
inexpensive mechanical apparatus, capable of being readily applied to existing
vehicles.
I will now describe my invention with reference to Figs. 1 to 8 of the
accompanying drawings. Referring to Sheet 1, Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an
arrangement of my invention in sectional elevation. Fig. 2 is a diagraphic inverted
plan of same and Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line X Y of Fig. 1.
Upon the axle A of the road wheels A' I key or otherwise fix two toothed
pinions B B, Fig. 3, mounted concentrically with the said road wheel axle A; if
desired and especially when the axles are fixed the toothed wheels may be
connected to or fitted around, or upon, the box of the road wheel, or connected to
the road wheel in any other suitable manner. Located and extending rearwards
of this wheel axle A I provide a forked or looped bar C terminating rearwards in
a rod C adapted to slide in a guide bracket D fixed upon the framework of the
vehicle, represented by the sectioned part marked E in the diagram Figure 1;
around or upon the rod C¹ is a spiral spring F the rear end of the latter abutting
against an enlargement, collar, or equivalent F1 on the rod while the forward end
of the spring takes against the forward fixed guide bracket D and thus the rod C¹
and looped bar C are normally retained in a back position as shown. The two
members of the forked bar Care arranged one above the other and at a proper
distance apart, each member being formed with teeth facing to the interior of the
fork, the upper teeth C² not being in the same plane as the lower teeth C³ as will be
seen by reference to Figure 3. These teeth C2 C3 are adapted to gear respectively
with the two toothed pinions B B¹, the width apart of the members of the fork or
loop C being such that when the teeth C² of the upper member are fully in gear
with one pinion B, the teeth C³ of the lower member are out of gear with the
pinion B. The forward end of the forked part C, the two ends of which are
preferably connected as shown, takes into a yoke composed as shown at Figs. 1 and 3
of a fork G having lateral bent ends or studs G', Figure 3, taking into lengthway
grooves C¹ whereby the fork or loop C is free to slide. "Upon this yoke G being
lowered or raised by a convenient operating lever within reach of the driver of the
vehicle, either the upper or lower member of the fork is fully geared with one or
other of the toothed wheels B B', or both the upper and lower members of the

page_text: fork may be simultaneously engaged with the pinions thereby locking the latter
when required. The yoke G is shown as being formed on the end of a lever H
pivotted to a bracket H' on the framework E; the opposite end of the lever H is
actuated by a crank arm J on shaft J¹ to which an operating handle J2 is fixed
extending upwards through the foot plate of the car to be operated by the driver;
J³ is a rack device of any suitable construction or design whereby the handle may
be fixed in any required position.
When the tramcar arrives at the end of its journey it is not usually reversed end
for end, but is drawn and consequently driven from what before was the rear end,
and it is thus necessary that the rock shaft J¹ should be operative from that
end; with this object I provide a second rock shaft J at the opposite end of the
car and fit both shafts with similar arms J J connected by a rod J' extending the
length of the car whereby the same actions will take place when either shaft is
rocked. The operating handle may conveniently be made removable from one rock
shaft to the other, it fitting into a similar socket in either shaft.
To stop the vehicle the yoke G is lowered by the driver throwing forward the
operating lever J2, the top teeth C² thereof gears with the top of its toothed
wheel B and this revolving, draws forward the rod C₁ and places the spring F into
tension, action ceasing when the vehicle stops. The operating lever J2 is then
placed into an intermediate position, and the pinion B is brought into gear with
both the teeth C2 and C³ of the loop rack C whereby the mechanism is held
stationary with the spring in tension. Upon starting, the yoke G is raised by
means of the operating handle J2 thereby throwing the upper teeth C² out of gear
and causing the lower teeth C³ to be geared with the toothed wheel B₁ and the
spring F tending to draw the fork backwards, revolves or aids in revolving the
spur wheel and road wheel in a forward direction and starts or aids in starting
the vehicle. A hinged pawl or catch of suitable construction may be employed if
desired, although not shown in the drawing fulcrummed to the vehicle and provided
with a suitable spring, the pawl co-acting with the teeth of the looped rack in order
to retain the latter when in its forward position, and this pawl could be thrown out
of engagement when or by raising the forked part to start the vehicle.
The teeth of the rack may be of somewhat ratchet formation as shown at
Figure 1 sloping away from the forward end of the rack, and the teeth on the
wheels should then correspond according to the direction in which action is required,
or the teeth may be of ordinary shape. It is not necessary in all cases to employ
two toothed wheels as by suitably forming the teeth to grip in both directions, only
one such wheel may be employed.
Such an arrangement is shown on Sheet 2 where Figure 4 is a sectional elevation
of so much of a tram car as is necessary to show my invention applied thereto, the
starting and stopping mechanism being shown in its inactive position, Figure 5 is a
part sectional side view showing the parts in position as when the car is being
stopped and the spring put into tension. Fig. 6 is an inverted detached plan of
one of the rock shafts J', Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevation of the end of the rack
and pinion, and Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line X' Y' of Figure 5
showing the single pinion and the lateral bearings and guides for the rack. The
similar reference letters indicate corresponding parts and are in accord with the
reference letters of Sheet 1, the construction of the apparatus differing only in
that one pinion B is employed instead of the two pinions B B and the rack
teeth C2 C3 are in the same vertical plane so that the one pinion meshes with either
C² or C³ according to the position of the rack C, the pinion being of such diameter
that it is only free from the rack teeth when the rack is in central position as
at Figure 4, with the pinion at the end of the rack'as shown by dotted lines at
Figure 7, and a depression or a lift of the rack brings pinion into gear, the
pinion engaging with the top member and drawing same in one direction or
5 simultaneously engaging both members and becoming locked, or engaging the
When
lower member and itself receiving rotary motion to start the vehicle.
at rest as at Figs. 1 and 4, the action of the spring F, bringing the end of

page_text: the rack in contact with the face of the bracket D, retains the rack in the
required central position, although other balance springs or weights may be
employed, if desired or found necessary.
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 :-
1. In means for storing energy exerted by stopping wheeled vehicles to be
expended when again starting same, a forked or looped rack having upper and
lower sets of teeth, and a spring wherein energy may be accumulated, in
combination with a pinion or-pinions secured to the road wheel or its axle, and
located within the looped rack, the pinions being of such diameter as when fully
in gear with one set of rack teeth to just clear the other set, the teeth at one
end of rack being so formed as to free the pinion when the rack is in inactive
position, together with means for moving the rack to bring either or both sets
of teeth into engagement with the pinion or pinions as required, and means for
normally retaining the rack in a central position at the end of its travel and
out of engagement with the pinion or pinions when not required for use,
substantially as described.
2. In stopping and starting wheeled vehicles, the combination with a toothed
wheel or wheels secured to the road wheel or its axle, of a forked or looped
rack embracing the toothed wheel or wheels, and having internal upper and
lower sets of teeth, with one or other of which sets the toothed wheel or wheels
may be engaged, by raising or depressing the rack, or both sets of teeth may
simultaneously be engaged and lock the toothed wheel, the teeth at one end
being partially cut away, to allow the toothed wheel to freely revolve when the
rack is in a normal position; a rod extending from one end of rack through
a bearing bracket, and a spring mounted on the rod, and acting between the
bracket and a collar on the rod, to retain the rack in a normal position, with
the chain wheel free, a yoke taking into a groove on the rack, and suitable
levers for raising and lowering the yoke and rack from either end of the car,
whereby the spring is compressed by the stopping of the vehicle and is caused to
react upon the car being restarted, substantially as described.
3. The combination with the forked or looped rack C, the spring F, the pinion
or pinions on the road wheel or axle embraced by the said rack, of the yoke G,
and lever H for bringing one or other or both sets of teeth into engagement with
the pinion or pinions, the rock shaft J', arm J, and hand lever J2 for operating the
lever H, substantially as described.
4. The combination with the mechanism claimed by Claim 3, of the rock
shaft J and connections, whereby the motions thereof are transmitted to the
operating rock shaft J'at the opposite end of the vehicle, whereby the stopping and
starting mechanism may be controlled from either end, substantially as described.
Dated this 7th day of March 1895.